ACC alumni shut out of this year's All-NBA rosters
With four NCAA titles in the last 10 years, it's undeniable that the ACC is the most powerful conference in college basketball.
However, when it comes to producing top NBA talent, it's currently lagging well behind its counterparts from around the country.
The NBA released its All-NBA teams on Thursday, and no players who attended ACC programs were included.
Chris Paul, who played at Wake Forest, was the closest among former ACC players to making a roster, finishing just off the third team. Kyrie Irving, who played 11 games at Duke, was the only other ACC player to receive votes.
1st Team
Position | Player | School | Conference |
---|---|---|---|
G | James Harden | Arizona State | Pac-12 |
F | LeBron James | N/A | N/A |
G | Russell Westbrook | UCLA | Pac-12 |
F | Kawhi Leonard | San Diego State | MWC |
C | Anthony Davis | Kentucky | SEC |
The west coast dominates the first-team selections, with James Harden and Russell Westbrook representing the Pac-12, and Kawhi Leonard out of San Diego State. LeBron James may be a massive Ohio State fan, but he skipped the opportunity to play college hoops for a jump straight to the NBA. Anthony Davis is among the most impressive one-and-done players John Calipari has had at Kentucky.
2nd Team
Position | Player | School | Conference |
---|---|---|---|
C | Rudy Gobert | N/A | N/A |
G | Stephen Curry | Davidson | A-10 |
F | Giannis Antetokounmpo | N/A | N/A |
F | Kevin Durant | Texas | Big 12 |
G | Isaiah Thomas | Washington | Pac-12 |
The second team features two players who didn't play college basketball, Rudy Gobert and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Stephen Curry lacked major scholarship offers coming out of high school and ended up at Davidson. The sharpshooter introduced himself to the country by absolutely dominating the 2008 NCAA Tournament, leading the Wildcats to the Elite Eight. Kevin Durant spent one prolific season at Texas, becoming the first freshman ever to win the Naismith award for player of the year. Isaiah Thomas spent three seasons at Washington before being the last player selected in the 2011 NBA Draft.
3rd Team
Position | Player | School | Conference |
---|---|---|---|
F | Draymond Green | Michigan State | Big Ten |
G | John Wall | Kentucky | SEC |
F | Jimmy Butler | Marquette | Big East |
G | DeMar DeRozan | USC | Pac-12 |
C | DeAndre Jordan | Texas A&M | SEC |
The SEC leads the way on the third team, with both John Wall and DeAndre Jordan coming out of schools that play in the conference, although Jordan's time with Texas A&M came when it played in the Big 12. DeMar DeRozan was one-and-done at USC, while Jimmy Butler spent three seasons at Marquette. Draymond Green (Michigan State) is the only player who spent the full four seasons in college to make any of the All-NBA teams.