Here are my picks for the All-ACC teams and awards. You may feel free to disagree, as this has been one of the tougher decisions for voters in recent years. I used tempo-free and regular stats, as well as the good ole eyeball test, to come up with my selections.
1st Team All-ACC
Erick Green
Shane Larkin
Joe Harris
Richard Howell
Mason Plumlee
2nd Team All-ACC
Reggie Bullock
Seth Curry
Lorenzo Brown
Kenny Kadji
Michael Snaer
3rd Team All-ACC
James Michael McAdoo
Durand Scott
CJ Leslie
PJ Hairston
Ryan Anderson
Freshman All-ACC Team
Olivier Hanlan
TJ Warren
Rasheed Sulaimon
Marcus Georges-Hunt
Robert Carter Jr.
Defensive All-ACC Team
Shane Larkin
Durand Scott
Michael Snaer
Alex Len
Reggie Bullock
Player of the Year
Erick Green: While I can hear arguments for both Shane Larkin and Mason Plumlee, I see no reason why Green should not win this award. Yes his team finished in last place, but they were competitive in some games they would otherwise have no business being in and also might not have won a single game without him. Also, leading the nation in scoring while being the sole focus of opponents is rather impressive.
Freshman Player of the Year
TJ Warren: This one was a real struggle for me, as I could not decide between Warren and Olivier Hanlan. Warren wins the award for me due to his efficiency and increased rebounding in the final stretch of the season. Richard Howell needed some help on the glass, and Warren provided it. Rasheed Sulaimon was my leader for this award about halfway through conference play, but tailed off in the back half of the season.
Defensive Player of the Year
Durand Scott: I will admit that I put a lot of stock in the eyeball test on this one, but Scott routinely played great defense against the Canes’ opponents’ best wing player. Combining with Shane Larkin, Miami’s defense was stifling for opposing guards.
Coach of the Year
Jim Larranaga: What Larranaga did to lead the Canes to a regular season conference title was remarkable. While he did return a senior-laden team, to build a big lead in conference play and hold off Duke for first was impressive. The only other coach I considered was Roy Williams, but it was not a close race.
