Carolina goalie Cam Ward made 21 saves for the Hurricanes for his eighth win of the season. The win moved the Canes above .500 at 29-28-9.
For more on the game, please click here.
Two Heels, two Pack wrestlers make all-conference team
While Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech dominated the 2014 All-ACC Wrestling Team, two North Carolina and two NC State wrestlers made the squad – Tommy Gantt (NCSU), Nick Gwiazdoski (NCSU), Nathan Kraisser (UNC), John Staudenmayer (UNC).
Virginia Tech senior Devin Carter, who overcame a serious hamstring injury to capture the ACC championship at 141 pounds and lead the Hokies to the 2014 ACC Wrestling Championship, heads the 2014 All-ACC Wrestling Team.
Pitt, which finished first in the conference in the regular season in its inaugural year in the ACC, led all schools with five All-ACC wrestlers, followed by Virginia Tech and Virginia with four each. Maryland placed three on the team while NC State and North Carolina had two each.
Both the individual champion for each weight class and the runner-up earned All-ACC honors.
Carter, a senior from Christiansburg, Va., is one of four ACC wrestlers to earn All-ACC honors for the third time. He is joined by Maryland’s Jimmy Sheptock (Northhampton, Pa.) and Spencer Myers (Selinsgrove, Pa.) and Tech’s Chris Penny (Virginia Beach, Va.).
Sheptock, the nation’s top-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds, captured the ACC title in his weight class– the third league championship of his career–and improved to 27-0 on the year. He previously was named All-ACC after winning ACC championships in 2012 at 174 pounds and in 2013 at 184.
Myers, ranked 9th nationally in the heavyweight division, was the runner-up this year in the ACC Tournament to NC State’s Nick Gwiazdowski, but previously was named All-ACC in 2011 and 2012 after claiming ACC championships in both years.
Penny, who entered the ACC Tournament unranked nationally at 197 pounds but is now ranked 18th nationally after capturing this year’s ACC title, also earned All-ACC honors as the runner-up in 2011 and 2012.
Virginia’s Nick Sulzer (Cleveland, Ohio) earned All-ACC selection for the second time, claiming the title at 165 pounds. Sulzer is currently ranked 2nd nationally in the latest InterMat rankings.
Pitt was represented on the team by 125-pound senior Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa.), 141-pound freshman Edgar Bright (Cleveland, Ohio), 149-pound freshman Mikey Racciato (Pen Argyl, Pa.), 174-pound junior Tyler Wilps (Oakdale, Pa.) and 184-pound junior Max Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio).
Virginia Tech placed Carter, Penny, 133-pound freshman Dennis Gustafson (Woodbridge, Va.) and 149-pound senior Zach Neibert (Dayton, Ohio).
Virginia was represented by Sulzer, 157-pound sophomore Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.), 174-pound senior Stephen Doty (St. Louis, Mo.) and 197-pound sophomore Zach Nye (Enola, Pa.).
Maryland’s All-ACC honorees were Sheptock, Myers and 133-pound freshman Tyler Goodwin.
NC State was represented by Gwiazdowski (Delanson, N.Y.), a sophomore who moved up to No. 2 nationally in the heavyweight rankings this week, and 157-pound junior Tommy Gantt (Cahokia, Ill.).
North Carolina’s two representatives were Nathan Kraisser (Ellicott City, Md.), who claimed the ACC Championship at 125 pounds, and 165-pound runner-up sophomore John Staudenmayer (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.).
2014 All-ACC Wrestling Team
Name School Wgt.
Edgar Bright Pitt 141
Blaise Butler Virginia 157
Devin Carter Virginia Tech 141
Stephen Doty Virginia 174
Tommy Gantt NC State 157
Tyler Goodwin Maryland 133
Dennis Gustafson Virginia Tech 133
Nick Gwiazdoski NC State Hwt.
Nathan Kraisser North Carolina 125
Spencer Myers Maryland Hwt.
Zach Neibert Virginia Tech 149
Zach Nye Virginia 197
Chris Penny Virginia Tech 197
Mikey Racciato Pitt 149
Jimmy Sheptock Maryland 184
John Staudenmayer North Carolina 165 So.
Nick Sulzer Virginia 165
Max Thomusseit Pitt 184
Tyler Wilps Pitt 174
Anthony Zanetta Pitt 125
Warren beats out Parker for ACC player of the year; UVA coach honored
Warren was the choice of 48 members casting ballots. The Durham, N.C., native finished ahead of Duke freshman Jabari Parker, who placed second with 25 votes.
Parker was voted the ACC Freshman of the Year, while Virginia’s Tony Bennett received ACC Coach of the Year honors and Clemson’s K.J. McDaniels was voted the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
NC State’s Warren leads the ACC in scoring at 24.8 points per game and in field goal percentage at .532. The 6-foot-8 forward closed the regular season with back-to-back scoring games of 41 and 42 points in wins over Pitt and Boston College. Warren has scored at least 20 points in 26 of the 30 games in which he played, and has scored more than 30 points on nine occasions.
Warren is on pace to join Clemson’s Horace Grant (1987) and Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan (1997) as only the third player in ACC history to lead the conference in both scoring and field goal percentage. He ranks third nationally in scoring, and his 9.8 field goals made per game ranks first.
Warren also ranks eighth among ACC rebounders with 7.1 per game – including an ACC-high 3.17 offensive rebounds per game – and is eighth in minutes played at 34.9 per game.
This marks the eighth time that an NC State student-athlete has been honored as the ACC Basketball Player of the Year. Warren joins Ronnie Shavlik (1956), Lou Pucillo (1959), three-time winner David Thompson (1973-75), Rodney Monroe (1991) and Julius Hodge (2004).
Duke’s Parker, who was named the ACC Rookie of the Week a record-tying 10 times during the regular season, ranks second in the ACC in scoring at 19.2 points per game and leads in rebounding at 9.0 per contest. The Chicago native leads the ACC with 14 double-doubles on the season and will take a 15-game double-figure scoring streak into this week’s ACC Tournament.
Parker received 72 of a possible 77 votes, with fellow Wooden Watch Award finalist Tyler Ennis receiving four. Parker becomes the seventh Duke Freshman of the Year honoree, joining Jim Spanarkel (1976), Mike Gminski (1977), Gene Banks (1978), Chris Duhon (2001), Kyle Singler (2008) and Austin Rivers (2012).
Bennett led Virginia to a 25-6 overall record and a 16-2 ACC finish that produced the program’s first outright regular-season conference title since 1981. The Cavaliers, who were picked to finish fourth in the preseason by media in attendance at the ACC’s Operation Basketball, tied the conference record for league wins in a season and will head to this week’s ACC Tournament in Greensboro as the No. 1 seed.
Bennett’s Virginia team has allowed an ACC-low 55.4 points per game and opponents to shoot a collective .384 percent. Virginia’s 13 consecutive wins from January 18 through March 1 represented the school’s longest streak since 1981. Bennett was the choice of 68 ACSMA voters as the ACC Coach of the Year. North Carolina’s Roy Williams was second with six votes.
Virginia claimed ACC Coach of the Year honors for the fifth time. Bill Gibson received the award in 1972, followed by Terry Holland in 1981 and 1982, and Dave Leitao in 2007.
Clemson’s McDaniels was voted the ACC Defensive Player of the Year after leading the ACC in blocked shots during the regular season (2.8) per game. The leading vote-getter on both the ACSMA and the Coaches’ All-ACC Defensive Teams announced on Monday, the Birmingham, Ala., native also leads the Tigers in steals with 1.2 per game.
McDaniels was named on 39 ballots for ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Virginia’s Akil Mitchell was next with 21.
Compare the All-ACC team to CapitalSportsNC’s Cliff Barnes’ ballot by clicking here. In short, he also chose Warren as player of the year, Bennett as coach of the year and Parker as rookie of the year.
ACSMA 2013-14 ACC Player of the Year Voting
T.J. Warren, So., NC State (48)
Jabari Parker, Fr., Duke (25)
Marcus Paige, So., North Carolina (2)
C.J. Fair, Sr., Syracuse (1)
K.J. McDaniels, Jr., Clemson (1)
ACSMA 2013-14 ACC Freshman of the Year Voting
Jabari Parker, Duke (72)
Tyler Ennis, Syracuse (4)
London Perrantes, Virginia (1)
ACSMA 2013-14 Coach of the Year Voting
Tony Bennett, Virginia (68)
Roy Williams, North Carolina (6)
Jamie Dixon, Pitt (1)
Brad Brownell, Clemson (1)
Jim Larrañaga, Miami (1)
ACSMA 2013-14 Defensive Player of the Year Voting
K.J. McDaniels, Jr., Clemson (39)
Akil Mitchell, Sr., Virginia (21)
Daniel Miller, Sr., Georgia Tech (5)
Jabari Parker, Fr., Duke (4)
Tyler Ennis, Fr., Syracuse (3)
T.J. Warren, So., NC State (1)
Cameron Wright, Jr., Pitt (1)
Devin Thomas, So., Wake Forest (1)
Justin Anderson, So., Virginia (1)
Marcus Paige, So., North Carolina (1)
Hurricanes sideline reporter speaks at Raleigh Sports Club
The RSC will honor Hunter Kuehn, Sanderson basketball player, as the student athlete of the week for outstanding achievement in the classroom, community and on the field.
