ACC’s Top-100: So Far
PREVIOUS PLAYERS:
No. 43 Matt Humphrey, Shooting Guard (Boston College)
Three-point shooter and not even a great one at that, but that’s about all he delivers. Still, Boston College has no better option.
No. 44 Jason Morris, Small Forward (Georgia Tech)
He’s uber athletic, always looking for ESPN highlight. Solid player when he plays smart, but takes too many dumb shots. He was primary backup to SF/SG until Brian Oliver transferred. Then he became favorite to start at 3-spot until he got injured.
No. 45 DeQuan Jones, Power Forward (Miami)
It’s been four years in the making, but Jones will finally get some heavy minutes. He’s a solid finisher, who can dunk with the best. He’s good with the ball and not afraid of traffic. His biggest flaws? He’s undersized to play PF and he can’t shoot the three (8-51 in his career).
No. 46 Okaro White, Power Forward (Florida State)
High energy guy, loves to attach. He needs more strength, but his numbers should more than double in season number two.
No. 47 Ryan Kelly, Power Forward (Duke)
A super streaky shooter, capable of making ten shots in a row, but missing his next ten. He can play some D in tight, grabbing boards and blocking shots, but struggles to defend more athletic big men.
ACC’s Top-100: No. 48 Tanner Smith, Shooting Guard (Clemson)
He was supposed to be a three-pt shooter, but he hasn’t panned out. He also tends to disappear in games.
No. 49 Gabriel Moton, Point Guard (Boston College)
He was a one-star point guard coming out of high school. He hasn’t proven anything at this point. Can he hold off freshman Jordan Daniels?
No. 50 Leslie McDonald, Shooting Guard (North Carolina)
He’s probably the team’s best three-pt shooter, but that’s not saying much. He doesn’t do any one thing great and he takes too many shots to average just seven points per game.
No. 51 James Johnson, Power Forward (Virginia)
He’s an explosive leaper, who plays with passion. He’s long, but could use some more muscle. He can score with either hand and can knock down mid-range jumpers, but he will need to work on his offensive game. He’s not a back-to-the-basket scorer and he prefers the open floor.
No. 52 Rion Brown, Shooting Guard (Miami)
He had a fairly decent freshman campaign, quickly established himself as the Hurricanes’ best perimeter defender, thanks to his length and lateral quickness. He still has a lot to prove on the offensive end.
No. 53 Deivadas Dulkys, Shooting Guard (Florida State)
A 3-pt specialist, who’s not going to take it inside. A bit streaky (6-13 one game, 0-8 the next). He’s a senior and will be primary scorer off the bench.
No. 54 Daniel Miller, Center (Georgia Tech)
A big body and decent defender (2.2 blocks last year). Needs to become a scoring option down low. He took eights shots in a game only once. Struggles to run the floor, often trailing his man.
No. 55 Carson Desrosiers, Center (Wake Forest)
A bit undersized in body weight, Desrosiers likes to play facing the basket. He’s capable of hitting a three and throwing up a shot fake, putting the ball on the floor from the free throw line. He’d probably be better at the four-spot, but right now Wake needs him as their center.
No. 56 Garrius Adams, Shooting Guard (Miami)
Adams is the primary guard option off the bench, logging heavy minutes when the Canes go super small. His rep was outside shooting, but he’s never really mastered the college three (less than 30-percent for career).
No. 57 – Terrance Shannon, Forward (Florida State)
Shannon is freakishly long and tough. He loves to mix it up under the rim. He’s just not a serious scoring threat away from the rim and is afraid of the three-pt line.
No. 58 – Akil Mitchell, Power Forward (Virginia)
A terrible shooter, who’s a bit undersized for the power forward spot, his basic role is as a garbage man. He hustles, he runs, he defends and he dives for loose balls. As long as he’s doing the little things, he’ll get minutes.
No. 59 – Haukur Palsson, Small Forward (Maryland)
Smart, savvy, productive player. At 6’6, he can bounce and get rebounds, but struggles with bigger, stronger players. He can shoot the three and is a solid passer, but he might be stuck playing the four-spot in 20111.
No. 60 – Kammeon Holsey, Combo Forward (Georgia Tech)
The forgotten man of the ‘09 class. Gained 30 pounds since he was a freshman. Active combo F/G. Loves to work from about 15-feet and move towards the basket. Could have a breakout year working off the bench.
No. 61 – Assana Sene, Center (Virginia)
As a defender, the 7-footer is a beast, clogging up the lane, swatting balls away, but he’s limited on the offensive end. He’s also spent some time in Tony Bennett’s dog house because of foul trouble.
No. 62 – Reggie Bullock, Shooting Guard (North Carolina)
He lives on the three-point line, 59% of his shots were threes. However, he only hit 29-percent from three and looked a little flat footed on defense last year prior to his injury.
No. 63 – James Padgett, Center-Power Forward (Maryland)
He’s a long 6’8 and he likes to bang. He’s a more effective scorer inside than Palsson, but he has no range. He potentially could be the only guy who can score with his back to the basket, although I wouldn’t call it his specialty.
