Jan. 29, 2004
ATLANTA – The Atlantic Coast Conference’s nine head coaches selected Georgia Tech as the top pick to win the conference championship in 2004 with six first place votes and a total of 77 points.
The Yellow Jackets return eight of nine position starters and a total of 20 letterwinners from a 2003 squad that captured the ACC Championship and finished the season with a 44-18 record, including a 17-7 league mark and a trip to the NCAA Atlanta Regional.
Florida State who finished second with 61 points and a first place vote after finishing the 2003 season as the ACC regular-season Champions. Clemson was third, tallying 60 points and one first place vote.
The North Carolina Tar Heels fill the fourth place slot with 58 points, while NC State placed fifth in the balloting with 52 points. The Wolfpack was followed by Wake Forest who finished with 36 points and Virginia with 28 points. Duke was selected to finish eighth with 17 points and Maryland ninth with 16 points.
2004 ACC Coaches Preseason Predicted Order of FinishSchool Points 2003 Record1. Georgia Tech ........77 (6)....44-18, 17-7 ACC2. Florida State .......61 (1)....54-13-1, 19-5 ACC3. Clemson .............60 (1)....39-22, 15-9 ACC4. North Carolina...... 58........42-23, 13-11 ACC5. NC State ........... 52........45-18, 15-9 ACC6. Wake Forest ........ 36 (1)....29-24, 8-15 ACC7. Virginia ........... 28........29-25, 11-12 ACC8. Duke ............... 17........18-36, 2-21 ACC9. Maryland ........... 16........20-33, 6-17 ACC
(#) denotes first place votes
