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Player of the Week

Grayson Allen – Duke (G, So., 6-5, 205, Jacksonville, FL)

The senior guard continues to step up for the Duke Blue Devils on a nightly basis. Duke went 2-0 this week and reached the top of the ACC standings behind a pair of solid performances from the Jacksonville, Florida native. Through both games, he averaged 19.0 points on 58 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

On Nov. 29, Allen, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading scorer at 21.8 points per game, led the Blue Devils past Utah State, 85-52, by scoring 22 points on an efficient 8-for-15 shooting, including 2-for-5 from long range. He added five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Allen was able to continually get into the lane and drew two key early fouls on Utah State forward Jalen Moore. After leading 38-27 at the half, Allen scored in the lane and knocked down a 3-pointer during Duke’s 16-0 run to open the second half. Their lead grew to 54-27 and the Blue Devils never looked back.

Allen followed up with a 16-point effort in Duke’s 94-74 win over Indiana in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Dec. 2. He shot 7-for-11 from the field to go along with five rebounds and three assists. The win was the Blue Devils’ fifth straight and 121th straight home win against non-ACC opponents.
 
Who’s Hot?

Devin Thomas – Wake Forest (F, Sr., 6-9, 255, Harrisburg, PA) 

Wake Forest overcame a 12-point second-half deficit on the road to defeat Rutgers, 69-68, in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Nov. 30. The Demon Deacons were led by senior forward Devin Thomas, who recorded his fourth double-double of the year, and 25th of his career, with a season-high 23 points and 17 rebounds. His 25th career double-double tied Rodney Rodgers for the eighth-most in Wake Forest history. His 17 rebounds matched his season-high. His 17th and final rebound off a Mike Williams 3-point miss with 1.4 seconds on the clock to sealed the victory. Thomas shot 56 percent from the field to go along with three assists and three blocks. 

Senior Guards: Malcolm Brogdon – Virginia (G, Sr., 6-5, 215, Atlanta, GA) & Marcus Paige – North Carolina (G, Sr., 6-2, 175, Marion, IA)

Both Brogdon and Paige pushed their respective team’s victory this week. Brogdon recorded 22 points and six rebounds in Virginia’s 64-58 win over Ohio State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Dec. 1. It was his third straight game with at least 20 points. He shot 7-for-16 from the floor, including 6-for-10 from the 3-point line. Paige, who missed the first six games of the season while recovering from a fractured right hand, returned to the starting lineup and scored 20 points to help UNC beat No. 2 Maryland, 89-81, in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The preseason Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year showed no ill effects from his injury. He assisted on the game’s first basket then hit a 3-pointer on the next possession. He finished with a 7-for-12 shooting performance and went 4-for-5 on 3-pointers to go with five assists and one turnover in 34 minutes.

Who’s Not?

Boston College Eagles – Four-game losing streak

Things have not gone too well for the Eagles since Thanksgiving Day. They’ve been handily defeated in four consecutive games (0-3 this week) after starting the season 3-0, and now sit at the bottom of the ACC standings at 3-4. The Eagles suffered four straight home losses to Michigan State (99-68), UC Irvine (80-67), Santa Clara (62-45) and Penn State (67-58). Starting senior guard Eli Carter is averaging 14.7 points during the current losing streak but is shooting just 37 percent from the field. Carter, the team’s leading scorer at 16.7 points per game, shot just 2-for-8 from the floor and 1-for-4 from the 3-point line for seven points in the team’s loss to Penn State. He hasn’t had much help on the offensive end. The team’s second-leading scorer, freshman guard Jerome Robinson (10.7 points per game), is shooting just 37 percent for 8.7 points per game during the current losing streak. Defensively, things have been much worse, as the Eagles have given up a total of 308 points (77 points per game) over the last four games. 

Top Highlight Reel Dunks of the Week 

Courtesy of ACC Digital Network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDTRqUOfmgE