ACC With Three Preseason All-Americans: Is the Conference Back?
Posted by Brett Thompson on November 4th, 2014The Associated Press announced their preseason All-America list today, and three of the five honorees come from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Freshman Jahlil Okafor (Duke) is the lone freshman on the list, joined by 2013-14 standouts Marcus Paige (North Carolina) and Montrezl Harrell (Louisville). Rounding out the group are Wisconsin forward Frank Kaminsky and Wichita State point guard Fred VanVleet. This result for the ACC is in stark contrast to last year’s preseason All-America list, where zero ACC players made the list (Russ Smith was there from Louisville, but the Cardinals were an AAC team at that time). In fact, the last ACC player to make the preseason list? North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes in 2011.
Jahlil Okafor Headlines Three ACC Players Selected to the Preseason AP All-America Team
The most eye-popping choice of this list is Duke’s Okafor. Okafor is the third freshman to receive this honor in the past five years, dating back to Barnes’ first selection in 2010, and Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins last year. Okafor is just one of the many highly touted freshmen that Mike Krzyzewski brings to Durham for the upcoming season, joined by Grayson Allen, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones. These three look to replace and reinvigorate a Duke lineup that will miss NBA draftees Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood. While Okafor has yet to make his Duke debut, it is clear that for the second straight season, Duke will present a freshman phenom surrounded by massive hype.
Okafor isn’t the only Tobacco Road superstar to earn the honor this preseason. North Carolina’s Paige in fact received the highest total of votes in the voting, following his sophomore year of second half heroics for the Tar Heels. The Tar Heels sputtered on offense without Paige in the lineup, and while the junior is unquestionably the team’s leader, he may be needed to carry the load quite as much this year. Paige’s Tar Heels have much more depth surrounding him this season, and freshman Justin Jackson is expected to relieve Paige of some of the offensive burden.
Joining members of the two ACC mainstays is Louisville’s Harrell. Harrell could have left the Cardinals in favor of the NBA Draft following a solid sophomore season, but he instead decided to stay with Rick Pitino’s squad, posing a difficult task for interior defenders throughout the conference. Harrell has reportedly worked on his mid-range jumper during the offseason, which adds another dangerous facet to his game and will help spread the floor for the Cardinals.
This years preseason All-America list could be an indication that the ACC is viewed as “back” in the eyes of the national media. This is the first time since 2005 that the conference has had three players named as preseason All-Americans, when Boston College’s Craig Smith joined Duke’s J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams on the list nearly a decade ago. This is clearly an individual award, but it’s no coincidence that the top three teams in the ACC preseason poll are same teams that Okafor, Paige and Harrell play for.
The ACC will be loaded with talent this year, and this list only confirms that. From the Tobacco Road mainstays to the conference newcomers, we can expect a competitive race on both a team and an individual level. It’s nearly impossible to predict which team or player will arise as the king of the conference this season, but the choice of three ACC players as preseason All-Americans is a positive indication that there will not be much breathing room at the top of the standings.
