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Our men’s basketball beat writers have watched all but one Atlantic Coast Conference team play against Syracuse. We asked them to draft a five-player team, plus a sixth man and head coach, with the conference’s biggest difference-makers from the 2020-21 regular season.

The goal was to build the most complete team to take the court, not just the five best players. Fit, size, shooting and team building, as well as coaching, are all to be considered when selecting players.

The draft was a snake draft, and a list randomizer awarded Andrew Crane the first pick. Danny Emerman will have the second pick, followed by Anthony Dabbundo. Dabbundo began round two. Here’s what they picked:

Round 1:

Andrew Crane: Moses Wright, forward, Georgia Tech

It’s easy to justify picking Wright first overall after watching his 31-point, 16-rebound performance against Syracuse two weeks ago en route to winning ACC Player of the Year on Monday. Wright is the perfect foundational piece for a strong, physical team that’ll wear opponents down and eventually take over by shooting from the perimeter. He hasn’t shot worse than 56% from the field since Feb. 10, and his top-125 offensive rebounding percentage will help stabilize a consistent presence on the boards.

Georgia Tech forward Moses Wright drives against the Orange. Wright had 31 points against Syracuse. Courtesy of Hyosub Shin | Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com

And here’s a wild stat, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Since 1992-93, seven players across power conferences have reached the 18-point, eight-rebound, two-assist, one-block, one-steal and 50%-field-goal-percentage numbers that Wright did this year. All were first-round NBA picks, and three went No. 1 overall. Sign me up.

Danny Emerman: Tony Bennett, head coach, Virginia

There are no elite players in the ACC this year, but there is certainly a top-tier coach. That’s the most basic reasoning behind selecting Bennett first overall.

Along with his 2019 national championship, Bennett’s led Virginia to five ACC regular season titles since 2014 and two ACC Tournament championships. He’s won the ACC Coach of the Year award four times since he joined the league in 2009, and his 72.9% overall winning percentage is already in the top-40 all-time — that includes the brief period it took Bennett to get UVA rolling. With Bennett, I know my team is going to have the most structurally-sound defense and an efficient offense to boot. He’s shown he can turn good players into great ones, and he raises the teams he coaches.

In college basketball, the in-game adjustments, pregame preparation and recruiting (though that’s moot for this exercise) are what separates blue bloods from pretenders, champions from bubble teams. Bennett has proven he’s in the upper echelon of all coaches, let alone those in the ACC. The value of a good coach is immense, and Bennett’s the best. 

Anthony Dabbundo: Justin Champagnie, forward, Pittsburgh

I couldn’t believe that Champagnie wasn’t chosen in the first two picks of this draft, so he’s a no-brainer here at three. Syracuse fans know Champagnie all too well after he dominated the Orange with 24 points and 16 rebounds in their second meeting (he missed the first with a knee injury). Champagnie draws a lot of fouls, rebounds really well from the wing position and blocks plenty of shots on defense. My goal was to build a team full of shooters and twitchy athletes, and Champagnie has shown all season why he’s one of the ACC’s best players.

Round 2: 

Dabbundo: Jay Huff, center, Virginia

KenPom will tell you that Huff is the ACC Player of the Year. He’s a 7-foot-1 center who can shoot 3s and stretch opposing defenses. He also ranks top-20 in the country and second in the conference in block rate, making him the perfect stretch five for my slash-and-shoot offense. I considered going with a point guard such as Jose Alvarado or Carlik Jones for this pick, but Huff’s interior defense and all-around offensive game are too much to pass up. He showed he’s also a great rebounder when he snagged 12 boards, in addition to 22 points, against SU.

Emerman: Jose Alvarado, point guard, Georgia Tech

A low-usage, crafty, defensive-minded point guard? Sign Bennett up. Alvarado reminds me a lot of Malcolm Brogdon, who helped usher in this iteration of elite Virginia teams between 2011 and 2016. At the point of attack on defense, there’s no better guard in the ACC. Alvarado is 12th in the nation in steal rate and fourth in total steals. He takes care of the ball, and his assist to turnover ratio (two) is better than that of Prentiss Hubb’s — the ACC’s assist leader.

Alvarado might not seem like a “first off the board” player for this exercise, but he’s a leader. His 15.5 points, 4.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game don’t exactly capture that, but he’s quietly led Georgia Tech to a fourth-place ACC finish, and he’ll lead my team to victory in whatever “WandaVision” hex multiverse dimension these fake teams square off in.

Crane: Sam Hauser, forward, Virginia

I’m quite surprised that Hauser is still available. The perfect way to complement Wright’s interior scoring is with a shooter like Hauser — establishing a clear offensive threat both inside and outside the paint. I enjoyed watching Hauser play at Marquette, and his 44.4% 3-point shooting and 44th-best offensive rating have helped lift Virginia’s offense in 2020-21. When the Cavaliers played Syracuse on Jan. 25, Hauser connected on 7-of-13 shots from beyond the arc and led all scorers, including Huff, with 21 points. He’ll have a similar number of chances to take those shots in my offense.

Round 3: 

Crane: Carlik Jones, point guard, Louisville

I considered picking Matthew Hurt here, but I decided to get the quarterback of my team instead. Hurt would be too similar to Wright, although it’s certainly tempting, given his ability to shoot 3-pointers. I settled on the top grad transfer who spent three years at Radford and has made an immediate impact for Louisville as its top scorer, at 17.0 points per game. He’s also proven to be a guard who can rebound while facilitating the offense and creating those shots. With this pick, I’m looking for Jones’ downhill style — 4.6 fouls drawn per game, per KenPom — to free up space and chances for Wright and others inside. Getting the ACC’s best point guard in round three is a steal.

