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Kennard, Jones, and Tatum Earn All-ACC Recognition

By Chris Brown

Feb 18, 2017; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) and forward Jayson Tatum (0) are all smiles as they head down the court in the closing seconds in the second half of their game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2017; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) and forward Jayson Tatum (0) are all smiles as they head down the court in the closing seconds in the second half of their game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports /
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Three Blue Devils were selected to 2016-17 All-ACC Teams for their contributions to Duke Basketball this season.

The regular season did not go as expected for Duke Basketball, but three Blue Devils were named to all-conference teams. Luke Kennard, Matt Jones, and Jayson Tatum were all recognized by the ACC this season.

Next: Duke Loses at Chapel Hill to End Regular Season

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    • Sophomore guard Luke Kennard was named to the All-ACC First Team this season after dominating for Duke. Kennard finished the regular season averaging 20.1 points per game and a national player of the year contender. He’s also been extremely efficient as the only Power 5 conference player shooting at least 50% overall, 40% from beyond the arc, and 80% from the free throw line.

    The conference first team selections were consistent with predictions from our own Ball Durham expert Matt Mikhail, but even though Luke Kennard was the only unanimous selection he is not the player of the year. That distinction when to North Carolina’s Justin Jackson. Surprisingly, Jackson trailed Kennard in almost every statistical category per game this season (minutes, points, rebounds, steals, blocks, FG%, etc.).

    Senior guard Matt Jones was honored by the conference on the All-ACC Defensive Team. Jones has been one of the top defenders for Duke this season, often matching up against the opponents best perimeter player. Jones had a career year defensively, averaging 1.6 steals per game and a plus/minus rating of +10.1 points when he’s on the floor.

    Freshman Jayson Tatum was an all-conference Freshman Team and Third Team selection this season. After missing the first few games with a foot injury and getting off to a slow start, Tatum has become a huge factor for Duke averaging 16.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He finished second in Freshman of the Year voting and is also a finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year award.

    Next: Duke Women's Team Falls in ACC Title Game

    Luke Kennard also earned a vote for the conference’s Most Improved Player and freshman guard Frank Jackson landed three votes for Sixth Man of the Year. The Blue Devils will be back in action for the ACC Tournament next week. Duke will face the winner of NC State and Clemson in the second round on Wednesday. Congrats to Jones, Kennard, and Tatum on earning ACC honors this season!

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