5. Jack McClinton, Senior, Miami
McClinton is a sixth year senior who has improved steadily over his college career. He started out as a redshirt freshman at Siena in 2003-2004. Maybe you don’t realize this, but that’s the same year that Dwight Howard was the #1 pick. This guy has been in college a long time. In his freshman year at Siena, he averaged 13.6 points per game in 32 minutes per game. After that outstanding season, he transferred to Miami. He did, as all transfers do, have to sit out for a season. When he came back for his sophomore season at Miami, he emerged as a star. In 32 minutes per game his average went up to 16.7 points per game, including two 30 point outings against North Western and Florida State. Although he did excel, his team was a disastrous 12-20. Due to this horrible record, the media picked Miami to finish last in the ACC in 2007-2008. However, the Hurricanes knew they were better than this. The team started out 12-0 before losing to Winthrop and were even ranked in the national polls. McClinton carried this team all the way to the NCAA tournament, averaging 17.7 points a game and having a breakout game against St Mary’s in the first round of the NCAA tournament, scoring 38 points. His season did end against Texas in the second round. He will be ready to lead this team back to the tourney in his senior year.
4. Toney Douglas, Senior, Florida State
Another sixth year senior. The ACC must be filled with them. Douglas started out in the SEC at the University of Auburn. He too, was a redshirt freshman. In his freshman season he started at the point guard position and averaged 16.9 points per game. However, his team did not excel and he decided to transfer to the rival ACC and Florida State. After sitting out the 2005-2006 season, he made a good team even better, averaging 13 points in 29 minutes of play. He led the Seminoles to an upset of #1 ranked Duke and an Nit third round appearance, where they were defeated by Mississippi State. He achieved his career high of twenty five points against Georgia State. In his junior year at FSU, Douglas saw his scoring average jump up to 15.4 in leading his team to the Nit for the seond straight year as the leading scorer on the team. Douglas’s junior year was highlighted by his scoring. He scored in double digits in all but two games (UNC, Wake Forest) and achieved the twenty point mark seven times including back to back games of twenty eight points. I think this is the year that Douglas leads the Noles over the hump and gets them into the field of 65.
3. Ty Lawson, Junior, North Carolina
In a conference that is filled with some of the best guards in the country, Lawson is the best pro prospect out of any of them. He has it all- the scoring, the speed, and the supporting cast that includes NCAA player of the year Tyler Hansbrough. He was the starting PG in his freshman year in the ACC and helped lead the Tar heels to the Elite Eight before losing to Georgetown. He averaged 10.2 Points per game and 5.6 assists in his freshman year that included a career high in scoring of twenty one against NC State. His career high in assists was nine against Rutgers. He would later total that number again against Maryland. In his sophomore year at North Carolina, he had high expectations of himself as well as the expectations the media put on him by ranking his team preseason #1. He and his team mate lived up to the expectations that were put on them and went all the way to the final four where they lost to eventual national champion Kansas. Lawson did make major jumps in his scoring average as it shot up to 12.7 points per game. He became the third leading assist man in the ACC at 5.2 per game. He topped his career high of twenty one by scoring twenty three against Miami and Old Dominion. He topped his assist mark against Nevada as he dished 10 assists in that game. He did achieve his first double double in that game against Nevada and would achieve two more double doubles later on. Once again, he has hi team preseason #1 by deciding to return to school. I think he can lead them all the way.
2. Greivis Vazquez, Junior, Maryland
Vazquez has come a long way from where he was and his journey has just begun. Starting out in Venezuela, Vazquez decided to attend the University of Maryland and came to America after graduating high school. He was in the top fifty of his recruiting class freshman year and has lived up to it so far. As a starting point guard for Gary Williams freshman year, Vazquez averaged nine points and 4.6 assists in leading the Terrapins to the NCAA tournament as a #4 seed where they were defeated by the #5 seed Butler Bulldogs in the second round. He had his career high in scoring against Duke on February 11 in a game that he scored 18 points. In his second game against Duke, he had his career high in assists with twelve in the game. Both of these games resulted in wins. In his sophomore year, Vasquez evolved into the team leader, averaging 17 points a game to go along with 6.8 assists which was top in the ACC and fifth in the nation. Vasquez went on to achieve his career high of twenty eight against American. He would also improve his career high in assists by setting it to fifteen against NC State. Vasquez even achieved three double double’s in his sophomore season in leading his team to the second round of the NIT. I think that Vasquez will once again step up and lead his team back to the NCAA tournament.
1. Tyrese Rice, Senior, Boston College
Rice is the most experienced PG in the ACC and is a fantastic scorer. He has a great chance of going pro after his senior year of college. In his freshman year, Rice was on a team that was picked to go to the final four. In his freshman year, he averaged 9.3 points per game to go along with 2.5 assists per game. He led his team to the NCAA tournament sweet sixteen where they were defeated by the #1 seed Villanova Wildcats. Hew set his career high for scoring of twenty three on February 11 at Wake Forest. Rice also scored twenty or more points three times in his freshman season. In his sophomore season, Rice made major jumps at the team scoring leader at 17 per game to go along with 5.4 assists. Rice once again led the Eagles to the NCAA tournament. He topped his career high in points on March 9 against Miami, a game in which he scored thirty two.
He set his career high in assists on January 31 against Hartford in which he dished out twelve. Rice had three double doubles and went all out against Texas Tech in the first round of the NCAA tournament, a game in which he scored twenty six. His fantastic performance resulted in a win. In his junior year, he had high expectations for himself/
He averaged 21 points per game to go along with five assists. Rice scored in double digits in all but one game and topped the twenty point mark sixteen times. He once again topped his previous career high and set it to an astounding forty six points. Although he did excel in his junior year, his team did not. I expect him to lead his team back to the NCAA tournament.
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