Meetings are held in Bradley Hall in Highland UMC, 1901 Ridge Road at the intersection of Lake Boone Trail, just inside the Raleigh Beltline. Buffet lines open at 11:30 a.m. and the meeting starts at 12 noon. See http://www.raleighsportsclub.org/ for details.
ACC basketball Legends Brunch to be held Saturday
The Atlantic Coast Conference will host the annual ACC Men’s Basketball Legends Brunch on Saturday, March 15 at the Sheraton Four Seasons in Greensboro, N.C. The signature event recognizes standouts from each of the ACC’s 15 schools who have contributed to the league’s rich tradition. The 2014 ACC Men’s Basketball Legends will also be honored during a ceremony at halftime of the first semifinal game on Saturday, March 15 at the Greensboro Coliseum.
The event will embody the true spirit of ACC Men’s Basketball and will offer attendees the opportunity to meet some of the biggest names in men’s basketball. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and will conclude with a short autograph session with the Legends.
The hosts for the brunch will be Mike Hogewood, Raycom Sports play by play announcer and host of ACC Basketball Today, and Tim Brant, the Vice President and Director of Sports for ABC 7/WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C.
The league’s website, theACC.com, will highlight the class of 2014 ACC Men’s Basketball Legends. More information can be found at theACC.com/legends.
ACC Men’s Basketball Legends Brunch event tickets are still available but are selling quickly. To purchase event tickets, tables or for more information please visit http://theacc.co/MBB14legendstix.
Included in this year’s class are two members of the ACC’s 50th Anniversary basketball team, nine former All-Americas, seven former All-ACC selections, eight former first-round NBA Draft selections, three players who led their teams to four ACC Championships and players who led their teams to an NCAA title and one NIT Championship. Below is a complete list of this year’s Legends:
Jack MaGee, Boston College
Wayne “Tree” Rollins, Clemson
Gene Banks, Duke
Al Thornton, Florida State
Travis Best, Georgia Tech
John Lucas, Maryland
Steve Edwards, Miami
Eric Montross, North Carolina
Julius Hodge, NC State
Pat Garrity, Notre Dame
Don Hennon, Pitt
Dave Bing, Syracuse
Terry Holland, Virginia
Bobby Stevens, Virginia Tech
Sam Ivy, Wake Forest
Parker, Warren unanimous choices for All-ACC team
Duke freshman Jabari Parker and NC State sophomore T.J . Warren lead the 2013-14 All-ACC Basketball Team, as voted upon by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA).
Parker and Warren are joined on the first team by North Carolina sophomore guard Marcus Paige, Syracuse senior C.J. Fair and Clemson forward K.J. McDaniels.
Duke’s Parker, a 6-foot-8 forward from Chicago, ranks second among ACC scorers at 19.2 points per game and first in rebounding at 9.0 per contest. Parker carries a 15-game double figure scoring streak into this week’s ACC Tournament, and his 14 “double doubles” in points/rebounds lead the conference. His 16 games this season with 20 or more points ties for second-most in ACC history.
NC State’s Warren leads the ACC in scoring at 24.8 points per game and in field goal percentage at .532. The 6-foot-8 forward from Durham, N.C., closed the regular season with back-to-back scoring games of 41 and 42 points in wins over Pitt and Boston College. Warren scored at least 20 points in 26 of the 30 games in which he played, and scored more than 30 points on nine occasions.
