University of North Carolina Athletics
All-ACC Teams Announced
March 10, 2003 | Men's Basketball
March 10, 2003
by DAVID DROSCHAK, Associated Press
RALEIGH - Josh Howard, who led Wake Forest to its first outright league title since 1962, was a unanimous selection to The Associated Press all-ACC men's basketball team released Monday.
The 6-6 senior received 92 votes by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association and was joined on the first team by Julius Hodge of North Carolina State, Steve Blake of Maryland, Dahntay Jones of Duke and Clemson's Edward Scott.
North Carolina's Raymond Felton was named to the third team. Jawad Williams and Rashad McCants were named honorable mention All-ACC.
Howard, Blake and Scott were third-team selections a season ago.
Howard, who battled a leg injury in preseason, rebounded to average an ACC-leading 20.1 points and 8.0 rebounds heading into this week's Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro.
He had 27 points and eight rebounds in 36 minutes Saturday as the Demon Deacons clinched the ACC regular-season crown with a 78-72 win over the Wolfpack.
"As a general you would rather face an army of lions led by a lamb than any army of lambs led by a lion. He's been our lion," Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser said. "No one has done more with a team that was perceived to be less than Josh Howard."
Howard came to Wake Forest without much of a jump shot, but worked on his game and has shot 49.3 percent - fourth in the ACC - in 27 games.
He is also one of the league's best defensive players with 2.11 steals and 1.44 blocks a game. Both figures are in the top 5 in the conference.
"Coach always said he wants guys to stay after practice and come early and I took that to heart this year," Howard said. "I saw improvement and I continued to do it. I'm proud of every guy who has played with me and coached me."
Howard and former Duke national player of the year Shane Battier are the only two players in ACC history to accumulate at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 steals, 100 blocks and 100 3-pointers.
Howard is Wake Forest's first unanimous selection since Tim Duncan was so honored in 1996 and '97.
Hodge, a sophomore, is also one of the more versatile players in the ACC, averaging 17.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.44 steals a game.
The 6-6 forward has been in the top 5 in scoring all season in leading the Wolfpack to a fourth place finish in the ACC standings.
"If you're going to go out and do the things that Julius does, you've got to believe in yourself," N.C. State coach Herb Sendek said. "You've got to have confidence to make that tough shot. No one can give you that from the outside, you have to have that from within. And he has that special ability."
lake, Maryland's point guard, is one of the top assist men in the nation, averaging 7.11 a game. He led the Terrapins to the last two Final Fours, including the 2002 national championship with his overall floor game and uncanny ability to hit the key shot.
"It just seems whenever we've needed him he's been there for us," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "And it's not just been this year, it's been a career thing with Steve."
"I'm a big Blake fan," added UNC coach Matt Doherty. "He's cold-blooded. He can hit a big shot whenever he wants. It's like he's playing with you a little bit."
Jones was Duke's fourth or fifth scoring option a season ago with stars like Jason Williams, Mike Dunleavy and Carlos Boozer surrounding him. But the former Rutgers transfer developed his range in the offseason and averaged 17.2 points in 2003 for the Blue Devils.
"How he has developed offensively is one of the bigger stories in the league because people were playing off him last year," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Outside of two games in conference he's pretty much been our go-to guy. It's not just how much he has scored, it's when he's scored. He has made a lot of big points for us throughout the season and has put up great numbers."
Scott, a shooting guard, made a late surge to finish second in the ACC in scoring at 18 points a game and is just the second Clemson player in the last 10 seasons to make the first team. Will Solomon also did it in 2000.
"Trying to guard Ed Scott with six men on the court is hard to do," Sendek said. "He gets the ball where he wants to get it."
Drew Nicholas of Maryland headed the second team along with Chris Bosh of Georgia Tech, Travis Watson of Virginia, Tim Pickett of Florida State and Wake Forest's Vytas Danelius.
osh is the only freshman to make the first or second teams.
Duke point guard Chris Duhon, the preseason pick for ACC player of the year, was selected to the third team after a poor shooting season.
Howard, Jones, Bosh and Pickett also made the all-defensive team with Cliff Crawford of N.C. State.
