Tre Jones named ACC Player of Year, Vernon Carey Jr. Rookie of Year

The Duke basketball team saw its two best players take the top honors in the ACC as Tre Jones was named as the conference’s Player of the Year and Vernon Carey Jr. was named as the Rookie of the Year.

It’s almost a foregone conclusion now that a Duke basketball player will win the ACC Player and Rookie of the Year Awards.

However, while still true, things were a little different in Durham as two players won the awards instead of one player taking home both recognitions.

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The sophomore point guard, Tre Jones, was named as the ACC’s Player of the Year after averaging 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game on 42.3 percent shooting from the field and 36.1 percent from 3-point range in the regular season.

Jones received 34 votes for the ACC Player of the Year Award, as he beat out the Preseason Player of the Year, Jordan Nwora, who received 17 votes.

The Apple Valley, Minn., native was clearly named to the All-ACC First Team with 348 votes but was also given the honor as the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, running away with the award over Florida State’s Trent Forrest, in addition to making the ACC All-Defensive Team.

It was Jones’ monster freshman teammate who was recognized as the best freshman in the conference with Vernon Carey Jr. winning the Freshman of the Year Award.

Carey Jr. dominated his opponents, averaging 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 57.7 percent from the floor and 38.1 percent from 3-point range.

Like his teammate, Carey Jr. was also named to the All-ACC First Team as the Blue Devil freshman received the most votes, 367.

The Freshman of the Year Award was truly no contest as Carey Jr. brought in 70 of a possible 75 votes with Virginia Tech’s Landers Nolley II and North Carolina’s Cole Anthony receiving two each while Florida State’s Patrick Williams got one vote.

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The Southwest Ranches, Fla., native was also named to the ACC All-Freshman Team where his teammate, Cassius Stanley, joined him.

Carey Jr. received 75 total votes while Stanley brought in 36.

In the regular season, Cassius Stanley averaged 12.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game on 47.4 percent shooting from the field and 36.0 percent from 3-point range.

A Duke Blue Devil has won ACC Player of the Year for the third straight season, and Jones marks the 18th player in school history to win the award while this season is also the third straight year a Blue Devil has won the ACC Freshman of the Year.

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However, a Duke player has won the Freshman of the Year Award seven of the last nine seasons as the program takes the lead over Georgia Tech for winners of the award.

Tre Jones, Vernon Carey Jr., and Cassius Stanley will try and turn their regular season accolades into postseason memories as the Duke Blue Devils get set to achieve their ultimate goals, first in the ACC Tournament starting on Thursday, March 12, at 2:30pm EST against either Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, or North Carolina State.

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