By David Glenn, ACCSports.com

In every Atlantic Coast Conference basketball program, some players are proven commodities, and others are end-of-the-bench reserves. In between, every team has one or two contributing players whose up-and-down performances individually tend to be tied directly to winning and losing.

In the first installment of a two-part series, here are six ACC players who fit the “X Factor” description particularly well this season:

Greivis Vasquez, Maryland

Greivis Vasquez (Mitch Stringer/PressBox)

To call Vasquez unpredictable would be an understatement. There is no telling what the sophomore guard may do at any given moment, either athletically or emotionally.

In the ACC opener against Boston College alone, Vasquez hugged an official, withheld the ball while pleading with another official and later slapped the basket support out of frustration. In what was clearly a punishment for cumulative misbehavior, he was assessed a technical foul that proved to be a fifth personal foul and was lost for the game with 10:30 remaining.

Both Vasquez and Maryland were playing well at the time with the Terps leading by five points. The Eagles made both technical free throws to jump-start a 7-0 run that gave the visitors the lead for good.

Maryland coach Gary Williams was still annoyed afterward, making it clear that he felt the technical foul was a major momentum changer and might have cost the Terps the game.

Ever since Vasquez showed up in College Park, Williams has been forced to walk a tightrope with regard to the youngster’s on-court behavior. On the one hand, Williams does not want to inhibit the energy, enthusiasm and passion the fiery Venezuelan brings to the court. On the other hand, Williams needs the volatile Vasquez to channel that emotion in a positive way.

“Greivis has an innate ability to want to compete,” Williams said. “He gets excited every time he has an opportunity to play basketball, whether in practice or in a game. Greivis isn’t afraid to put it out there. He’s emotional and demonstrative, and I’m not going to pull him back. I want that as part of our team. A good team has a certain swagger. Greivis isn’t cocky, but he has that swagger that you want.”

It has been a difficult balancing act, especially during the early part of the season. On numerous occasions during the non-conference portion of the schedule, Vasquez tried to do too much, with a resulting bevy of ill-advised shots and careless turnovers.

Vasquez was a combined 9-for-29 shooting in upset losses to Virginia Commonwealth and Ohio. He abandoned the offense and attempted to take over by himself down the stretch, with disastrous results.

In the wake of those and other disappointing defeats, Williams made the move many had suggested by putting Eric Hayes at point guard and moving Vasquez to the wing. The coach also had a sit-down with Vasquez and urged him to trust his teammates more and play within the structure of the system.

Since that time, Vasquez has appeared more under control and more consistent, and the Terrapins have looked like an entirely different team.

Vasquez was nothing short of sensational as Maryland closed its non-conference slate with four impressive victories, averaging 18 points on 53 percent shooting. Most notable was that Vasquez shot less and made more, a byproduct of being patient and taking mostly high-percentage attempts.

With Vasquez and Hayes stabilizing the backcourt and big men James Gist and Bambale Osby playing well in the post, the Terps continued their consistent play in a recent five-game ACC stretch that included victories over Wake Forest, No. 1 North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia Tech.
 
Nolan Smith, Duke

The Blue Devils are back in the top 10 this season and have plenty of talent overall, but they have imperfect fits at the two most important positions on the floor -- point guard and center. That’s a stark contrast from the Bobby Hurley-Christian Laettner teams that won national championships in 1991 and 1992 or the Jason Williams-Carlos Boozer NCAA title team from 2001.

Mike Krzyzewski simply doesn’t have any outstanding talents on the roster who can fill the traditional post role this season, but he’s hoping Smith and Greg Paulus can continue to handle the point guard duties with aplomb. A junior, Paulus is a solid ball-handler and a good passer, but he’s a liability defensively and his best skill (42 percent three-point shooting) is a better fit for the wing.

Smith, whose late father Derek Smith starred at Louisville and played in the NBA, is an unusually advanced defensive player for a freshman. Recently, he also has shown signs (e.g., 14 points, six rebounds at Maryland) of becoming more productive in other areas. If that continues, Duke will become an even more versatile team at both ends of the floor.
 
Brandon Costner, N.C. State

Brandon Costner (N.C. State Athletics)

One of the biggest mysteries of the first half of the conference schedule was the poor performance of Costner, who earned third team All-ACC recognition last season and led the Wolfpack’s surprising run to the 2007 ACC championship game.

A year ago as a red-shirt freshman, Costner led N.C. State in scoring (16.8) and rebounding (7.3) while averaging 34.4 minutes per game. This year those numbers are down dramatically, to 26.3 minutes, 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. His shooting percentages have dropped significantly as well, to 37.1 percent on field goals and 32.5 percent on three-pointers.

An extraordinary talent, Costner has shown poor conditioning and a questionable attitude at times this season, and has fallen behind freshman J.J. Hickson and junior Ben McCauley in the two-man post rotation. But Costner still has plenty of skills that can help the Pack, if he can get his season turned around.

Corey Raji, Boston College

Corey Raji (Boston College Athletics)

The Eagles lost a lot of good things with the departures of multiyear starters Jared Dudley and Sean Marshall after last season, including scoring, rebounding, defense, toughness, energy and versatility. Dudley’s unique combination of those things made him the 2007 ACC Player of the Year.

Raji, a freshman forward, plays more of a supporting role for Boston College this season, often as the first man off the bench, but he’s another player who helps his team in statistical categories across the board. When he plays well, the Eagles usually win. When he struggles, they usually lose.

Dwayne Collins, Miami

The Hurricanes are a very perimeter-oriented team offensively. Guards Jack McClinton and James Dews and small forward Brian Asbury take most of the shots, and the team generally rises or falls with their successes and failures.

Collins, a junior power forward, gives Miami a strong two-way presence in the post. The Hurricanes’ most physical player, he’s already a force on defense and on the boards. If he continues to improve offensively, he’ll help Miami find the balance it needs to succeed in conference play.

Uche Echefu, Florida State

Uche Echefu (Florida State Athletics)

This was supposed to be the year the Seminoles broke their decade-long NCAA Tournament drought. They have four productive veterans in their guard rotation, a pleasant thought for any team approaching March Madness.

But FSU desperately needs more production in the post, and a combination of injuries and a transfer has limited the team’s options. The last big man standing, junior forward Echefu, is the only one who can deliver the goods.

Issue 3.6: February 7, 2008