Showing posts with label All Conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All Conference. Show all posts

Monday, February 9, 2015

ACC & PAC 12 Conference and POY Awards

ACC:

We are more than half way done with league play in the ACC and Virginia sits all alone at the top with a 9-1 record which makes them 28-3 in the ACC over the past two seasons. While UVA just finished up their three game gauntlet with a 2-1 record (which in reality should have been a perfect three in a row), the Wahoos will now need to find ways to continue their impressive play without their second leading scorer Justin Anderson who is now sidelined for 4-6 weeks. Could Anderson’s injury open up the ACC race?

With only a handful of games left in a top heavy ACC let’s take our first look at how the ACC All-Conference team stacks up:

Player of the Year:

Jahlil Okafor (Duke) – 17.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 62.4% FG’s

After a close loss to Notre Dame on the road, Duke quickly bounced back to upset Virginia, before eeking out a win over Georgia Tech and then annihilating Notre Dame in a rematch. Through it all, the top rated freshman has been a dominant force in the low post. He’s scored in double figures every game including a 20 point, 10 rebound performance this past weekend on 9-11 shooting. Okafor is fourth in the ACC in scoring, second in rebounding, and first in field goal percentage. He’s the focus of double teams every night, but still produces with remarkable consistency and a strong post repertoire.

All-Conference Team:

Jerian Grant (Notre Dame) – 17.1 ppg, 6.4 apg

What a year a difference makes for Notre Dame. Senior guard Jerian Grant has put together some amazing performances as evidenced by 23 point, 6 rebound, 12 assist game against Duke including a few ridiculous shots. Grant is the leading assist man in the ACC and is also averaging 1.9 steals a game. He struggled in his last game at Cameron going 3-10, but isn't too far behind Okafor in POY rankings.


Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse) – 19.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.1 bpg

Easily the most improved player in the conference and maybe the country. Last year Christmas averaged just 5.8 points per game and now he is the second leading scorer in the ACC and first in blocked shots. Despite just getting the news that the Orange wouldn’t be eligible for the NCAA tournament, Christmas still put up 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots in a close loss to Pitt. He’s scored in double figures each game showcasing a strong right hand hook and put together a 35 point, 9 rebound effort earlier in the season.

Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) – 14 ppg, 3.5 rbg, 2.2 apg

Mr. Consistency. Last year Brogdon was a double-digit scoring machine in conference play and this year he has continued that trend despite going for eight points in two close wins over Miami and Virginia Tech. With Justin Anderson’s injury, Brogdon will have to increase his scoring, but the versatile wing shouldn’t have a problem. Brogdon can attack the basket using his size and strength and can also knock down open jump shots in Tony Bennett’s motion offense. Brogdon had a strong claim for first team ACC last year, but now he is making another strong push.

Terry Rozier (Louisville) – 20.4 ppg, 5.1 rbg
The sophomore guard is the top scorer in the ACC and has made the sophomore leap after averaging 7 points per game as a freshman. Rozier is a match-up problem for most opposing due to his athletic abilities and he can get to the rim against almost any defender. That being said, he is shooting 44% from the field and has put together two different 5-16 games in Louisville losses.

Freshman of the Year:

Jahlil Okafor (Duke)

Other Notes: Juniors Marcus Paige (UNC) and Montrezl Harrell (Louisville) were voted to the first team before the season with Paige being nominated as the pre-season player of the year. As of right now, both players failed to make the first team although there is still time. Paige is averaging 15 points, but has been plagued by injuries while Harrell is averaging 14.6 points and 9.1 rebounds. UVA’s Justin Anderson would have garnered first team honors, but with his injury his regular season is effectively complete.

PAC-12:

Luckily for the Pac-12, they select 10 players for their first team all-conference. This year they will need it for all of the talented individuals in this conference. While the league is clearly a two team league at the top with Utah and Arizona sporting 8-2 records there aren't any nights off (well, maybe when it comes to USC).

