Tyus Jones, Duke (MVP) -
ACC Tournament: Tyus Jones leads 2015 ACC pre-tournament all-tournament team
With a deep pool of playmakers to choose from, the race for the 2015 ACC All-Tournament team will be one of the most competitive in recent history. Here’s a look at how the final five might shake out.
Though teammates Jahlil Okafor and Quinn Cook ended up with more votes for All-ACC honors, no player has impacted the final third of the season like Duke freshman Tyus Jones. Jones is at his best on the big stage, averaging nearly 10 more points per game (51% shooting) in Duke's 10 toughest games, according to News and Observer writer Joe Giglio.
Tyus Jones in Duke's 10 biggest games: 18.1 ppg 4.2 rpg 5.3 apg 51.1 FG 43.5 3FG
— Joe Giglio (@jwgiglio) March 8, 2015 Tyus Jones in Duke's other 21 games: 8.8 ppg 3.4 rpg 5.9 apg 36.9 FG 37.7 3FG
— Joe Giglio (@jwgiglio) March 8, 2015 Jones was seemingly bred for post-season college basketball, which makes the Duke point guard a solid bet to win the 2015 Everett Case Award.
Quinn Cook, Duke -
March is a month for guards, and Duke has two of the best in the game. Sure, Okafor is the ACC player of the year and will be the focal point of every defensive game-plan Duke will face in Greensboro, but like his teammate Tyus Jones, Cook has been phenomenal when it's mattered the most. Only one other four-year player under Coach K at Duke has finished their career without a regular season ACC title, an ACC championship, or a Final Four, and Quinn Cook could become the second. That's a very improbable conclusion to Cook's story, which has been one of the brightest sub-plots in the ACC this season.
Malcolm Brogdon, UVA -
The defending champions will not leave Greensboro without a fight, and no player exemplifies the Virginia spirit better than Malcolm Brogdon. Known for his brutally tough defense, Brogdon scores at an impressive clip as well, only scoring in single digits in 3 ACC games this year. Virginia will likely play Louisville or North Carolina in the semifinals, and Brogdon averaged over 16 points in three games against those two opponents this year, including a near game-winner against Louisville on Saturday.
Montrezl Harrell, Louisville -
Speaking of Louisville, the Cardinals will be making their first trip to the ACC Tournament and will be led by one of the hottest players in the conference in Montrezl Harrell. A North Carolina native, Harrell is averaging over 21 points per game and 12 rebounds in his last two outings, both against top 12 opponents. If Louisville is to make it past (likely) North Carolina on Thursday, Harrell will have to have an all-tournament team worthy performance, much like he did in the rematch against the Tar Heels in January when he triggered a huge comeback and overtime win with 22 points and 15 rebounds.
Olivier Hanlan, Boston College -
No, I don’t feel an improbable Boston College miracle run coming on in Greensboro, but I wanted to pick a guy most likely to have a breakout tournament from the early rounds, and Hanlan is the easiest choice by far. A few things to consider: Olivier Hanlan is averaging 23.7 points in his ACC Tournament career, including a 41 point explosion in his first tournament game two seasons ago. Additionally, at UNC, Roy Williams has lost the next game following a season-ending loss to Duke 75% of the time. UNC lost to the Blue Devils 84-77 on Saturday night, and could be facing a Boston College team that was a tough out for the Heels a month ago, only winning by 9 points. Hanlan scored 30 points in that contest.
The odds for Hanlan making the all-tournament team are extremely long, but if you had to make a case for a player from a double-digit seed making the list, picking an elite scorer from a team who would have to win three games to even get to the weekend isn’t a bad pick.
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