The conventional wisdom throughout the season has been that Mike Scott (UVA) would join at least 3 unc players and a fifth player whose name I can't remember (Green from VT?) on the All-ACC First Team. Hasn't Austin played his way into the conversation? Sure, he's a no-brainer lock for Rookie of The Year, but he's also (in conference play only) 7th in Scoring, 6th in FG%, 2nd in 3-Pt FG% and 5th in Minutes Played. With another good week, it seems like he'd be in contention for the 5th spot, along with Green (VT), Stoglin (MD) and maybe Kadji (Miami). I just can't see them putting a 4th heel (Marshall) on the First Team (I think Barnes, Zeller and most likely Henson are locks).
I dont think Austin makes it. Here's my 1st team:
Guaranteed: Mike Scott
Almost Certainly: Tyler Zeller, Harrison Barnes, and PROBABLY Kendall Marshall
That leaves one spot for the rest of the ACC. And there you have Terrell Stoglin being the ACC Scoring leader at Maryland (Not very efficient though), Snaer, Erich Green of VT...
My Guess:
Stoghlin, Marshall, Barnes, Scott, Zeller.
<devildeac> anyone playing drinking games by now?
7:49:36<Wander> drink every qb run?
7:49:38<loran16> umm, drink every time asack rushes?
7:49:38<wolfybeard> @devildeac: drink when Asack runs a keeper
7:49:39 PM<CB&B> any time zack runs, drink
Carolina Delenda Est
I don't think the writers will put 3 UNC guys on there in front of Austin...if only just because of what austin did to UNC in CH. If he has a performance next week anywhere near what he had last month, I think he can punch his ticket. Should it matter what team you're on or who you put up big numbers against? probably not, but it does.
1200. DDMF.
Gonna be interesting. Henson is 1st in Rebs and 2nd in Blocks, ahead of Marshall in Scoring. But I get that as goes Marshall, so go the Holes. Maybe Henson and Marshall split the Hole-friendly vote and Austin sneaks in. Even though Stoglin leads in Scoring, I think Austin might possibly get past him. Sadly, the media monkeys will probably reward Stoglin's scoring. Looks like Austin may rise to 6th in Scoring after today.
Scott, Marshall (assist leader), Zeller (POY), Henson (DPOY) and Barnes (self-anointed/fulfilling).
(Just kidding. Sort of. Heck, there may never have been 3 players from the same school as 1st team all-acc in the history of the league, IIRC, but I am sure one of our trusted historians will correct me if I am wrong. But think about the sports writers and the precedent that could be set.)
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Uhh most media members that I have seen have it as follows:
Zeller
Barnes
Austin
Snaer
Scott
In 2010 we prob should have had 3: Singler and Schyer made it but Nolan got 2nd team
Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy made first-team All-ACC in 2002. Only time one school has had three.
I suspect Zeller and Barnes will be the only two UNC players on 1st team, with Marshall and Henson on 2nd.
Mike Scott, Austin Rivers and Michael Snaer have the credentials.
Stoglin might be the toughest pick. He not only leads the ACC in scoring, he's one of the national leaders. But he shoots a lot, he's had some chemistry issues and Maryland is a borderline NIT team.
But he's leading the ACC in scoring by a pretty substantial margin.
A conundrum.
Has the leading scorer every been left off 1st-team?
Four times, to three people. Clemson's Butch Zatezalo in 1968 and 1969 Mark Price (ninth in voting!) in 1983 and Terrell McInytre in 1999.
I found it useful to construct the actual ballot. Austin will be the only Duke guy getting votes for first team. Snaer the same for FSU. Scott has been talked about as ACC POY for three months and will get loads of first team votes. Which means that four UNC guys are gonna split one, two or -- maybe -- three positions on first-team All-ACC. I think two get it -- and two get second team. Zeller IMO is a lock and would be my selection for POY. I suppose Barnes get the other position.
So I come out with --
1st Team
Zeller (POY)
Rivers
Scott
Barnes
Snaer
2nd Team
Stoglin
Henson
Marshall
Leslie - State
Kadji - Miami
3rd Team
MP2
Curry
Green - VT
Lo Brown - State
McKie - Wake
Lots of good players left off -- Howell (S), Harris (W), James (F), Booker (C), Anderson (BC), Durand Scott (Miami). Reggie Johnson would have made my ballot based on performance at Duke, but he doesn't register anywhere in the top 25 in any statistic.
sagegrouse
Last edited by sagegrouse; 02-25-2012 at 07:35 PM. Reason: Er, Add Some Humility????
There is NO WAY Austin Rivers is left off the First Team, especially if Duke wins the ACC. Also, I think Coach K should get Coach of the Year for pushing/pulling/tweaking this unique team to the mature, tough team it is today!
If Carolina wins next Saturday, I find it more likely than I'd care to admit, that Henson, Zeller, Marshall, Barnes, and Scott will be the first team. To be perfectly honest nobody outside those five, Austin and Snaer could conceivably be on the first time in my opinion. I would absolutely love it if they got 4 first teamers, and didn't win the regular season though, so classic Roy. Oh shucks.
I've decided that Marshall is the player I hate most on that Carolina now, at least Harry doesn't anymore and people don't talk about him every day. Marshall looks like Greivis Vasquez and I could rack up assists too if Zeller and Henson were on my team sprinting down the court every freaking play.
So, Jim, a question for you, since you're an actual journalist. Is it just me or has there been a season-long script that Henson, Barnes and Zeller would likely all be first-team? And if so, how likely are the voters to want to "stick to the script", which means picking Scott, three Tar Heels and one more player? I mean, in most blogs/websites I've seen, it seems that most writers really WANT UNC to be the great team that they were pre-ordained to be before the season. Writers, just like other humans, seem to like to stick to whatever meme or script has been established as conventional wisdom. That's why we see SO many headlines that read "Barnes, Heels defeat (Team X)", even when Barnes was NOT the leading scorer or best player in the game.
Am I crazy?
I really enjoy watching Marshall play. You know how all the good NFL quarterbacks do the back shoulder throw now? That reminds me of what Marshall does. He has an understanding of the area where he can throw a ball so that only his guy can get it. Now, he is fortunate to have Zeller, Henson and Barnes around him, but I can't remember anyone else who passes the ball like he does. He is kind of unique. Maybe Jason Kidd?
It's also kind of unique in that I don't mind most of the kids on UNC. Henson is a goon and Hairston's mouth emits too much garbage that his play can't back up, but other than that....OK, that's enough, I am starting to feel a little dirty with all of this tar heel praise...