Player of the Year:

Chasson Randle (Stanford) – 21.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.6 apg

It seems like Randle has been around forever at Stanford. Last year he was named to the first team, but it seemed no one outside the west coast knew who he was, including Andrew Wiggins. This year, Randle is leading the league in scoring with 21.9 points per game. The senior guard has put together two games with 30 plus points and five games with 20 plus points. Stanford sits at 6-4 in conference play and they will need a player of the year type performance from Randle to move up the rankings.

All-Conference Team:

Delon Wright (Utah) – 12.3 ppg, 4 rpg, 6 apg

Wright’s stats are not as pretty as they were last year, but the versatile senior has helped the Utes to a share of first place in the conference with eight games to go. Wright is shooting 46% from the floor and while he was quite in a big game against Arizona earlier in the year he’s scored in double-figures in eight out of ten league games. Wright is also leading the league in assists at six per game.

Stanley Johnson (Arizona) – 14.7 ppg, 6.7 rbg

Johnson was expected to fill in for Aaron Gordon at the small forward spot, but the freshman has surpassed his former AAU teammate in terms of production in Tucson. Despite Arizona’s upset loss over the weekend to Arizona State, the Wildcats sit at 8-2 in the conference in large part due to the tenacity of Johnson who has put together games of 22 points, 8 rebounds, 19 points and 7 rebounds, and 18 points and 9 rebounds in three wins. Despite playing with a starting line-up featuring juniors and seniors, Johnson has fit right in and is the top freshman in the conference.

Joseph Young (Oregon) – 19.6 ppg, 3.7 rbg

The high scoring shooting guard put together an impressive display at home this week against the two Washington schools. In the week Young went for 32 points against Washington and scored over 2,000 points in his career and on Sunday Young came oh so close to a triple double with a 28 point, 10 rebound, 8 assist performance against Washington State. Young struggled in a loss to Washington earlier in the year, but has been the sparkplug that has propelled the Ducks to a surprising 7-4 start.

Tyrone Wallace (California) – 15.4 ppg, 6.9 rbg, 3.4 apg

Don’t look now, but the Bears have won four games in a row. They took care of both Southern Cal counterparts this weekend with a Wallace buzzer beater against USC and then a two point win against UCLA. Over the last four games, Wallace has averaged close to 19 points per game and despite being a 6’5” guard he is averaging 6.9 rebounds per game.

Nigel Williams Goss (Washington) – 17.2 ppg, 4 rbg, 5.4 apg

The sophomore guard has been the lone bright spot for Washington after a 5 game slide that coincided with the loss of Robert Upshaw. Williams-Goss had a standout freshman year and gave Aaron Gordon a run for his money for freshman of the year last year and now he is fifth in the conference in scoring and second in assists. 

Freshman of the Year:

Stanley Johnson (Arizona)


Other notes: Freshman Kevon Looney is averaging close to a double-double, but it’s Norman Powell that has quietly turned his game around after a disastrous game against Kentucky in front of a plethora of NBA scouts. The senior guard is averaging 17.5 points per game and after an eight point game in a loss to Utah, Powell has scored in double figures every game including five games of 20 plus points.

Monday, January 20, 2014

All Conference Teams Cont'd: Big 10, AAC, and SEC



The conference look-in continues with the Big 10, AAC, and SEC. The AAC and SEC picks were compiled by Stephen Kalayil. The Louisville die-hard can be followed @stephenkalyail and surprisingly shows Kentucky a LOT of love with his SEC picks. 
BIG 10 POY and All-Conference

POY:

Keith Appling (Michigan State)­ – The fourth year senior point guard is averaging 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists through six conference game as the Spartans sit atop the standings at 6-0. In two overtime wins, Appling had his best games with a 20 points, 7 assists, 6 rebound performance against Ohio State and a 24 point performance against Minnesota. Against the Buckeyes he hit a clutch three in overtime to give Michigan State their final lead and against the Gophers he hit 15 out of 16 free throws.

All-Conference:
Gary Harris (Michigan State) – Along with Appling, Harris has also been scoring at a high level during the Spartans 6-0 start. Right now he is averaging 18 points and 4.8 assists per game.  To kick off Big 10 play, Harris scored 26 points against Indiana including a 5-10 performance from downtown. Harris did struggle shooting the ball in two wins over Minnesota and Northwestern, but recently went 7-9 from the field in a road win against Illinois.

