The college basketball season is just one day away. Let's take a look at the top small forwards in the ACC this season to get you ready for ACC Fantasy Basketball.
We'll be giving you posts all day to get you ready for this season...
12 PM: Top 5 Small Forwards
1 PM: Top 5 Power Forwards
2 PM: Top 5 Centers
All times Eastern
1. Jayson Tatum
Tatum is our second freshman to top a position, joining NC State's Dennis Smith Jr. Tatum is an NBA ready small forward that can score in a number of ways. One thing that remains to be seen is how well he'll fill the other statistical categories. Is he a hungry rebounder? Can he create for others? Is he a passionate defender? Based on the scouting report of others, I'll give him the nod on this list though.
2. Dwayne Bacon
Dwayne Bacon is back for his sophomore season after a flirtation with the NBA and looks to build on a freshman campaign where he averaged nearly 16 points and 6 rebounds per game. Bacon is a smooth offensive performer, although you'd like to see him improve his 28% shooting from 3 point range. The other area of improvement for Bacon is to see him create for his teammates and improve on his 1.5 assists per game.
3. Jamel Artis
Jamel Artis is about as complete of a player as there is in the ACC and is coming off a season where he averaged 14 points, 3 assists, and 5 rebounds per game. It remains to be seen how Artis will be used in Kevin Stallings' offense but there have been reports of Artis being used as a Point Forward.
4. VJ Beachem
VJ Beachem is back after a season where he wasn't the primary scorer for Notre Dame, but a larger role is expected this season. Beachem averaged 12 points per game but was extremely efficient shooting the ball. He made 47% of his shots, 44% from 3 point range. If Beachem can improve his 57% free throw shooting, he'll be an even better scorer.
5. Justin Jackson
Justin Jackson's continues to be somewhat of an enigma. The 6-8 forward has the skills that translate to the NBA but has yet to dominate the college game. Jackson has been solid though averaging 12 points, 3 assists, and 4 boards per game during his sophomore season. The big question is at what point does he stop deferring and start to show a scorer's hunger?
