Berry Earns Dean Smith MVP Award

Senior point guard Joel Berry II was named the winner of the Dean Smith Most Valuable Player award at the 2017-18 UNC men's basketball awards ceremony held Wednesday night at the Carolina Inn.

Berry led Carolina in scoring (17.1 ppg) and three-point field goals (93) and led the Atlantic Coast Conference in free throw shooting at 89.3 percent, the second highest in UNC history. He earned first-team All-ACC and third-team All-America honors and was a finalist for the second year in a row for the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard.

Berry and senior Theo Pinson were named the team's permanent captains.

Pinson became the first Tar Heel and eighth ACC player to ever average 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in a season (he averaged 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists, all career highs).

Pinson won the Marvin Williams Carolina Way award, presented to the Tar Heel who best exemplifies playing hard, being unselfish and thinking of the team first. Pinson led Carolina in assists with 187, fifth-most in the ACC, and finished his career leading UNC in assists in 46 games.

Junior forward Luke Maye, who earned first-team All-ACC, second-team Academic All-America and third-team All-America honors, won the team's Most Improved Player award and the team's top academic award.

Earlier this year, Maye was named the ACC's Most Improved Player, and won the Skip Prosser Award as the top scholar-athlete in the conference.

Junior guard Kenny Williams was named the team's best defensive player. He led the team in defensive player of the game awards with 10 and charges drawn with 34, and made 38 steals.

Statistical leaders who were honored included Berry for scoring average and free throw percentage; Maye for rebounding average, blocks and three-point percentage; Pinson for assists; and freshman Sterling Manley for field goal percentage.

Berry, Pinson, Kane Ma and Aaron Rohlman capped the evening by giving their senior speeches.

Carolina went 26-11 this season, including 11-7 in the ACC. The Tar Heels tied for third in the conference, defeated two higher-seeded teams en route to playing in the ACC Tournament championship game, and were a No. 2 seed in the NCAA West Regional.

The Tar Heels were 10^th in the final Associated Press poll, the 37^th top-10 finish in school history.

Players Mentioned

Joel Berry II

Kane Ma

Sterling Manley

Luke Maye

Theo Pinson

Aaron Rohlman

Kenny Williams

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