3MW’s All Conference Team:
Player of the Year: Moses Wright, Sr., Georgia Tech
Coach of the Year: Mike Young, Virginia Tech
Newcomer of the Year: Carlik Jones, R Sr., Louisville
Freshman of the Year: Scottie Barnes, Florida St.
Season Storylines:
Let’s start with the storyline that, to me, was most fascinating in the ACC this season: the Player of the Year game of hot potato. Figuring out a preseason pick was a mess, and the season did not offer much clarity: Garrison Brooks did not distinguish himself in a crowded UNC frontcourt, no one can decide on Virginia’s best/most important forward (Jay Huff or Sam Hauser), and Florida State lacks a star and instead rolls over teams with its depth and balance.
At various times, Louisville’s Carlik Jones, Virginia Tech’s Keve Aluma, Pitt’s Justin Champagnie, and Duke’s Matthew Hurt each looked like the favorite, but team success and the Hokies’ extended COVID shutdown thwarted all of those campaigns. Ultimately, like the ACC voters, I happily bestowed the honor on Georgia Tech’s Moses Wright, an Energizer bunny of a big man who evolved into a destroyer of worlds during the Yellow Jackets’ season-ending six-game winning streak.
Ok, that’s too many words about a single award…
That narrative paints the picture of this year’s ACC, though: no dominant teams, plenty of fits and starts for basically every contender. Virginia lost three straight games to close February, but it still won the ACC crown thanks to Florida State laying an egg at Notre Dame in its own finale. Both teams are surprisingly much better on offense this season, boasting their own armies of perimeter shooters while struggling to maintain their coaches’ sterling defensive reputations.
The more storied programs in this league – namely North Carolina, Syracuse, and Duke – spent plenty of time on the conference roller coaster themselves. The Tar Heels ended up in the best shape of the bunch, surely a sigh of relief for their fanbase after last year’s debacle, but the Orange and the Blue Devils will need an extended run through this event (possibly even a championship) to see their names on Selection Sunday.
Their swoons opened the door for teams like Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Clemson to ascend the ACC ladder, and they did so impressively, though as mentioned, the Hokies missed a huge chunk of February, so they could be in a tough spot. Led by Wright and the potent backcourt of Jose Alvarado and Michael Devoe, the Yellow Jackets are an appealing sleeper in this event – if they can get past a likely rubber game with Brad Brownell’s hard-nosed bunch.
Steve Forbes did yeoman’s work at Wake Forest, but the talent deficit consumed the Demon Deacons down the stretch, and Boston College struggled so badly that Jim Christian was let go before the season ended. Miami (FL) is utterly and totally ravaged by injuries (what else is new?), Pitt’s starting backcourt transferred…so yeah, the bottom of the league is in a dark place.
Tournament Preview
Tournament Predictions
(13) Miami FL over (12) Pittsburgh
(10) Duke over (15) Boston College
(11) Notre Dame over (14) Wake Forest
(8) Syracuse over (9) NC State
(5) Clemson over (13) Miami FL
(10) Duke over (7) Louisville
(6) North Carolina over (11) Notre Dame
(1) Virginia over (8) Syracuse
(4) Georgia Tech over (5) Clemson
(2) Florida State over (10) Duke
(6) North Carolina over (3) Virginia Tech
(1) Virginia over (4) Georgia Tech
(2) Florida St. over (6) North Carolina
(2) Florida St. over (1) Virginia