North Carolina’s Paige is the only ACC player to rank among the conference’s top six in scoring (17.1 ppg) and in assists (4.5). The 6-foot-1 native of Marion, Iowa, has scored 30 plus points twice this season – 32 against Louisville and 35 at NC State – and 20 or more points 10 times. He ranks second in the ACC in free-throw percentage at
Syracuse’s Fair leads the Orange and ranks seventh among ACC scorers at 16.9 points per game while pulling down 6.2 rebounds per contest. The 6-foot-8 forward from Baltimore, Md., finished the regular season strong with a combined 50 points and 16 rebounds in games against Georgia Tech and Florida State. Fair ranks ninth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.441) and second in minutes played (37.8).
Clemson’s McDaniels leads the ACC in blocked shots at 2.8 per game while ranking fifth in scoring (17.2 ppg) and seventh in rebounding (7.1 rpg). The 6-foot-6 forward from Birmingham, Ala., is bidding to become just the second player in ACC history to lead his team in points, rebounds, 3-point field goals, blocks and steals.
Virginia’s Malcolm Brogdon (12.6 ppg, ACC-leading .893 free-throw percentage), Pitt’s Lamar Patterson (17.6 ppg, 4.5 apg), Syracuse’s Tyler Ennis (12.4 ppg, ACC-leading 5.5 assist per game), Duke’s Rodney Hood (16.5 ppg, second in the ACC in 3-point shooting at .425 percent) and North Carolina’s James Michael McAdoo (14.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg) were voted to the second team.
Boston College’s Olivier Hanlan (third in the ACC at 18.6 ppg) was the leading vote-getter on the third team. Hanlan is joined by Virginia’s Joe Harris (11.4 ppg), Miami’s Rion Brown (15.4 ppg), Maryland’s Dez Wells (14.8 ppg) and Georgia Tech’s Daniel Miller 7.9 rpg, 2.5 blocked shots per game).
Compare the All-ACC team to CapitalSportsNC’s Cliff Barnes’ ballot by clicking here. His first and second teams were exactly the same as the final tally while two of his third team players were named while another was chosen as an honorable mention.
ACSMA All-ACC Team
(First place votes in parenthesis, followed by total points)
First team
Jabari Parker, Fr.. Duke (77) 231
T.J. Warren, So., NC State (77), 231
Marcus Paige, So., North Carolina (69) 223
C.J. Fair, Sr., Syracuse (47) 200
K.J. McDaniels, Jr. Clemson (46) 199
Second Team
Malcolm Brogdon, So., Virginia (35) 170
Lamar Patterson, Sr. Pitt (10) 158
Tyler Ennis, Fr., Syracuse (13) 156
Rodney Hood, Jr., Duke (4) 148
James Michael McAdoo, Jr., North Carolina (2) 103
Third Team
Olivier Hanlan, So., Boston College (3) 101
Joe Harris, Sr., Virginia (1) 79
Rion Brown, Sr., Miami 52
Dez Wells, Jr., Maryland 45
Daniel Miller, Sr., Georgia Tech 34
Honorable Mention
(10 points or more)
Eric Atkins, Sr., Notre Dame 30
Talib Zanna, Sr., Pitt 28
Aaron Thomas, So., Florida State 27
Akil Mitchell, Sr., Virginia 17
Jerami Grant,So. Syracuse 15
Ryan Anderson, Jr., Boston College 10
Duke women boast three All-ACC team selections
An All-ACC First Team, Second Team, Freshman Team and Defensive Team were voted on by the league’s 15 head coaches. The All-ACC First Team and Freshman Teams mirror that of the Blue Ribbon Panel All-ACC selections, which were announced on March 4.
The Fighting Irish’s guard tandem of sophomore Jewell Loyd and senior Kayla McBride earned first team honors, while senior forward Natalie Achonwa earned second team accolades. Blue Devils’ senior guard Tricia Liston and junior center/forward Elizabeth Williams were selected to the first team, while sophomore guard Alexis Jones earned second team honors.
Three first-team players from last season are repeat selections this year in Alyssa Thomas of Maryland, Duke’s Williams and Georgia Tech senior Tyaunna Marshall. Duke’s Liston and Florida State’s Natasha Howard, both second-team selections on the coaches team, in 2013, were named to this year’s All-ACC First Team.
Rounding out the 10-member first team are North Carolina freshman Diamond DeShields, NC State senior Markeisha Gatling and Wake Forest junior Dearica Hamby.
Joining Notre Dame’s Achonwa and Duke’s Jones on the second team are Georgia Tech freshman Kaela Davis, Syracuse sophomore Brittney Sykes and Virginia Tech senior Uju Ugoka.