Nick Stauskas (Michigan) – Known for his three point shooting, the sharp shooting sophomore has expanded his game during conference play as the Wolverines are off to a surprising 5-0 start including a gritty road win at Wisconsin this past weekend. Stauskas is averaging 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. So far Stauskas has played 34 or more minutes in each game, but is still shooting 49% from the floor. Michigan’s schedule gets tough in a hurry with games against Iowa and Michigan State up next.

Roy Devyn Marble (Iowa) – High expectations were placed on the Hawkeyes in the pre-season and so far they have delivered with a 4-1 conference record. Led by Marble, Iowa handed Ohio State a home loss and soundly defeated the Gophers at home. Marble is averaging 19 points and 4 rebounds a game including a 22 point game against the Buckeyes.

A.J. Hammons (Purdue) – The 7’0” sophomore is averaging 11.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, but it is his play over the last three games that gets him on the list. During a three game win streak, Hammons went for 18 points against Nebraskas, 17 points and 8 rebounds against Illinois, and 10 points and 7 rebounds against Penn State. The big man is also averaging 2.8 blocks per game for the 3-3 Boilermakers.

Freshman of the Year:
Noah Vonleh (Indiana) – While several freshmen have made their mark in Big 10 play, Noah Vonleh has performed at the highest level averaging 13.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.  He scored a high of 19 points in a close road win over Penn State and recorded four blocks in both an overtime loss to Illinois and a home win against Wisconsin. 

AAC POY and All-Conference 

POY:
Shabazz Napier Dominating AAC play
Shabazz Napier (UCONN): Napier barely edges out Cincinnati’s Sean Kilpatrick and UofL’s Russ Smith for POY at this point in the season in the AAC. Shabazz is easily the most important player to his team in the AAC. This is evident with Napier’s averages of 16.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2 steals a game which rank 4th, 14th, 1st and 3rd in the AAC this season. Napier has led the Huskies to NCAA tourney resume wins over Maryland, Florida, Indiana and Memphis.  Russ Smith, Sean Kilpatrick, Yogi Ferrell (IU), Joe Jackson (Memphis), Nick Faust (Maryland) and Scottie Wilbekin (Florida) are amongst the list of high profile guards who have been shredded by the 2K Sports Tourney MVP. 

All Conference Team:
Russ Smith (Louisville):  Although Russdiculous’s scoring average is slightly down from last season from 18.4 to 18.1 ppg, he has become a reliable distributor in his senior season by averaging 4.7 assists and has kept up his lethal defender status with 1.95 steals per game for the defending national champs. Despite the loss of Chane Behanan (disciplinary) and Kevin Ware (injury) during this season, Smith is rounding into the consistent, efficient player that UofL needs to take the AAC in its inaugural season.

Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati): The leading scorer in the AAC, has #19 Cincinnati surprisingly in first place with a 17-2 record and 6-0 start in league play. Kilpatrick might be one of the most underrated players in the college basketball this season and has become the unquestioned leader that head coach Mick Cronin has been missing at UC.  One stat that stands out is Kilpatrick’s knack to getting to the free throw line. He averages 5.6 FTA and is shooting 85% from the stripe, which is right on par with Napier.           

TaShawn Thomas (Houston): On a team that has strong talent in LJ Rose (Baylor transfer), Daniel House and Chicken Knowles, it has been Thomas who has lead the mercurial Houston Cougars.  Thomas leads the AAC in blocks per game at 3.3 and is second in rebounding at 8.7 along with averaging 16.7 points for the Cougars.       

Shaq Goodwin (Memphis) and Montrezl Harrell (Louisville) (Tie):  It was tough for me to pick one player over the other for the last spot on our all conference AAC team.  Goodwin, a sophomore from Atlanta has given Josh Pastner and Memphis the down low presence that they have lacked for sometime from it’s normally guard oriented team. Harrell came into the year with some high expectations for his sophomore season, but hasn’t fully lived up to them. The expectations were a bit unrealistic but he’s put together a strong season averaging 12 points, 8.4 rebounds and arguably came off his best game of the season against UCONN with 18 points and 13 rebounds.  Goodwin and Harrell lead the AAC in field goal percentage at .635 and .634. Harrell has been the better rebounder thus far in the season but Goodwin has been the better of the two in the blocks department. Goodwin also got the best of Harrell in Memphis’s signature win over UofL in the KFC YUM! Center this year.    

