Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Hanlan named ACC Freshman of the Year

The ACC media voted Olivier Hanlan Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year. This is quite an honor and our first major piece of basketball hardware in the Donahue era. I know during the second Duke game there was talk of a two-man race with Duke's Rasheed Sulaimon, but the vote wasn't even close.

In the past people have taken me to task over using conferences awards as an indicator of greatness. I realize that awards are not completely objective nor a guarantee of any future success. But they are a benchmark of accomplishment and winning them is never a bad sign. Congrats also need to go to Steve Donahue. While we are still waiting for all the pieces to fall into place, Hanlan is validation that he can recruit ACC-level talent.

Congrats are also owed to Ryan Anderson who also earned conference honors.

6 comments:

mod34b said...

Don-a-YOU!

The Don also has a good eye for talent.

Consider that Hanlan was not on any big time radar.


other offers

Dayton
Rice
TCU
Virginia Tech


other interest (no offer)

Virginia
Iowa
Northeastern

Anewitenforsale said...

Donahue is a bust. If 3 years into this experiment praise should be given to him for beating 1 team in the conference above .500, then I hope we look for another new AD. I just do not see how anyone could be pleased with what he has done. This team won't even qualify for the NIT and folks are congratulating him on his "success". Has anyone heard of us being in the running for any real recruit? I am just not on board at all and do not see how anyone can be.

curranac said...

Great news for BC hoops. Tom Crean just got his record above .500 at Indiana midway through this year and IU has a lot more support for its basketball program than BC does. Rebuilding simply takes time.

Next year, it's very reasonable that we should finish with a winning record and in 2 years get back to the NCAA tournament.

EL MIZ said...

"being in the running for any real recruit" -- our top recruit last year was just named ACC ROY over Sulaimon (a 5-star recruit and McDonald's All American). how do you factor that in to not being in the running for any real recruits? LOL.

hanlan really did have an impressive year -- his final ACC #'s per game: 16 pt, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1.2 steals. 48% FG, 38% 3, 75% from the line (3.8/5 per game). those #'s are better in literally every category than 10th pick overall Austin Rivers in the same conference also as a freshman, just saying.

another interesting stat:
total 3's after fresh/soph season for tyrese rice: 122
total 3's after fresh/soph season for lonnie jackson: 120

the "Donahue is the worst" trolls have no real argument at this point -- compare Skinner to Donahue in year 3. he's silenced the critics in my opinion with this year's team, and i'm convinced 95% of the people who complain incessantly have watched like 5 minutes of play this year and just read the box scores and conclude we stink. this team plays hard, within a system that is fun to watch and is very hard to beat on the nights where the shots are falling, and has some players with real upside in Hanlan & Anderson, and even Odio and Clifford. Rahon, Jackson, and Heckmann all bring certain things to the table and are good role players. we will be a competitive college team next year, much to the dismay of the Negative Nancy's.

Joseph said...

AS usual, Miz nails it.

starvs said...

This team came VERY close to beating many solid teams this year (although only at home) from a roster where 95%+ of ALL production is coming from sophomores and freshman. The two starting guards were Freshman, and the teams only legit center, and possible best player, has been hurt all year.

And you say Donahue is a bust? How fucking stupid can you be. Yes, this merits ad hominem attack.

Sory, but there is just no place for this unjustified/irrational lack of support among our fan base. Young teams are just not good, look at Kentucky/UNC this year, how big of a bust are their coaches?? And this BC team is younger than either of them (not to mention crucial player hurt all year).