Despite my (largely successful) startegy of avoiding Wolfpack games, I watched some other ACC games. Enough to bore you all with my personal picks for conference honors. Not bored enough? Here are last year’s selctions. Since my viewing hours declined, I “sanity checked” my gut feelings more than usual. I even accepted a handful of sane nudges. Without further ado:
Player of the Year: Nolan Smith, Duke
In November and early December, Smith wasn’t even his team’s best player. Then Kyrie Irving got hurt – and Nolan Smith proceeded to do anything and everything for the Blue Devils. He’s been the lead dog from the first to the last ACC game, and this isn’t a close call or debateable in any way.
Coach of the Year: Roy Williams, UNC
Coming off a disastrous 2009-10 campaign (in which Roy still beat Sidney Lowe twice), Roy looked lost again early. Vanderbilt and Minnesota thumped the Holes. Early on in ACC, lowly Georgia Tech beat UNC by 20. His team had no front-court depth (thanks to the Wear twins’ departure), and no great scoring options. Then, his starting point guard walked out halfway through the conference season. Naturally, UNC rolled to a 14-2 mark, the only other loss coming at Cameron (despite leading most of the way in a spirited game). That’s no easy feat no matter how down the league was, and to do so with rebounding, defense, and (outside of Atlanta) consistent effort equals COY. Coach K, Steve Donahue, and Tony Bennett all deserve honorable mention.
Rookie of the Year: Kendall Marshall, UNC
Here’s this year’s contrarian pick. Marshall’s teammate, Harrison Barnes, will win this award in a very comfortable vote. But after Roy Williams, Kendall Marshall is unquestionably the man most responsible for UNC’s regular season title. He makes the Heels function, and became the glue that held the team together after Larry Drew II took his ball and went home. Not many freshmen have that kind of mettle, and it’s an honor the kid really deserves.
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First Team All-ACC:
Nolan Smith, Duke
Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech
Reggie Jackson, Boston College
Jordan Williams, Maryland
John Henson, UNC
Like last year, the first four are no-brainers, in my view. Jackson barely made the media’s first team, which is patently absurd. Kyle Singler is on the media’s first team (more votes than Jackson), because several sportswriters apparently needed to fill out their ballots 2 or 3 weeks before the season ended. Henson grabs the last spot as an reward for being my defensive player of the year. He’s still an asshole, though.
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Second Team All-ACC:
Kyle Singler, Duke
Demontez Stitt, Clemson
Tyler Zeller, UNC
Kendall Marshall, UNC
Harrison Barnes, UNC
The second team is led by the aforementioned Singler and the ridiculously unheralded Demontez Stitt. Clemson has a first round ACCT bye, and no other player in shouting distance of all-ACC distinction. Following behind are a troika of Holes, all pretty much equally valuable in their own way.
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Third Team All-ACC:
Joe Trapani, Boiston College
Reggie Johnson, Miami
Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech
Derwin Kitchen, Florida State
Iman Shumpert, Georgia Tech
Trapani and Allen had very solid years in supporting roles, playing Robin to Batmen Jackson and Delaney. Reggie Johnson had a very solid year for Miami, despite the Canes’ general suckitude. Speaking of the whole being much greater than the sum of its parts…just look at Florida State. The Noles were more or less the same team after Chris Singleton’s injury (and his numbers weren’t great before that), so I give third team honors to their senior “glue guy.” Everybody said I was crazy not to have Shumpert on the squad, and that he should really be second team. I counter that his numbers are inflated by the 150 or so combined he scored against the matador-defending Demon Deacons, and that every time I watch him play, I think “Ishua Benjamin.” I relented and gave him the final spot ahead of Singleton.