Freshman of the year:
Terry Rozier (Louisville): The AAC isn’t deep this year in impact freshman like the rest of the power conferences, but Rozier sticks out as the freshman who is making the best impact for a winning team.  After getting spot minutes early in the season, Rozier took the starting PG spot at Louisville due to injury for National JUCO player of the year Chris Jones. The Hargrave Military Academy product has been running the team efficiently and has commanded a Rick Pitino offense that is notoriously tough to master for a freshman. His numbers may not be gaudy, but his court presence and poise as a freshman has given him the nod in my book as AAC freshman of the year.

SEC POY and All-Conference

POY:
Julius Randle PF (Kentucky) - Julius Randle has lived up to his billing as a consensus top 3 high school player and future top 5 NBA draft pick. Randle is averaging a double-double with 16.9 points and 10.5 assist per game on arguably the most talented team in college basketball.  Along with fellow freshmen James Young and Andrew Harrison, Randle is leading the Wildcats to a 13-4 record and 2nd place standing behind Florida.  Randle has been un-guardable this season on the low block and his held his own against some of college hoops elite big men in Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), Adrian Payne (Michigan State) and Cory Jefferson (Baylor).     
     
All Conference Team:
Casey Prather (Florida) - Prather is the most improved player in the country this year for SEC leading Florida. Prather went from averaging 6.2 PPG as a role player to 17.3 PPG as a star his senior year for a Gator team that is full of talent. Also, he leads the SEC in FG percentage and has been able to harness his elite athleticism in his senior year.   

James Young (Kentucky) - There isn’t a small forward in the SEC that has performed to the level of James Young this season. As a freshman, he has shown up in every big game for UK and has hit timely shots for the Wildcats in games against Louisville, Arkansas and Michigan State.  Young’s 14.2 PPG and 4.4 rebounds has him as the second best freshman in the SEC in my book to his teammate Julius Randle.   

Andrew Harrison (Kentucky) - Andrew Harrison has finally arrived as the best PG in the SEC. The SEC has elite guards in Scotty Wilbekin (Florida), Kasey Hill (Florida); however  Harrison is beginning to excel in John Calipari’s dribble drive offense and is arguably coming off his best game as Wildcat with a poised 26 point, 3 assist effort.  He is beginning to trend in the right direction after getting off to a so-so start with unrealistic expectations for the season.   

Jabari Brown (Missouri) - The Oregon transfer has been Mr. Consistent for the Tigers scoring in double figures in every game of his junior season and averaging 18.7 points per game, He’s the best rebounding guard in the SEC averaging 4.7 rebounds per contest with a career high of 9 against Nevada. 

Freshman of the year:
Julius Randle (Kentucky) - Julius Randle takes this award easily.  The SEC has seen its fair share of impact freshmen in years past, but Randle could be the best that has come through since fellow Wildcat Anthony Davis. There are plenty of impact freshmen in the SEC this season in James Young (UK), Andrew and Aaron Harrison (UK), Bobby Portis (Arkansas) Kasey Hill (Florida) and Jordan Mickey (LSU) but none have quite the impact of Randle.   

All Conference Teams: 1/20/14



Now that conference play has been going on for three weeks in a row it is time to come up with Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and All-Conference teams for the BCS conferences. This first post highlights the PAC-12, which finally has its talent level back up after a few down years (minus USC and Washington State), the Big East, Big 12, and ACC. The Big East and Big 12 picks were compiled by Dan Russo. A Big East junkie and Hoya die-hard can be found @DanRusso13.  


PAC-12 POY and All Conference

POY:
Cobbs has led Cal to a 5-0 start
Justin Cobbs (California) – No one expected Cal to go 5-0 to start conference play, especially with three road games right off the bat. One of the primary reasons for the hot start is due to the play of senior guard Justin Cobbs. The 6’4” guard started PAC-12 play off with 18 points and 5 assists against Stanford including some clutch jump-shots down the stretch. Three weeks later he still hasn’t cooled off and recently went for 16 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds in a blowout win over Washington. So far through five games, Cobbs is averaging 17 points, 7.4 assists, and 4 rebounds per game.

