Player of the Week
Blake Hinson (Pitt)
Hinson has been a threat for Pitt throughout the entire season. He posted multiple performances of over 25 points and has been a certified bucket for the Panthers. The forward has been averaging 18.4 points and 5 rebounds per contest en route to a 11-7 record for his squad. The senior started off the week with a solid outing against Syracuse where he posted 12 points and 8 rebounds. In the next game against Duke on the road, Hinson really turned it up a notch. He totaled 24 points on 7-7 shooting from 3-point range as well as 8 rebounds. The incredible showing was good to knock off No. 7 Duke in front of its home crowd, where he stood on a table in front of the Cameron Crazies to let them know he was fired up about his game.
Who’s Hot
North Carolina Tar Heels
As conference play has heated up the intensity of ACC play, multiple teams don’t hold winning streaks for long. However, North Carolina has not only survived, but thrived as conference play has been going on as the team holds an eight-game win streak. The winning stretch is currently six games longer than any other team establishing a certain comfort level at the conference level at the roughly halfway point of the campaign. Headlined by veteran leaders in RJ Davis and Armando Bacot, the Tar Heels 15-3 record and 7-0 tally in conference play more than proves its No. 3 label to its name.
Andrew Carr (Wake Forest)
Carr had a big week and elevated his play for an already hot Wake Forest team. The Demon Deacons currently sit at tied for second in the conference with NC State at a 13-5 record, and Carr has been a solid contributor. The senior has been averaging 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. In a two-game stretch the center put together a big week for Wake Forest. He started off by going off against NC State going for a season high 28 points. He continued his strong play the following matchup against Louisville for 18 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
Who’s Not
Miami Hurricanes
Miami after starting off the season ranked has slowly gone downhill. While still a solid squad at 12-6, last year’s Elite Eight team is not living up to the preseason hype. Wooga Poplar and Norchad Omier are some serious talents, yet the team’s results have not equaled the talent that Jim Larrañaga’s unit had. The group is currently on a two-game losing skid where it has fallen to Syracuse and an inferior, yet trending Florida State squad.
Carlton Carrington (Pitt)
Carrington took the league by storm and as a surprise to most has looked like one of the most talented freshmen in the country. He has raised his draft stock tremendously with his play and the former 4-star recruit is turning some heads. Despite being a true phenom on the court, the guard didn’t live up to the standards that he has set in his latest contests. Against Syracuse, he was held scoreless for the first time all season on 10 shots. In the next showdown against Duke, he registered 9 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, which are all lower than his season averages of 13.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
Top 5 Passers
1. Reece Beekman (Virginia)
Beekman is looking like the best passer in the ACC at this stage of the season as he is leading the conference in assists with 6.1 per game.
2. Carlton Carrington (Pitt)
Bub has showcased tremendous talent for finding his teammates. Standing at 6-foot-5, he is able to facilitate the ball over smaller guards on him, which tends to exploit defenses.
3. Naithan George (Georgia Tech)
George is a terrific playmaker who has a keen eye for being able to penetrate the defense and kick it out to his wings on the perimeter or dump it off to his big men if he beats his defender.
4. Tyrese Proctor (Duke)
Proctor is one of the best passers in the country plain and simple. Returning to Duke for his sophomore season, the Australian is averaging 4.1 assists per game and that number should grow as he is beginning to find his groove since returning from injury.
5. Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina)
Cadeau reclassed to join the Tar Heels a year early and his presence is certainly felt as a passer. The freshman has incredible vision and makes the job of RJ Davis and Armando Bacot scoring so much easier.