No. 64 – Julian Gamble, Center (Miami)
He’s not going to impress you with his overall-basketball skills. Yet, he’s a big body who does well off the glass. I love the idea of him starting (he started in 13 games as a junior), just so he and Johnson can be the biggest front court in the ACC). Update: With Reggie Johnson’s injury, he probably will start now to start the season.
No. 65 – Deshawn Painter, Center (North Carolina State)
Overall, he made a nice improvement from freshman to sophomore year. He filled in nicely when Tracy Smith went down. Still trying to become a basketball player and not just an athlete. He’s also still learning to play big, as he’s gained roughly 30 pounds since joining NC State. Should be #1 big man option off bench
No. 66 – Tyler Thornton, Point Guard (Duke)
A pass happy point guard, who always keeps his head up, looking for that open man. Needs to be more assertive on the O-side. He needs to force the action and not just be a guy who dribbles the ball up the court. Also fouls too much on the D.
No. 67 – Jarell Eddie, Small Forward (Virginia Tech)
A highly-touted freshman last year, he failed to live up to expectations (because of suspensions), despite the fact injuries opened up playing time for him. He came in as a big time scorer, but he looked uninterested at times, often forcing stupid shots in traffic. He’s got the gift, he just needs to find a brain.
No. 68 – Bryan Narcisse, Small Forward (Clemson)
He’s got a 7-ft wing span and a leaper at that. He’s been energy off the bench his whole career. Working on basketball skills and outside shot, but don’t see him ever starting.
No. 69 – Jontel Evans, Point Guard (Virginia)
One of the faster PG’s in the ACC. He’s great with the dribble and works well off of screens. He will need to get his 3-pt shooting up now that he’s a junior.
No. 70 – Bradon Reed, Combo Guard (Georgia Tech)
He’s an incoming transfer who is coming in at the right time. He’s the only scholarship backup off the bench, so he should see plenty of minutes. He’s not a great shooter, but he’s quick and can get into the lane with a solid first-step.
No. 71 – Berend Weijs, Center (Maryland)
Tall, but way to skinny to be effective. He gets pushed around by the wind. He’s trying to get bigger and if he can accomplish that, he can at least be effective on the defensive end. If not, don’t be surprised if Palsson takes his place.
No. 72 – Erik Swoope, Power Forward (Miami)
He’s listed at 6’6, but looks 6’4 standing on his toes, yet he’s a power forward. He’s got great pop and plays like a demon inside. Still, he’s undersized and has no outside shot, so it’s hard to see him getting 10 minutes per game.
No. 73 – Ty Walker, Center (Wake Forest)
The former 5-star recruit has been a major bust in college. With a 7-6 wingspan, Walker is an excellent shot blocker. However, he is neither a great rebounder or a scoring threat. He’s expected to split the minutes at the five-spot, whether he starts or not.
No. 74 – Xavier Gibson, Center (Florida State)
Gibson has struggled to develop a go-to move and he doesn’t pull down near enough boards for a guy his size. Some project him to be a second-rd pick in the 2012 draft. I haven’t see that yet, but since he’ll be the primary bench guy for both forward spots, he’ll get plenty of minutes to show off some skills.
No. 75 – Cadarian Raines, Center/Forward (Virginia Tech)
Short on an offensive game, he tends to power to the basket. Will need time to develop some foot work and post moves. He is a solid defensive stopper. He loves to take up space and block shots.
No. 76 – Mychal Parker, Guard/Forward (Maryland)
Only played 80 minutes as freshman, disappointing for 12th rated SG. He’s a driver and a finisher, but needs to work on his jumper. He can disappear if the ball is not in his hands and he needs to work better within the team concept.
No. 77 – Alex Johnson, Point Guard (North Carolina State)
Five-year senior who graduated from Cal State-Bakersfield. At best, he’s a minute stealer, giving Brown a beat on the bench. He’s not a lethal scorer and I wouldn’t even call him a pass-first PG. He is smart though and he won’t make a lot of mistakes.
No. 78 – Trey McKinney-Jones, Combo Guard (Miami)
A transfer, expecting his first action in Miami this year. Could be one of the ACC’s best athletes. He’s quick, with a wicked first-step, capable of jumping out of the building. However, he’s raw, focusing on track & field in high school. He needs to continue to turn those athletic skills into basketball skills.
No. 79 – Luke Loucks, Point Guard (Florida State)
He’s an old-school PG, always looking to deliver the ball to the right spot to the right player at the right time. Still, he’s not a good shooter and he runs in slow-motion. At most, he’ll sub in for Miller from time to time.
No. 80 – Corey Stanton, Point Guard (Clemson)
Wicked quick, pass first PG. His defense will keep him on the floor. Struggled shooting the ball as freshman. 1-14 from three in final 15 games. UPDATE: Transferred Out.
No. 81 – Jon Kreft, Center (Florida State)
Despite having natural ability and the physical strength to be a legit big man, Kreft has never been able to break through, i.e. there is always someone better. For now, he’s third-string behind Gibson, so he can expect about 8-10 minutes per night.
