ACC Blog

By Tyler Ingle

Player of the Week

Irving has not had any trouble adjusting to the college level. He’s maintained the same leadership and defensive intensity qualities that made him the top point guard in his high school class. The freshman is already leading the ACC in assists (5.6) and he’s been efficient about it (2.3 A/TO ratio). He’s also been a hound on defense, showing great intensity and a commitment to shutting his man down. Irving is making open shots (52.2% from the field, 44% behind the arc) and hitting his free throws (88.1%). This week, he torched the 6th ranked Michigan State Spartans with 31 points on 8-12 shooting. This performance against one of the very best teams in the nation shows that Irving (while consistent) is not timid or afraid of stepping up for his team. He’s been a great addition for the defending national champions, and will certainly be in the discussion for ACC Freshman of the Year.

Hot

Maryland center Jordan Williams is coming off a very promising freshman season, in which he averaged about 10 points and 9 rebounds. Expectations on him were high after Maryland lost their senior trifecta of Vasquez, Milbourne and Hayes. Eight games into the season, and Williams hasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Listed at 6’10” and 260 lbs, Williams utilizes his size very well to establish deep post position. He then uses his footwork to get close to the basket where he converts at a very high clip (57%). He’s rather adapt at drawing contact, but like a lot of young bigs, has some trouble capitalizing on these opportunities (52.5% from the stripe). This week, Williams averaged 19.5 points and 12 rebounds a game. If he can keep this up, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with come January.

Cold

This may seem a little harsh, but expectations were incredibly high for the number one player in the nation coming out of high school. Harrison Barnes is having a real tough week, only averaging 8 points per game, and shooting less than 25% from the field. His troubles seemed to start with an 0-12 effort in a loss against Minnesota on the 19th of November. This unsettling performance left some people questioning whether he is really worth the number one pick in this year’s NBA draft. In my opinion, it is still way too early to be deciding things of that nature, as there is a lot of basketball left to be played. Barnes is just a freshman and he’s still trying to learn that he is really the only viable half-court offensive option for his squad. He still is a complete, well-rounded player with all of the tools needed to put together a fantastic freshman season. As cold as he’s been to start the season, there is no reason he can’t be the
 “Hot” player as soon as next week.

Top 5 Centers in the ACC

1. Jordan Williams – This sophomore has turned into quite a monster on the block. He’s averaging 17.1 points a game on 57% shooting. He’s also leading the ACC in rebounds per game with 11.8. He will be a mighty weapon for the Terrapins when conference play begins.

2. Tyler Zeller – Very mobile center for the Tar Heels. Has made big strides on the offensive end (14.7 points per game). Has a nice touch and good footwork, but needs more seasoning.

3. Mason Plumlee – Major athlete in the post, playing the center position very well so far for the Blue Devils, doing a little bit of everything. Needs to improve his toughness and free-throw percentage (only 42.4% so far this season).

4. Reggie Johnson – Near 300 pounder, who is using his massive size to establish post position and devour the glass (10.4 rebounds in only 23.7 minutes per game). Has had 5 double-doubles in the Hurricanes’ first 7 games.

5. Xavier Gibson – The long, athletic anchor for Florida State’s stifling defense. Coming around offensively.

Notes:

N.C. State loses stud veteran forward Tracy Smith for an estimated three weeks due to a knee injury that required surgery… Super Noodle Boy AKA John Henson has been using his massive, elastic, eighth-wonder wingspan to hit the glass (10.3 rebounds per game, 3rd in ACC), and protect the paint (2.9 blocks, 3rd). Impressive, but his slight frame still makes Ed Davis look like Sean May… Malcolm Delaney of Virginia Tech is once again leading the ACC in scoring (19.6) and is also leading the ACC in minutes per game (39.1)… Chris Singleton came crashing back down to Earth this week, but is still putting up some unreasonable statistics (3.4 steals per game, 2.9 blocks), and he gets big-time scout brownie-points for still shooting above 80% from the stripe…