Joe Harris and Ryan Kelly gave ACC fans magical performances last week, while a healthy handful of other players around the conference also put forth wonderful hoops displays.
The intensity around the league picked up last week, and for the first time this season, 10 players were in legitimate contention for Big Men On Campus and Player of the Week inclusion.
So, with respect to Michael Snaer (Florida State), Travis McKie (Wake Forest), C.J. Barksdale and Erick Green (Virginia Tech), Quinn Cook and Seth Curry (Duke), Rodney Purvis, T.J. Warren, and Richard Howell (NC State), Joe Rahon and Olivier Hanlan (Boston College), Daniel Miller and Robert Carter Jr. (Georgia Tech), James Michael McAdoo and P.J. Hairston (North Carolina), Milton Jennings (Clemson), Akil Mitchell (Virginia) and Maryland's Dez Wells, here are this week's Big Men on Campus:
Big Men On Campus
Joe Harris, Virginia — The 6-foot-6 swingman had a monster game in the Cavaliers’ victory over Duke, scoring an ACC season-high 36 points while also grabbing seven rebounds. For the week, Harris scored 50 points, hauled down 10 rebounds and handed out five assists.
Shane Larkin, Miami — The Hurricanes point guard had a terrific week and put himself back into the ACC Player of the Year picture. He totaled 47 points and 10 assists in a win over Virginia Tech and a three-point loss at Duke.
Reggie Bullock, North Carolina — The junior wing had an excellent week scoring 32 points with 19 rebounds and 11 assists in wins at Clemson and at home over Florida State. Bullock’s floor game, defense and leadership are developing factors in the Tar Heels’ ongoing growth.
Kenny Kadji, Miami — The long-armed senior from Cameroon got back into the groove by scoring 37 points, pulling down 16 rebounds and helping the Hurricanes to a win and a narrow loss at Duke. He had 17 and 10 at Duke.
Devin Booker, Clemson — The Tigers may have lost both games last week, but Booker, a senior forward, was terrific scoring 45 points and snaring 17 rebounds. Booker's older brother, Trevor, played at Clemson and is in the NBA, and it’s likely Devin has turned himself into a future pro as well. He’s improved that much in the last two years.
Disappointment Of The Week
Clemson — After starting the ACC slate a respectable 4-4, the Tigers are now 5-11 and have lost seven of their last eight games, including a pair of defeats last week. The first was at home to streaking North Carolina, the second at Virginia Tech.
Player Of The Week
Ryan Kelly, Duke — In one of the more remarkable performances in ACC history given the circumstances, Kelly scored a career-high 36 points, grabbed seven rebounds and even had a pair of steals in Duke’s 79-76 win over Miami.
Kelly had missed the previous 13 games with a foot injury, yet totaled 13 more points than his previous career-high. The boost this can give Duke, which hasn’t lost with Kelly in the lineup, is considerable.
Coach Of The Week
Roy Williams, North Carolina — It doesn’t matter anymore why Williams waited to make the change to a smaller lineup, but the way his team gets better every game and continues to evolve in its new look is on the coach.
Even UNC's fast break is different, as shooters find spots, which is a twist to what the Tar Heels have done in the past. North Carolina has won five in a row.
