Player of the Week:
Caleb Love, PG/SG, North Carolina Tar Heels
Hubert Davis hinted that we would see a different version of Carolina’s backcourt this season. Boy, was he right? RJ Davis exploded for 23 points against Georgia Tech, but the sophomore resurgence of Love is the true story of the season so far in Chapel Hill.
The 6’4 guard looks noticeably more comfortable running the offense and is shooting 40% from beyond the arc a year removed from shooting 26% on 128 attempts. Poor shooting is the biggest reason why Love returned for another season, and he looks like a changed player and the top prospect we all expected a year ago. He is also taking care of the ball a lot better as he is down to 1.9 TO after averaging over 3 per game as a freshman. If he can continue to show drastic improvement, he will work himself into first-round discussion this summer.
Who’s Hot?
Blake Wesley, SG, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
One freshman who was not on many people’s radars as a top draft prospect is Blake Wesley. Just seven games into the season, he is a projected lottery pick on our latest mock draft as Coach Mike Brey can no longer hide him on the bench. Wesley entered the starting lineup for the first time this week in their first conference game against Boston College.
His performance wasn’t special (12 points in 26 minutes), but his entrance into the starting lineup is a sign that he will have increased chances to grow as a player with more minutes. He single-handedly kept the Irish in the game against Illinois on Monday with 24 points on 75% shooting off the bench in what will most likely be his last game coming off the bench in South Bend.
Dereon Seabron, SG, NC State Wolfpack
Another unexpected player working his way into draft consideration is the 6’7 shooting guard from Norfolk, VA. Seabron played 56 minutes in a 4 OT thriller against Nebraska this week in which he showed off his slashing ability and quickness getting to the line 20 times. He converted 17 of these 20 attempts and totaled 39 points and 18 rebounds during the contest.
Seabron has a ton of upside as a playmaker with his speed and vision with the ball and plays both sides of the ball as a versatile defender. He still lacks a long-range jumper, but his fast development in just over a year shows signs that he could find his shot in a few years. Regardless, he is flying up draft boards and should be considered a sleeper for ACC Player of the Year right now.
Michael Devoe, PG/SG, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Michael Devoe is not getting a ton of help in Atlanta right now. He played through the flu to avoid an upset against Georgia Southern as he scored 26 of his team’s 61 points and he nearly pulled off an upset against Wisconsin all on his own with literally half of his team’s points with 33 on over 50% shooting.
To start the season, the senior guard is averaging over 23 points per game and is shooting 55/54/78 for his splits. He is a fearless leader and could easily bring back-to-back ACC Player of the Year trophies to Atlanta after Moses Wright captured the award last season.
Who’s Not?
Trevor Keels, SG, #3 Duke Blue Devils
Keels burst onto the scene in the Champions Classic with 25 points against Kentucky and this probably elevated our expectations far too high for his freshman season. In his last three games the freshman guard is shooting 7-32 from the field and just 3-16 from the perimeter.
What makes Keels so desirable from a scouting perspective is his physicality and defensive versatility, so his offensive struggles can be overlooked in some fashion. But if he is going to take the step from late-first round or second round pick to potential lottery selection, he has to find his shot and scoring instinct to rekindle lottery interest from NBA teams.
Matthew Cleveland, SG/SF, Florida State Seminoles
Much like the freshmen before him in Tallahassee, statistical expectations were low for Matthew Cleveland. However, 1-11 shooting from the perimeter is a lot worse than we thought, even with the tempered expectations. Cleveland is at his best getting to the hoop and kicking out to his teammates when the defense converges on him. But we also haven’t seen much of that from the true freshman.
With 10 assists, 8 turnovers and 9% three-point shooting, there is not much to be desired about Cleveland’s game right now. The Seminoles are having plenty of struggles of their own to start the season, so if the 6’7 wing can kick himself into gear like we know he can, maybe Leonard Hamilton will be able to salvage this massively disappointing season so far.
Top 5 Teams Heading into ACC Play
1. Duke Blue Devils
There is absolutely no debate necessary with this one. The Blue Devils look like the only team in the entire conference who we KNOW will be playing in March Madness and are miles ahead of the next best team in the conference. Their mix of talent, experience and coaching will take them a long way into March and potentially April with the way they are playing right now.
2. North Carolina Tar Heels
After both teams struggled during the COVID season in 2020-21, the Tobacco Road rivals are back on top of the conference they have dominated for so long. With Caleb Love looking like a top guard in the nation and stretch bigs to complement Armando Bacot in the paint, the Heels are balanced and pose the biggest threat to the Blue Devils in the ACC.
3. Louisville Cardinals
While there may not be any stars on this roster, the Cardinals have a deep roster and arguably the best bench in the conference. Noah Locke should provide the shooting and Malik Williams should do everything else on both sides of the ball inside the three-point arc. This would be a middle of the pack team in almost any other year in the ACC, but the Cardinals could surge towards the top of the standings this year in a weak conference.
4. Syracuse Orange
Two losses to Colgate and VCU early in the season were especially frustrating for Syracuse fans who desperately want to avoid sweating on Selection Sunday, but the Orange responded with two massive resume booster wins against Indiana and on the road against Florida State. The Boeheim brothers are constantly on the same page and knocking down triples, but there is also a great core around them that could take them to the second weekend once again in March.
5. Miami (FL) Hurricanes
This spot could go to several teams in my opinion from the shocking 8-1 start of Wake Forest or the slow starting Seminoles and Hokies who have to eventually figure it out, but the Hurricanes might truly surprise a lot of people this year. Isaiah Wong is a star that we knew about, but Kameron McGusty is currently the leading scorer and Sam Waardenburg’s development as a three-point shooter makes him a dangerous stretch big who can cause a lot of problems.