No. 82 – Allan Chaney, Power Forward (Virginia Tech)
The Florida transfer has sat out two straight seasons. Is he coming back? Right now, I’d say it’s unlikely. He had heart surgery in May to deal with scarring around his heart. God knows the Hokies could use him though. While he’s more of a perimeter scorer than a bouncer inside, Tech would take anything right now since Davila is the only real option inside
No. 83 – Josh Hairston, Power Forward (Duke)
A Lance Thomas clone. He’s high-energy and not afraid to shoot the mid-range shot. A bit undersized for PF, so he tends to play D with his hands, not his body and feet.
No. 84 – Nikita Mescheriakov, Power Forward (Wake Forest)
The long, lefty from Europe struggled coming off the bench for Georgetown. Did I say struggle? Sorry, he sucked. He transferred to Wake and showed some promise as a scorer late last year.
No. 85 – Justin Watts, Forward/Guard (North Carolina)
Despite being a SG, Watts has been asked to be a backup forward so far in his UNC career. He’s not a star and never will be, but he’s versatile and athletic, which allows the big boys to get a breathier or two. He’ll serve the same purpose in 2011-2012.
No. 86 – Ashton Pankey, Power Forward (Maryland)
At 6’9, he’s a better athlete than Weijs and he could be the starter. The problem is, can he stay healthy. He played only one game as a freshman before going out with a season-ending injury.
No. 87 – Nate Hicks, Center (Georgia Tech)
If he can put on more weight, he could take over the starting duties for Miller. Hicks is a better scorer and rebounder in my eyes. He just needs the minutes.
No. 88 – Kenny Kadji, Forward-Center (Miami)
A transfer from Florida, who hasn’t played since December, 2009. He’s a big body, who can clear out the paint, but struggled with the ball in his hands. The redshirt hopefully has helped him develop his skills, so he has an outside shot to start at the power forward spot this season.
No. 89 – Melvin Tapp, Power Forward (Wake Forest)
At 6-5, 250 pounds, Tapp is a boy in a man’s body. Too bad he couldn’t keep that body on the floor his freshman season (thanks to injuries and suspensions). If he’s allowed back, he’s got potential as a bruiser inside, who can hit a jumper from about 15-feet away.
No. 90 – Jordan Vandenberg, Center (North Carolina State)
The seven-footer prefers to roam outside and not get dirty inside, despite being the tallest player in the ACC. He’s done a god job adding some size, but with limited offensive game, it’s tough to see him getting a lot of time on the court behind Leslie, Howell and Painter.
No. 91 – Tyrone Garland, Combo Guard (Virginia Tech)
Despite standing 6’1, Garland is not a natural point guard. His ball-handling is suspect and he hasn’t shown he has the know-how to run an offense. Instead he’s a shooter. He’s a bit streaky, but he has the potential to be the team’s best 3-pt shooter.
No. 92 – Catalin Baciu, Center (Clemson)
Tall, but slow and wooden. At best, he gives Booker a moment to rest for small amount of minutes.
No. 93 – Raphael Akpejiori, Forward/Center (Miami)
He rarely played last season as a freshman. For now, he doesn’t really have an offensive game. He relies on penetrating guards to hand him the ball. He is a solid defender, both on the boards and with blocks. At best, he gives Johnson a breathier when he gets into foul trouble.
No. 94 – Pierre Jordan, Point Guard (Florida State)
Jordan has never developed beyond a bench player. Played only 20 minutes of ball in ACC games last year, mostly in blowouts. Don’t expect to see him much in the future.
No. 95 – Deirunas Visochas, Guard (Boston College)
He’s a graduate-transfer, who hasn’t sniffed the floor in two years because of injuries. At 6-5, he’s a skilled ball-handler, who can hit a jumper, although I wouldn’t call him a threat. Probably has no business being in this conference, but Boston College has no choice but to bring him in and give him a few minutes.
No. 96 – Nick Foreman, Guard (Georgia Tech)
One of three Georgia Tech walk-ons who could see minutes this season. Foreman is a true combo guard, capable of running the point. He’s not a great shooter, but he has good size, capable of bulling his way into the paint.
No. 97 – Keil Turpan, Power Forward/Center (Florida State)
A tall and long Juco-player from Illinois, who prefers to pick-and-pop, rather than work down low. He’s grown six-inches since leaving high school, so he’s learning how to be a big man.
No. 98 – DeAndre Hopkins, Guard (Clemson)
Star football player, who probably won’t even be on the squad this year, but he was the 28th ranked shooting guard out of high school in 2010.
No. 99 – Kyle Speller, Guard (Georgia Tech)
The Yellow Jackets have only one scholarship guard on their bench (Brandon Reed), followed by three walk-ons, including Speller. Of the three, Speller may be the best shooter of the trio.
No. 100 – Jay Lewis, Guard (North Carolina State)
A walk-on guard, who played some point in high school. Doubtful he’ll see any minutes, unless either Lorenzo Brown or Alex Johnson goes down with an injury.