The News and Observer has given its midterm grades for ACC basketball.

I am having trouble arguing with the N&O's first-team All ACC, although I might replace BC's Craig Smith with Al Thornton from Florida State.

The two have pretty similar stats, but two things put Thornton over the top for me.

First, Smith has Jared Dudley to help share the load, while Thornton is pretty much a one-man show (with apologies to Alexander Johnson) for FSU.

And second, Thornton has helped make FSU into a bubble team for the NCAA tournament when the experts all had them finishing near or at the bottom of the ACC this year.