Loyd, the ACC Tournament’s Most Valuable Player, leads Notre Dame in scoring at 18.5 points per game, while McBride averages 17.5 points per game while shooting 87.4 percent from the foul line and is handing out 3.8 assists per contests.
Wake Forest’s Hamby finished the season leading the ACC in both scoring (22.0 ppg) and in rebounding (11.0). Maryland’s Thomas ranks fourth among ACC scorers at 18.9 points per game and is just behind Hamby among leading rebounders at 10.8.
Duke’s Williams, who was also named the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season, is scoring at a 14.0 ppg clip while pulling down 7.5 rebounds per game and leading all shot blockers with 3.0 per outing. Liston leads the Blue Devils in scoring at 17.3 points per game while shooting an ACC-leading 48.3 percent from 3-point range (83-of-172).
Florida State’s Howard’s 21.2 points per game ranks second in the conference, and she is fourth in rebounding at 9.2 per game. Georgia Tech’s Marshall is third in scoring at 19.6 ppg and leads the league in steals at 2.7 per contest. Both Howard and Marshall were also selected to the All-ACC Defensive Team for the second time in their careers.
North Carolina’s DeShields emerged as an immediate contributor for the Tar Heels, scoring 18.0 points per game. NC State’s Gatling leads the ACC in field goal percentage at 67.6 percent while scoring 17.6 points per game.
Notre Dame’s Achonwa earned second team honors after averaging 14.1 points per game and grabbing 7.4 rebounds per contest. Prior to a season-ending knee injury, Duke’s Jones averaged 13.1 points and 5.3 assists per game, which is the second-best average in the league. Georgia Tech’s Davis is fifth in the ACC in scoring (18.6 ppg) and ranks fourth in made 3-point shots (83).
Syracuse’s Sykes averages 16.7 ppg while shooting 51.0 percent from the floor. Virginia Tech’s Ugoka ranks eighth among ACC scorers at 18.4 ppg and third among rebounders with 9.6 per contest.
UNC’s DeShields and Georgia Tech’s Davis were also voted to Head Coaches ACC All-Freshman team announced on Monday. They are joined by Maryland’s Lexie Brown, North Carolina’s Allisha Gray and Miami’s Adrienne Motley.
Brown played a key role in the Terrapins’ backcourt her freshman year, ranking fourth among all ACC players in assists with 4.3 per game and ranking second in assist/turnover ratio at 2.1. UNC’s Gray averages 14.4 ppg and ranks third in ACC 3-point shooting at 42.3 percent. Miami’s Motley leads the Hurricanes in scoring at 10.9 ppg and in assists at 2.6 per contest.
Joining Williams, Howard and Marshall on the All-ACC Defensive Team were Notre Dame’s Loyd and Virginia’s Lexie Gerson. Gerson led Virginia and ranked second in the ACC with 2.6 steals per game.
The ACC Player, Rookie and Coach of the Year as selected by the league’s head coaches will be announced on Tuesday, March 11.
First Team All-ACC
Diamond DeShields, Fr., G, North Carolina
Markeisha Gatling, Sr., C, NC State
Dearica Hamby, Jr., F, Wake Forest
Natasha Howard, Sr., F, Florida State
Tricia Liston, Sr., G, Duke
Jewell Loyd, So., G, Notre Dame
Tyaunna Marshall, Sr., G, Georgia Tech
Kayla McBride, Sr., G, Notre Dame
Alyssa Thomas, Sr., F, Maryland
Elizabeth Williams, Jr., C/F, Duke
Second Team All-ACC
Natalie Achonwa, Sr., F, Notre Dame
Kaela Davis, Fr., G, Georgia Tech
Alexis Jones, So., G, Duke
Brittney Sykes, So., G, Syracuse
Uju Ugoka, Sr., F, Virginia Tech
Head Coaches Honors – All-Defensive Team
Lexie Gerson, R-Sr., G, Virginia
Natasha Howard, Sr., F, Florida State
Jewell Loyd, So., G, Notre Dame
Tyuanna Marshall, Sr., G, Georgia Tech
Elizabeth Williams, Jr., C/F, Duke
Cliff Barnes’ All-ACC basketball ballot
Picking the first team All-ACC was actually easier than I thought it would be this year. But picking the other 26 spots on the ballot – from the all defensive team to the most improved player – proved difficult. There is plenty of room for disagreement. I even question a couple of my picks but I think all I chose were deserving – unfortunately so were other players.
