ACC releases basketball preseason All-Conference teams, awards

With the ACC releasing their preseason poll on Tuesday, North Carolina was picked to win the regular season championship. Alongside the poll came All-Conference teams plus the voted-on preseason Player and Rookie of the Year awards.

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Of the five names on the first team, four come from the state of North Carolina. Split between three teams, the Tar Heels have the most representation. Only one freshman appear between the first and second teams as well.

First team All-ACC

Armando Bacot, North Carolina
Isaiah Wong, Miami
Caleb Love, North Carolina
Terquavion Smith, NC State
Jeremy Roach, Duke

Second team

Jayden Gardner, Virginia
Dereck Lively II, Duke
Justyn Mutts, Virginia Tech
PJ Hall, Clemson
RJ Davis, North Carolina

Armando Bacot named preseason ACC Player of the Year

Probably to no surprise, Bacot was named the preseason ACC Player of the Year, receiving 82 of 101 votes, alongside his first-team All-Conference selection. One of the best players throughout the stretch run for North Carolina, he averaged 15.3 points and 16.5 points through the NCAA Tournament. Bacot even achieved a 20-20 game against Saint Peter’s in the Elite Eight.

The decision to come back has shot North Carolina up the preseason polls and now, they are favorites to finish off a national championship run. Bacot will be hoping to bring back his double-double average and help cut down the nets in Houston.

Miami’s Isaiah Wong finished second in voting, receiving five votes.

Dereck Lively II named preseason Rookie of the Year

Duke and UNC are a common theme in the ACC preseason awards, with the Blue Devils having the preseason Rookie of the Year on their roster. Dereck Lively II will have some high expectations to live up to, receiving 57 votes.

Lively is just one of the many stars suiting up for Duke this season but is viewed as the best. On3’s Jamie Shaw called him one of the best rim protectors in the country coming out of high school. There might be some offensive work to do but head coach Jon Scheyer has had time to work with Lively.

The On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting services, ranked Lively as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2022 class. To say the least, there is some excitement about the center in Durham.