First Team:
Nick Johnson (Arizona) – It was admittedly hard to give Cobbs the nod over Nick Johnson, the best player on the top team in the country. So far in conference play, the high-rising shooting guard is averaging 17.2 points per game including a 22 point performance on the road against UCLA. In the past three games, Johnson has hit three 3’s in each contest and is shooting 40.7% from behind the line. 

Kyle Anderson (UCLA) – Slo-mo is averaging 18 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists through five PAC-12 games, easily the best stat line in the conference. In a close loss at Utah on Saturday, the 6’9 guard / wing went for 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists while knocking in five three pointers. The sophomore has drastically improved his scoring and play-making abilities in his second year under Steve Alford and could easily move up the ladder in the PAC-12 rankings over the next few weeks.

Delon Wright (Utah) – The 6’5” junior guard, along with Jordan Loveridge is a main reason the Utah Utes sit 3-3 in league play. So far the versatile California native is averaging 17.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. His top game came in a two point loss at Washington when he scored almost half of his team’s points and finished with 27 on 10-17 shooting and 11 rebounds. The Utes three losses have come by a combined seven points including a two point loss to Oregon in overtime to start the season.

Chasson Randle (Stanford) and Chris Wilcox (Washington) – It was hard to choose between the two talented scorers so for now both of them sit on the PAC-12 first team. As a junior, Randle is the leading scorer in PAC-12 play with 21.4 points per game including a 30 point performance against Oregon State and a 33 point performance against Washington where he went 11-15. Meanwhile, Wilcox has led Washington to a 3-3 record including an upset win over Arizona State to start the season. The Huskies were projected to be among the worst teams in the conference but Wilcox has averaged 18.2 points and 4.2 rebounds through six games including a conference high 16 three’s. 

Freshman of the Year:
Aaron Gordon (Arizona) - While there are talented freshmen in the PAC-12 including Zach LaVine and Nigel Williams-Goss it is Aaron Gordon who has been the best through five games. The high flying forward is averaging 12.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and has been one of the top defenders for the Wildcats. Gordon has not hit a three in conference play so far; however the future NBA lotto pick has shot over 50% from the floor in three out of five games. It will take a strong effort to unseat Gordon from this spot during the year.



Big East POY and All-Conference

POY:
Doug McDermott (Creighton) – McDermott had Creighton rolling until they got blasted by Providence. He is averaging over 25 points/game in 6 BE games and nearly 7 rebounds. He’s the engine that drives the 5-1 Bluejays and is a consensus first team All-American and favorite for national player of the year.



First Team:

Bryce Cotton (Providence) – Cotton has been arguably the best player in the Big East since conference play began. He’s led the Friars to a surprising 3-2 mark including an upset win over Creighton. Cotton had 23 and 6 assists in that win and is averaging nearly 23 points, 4.5 boards and is leading the conference with 6.4 assists per game in conference.

Semaj Christon (Xavier) – Christon has been the leader for the 3rd place Musketeers 1/3 of the way through the conference season. He leads the team in scoring and assists in BE play, averaging 20.5 and 5 assists, including back to back 27 and 28 point outbursts against Marquette and Creighton.



JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova) – The best team in the conference, and one of the best in the country has to be represented, right? Pinkston is the leader of a deep, talented Wildcat team. He’s led the team to a 6-0 Big East start, averaging 16 and 6 in conference play while also chipping in two assists and over a steal and a block per game.



D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera (Georgetown) – DSR has led a less talented Hoyas team to a 3-3 start, good enough for 5th place in the conference, although they’ve blown double-digit second half leads their last two games. Smith-Rivera is averaging 18.7 points in conference play and the guard is also averaging 5.5 boards and 2.8 assists.