Here is the ballot I submitted Sunday.
First Team All-ACC
TJ Warren, NC State
Marcus Paige, UNC
Jabari Parker, Duke
CJ Fair, Syracuse
KJ McDaniels, Clemson
(Lamar Patterson was the only other player I really considered for the first team.)
Second Team All-ACC
Lamar Patterson, Pittsburgh
James Michael McAdoo, UNC
Tyler Ennis, Syracuse
Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia
Rodney Hood, Duke
(Some may put Ennis on the first team because he has such national stature but he wasn’t better than teammate Fair and he made some bad rookie turnovers in key spots. I error on the side of experience and those who have paid dues.)
Third Team All-ACC
Olivier Hanlan, Boston College
Daniel Miller, Georgia Tech
Eric Atkins, Notre Dame
Pat Connaughton, Notre Dame
Garrick Sherman, Notre Dame
(I considered Hanlan, the ACCs third leading scorer, and Miller, an all-around solid player, for second team. A lot of voters will overlook Notre Dame entirely but Atkins, Connaughton and Sherman are the league’s 14th, 15th and 17th top scorers. In ACC games, Connaughton, at just 6-5, is second only to Parker in defensive rebounds and he is eighth in three-point baskets. Meanwhile, Sherman is second only to Warren in field goal percentage and fifth in rebounding. Atkins is second only to Ennis in assists. I suspect that Atkins might be the only Irish honored but they are all deserving.)
All Defensive Team
Daniel Miller, Georgia Tech
KJ McDaniels, Clemson
Tyler Ennis, Syracuse
Jabari Parker, Duke
TJ Warren, NC State
(Some will question my having Parker and Warren on the team rather than maybe Akil Mitchell of Virginia or JP Tokoto of UNC. But Parker is tops in the league in rebounding and seventh in blocked shots while Warren is fourth in the league in steals – first in ACC games – and 10th in rebounding.)
Jabari Parker, Duke
Tyler Ennis, Syracuse
Devin Wilson, Virginia Tech
Kennedy Meeks, UNC
Anthony Barber, NC State
(I thought about putting London Perrantes of Virginia on the team. He is deserving as a ball handler for the No. 1 team in the conference but I ended up going with the guys that score more. On a different day, I easily could have included Perrantes and suspect he will make the team.)
Rookie of the Year
Jabari Parker, Duke
Defensive Player of the Year
Daniel Miller, Georgia Tech
(Miller will probably be overlooked by a lot of voters but he is second in the league in blocked shots – first in ACC games- and third in the league in rebounds. Teams game plan specifically against him due to his defensive presence inside. He even makes the steals list at No. 20. McDaniels of Clemson was my second choice.)
Ian Miller, Florida State
(Not sure really why he only started a handful of games as he certainly put in enough minutes to be a starter. Then again, a couple of years John Havlicek came off the bench for the Celtics yet still made the all-star team. Miller is the league’s 16th top scorer, the best three-point field goal shooter in league games and the third best free throw shooter. I considered UNC’s Brice Johnson and Virginia’s Justin Anderson but thought Miller was more consistent.)
Rion Brown, Miami
(I thought about Marcus Paige for this award and I imagine he will get a lot of support for it. But I think his improvement was a natural progression for a starter. When I think of most improved, I think of a player that doesn’t play a lot one year or doesn’t play well and then looks really good the next year. Brown was basically the seventh best player on the Canes last year and this year was the best player and captain. Now, that’s improvement. He scored six points a game a year ago and he scored 15 points a game this year – good enough for eighth in the league. Brown may not have been good enough to make an All-ACC team but he certainly should be considered for Most Improved.)
Tony Bennett, Virginia
(This will come down to Bennett or UNC’s Roy Williams. I see this award as an expectation award. Virginia far exceeded expectations and Bennett put together a true team with a lot of solid moving parts. He did it with Joe Harris, a preseason All-ACC pick, having a so-so year for him. Williams, in changing the Heels’ fortune during the year, may very well have done one of his best coaching jobs but Carolina ended up about where people thought they would.)
TJ Warren, NC State
(On probably every ballot, this comes down to Warren, Jabari Parker and Marcus Paige. I simply think Warren was the most consistently excellent player in the league. Duke and Carolina certainly did better than NC State and that should weigh into the decision. But Erick Green of a below-average Virginia Tech team won the award last year and Warren is better than Green. All three can take over games and are complete players but Warren, a sophomore, was the league’s top scorer and had a higher field goal percentage than either Parker or Paige. If the award were just for second-half play, Paige would win. If the award were for NBA potential, Parker would win. But this is Warren’s time to shine.)
