RALEIGH (AP) -- While North Carolina State fell short of preseason expectations to finish atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, it's still in position to earn the program's highest league tournament seed in nine years.

N.C. State can clinch a top-four seed and a first-round bye at next week's league tournament in Greensboro by winning at Florida State in Saturday's regular-season finale. That would give the Wolfpack a chance for the program's best regular-season ACC finish since coming in second in 2004.

N.C. State can earn the No. 3 seed with a win and a North Carolina loss to Duke. A loss to FSU and a Virginia win against Maryland could drop the Wolfpack to No. 5, which would force a team with eight scholarship players into a first-round game Thursday.

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