The voting results stink.

They made less sense than the West Regional seedings on any given Selection Sunday.

I hereby demand another vote.

I don't want a recount, you understand. I want everyone to go right back to the polls and take a mulligan.

Only this time, I want the electorate to keep in mind that Julius Hodge is the incumbent ACC player of the year in basketball.

He's not some fringe candidate from the far left -- or far right -- wing. He's as legit as you can get.

Now, in the spirit of open disclosure, I did see this hijacking of justice coming.

When the preseason ACC player of the year vote took place, on Halloween afternoon in Greensboro, I took the liberty of conducting some exit polling.

What I learned was a lot of reporter types believe Julius Hodge might as well be Julius Erving. Or worse, Julius Caesar. He's history, so to speak.

Wake Forest sophomore Chris Paul, on the other hand, is hotter than a spring-break video. Saint Paul should have been so popular.

This, my fellow Americans, is twisted logic.

It's the same sort of short-sighted thinking that led to last year's preseason vote, when North Carolina's Raymond Felton -- then a sophomore point guard -- was pegged as the No. 1 player.

Way back then, Felton was Chris Paul. Instead, Felton wound up third-team all-conference.

This is not a slam on Paul. The guy is terrific. He dribbles, passes and shoots.

But what does that make Hodge? Week-old pizza?

He dribbles, passes and shoots, too. He also rebounds, defends, plays three or four different positions. He shakes. He bakes. He snakes. He motivates. He agitates. He isn't afraid to address the pressing issues of the campaign, either. Just ask Rashad McCants or the Cameron Crazies.

But what's wrong with that? I like candidates who speak their mind.

Besides, Hodge has made his bones in this conference. He has paid his dues and is due his pay. He's the rarest animal in college ball -- a superstar senior. He's going to graduate. A college degree doesn't make you ineligible for the NBA. What's wrong with 10-year-old kids, whether they live in Harlem or the Triangle, knowing that?

But believe or it not, that's one reason Hodge wasn't elected as the top preseason player. There were a good many cynical voters out there who figured, "If ol' Jules really is all that, then why is he still in college?"

To his credit, Hodge didn't let the lack of voter respect flame him out.

"Well, it's cool," he said. "Here at N.C. State, we always seem to be the underdogs. ... I like the position. Last year, I wasn't preseason ACC player of the year either, so things happen like that sometimes."

My decision on the preseason vote didn't seriously involve Paul. Mine was a choice between Hodge and Duke junior Shelden Williams.

But when everything is taken into account, Hodge consistently does more well than anyone else. In the Wolfpack's balanced, probing offense, it's easy to forget he averaged 18.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and easily led his team in assists (with a total of 112) last season. He also led a team that finished 11-5 in the ACC in steals (43).

Hodge's position in ACC history will depend largely on the kind of season State has in 2004-05. The Wolfpack hasn't won an ACC Tournament since 1987 and last bagged a regular-season title in 1989. Obviously, his resume would be substantially enhanced by being on a championship team.

But if Hodge wins another ACC Player of the Year award, he would join David Thompson as the Pack's only double winner. Thompson won three straight and would have won four had freshmen been eligible in those days.

Still, no league player has won back-to-back since Wake's Tim Duncan in 1996 and '97.

Lots of folks couldn't understand why he stayed around for a re-election, either.

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