Duke’s Parker unleashes on Carolina for 30 points
The loss dropped the Tar Heels to the fourth seed in the ACC Tournament while Duke moved to the third seed. Both teams, however, get first-round byes.
Duke also got 24 points from another underclassman, sophomore Rodney Hood, on the Blue Devils’ senior night.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski said it was the first time this year that both Parker and Hood have been “sensational” in the same game.
The Blue Devils, who led by 13 in the first half but by only three at the half, came out hot in the second half, hitting six threes and led 74-55, the largest lead of the game, with just 8:26 to go.
But the Tar Heels scratched back with Marcus Paige leading the way. Down 12 with 2:49 left, Paige double pumped a three from the top of the key and was fouled. He converted the four-point play to pull the Heels within eight.
Following a Duke turnover under pressure, Paige put up another three but when it bounced up, UNC’s Brice Johnson dunked it while it was still in the cylinder for an offensive interference. Had the three not gone down, Johnson was right there for a stick back so the lead could have been cut to six or five.
Instead, Duke hit free throw after free throw to come away with the 12-point victory. The Blue Devils outscored the Heels by 13 from the free throw line as they hit an amazing 27 of 31 including 12 in the last 2:18.
But both coaches agreed that rebounding was the biggest key. “Going into the game I thought rebounding was an area where we could have an advantage but they killed us,” UNC coach Roy Williams said, referring to the 32-18 rebounding edge for the Devils.
It was the lowest number of rebounds the Tar Heels have pulled down in a game this season. It didn’t help that McAdoo was limited by foul trouble and big-man Kennedy Meeks was sidelined most of the game with a stomach illness.
In addition to leading all scorers, Duke’s Parker led all rebounders with 11 boards. “Whatever ‘it’ is, Jabari had it,” Coach Williams said making reference to Coach K’s statement after the first game between the two teams that his team just didn’t have it. “He was possessed.”
Paige, who had three second-half three-pointers, led four Tar Heels in double figures with 24 points.
For more on the game, please click here.
Va. Tech wins title despite individual championships for UNC, NCSU wrestlers
Host Virginia Tech, led by junior Devin Carter who was named the ACC’s Most Valuable Wrestler, won three of the first four championship bouts and went on to claim its second straight Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Championship Saturday night at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.
The Tournament was the 60th Annual Wrestling Championship held by the ACC.
Before a crowd of over 2,344 fans at Tech’s Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Tech scored 87 points to outdistance Pitt (67), Virginia (61.5), North Carolina (38.0), Maryland (37.5), NC State (33.5), and Duke (18).
Tech, ranked 16th nationally, and coached by Kevin Dresser, received a boost in their lineup just before the Tournament as Carter, who is 14-0 on the year, was given medical clearance to wrestle after missing more than two months due to the hamstring injury.
The Hokies used strong efforts in the consolation rounds to claim a 10-point lead
In the Tournament heading into the championship round as Chris Moon (165), Nick Vetterlein (184) and Ty Walz (Hwt.) all earned third-place finishes.
“Today, 10 guys came together and had an awesome day,” said Dresser . “It is all about how you finish in this sport and we finished the ACC season with an almost-perfect day. We’re going to enjoy this one for a while and then head off to Oklahoma City.
“But the future around here is extremely bright for Virginia Tech wrestling. This crowd today was awesome. They got into it and got loud. I told my guys for the last two weeks that they needed to show some emotion after matches. I needed to see some fist pumps and some flexing and some celebrating because wrestling is a long season and that’s what the end of the season is all about. I knew having it in Cassell Coliseum that it would be extremely loud all day and the fans didn’t disappoint.”
Pitt, ranked 10th nationally in their first season under coach Jason Peters, placed five wrestlers in to the championship finals but failed to capitalize on that advantage as Carter and Zach Neibert at 149 claimed wins over Pitts Edgar Bright and Mikey Racciato, respectively.
The Panthers, who were undefeated in six ACC dual meets to take the ACC regular season title, received only a win from Tyler Wilps (Oakdale, Pa.) at 174 pounds.
