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With the ACC basketball season half over, it's time for midterm exams in the Big Four. The grades are mixed, and plenty of work remains before final exams in March at the Greensboro Coliseum.

-- COMPILED BY JEFF MILLS, Staff Writer

DUKE

CRITICAL THINKING: Just 4-3 in its last seven games in January, Duke used the four days between a loss at Georgetown and Thursday's victory over Georgia Tech to overhaul its offense. The motion-offense sets could make the best team in the league even better.

STUDY UP ON: Kyle Singler (above). The ACC's preseason player of the year has been overshadowed by teammate Jon Scheyer, but coach Mike Krzyzewski says the "non-predictable movement" in the motion offense could help Singler fluorish. The 6-foot-8 junior scored a career-high 30 points in the first game under motion.

MIDTERM GRADE: A-minus

NORTH CAROLINA

CRITICAL THINKING: The Tar Heels have the second-worst overall record in the league, and coach Roy Williams is still frantically searching for the right combination of players. Carolina misses Tyler Zeller's toughness inside more than anyone could've imagined.

STUDY UP ON: Will Graves (above). The fun-loving junior shooter from Greensboro is well-liked by his teammates. Heralded freshman John Henson is coming off his best game and probably needs to play more, but Graves is a leader -- whether Williams likes it or not -- and the Heels need him involved to keep this struggling team together.

MIDTERM GRADE: D-plus

N.C. STATE

CRITICAL THINKING: Undersized center Tracy Smith always does his part inside, and it looks as if heralded freshman forward Richard Howell's role will grow. But the Wolfpack continues to get spotty play from guards Javier Gonzalez, Farnold Degand and Julius Mays. State needs six more wins to make its case for an NCAA berth. That won't be easy.

STUDY UP ON: Dennis Horner (above). The 6-foot-9 senior is versatile enough to play in the low post or shoot from the 3-point line. Horner's importance is obvious: He has averaged 15 points in State's 14 victories, and just seven in the Wolfpack's nine losses.

MIDTERM GRADE: D

WAKE FOREST

CRITICAL THINKING: Al-Farouq Aminu is averaging a double-double, and Ish Smith has blossomed into the ACC's best pure point guard. But it's Wake's role players and commitment to the pack-line defense that puts these Deacons among the league's elite. Consider this: They've lost back-to-back games just once, and not since Dec. 1.

STUDY UP ON: C.J. Harris (above). The freshman guard isn't as flashy or quick as last season's star Jeff Teague, but he's vital to this year's success. A capable ball-handler who can slash and shoot, Harris' free-throw shooting and improved defense has solidified the Deacs.

MIDTERM GRADE: B-minus