One unanimous vote … and one that’s not even close.
Sounds like the ACC, alright.
With about three weeks left in the ACC regular season, the league title is still very much up for grabs; Virginia, Miami, NC State, Clemson and Pittsburgh all have at least 10 conference wins, and therefore some shot at winning the regular season. (Ah, yes. The preseason No. 3, 4, 10, 11, and 14 teams, vying for a title … just like we all expected.) Also still undecided? Which five players, amid such an uncertain league, will be named to the All-ACC first team.
To make sense of it all, The Athletic conducted its annual midseason media poll, soliciting responses from one beat reporter per ACC school. We asked the following two questions:
The first question was easy enough. All 15 respondents were in agreement: The ACC regular-season title runs through Charlottesville, with Virginia as the heavy favorite to win its fifth outright and sixth overall conference title since 2014-15. Our league experts agreed that the Cavaliers’ favorable late-season schedule — including two games against last-place Louisville, and another against 10-15 Notre Dame — puts Tony Bennett’s team in the driver’s seat.
And while several voters considered Miami — one of the league’s two other ranked teams — and even Pittsburgh, UVa more-than earned its unanimous nod.
As our Virginia correspondent, The Athletic’s Eamonn Brennan wrote: “Had the Hoos stumbled a couple more times already, you could have some fun with this and give a shout to Pittsburgh or Clemson. But the fact that Virginia is likewise at the top of the league, while also being the actual best and most well-rounded team in the conference (by a margin, too), makes it feel kind of silly to pick anyone else.”
The second question, though? Couldn’t have been more all over the place. In total, 11 different players (from eight different teams) were nominated. It just goes to show how unconventional an ACC season this has been. Perhaps fittingly, the media’s league favorite, Virginia, did not have a player among the top five highest vote-getters. (All stats are updated as of Monday morning.)
The votes for our All-ACC team (stats as of Monday morning) …
Credentials: Leads the league in scoring (18.6), assists (6.2), and minutes (36.3); third in steals (1.6); sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1); eighth in free-throw percent (83.7); 15th in field-goal percentage (42.8); and 17th in 3-pointers per game (1.9).
Beyond the numbers: Last season, Alondes Williams narrowly missed out on becoming the first player in ACC history to lead the league in scoring and assists for a season. Can Wake Forest’s latest transfer star get over that hump? It’s very possible — as is the idea of Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes pulling back-to-back player of the year winners out of the portal.
Credentials: Leads the league in rebounding (11.3); second in free-throw rate (52.9) and fouls drawn per 40 minutes (6.1); third in scoring (17.6) and field-goal percentage (56.4); and 12th in blocks (1).
Beyond the numbers: Bacot’s consistency on the boards made him a national star last postseason, and he’s been just as good for the Tar Heels in Hubert Davis’ second season. Earlier this season, he became UNC’s all-time leading rebounder, surpassing the likes of Tyler Hansbrough, Antawn Jamison and other program greats. With UNC on the NCAA Tournament bubble, Davis will need Bacot’s best down the stretch.
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Credentials: Second in the league in scoring (18.5); third in 3-pointers per game (2.9); fourth in steals (1.6); sixth in assists (4.6) and 3-point percentage (34.4); eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2); 13th in minutes (34); and 21st in free-throw percentage (69.4).
Beyond the numbers: Smith luckily avoided serious injury in January, when he suffered a nasty fall against North Carolina and had to be stretchered off the court. Otherwise, he’s been one of the most explosive scorers not just in the conference, but in the country. Smith passed up potentially being a first-round NBA Draft choice last summer to return to NC State, and it appears his reward will be the Wolfpack’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 2017-18.
Credentials: Sixth in the league in steals (1.5); eighth in scoring (16.2); 10th in free-throw percentage (83.2); 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9); 12th in field-goal percentage (44.9); 14th in assists (3.5); and 22nd in 3-pointers per game (1.8) and minutes (33.1).
Beyond the numbers: Wong led Miami to the Elite Eight last year, and he’s been just as effective this season in leading the Hurricanes to a regular ranking in the AP poll. Though he hasn’t boosted his 3-point percentage like he would have hoped, after receiving NBA feedback this summer, he’s once again been one of the nation’s most consistent backcourt scorers. He’s the perfect shot-making piece in Jim Larrañaga’s wide-out offense.
