Coaches’ All-ACC first team mirrors writer’s poll while Paige, Lacey switch spots

Marcus Paige.
Marcus Paige.
The Atlantic Coast Conference announced the 2015 All-ACC Team, as voted upon by the league’s 15 head coaches, Monday and the first team is exactly the same as the ACC basketball writer’s poll that came out Saturday. However, UNC’s Marcus Paige moves up to the second team on the coaches’ poll while NC State’s Trevor Lacey falls to the third team.

Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor, Notre Dame senior Jerian Grant, Syracuse forward Rakeem Christmas, Virginia guard Malcolm Brogdon and Boston College guard Olivier Hanlan comprise the first team.

Duke’s Okafor, a 6-foot-11 center from Chicago, ranks second among ACC scorers at 17.6 points per game and third in rebounding at 9.2 per contest. Okafor has scored 10 or more points in 29 of his 30 games coming into this week’s New York Life ACC Tournament, and his 11 “double doubles” in points/rebounds rank fourth in the conference.

Notre Dame’s Grant leads the ACC in assists at 6.7 per game, in assists-to-turnover ratio (3.23:1) and in fifth in scoring at 16.8 points per game. The 6-foot-5 guard from Bowie, Maryland, closed the season with a 19-point, eight-assist, five-rebound effort in an 81-67 victory over Clemson Saturday and has scored in double-figures in all but three games this season.

Syracuse’s Christmas led the Orange and ranks third among ACC scorers at 17.5 points per game and is fourth in rebounding at 9.1 boards per contest. In addition, the 6-foot-9 senior from Philadelphia, is second in the ACC with 2.5 blocked shots per game and fifth in field goal percentage (.552).

Virginia’s Brogdon, a second-team selection a year ago, leads the second-ranked Cavaliers in scoring at 13.7 points per game and is second in assists at 2.6 per game. The 6-foot-5 Atlanta, Georgia, junior is averaging 4.0 rebounds per game and is second in the ACC in free throw percentage at .860.

Boston College’s Hanlan leads the ACC in scoring at 19.4 points per game and is ninth in assists at 4.2 per game. The Aylmer, Quebec, junior closed out the regular season having scored in double figures 24 straight games and has scored 10-or-more points in all but one game this season.

Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell (15.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg) and Terry Rozier (17.0 ppg, 2.0 steals), Duke’s Quinn Cook (16.0 ppg, .885 FT percentage), North Carolina’s Marcus Paige (13.5 ppg, 4.4 apg) and Virginia’s Justin Anderson (13.4 ppg, .484 3-point field goal percentage) were voted to the second team.

NC State’s Trevor Lacey (16.1 ppg) was voted to the third team, along with Duke’s Tyus Jones (11.8 ppg, 5.7 apg), Notre Dame’s Pat Connaughton (12.6 ppg), Pitt’s Jamel Artis (13.8) ppg) and North Carolina’s Brice Johnson (12.6 ppg).

First Team All-ACC
Olivier Hanlan, Jr., Boston College
Jahlil Okafor, Fr., Duke
Jerian Grant, Sr., Notre Dame
Rakeem Christmas, Sr. Syracuse
Malcolm Brogdon, Jr., Virginia

Second Team All-ACC
Quinn Cook, Sr., Duke
Montrezl Harrell, Jr., Louisville
Terry Rozier, So., Louisville
Marcus Paige, Jr., North Carolina
Justin Anderson, Jr., Virginia

Third Team All-ACC
Tyus Jones, Fr., Duke
Brice Johnson, Jr., North Carolina
Trevor Lacey, Jr., NC State
Pat Connaughton, Sr., Notre Dame
Jamel Artis, So., Pitt

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