Player of the Week:
Tyree Appleby, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Appleby kept his team in the game against Duke, scoring 27 points with four assists and helped them get back on track with 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists against Notre Dame. He followed that up with a season high 35 points and 11 assists to lead the Deacons over North Carolina on Tuesday night. If Wake is going to get over the hump and back into the NCAA Tournament, it starts with their super senior guard. Appleby is just the latest transfer who Steve Forbes turned into a superstar, as the former Florida star is now averaging 18 points on the season for the Deacsds. Appleby has become one of the top competitors for Conference Player of the Year along with NC State’s Terquavion Smith.
Who’s Hot?
Terquavion Smith, No. 22 NC State Wolfpack
Smith continues to turn heads with his consistent and exciting play for the Wolfpack in his second season. This past week he impacted the game in very different, but impressive, ways as he dominated the Seminoles to the tune of 32 points on six 3-pointers and dished out 10 assists to make up for only five points against Georgia Tech on the weekend. The Wolfpack’s young star is likely the betting favorite for ACC Player of the Year as things stand now.
Tyrese Proctor, Duke Blue Devils
It’s easy to forget that Tyrese Proctor is much younger than his teammates and opponents after he reclassified to bolster a roster that needed guard depth after much of the Blue Devils left last summer. Now, we’re seeing him mature in front of our eyes as a lead ball-handler in Durham. Although he played his worst game in weeks in the loss to Miami, Proctor’s development this season has been astounding.
In the seven games prior to Miami, the Australian point guard was averaging 12 points and four assists per game with under two turnovers as well. Duke’s postseason success will lie firmly on the balance of the two freshmen who excelled this week, and it will be fascinating to track throughout the rest of February and into March for college basketball fans and NBA scouts alike.
Who’s Not?
Baba Miller, Florida State Seminoles
Things aren’t exactly going to plan in Tallahassee as the Seminoles are projected to miss the tournament for the second straight season for the first time since the 2015 and 2016 NCAA Tournaments, which was at the back end of a four-year drought for the ‘Noles. Since returning from a 16-game suspension, Miller just hasn’t found his groove and is shooting just 18% from the perimeter and 33% from the charity stripe. If he can’t turn his season around in the closing stages, Miller might need to stay on campus for another year to develop his skills that he showcased so often in Spain.
Clemson Tigers
The Tigers opened a nice lead in the ACC standings with a 10-1 start but dropped both contests this past week against Boston College and Miami to pull them back onto the bubble in the NCAA Tournament. With road tests coming up against North Carolina, NC State and Virginia in the month of February, it is increasingly important that they avoid another upset, or they could end up on the outside looking in on Selection Sunday.
Freshman of the Week:
Dereck Lively II, Duke Blue Devils
Coming in as one of the top recruits in the class, Dereck Lively was supposed to be featured on here a lot more than he has to this point in his career. The decorated high school recruit showed up against North Carolina with his best performance yet.
Lively rose to the occasion with a rivalry record eight blocks against the Tar Heels and powered home a pair of put backs to put the Blue Devils ahead for good in the final minute. He has been contributing on the defensive end, for the freshman who still has a long ways to go, but this was a solid step in the right direction.
Top 5 Players using NIL to help others
Jim Boeheim’s recent comments about “buying” teams struck a nerve with a lot of fans, but instead of being the next, and certainly not the last, to bash him, I’ve decided to track some of the good that comes from NIL rather than whining about winning. Here are some of the guys in the ACC who are making the most of NIL to help others, not just themselves.
5. Joe Girard, Syracuse Orange
Yes, even Jim Boeheim allows his players to take advantage of NIL opportunities despite his vehement disagreement with the process. Girard is one of those players who benefits and makes around five figures through his name, image and likeness. He ran a basketball clinic this summer to spend time with kids and sign personal shirts from the camp and connect with the youth in his area.
4. DJ Burns and Terquavion Smith, No. 22 NC State Wolfpack
Through the Pack of Wolves NIL Collective, Burns and Smith, as well as other Wolfpack stars, visit local charities such as the Boys Club of Wake County and even attended days before Christmas to be with the kids in the holidays.
3. Reece Beekman, No. 8 Virginia Cavaliers
Beekman is one of the star players for the Cavaliers who are fighting for a top two seed in the NCAA Tournament this season. Off the court, he is using his prior relationship with the Ronald McDonald house to extend his relationship with the charity and give back the community that he loves.
2. Armando Bacot, North Carolina Tar Heels
Bacot has cashed in the most of anyone from NIL, but it hasn’t just been to help himself. His partnership with Me Fine “helps families with emotional and financial challenges that arise when their child is facing a serious health issue.” For more on the tremendous work Bacot is doing, check out this article from Pat Welter.
1. KJ Henry, Clemson Tigers Football
It may not be in basketball, but I stumbled upon this story that is still involved with the ACC with Clemson defensive end K.J. Henry who used NIL deals to help pay for his father’s kidney transplant. If you are unfamiliar with the story, check out this article from the Greenville News about how NIL is benefitting the Henry family.