University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels 2nd In ACC Preseason Poll
October 29, 2014 | Men's Basketball
CHARLOTTE - Members of the Atlantic Coast Conference media corps gathered in Charlotte on Wednesday for ACC Operation Basketball, the annual media day for the conference.
The media picked North Carolina to finish second in the 2014-15 preseason ACC poll. The Tar Heels have been a top-three conference pick in the preseason nine years in a row.
Duke was picked to win the ACC with 41 first-place votes and 935 overall points in the voting. Carolina was second with 12 first-place nods and 87 points. Following the Tar Heels, the rest of the top five was Louisville, Virginia and Syracuse.
The media named Marcus Paige the Preseason ACC Player of the Year. Paige, a second-team All-America and first-team All-ACC choice last season, also grabbed the most votes on the preseason All-ACC team.
Joining Paige on the preseason team were Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), Jahlil Okafor (Duke), Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) and Jerian Grant (Notre Dame). Okafor was voted the Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year.
Carolina has been chosen as the ACC favorite a conference-high 19 times outright with one tie. Duke is next with 15 preseason first-place predictions and one tie. The ACC has made preseason picks since 1970.
ACC Operation Basketball 2014-15 Preseason Poll (First-place votes in parenthesis)
Team & Points
1. Duke (41): 935
2. North Carolina (12): 870
3. Louisville (3): 847
4. Virginia (7): 824
5. Syracuse (2): 706
6. Pitt: 592
7. Notre Dame: 515
8. Florida State: 506
9. NC State: 478
10. Miami: 442
11. Clemson: 330
12. Wake Forest: 221
13. Georgia Tech: 195
14. Boston College: 184
15. Virginia Tech: 155
2014-15 Preseason All-ACC Team
(votes in parenthesis)
Marcus Paige, North Carolina (63)
Montrezl Harrell, Louisville (58)
Jahlil Okafor, Duke (57)
Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia (55)
Jerian Grant, Notre Dame (24)
ACC Preseason Player of the Year: Marcus Paige, North Carolina
ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year : Jahlil Okafor, Duke