Credentials: Fourth in the league in rebounding (9.8); sixth in free-throw percentage (84.1); seventh in minutes (35.1); eighth in 3-pointers per game (2.4); 10th in field-goal percentage (49.6); and 12th in scoring (15.8).
Beyond the numbers: Tyson is as critical as anyone to Clemson’s surprise start this season. And while the Tigers have slipped a little in recent weeks, after holding down the ACC’s top spot earlier in January, Brad Brownell’s squad still has honest hopes of making the NCAA Tournament. He’s become one of the better two-way players in the league in his fifth season.
Credentials: Fifth in the league in rebounding (9.2); 14th in blocks (0.9); 15th in free-throw percentage (75.8); 16th in steals (1.2); 17th in scoring (14.8); and 19th in field-goal percentage (41.9).
Beyond the numbers: Inarguably the most productive and consistent freshman in the ACC this season — Saturday’s loss to Virginia was the first game Filipowski hasn’t scored all season — Filipowski has at times been Duke’s only offensive option. When the 7-foot stretch-four is on, he’s one of the more difficult mismatches in the country, something Jon Scheyer constantly takes advantage of.
Credentials: Seventh in the league in assists (4.6) and free-throw percentage (83.7); 10th in scoring (16); 14th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6); and 21st in minutes (33.2).
Beyond the numbers: Burton’s third collegiate stop has been his best, and the 6-4 bowling ball has been as central to Pitt’s turnaround this season as anyone on the roster. Burton’s 31-point, six-rebound effort against North Carolina remains one of the best individual performances of the season.
Credentials: Leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.2); third in assists (5.1); and 10th in steals (1.4).
Beyond the numbers: The Virginia players sort of cannibalized each others’ votes, but Beekman is a veritable contender for Defensive Player of the Year, despite missing time earlier this season. He’s an ideal safety-like defender in Bennett’s packline defense, and while he doesn’t always fill up the stat sheet, he’s a potential first-round NBA Draft pick because of his defense and passing alone.
Credentials: Leads the league in field-goal percentage (61.2); third in rebounding (10); sixth in blocks (1.4); 20th in free-throw percentage (70.4); and 22nd in scoring (14.1).
Beyond the numbers: There were questions about if Omier — listed at 6-7 and 248 pounds — was big enough to serve as Miami’s top big man, but the Arkansas State transfer has more than answered them in his first season with the Hurricanes. Omier doesn’t have a ton of shooting range, but as a rebounder and efficient interior scorer on an otherwise-smaller squad, he’s one of the most valuable players Larrañaga has.
Credentials: Second in the league in assists (5.9) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8); 14th in free-throw percentage (75.8); 18th in steals (1.2); and 20th in minutes (33.3).
Beyond the numbers: Clark commands all those corny jokes about this being his 11th season — not undeservedly so — but the fact is, he remains the head of the snake for the league’s best team. He’s a terrific passer and floor general who basically is the ethos of how Bennett wants to play basketball. When he’s making shots, too, he’s one of the best two-way players in the ACC.
Credentials: Seventh in the league in steal percentage (2.9); and 10th in percentage of shots (27).
Beyond the numbers: Gardner’s numbers have dipped since last season, but as Virginia’s highest-usage player, he gets a nod here. The Cavaliers’ decision to go smaller of late depends significantly on Gardner’s defensive versatility.
Media voters
CL Brown (North Carolina), The News & Observer
Trevor Hass (Boston College), The Boston Globe/boston.com
Tom Noie (Notre Dame), South Bend Tribune/NDInsider
Conor O’Neill (Wake Forest), Deacons Illustrated/Devils Illustrated
Christopher Carter (Pittsburgh), The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steve Wiseman (Duke), The News & Observer
Curt Weiler (Florida State), The Osceola/Rivals
Eamonn Brennan (Virginia), The Athletic
Matt Connolly (Clemson), clemsonsports.com/On3
Brooks Holton (Louisville), The Louisville Courier-Journal
David Teel (Virginia Tech), The Richmond Times-Dispatch
Manny Navarro (Miami), The Athletic
Mike Waters (Syracuse), The Post-Standard/syracuse.com
Ken Sugiura (Georgia Tech), The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Joe Giglio (NC State), WRAL/WRALsportsfan.com
(Top photo of Reece Beekman: Geoff Burke / USA Today)
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