Top Players in the ACC for the Coming Season

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I saw this link to the national top 50 on the Duke board. Just one opinion, but as good a place to start the conversation as any.

I've broken out the ACC players and grouped them by team. The numbers indicate the rank given by the site. Players without numbers were honorable mentions or late additions.

37. Frank Jackson, PG, Duke
8. Grayson Allen, SG, Duke
5. Jayson Tatum, F, Duke
1. Harry Giles, F, Duke
Marques Bolden, C, Duke

12. Justin Jackson, F, UNC
Isaiah Hicks, F, UNC
Joel Berry, PG, UNC

9. Tyler Lydon, F, Syracuse
Tyler Roberson, F, Syracuse
Tyus Battle, PG, Syracuse

43. Austin Nichols, F, Virginia
21. London Perrantes, G, Virginia

40. Seth Allen, G, Virginia Tech
Zach LeDay, F, Virginia Tech

23. VJ Beachem, F, Notre Dame
Bonzie Colson, F, Notre Dame

Jonathan Isaac, F, FSU
Dwayne Bacon, G, Florida State

49. Bruce Brown, G, Miami

34. Dennis Smith, PG, NC State

24. Jaron Blossomgame, F, Clemson

Deng Adel, F, Louisville

Michael Young, F, Pittsburgh

http://thebiglead.com/2016/07/27/50-best-players-college-basketball-2016-2017/

 

[coryfly]

I think Beachem is going to be outstanding this year.

 

[tarheel0910]

Not sure how Berry doesn't make the top 50. He's the best player on the team and one of, if not the best, PG in the ACC.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Not sure how Berry doesn't make the top 50. He's the best player on the team and one of, if not the best, PG in the ACC.

I'm guessing guys like Berry and Hicks got overlooked because of the attention given Brice, Marcus and Justin. This is the year when a lot of fans and sports writers will say "whoa, where did he come from?" Just as they did last year about Brice.

Obviously they didn't get overlooked by us fans, but it's understandable when we are talking about fans to whom UNC is just one of many good teams that you occasionally see on TV.

 

[trestyles]

If they don't have the reigning 6th man of the acc or acc tourney mvp on the list, I don't respect it.

 

[trestyles]

Also Bacon from FSU is unranked when he would've been a lotto pick...terrible list

 

[HeelFan58]

I am not buying "Glass Knees" as #1.

 

[coryfly]

Not sure how Berry doesn't make the top 50. He's the best player on the team and one of, if not the best, PG in the ACC.

It is the best players in the country though, not just the conference. He is going to be outstanding for us but there are a hell of a lot of good players in all of college basketball. It isn't unreasonable he wouldn't be top 50. It doesn't matter though. He'll have all the chances he wants to prove he belongs there. Should be fun to watch.

 

[Spacegrass]

ANy list without Berry in the top 50 this year is a bad list.

 

[tarheel0910]

It is the best players in the country though, not just the conference. He is going to be outstanding for us but there are a hell of a lot of good players in all of college basketball. It isn't unreasonable he wouldn't be top 50. It doesn't matter though. He'll have all the chances he wants to prove he belongs there. Should be fun to watch.

He was the MVP of the ACC tournament, played excellent in the NCAA title game until he got hurt. If you can project that multiple people who have never played college basketball to be top 50, how can you not project him to be top 50? No offense to JJ, but he's the second best player on the team. They've got him at 12. I think the list is the top 50 NBA prospects, not top 50 players.

 

[gary-7]

Not sure how Berry doesn't make the top 50. He's the best player on the team and one of, if not the best, PG in the ACC.

Well... Berry will be preseason All-ACC and maybe All-American, so there's that.

That list is a meaningless bunch o' BS.

 

[tarheel0910]

Well... Berry will be preseason All-ACC and maybe All-American, so there's that.

That list is a meaningless bunch o' BS.

It's definitely meaningless, but I hope someone has pointed it out to him. A little extra motivation never hurts.

 

[gary-7]

It's definitely meaningless, but I hope someone has pointed it out to him. A little extra motivation never hurts.

The doubters have... on social media... and JB told them to "keep sleeping". And Brice told him to go out and "prove them wrong like I did".

Dog will be on a mission...

 

[coryfly]

He was the MVP of the ACC tournament, played excellent in the NCAA title game until he got hurt. If you can project that multiple people who have never played college basketball to be top 50, how can you not project him to be top 50? No offense to JJ, but he's the second best player on the team. They've got him at 12. I think the list is the top 50 NBA prospects, not top 50 players.

Projecting freshman to be great and ranking them that way is nothing new though. It has been happening for years. Most of these lists do lean more towards the 'prospect' aspect like you said.

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

Giles at #1 is mind boggling to me. If we're talking NBA prospects, maybe - but best players in college this year? Give me a break.

Dude's never played a minute of college ball, has two bum knees, and I assume if he's reasonably intelligent he'll be focusing on not going full tilt and blowing out his knees so that he can maintain his NBA prospects.

Simmons was the #1 pick in the draft but he wasn't even in the top 10 in terms of best players in college last year.

 

[trestyles]

It is the best players in the country though, not just the conference. He is going to be outstanding for us but there are a hell of a lot of good players in all of college basketball. It isn't unreasonable he wouldn't be top 50. It doesn't matter though. He'll have all the chances he wants to prove he belongs there. Should be fun to watch.

Even still, Bacon from FSU is unranked. He would've been a first rounder if he left. Any list without Bacon or Berry is garbage. You want to tell me Frank Jackson or torn acl Dennis Smith better then those two players right now, I'm not buying it.

 

[RP12]

This rank is NBA draft thinking not college productivity and impact thinking. It seems that simple to me.

 

[coryfly]

Even still, Bacon from FSU is unranked. He would've been a first rounder if he left. Any list without Bacon or Berry is garbage. You want to tell me Frank Jackson or torn acl Dennis Smith better then those two players right now, I'm not buying it.

Well, Jackson shouldn't be on there. That is just a Duke bump. I think an argument could be made for Smith. I just think it isn't nearly as egregious of an omission as some.

 

[UNC Blue Hup]

Who's gives a dump! We have the best PG in the conference and I'll take JB, JJ and Meeks, Hicks vs. any other 4 starters in the ACC all day!

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Who's gives a dump! We have the best PG in the conference and I'll take JB, JJ and Meeks, Hicks vs. any other 4 starters in the ACC all day!

Lighten up, folks. It's just a conversation to help pass the time until November arrives.

I was expecting people to point out other good players that got missed, or speculate on how these good players in the ACC might affect or predict outcomes.

For example, if you look at this list, you'd probably predict and ACC finish like this:

Duke
UNC
Syracuse

...but, personally, I wasn't figuring Syracuse that high. Should I move them up?

Even though you can quibble about rankings and afterthoughts, I find it interesting that the ACC has 13 who made the author's original cut and 11 more who were either honorable mentions or added later. I wonder if any other conference fared as well (but am too lazy to add it up).