North Carolina’s Nathan Kraisser (Ellicott City, Md.) got Pitt off to a rough start by defeating Pitt’s Anthony Zanetta with a 5-3 sudden win in overtime if the 125-pound championship match.
Virginia Tech freshman Dennis Gustafson (Woodbridge, Va.) then set the tone for the Hokies with a dominating 11-0 major decision at 133 over Maryland’s Tyler Goodwin.
The Hokies’ Carter (Christiansburg, Va.), in only his second match since suffering a major hamstring injury which required surgery, captured a hard-fought 6-1 win over Pitt’s Edgar Bright. It was the third ACC title for Carter, a junior, who previously had won league crowns in 2011 and 2012 at 133 pounds. He becomes the 41st wrestler in league history to win three individual titles, the 21st to do so in more than one weight class.
He was named the Tournament MVP in voting by the ACC head coaches.
“It’s a nice, sentimental award, but Dennis Gustafson deserves this as much as I do,” Carter said. “He’s a true freshman who put up bonus points in all three matches and won 11-0 in the finals. Three weeks ago, I thought I’d be a spectactor along with everyone else at this event and to do all this, capped by the Outstanding Wrestler award, is just amazing.”
He becomes the fifth Virginia Tech wrestler and third straight to be named the ACC’s Wrestling Tournament MVP joining Jon Bonilla-Bowman (2007), Matt Epperly (2008), Pete Yates (2012) and Jarrod Garnett (2013).
Virginia Tech’s 149-pound senior Zach Neibert (Dayton, Ohio) kept the momentum going for the Hokies with a dramatic 3-1 sudden victory in overtime against Pitt’s Mikey Racciato to put a strong hold on the championship.
In all, Tech had four individual champions as senior Chris Penny (Virginia Beach, Va.) downed Virginia’s Zach Nye, 10-6, at 197 pounds to join Gustafson, Carter and Neibert in the winners
Virginia’s Nick Sulzer (Cleveland, Ohio), the nation’s No. 2-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds was one of two Cavaliers to claim titles. Sulzer improved to 32-1 on the year with a 7-1 decision over North Carolina sophomore John Michael Staudenmayer. Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.) also captured the title at 157 by downing NC State’s Thomas Gantt, 3-2.
Maryland Jimmy Sheptock (Northhampton, Pa.), the nation’s top-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds joined Carter in winning his third ACC wrestling title, when he took a 3-1 decision of Pitt’s Max Thomusseit. Thomusseit entered the Tournament ranked fifth nationally. Sheptock captured the 174-pound conference title in 2012, then won in 2013 at 184. Sheptock improved to 27-0 on the year with the win, his second of the year against Thomusseit. He is the 42nd ACC wrestler to win three individual titles and the 22nd to do it in more than one weight class.
NC State’s Nick Gwiazdowski (Delanson, N.Y.), the nation’s third-ranked heavyweight, continued his winning ways, downing two-time ACC champion Spencer Myers, 10-4, in the final match of the night. Gwiazdowksi is now 37-2 on the year.
Both the ACC individual champions and runners-up were also named to the All-ACC wrestling team and a total of 34 ACC wrestlers earned automatic bids to this year’s NCAA Championship, which will be held March 20-22 in Oklahoma City, Ok.
ACC Team Results
1. Virginia Tech , 87
2. Pitt, 67
3. Virginia, 61.5
4. North Carolina, 38.0
5. Maryland, 37.5
6. NC State, 33.5
7. Duke, 18.0
ACC Individual Championship Results
125—Nathan Kraisser (UNC) d. Anthony Zanetta (Pitt), 5-3, sudden victory OT
133—Dennis Gustafson (VT) major decision over Tyler Goodwin (Md.), 11-0
141—Devin Carter (VT) d. Edgar Bright (Pitt), 6-1
149—Zach Neibert (VT) d. Mikey Racciato (Pitt), 3-1, sudden victory OT
157—Blaise Butler (UVa) d. Tommy Gantt (NCS), 3-2
165—Nick Sulzer (UVa) d. John Staudenmayer (UNC), 7-1
174—Tyler Wilps (Pitt) d. Stephen Doty (UVa), 7-2
184—Jimmy Sheptock (Md.) d. Max Thomusseit (Pitt), 3-1.
197—Chris Penny (VT) d. Zach Nye (UVa), 10-6
Hwt.—Nick Gwiazdowski (NCS) d. Spencer Myers (Md.), 10-4.