With so many 2009 recruits no longer playing with the teams that recruited them, there aren’t a lot of actual starting seniors to consider. Yet, somehow I came up with a list of five. Here are the five best seniors in the ACC next year.
TOP-FIVE SENIORS
1. Joe Harris (SG), Virginia
As a junior, Harris was already first-team All-ACC. Despite a lack of athletic ability, Harris is one of the best shooters in the conference with a wicked quick release. He’s also a underrated defender. He was 4th in scoring (16.3 PPG) and 4th in three-point percentage (43%). With both Justin Anderson and Akil Mitchell back in Virginia, there is zero reason to think Harris won’t be able to duplicate those numbers.
2. C.J. Fair (SF), Syracuse
Despite the fact Syracuse was loaded last year, Fair led the team in scoring and rebounding, thanks to God-given athletic ability. He’s long and capable of running the floor and is Jim Boeheim’s best defender. He averaged 14.5 PPG last year, bringing down seven rebounds per contest. With so much talent gone around him, more will be asked from Fair, so a small bump in points/rebounds would be understanding, especially as he continues to work on his outside shot.
3. Okaro White (PF), Florida State
He’s strong and athletic and works well in open space. He was expected to be one of the league’s best defenders and rebounders, although he didn’t quite live up to the hype last year. On offense though, he averaged 12.4 PPG in just under 30 minutes last year, hitting on 51-percent of his shots. Look for him to continue to work on his back-to-the-basket moves and regain his edge on D.
4. Eric Atkins (PG), Notre Dame
Along with redshirt junior Jerian Grant, the Notre Dame backfield will be one of the best. Atkins proved to be a solid scorer and distributor at the point guard spot, averaging 11.2 PPG to go with his 5.5 assists. He hit a solid 42-percent from three, although that 65-percent free throw percentage could certainly improve.
5. Akil Mitchell (PF), Virginia
One of two Cavaliers to make the top-five seniors list. Mitchell wasn’t an elite talent coming out of high school, but he got better every year. He really found his groove this past season, where the two-time team captain was selected third-team All-ACC thanks to finishing 18th in scoring (13.1 PPG), third in rebounding (8.9 RPG), and fourth in field goal percentage (55%). While he’ll always have the “tweener” label, Mitchell has a high running motor, underrate quickness and the kind of strength that allows him to compete for rebounds with taller players. With Harris on the team, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to sneak onto first-team All-ACC this year, but second-team is not out of the question.
