North Carolina’s P.J. Hairston was the big individual story in the ACC last week. Virginia’s Joe Harris and Maryland’s Alex Len also put forth excellent efforts in what was an interesting week as we are month away from crowning an ACC champion.
Hairston made a legion of UNC fans and some in the media wise with his performances after entering the starting lineup and in the process earns top honors in the league.
So, with respect to Virginia’s Akil Mitchell, Miami’s Shane Larkin, Florida State’s Michael Snaer and Okaro White, Wake Forest’s Travis McKie and C.J. Harris, Boston College’s Joe Rahan and Ryan Anderson, North Carolina’s Reggie Bullock and Dexter Strickland, Duke’s Mason Plumlee, Quinn Cook and Seth Curry, Clemson’s Jordan Roper and Devin Booker, Georgia Tech’s Marcus Georges-Hunt and Robert Carter, N.C. State’s Richard Howell, C.J. Leslie and Lorenzo Brown and Maryland’s Seth Allen, here are this week’s Big Men on Campus:
Alex Len, Maryland: The 7-foot-1 sophomore turned in one of the top performances of his career totaling 19 points, grabbing nine rebounds and holding Duke’s Mason Plumlee to four points and three rebounds in a win over the Blue Devils.
Erick Green, Virginia Tech: Green had a poor shooting night at Virginia, but he still scored 22 points and then went for 29 points in an overtime loss at N.C. State. The nation’s leading scorer, Green also handed out 10 assists on the week.
Joe Harris, Virginia: Harris continued his amazing shooting by scoring 26 and 27 points in a win over Virginia Tech and loss at UNC, respectively. Harris was 9-for-13 on 3-pointers and is shooting 49.2 percent from beyond the arc this season.
Scott Wood, N.C. State: The senior sharpshooter had a terrific game in helping the Wolfpack beat Virginia Tech in their only game of the week. The 6-foot-6 Wood scored 22 points, had three rebounds, two steals and blocked three shots.
Rasheed Sulaimon, Duke: The freshman grew up a ton last week. He gave perhaps the most mature performance of his career in a win over UNC and then had a great second half, which included hitting three clutch free throws to tie Maryland before falling. For the week, he had 29 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Wake Forest: After what clearly amounted as progress by picking up some quality wins, the Demon Deacons had a terrible week, losing at Boston College and then falling at home to Georgia Tech. At 11-14 and 4-9 in the ACC with Miami up next, suddenly things don’t look so positive in Winston-Salem.
P.J. Hairston, North Carolina: The 6-foot-6 sophomore made the most of his entry into the starting lineup by totaling 52 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in a loss at Duke and win at home over Virginia. Hairston also played well defensively, and his presence in the lineup gave UNC a boost and makes the Tar Heels a different team.
Roy Williams, North Carolina: In a way, Williams looks so-so because he waited so long to put P.J. Hairston in the starting lineup. Sometimes stubborn, Williams should have made the move much sooner, but now that he has, it’s a wise move that makes his team a lot better. Hairston responded by earning Player of the Week in the ACC.