Freshman of the Year:

Josh Hart (Villanova) – In a somewhat down year for freshman in the Big East, Hart has provided scoring punch and tough D off the bench for the Wildcats. The freshman from the DC area has picked his game up of late, averaging over 11.5 points and 4.5 boards per game. 
Big 12 POY and All-Conference

POY:
Marcus Smart (Oklahoma St.) – Smart was the pre-season player of the year and so far has lived up to the billing. He’s averaged 19.5 points, 9 boards, 6 assists, and 2.5 steals per game in conference play. Though the Pokes are only 3-2 Smart has put up big numbers in both wins and losses, nearly totaling a triple-double in a two point loss to Kansas with 16 points 10 boards, and 9 assists. It will be a tight race all season with Smart and some of the other guys on this list for conference POY.

First Team:
Joel Embiid (Kansas) – Embiid is the best NBA prospect in the country. Coming into the year he was all prospect with limited expectations for the season. Embiid has crushed those expectations and been the most dominant big in the country. He completely dominated Oklahoma St. nearly putting up a triple double 13 points, 11 boards, and 8 blocks. Kansas is (as usual) in first in the Big 12 behind Embiid, who is averaging 11.5 points, 9 boards, and 4 blocks per game.

Deandre Kane (Iowa State) – Kane has been putting up monster numbers for the Fred Hoiberg and the Cyclones averaging over 20 points to go with 6.6 boards, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in conference play. Iowa State shot out hot out of the gate but a tweaked ankle to Kane has played a role in the teams’ three game losing streak. As Kane gets healthier expect to see ISU turn it around.

Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) – Hield has led surprising Oklahoma to a 3-2 start including wins over Baylor and Iowa State who were both top-15 teams at the time. Hield has averaged 18.5 points and over 5.5 boards to lead a strong trio of Sooners along with Ryan Spangler and Cameron Clark.

Juwan Staten (WVU) – There were very few expectations for the Mountaineers entering the season. Staten has led them to a surprising 2-3 record so far and so far in conference play is averaging nearly 20 points, 6 boards, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. As their schedule gets more difficult it will be hard for Staten to keep his spot on this list so Mountaineer fans better enjoy it while they can.

Freshman of the Year:
Joel Embiid (Kansas) – It was teammate Andrew Wiggins who was the top recruit in the country and the pre-season All-American pick however it has been Embiid who has been improving each game. Scouts were enamored with Embiid at the Adidas Nations in August and now their General Managers have their eye on Embiid as the number one pick. 

ACC POY and All-Conference

POY:
Lamar Patterson (Pittsburgh) – Despite the loss to Syracuse, Patterson has been playing the best of anyone in the ACC with his 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. The Panthers are out to a surprising 4-1 record led by Patterson’s all-around play. The physical senior guard has a 123.4 ORTG, but the ACC schedule gets tougher from here on out.



First Team:



CJ Fair (Syracuse) – The top player for the top team in the conference is averaging 15 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and is a match-up problem for all ACC foes. Neck and neck with Patterson for Player of the Year Fair can easily overtake him over the next few weeks.



K.J. McDaniels (Clemson) – The Tigers are one of the few teams to in the country to pull a monumental upset and then follow that up with a win on the road. Not much was expected from the Tigers but so far they are 4-1 in the ACC and led by McDaniels. The 6’6” junior is averaging 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.



Tyler Ennis (Syracuse) – In a tight game against Pittsburgh, Ennis scored back to back baskets to ice the game between undefeated ACC foes. So far the freshman is averaging 12.2 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.6 steals per game in conference play to go along with a 4.1 assist to turnover ratio. After his senior season, Ennis was considered the fifth best point guard in his class but so far he has easily been the best freshman in the country.



Rodney Hood (Duke) – The leading scorer in ACC play is averaging just a tad under 20 points a game. A deadly three point shooter from the wing started conference play with three straight 20+ point games, but has tailed off in the last two Duke wins.



Freshman of the Year:

Tyler Ennis (Syracuse) – Ennis has a stranglehold as the top freshmen in ACC play, especially with Jabari Parker’s struggles in ACC play. There is plenty of time for the pre-season freshman of the year to get out of his slump and he might have started to do just that with a 23 point performance against N.C. State, but is still shooting just 35% from the field.