Emerman: M.J. Walker, shooting guard, Florida State

Walker’s counting stats might seem mild, but he’s FSU’s engine on offense. The senior’s averaging 13.1 points, 2.5 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game. He’s more of a finisher than a creator. Walker is a steady hand and a strong defender with good size. He also shoots 44.1% from deep on nearly five attempts per game from 3, which is pivotal for my imaginary team that’s elite from deep (more on that later).

Dabbundo: Scottie Barnes, Point Guard, Florida State

It’s no secret by now how much I value height and rebounding ability. My point guard is 6-foot-9 and just won ACC Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year. Barnes can’t shoot, but that’s fine because the shooters in this offense will come from the frontcourt. Barnes is the engine of my offense, running pick and pop with Huff and my next pick, Hurt. The Orange didn’t see Barnes, but it would’ve been fun to watch the zone try to keep him out of the paint. Barnes has the second-best assist rate in the ACC, chips in on the offensive glass and is fifth in steal rate in the conference. He’s an elite two-way slashing point guard and the perfect compliment to Huff and Hurt. 

Round 4: 

Dabbundo: Matthew Hurt, forward, Duke

Like Champagnie, I didn’t think the ACC’s most improved player would fall this far. As a stretch four, he and Huff can take turns going inside. Sometimes, both can clear out offensively to make room for Barnes and Champagnie to penetrate. Hurt made 43.7% of his 3s this season and is ranked 24th nationally in effective field goal percentage. Team Dabbundo is all about efficiency, and Hurt is another great add to an impossible-to-guard offense. 

Emerman: Keve Aluma, power forward, Virginia Tech

Aluma is the best scorer on my team, and my offense will run through him. At 15.9 points per game, the 6-foot-9 junior’s seventh in the ACC in scoring and fifth in rebounding. He’s a smart passer out of the low post and makes the right plays when facing double teams. Aluma can also stretch the floor, as he shoots 37% from 3.

In VT’s win over Syracuse earlier this year, Aluma battled foul trouble in his worst game of an otherwise stellar season (2 points on 1-for-10 shooting). I expect more of the 23 points and eight rebounds on 9-for-11 from the field masterpiece he closed the season with. 

Crane: Aamir Simms, forward, Clemson

Will this pick mean that Hauser and others may have to play a little bit out of position? Maybe, but I couldn’t pass up a talent like Simms in the fourth round. He shot 54.4% from the field for the Tigers during the regular season and is another consistently good rebounder to pair with Wright. Underrated, too, is that Simms made 38.8% of his 3-pointers — albeit via a small sample size of 43 shots. If my coach draws up more plays to get Simms open for outside shots, I’m curious if he could hit close to that percentage and complement Hauser.

Clemson forward Aamir Simms stares down Quincy Guerrier at the end of the two team’s first matchup. Simms had 18 points against the Orange. Courtesy of Ken Ruinard | The Greenville News

I still need a true center, but now I have flexibility with Simms and Wright both in my lineup. When opponents pay more attention to one, the other will have an explosive game.

Round 5: 

Crane: Prentiss Hubb, point guard, Notre Dame

As soon as I made this pick, my fellow beat writers started to criticize it. So let me defend my case for drafting Hubb here: Throughout Syracuse’s season, we’ve seen the importance of having viable guard options off the bench (Kadary Richmond) to replace ineffective ones (Joe Girard III) or, at the very least, provide a spark when needed. I could run some two-guard sets with Hubb and Jones, which would free up Hauser and allow Simms and Wright to play  underneath in a small lineup. That would be risky, though, with my two tallest players at 6-foot-9 in that case. The more effective scenario would be to keep him and Jones both fresh and split their minutes up — a luxury to have with two of the top guards in the ACC.

I also thought Manny Bates would fall to the next round — the top center I had left and someone I really liked while covering Syracuse-NC State — so that was a big reason why I picked Hubb here. But Danny drafted him before it swung back to me. I’m more than happy with Hubb, who’s followed up eight 20-plus point games and a 34% 3-point rate last year with 14.7 points per game and 34% again this season. That’s consistency, and that’s just what Team Crane needs from its guards.

Emerman: Michael Devoe, small forward, Georgia Tech

Though slightly undersized for his position at 6-foot-5, Devoe gives me spectacular outside shooting and defense. The lefty’s shooting 39% on almost six 3-point attempts per game. He’s best as a spot-up shooter, but he can also create for himself off the dribble in spurts. He’ll have nice chemistry with my lead guard, GT teammate Alvarado, and can play off both him and Aluma in the post. 

Dabbundo: Isaiah Wong, guard, Miami

A Team Dabbundo roster would not be complete without a Philly guy. Wong has made a huge leap in his second season at Miami and is a great fit as a two guard in this offense. He was on the ball frequently with Chris Lykes out for the year, but that won’t be the case here. He shot 36% from 3 and can be a floor spacer, but he’s also effective at getting to the rim and the free-throw line. With less usage, he can improve his efficiency, too. Wong had one of his worst games of the season in a blowout loss to Syraucse, but the sophomore guard has the ability to have big games, as he posted nine games with 20 or more points.  

Round 6:

Dabbundo: Alan Griffin, forward, Syracuse

This is a high upside pick for my sixth man. Griffin was great off the bench at Illinois last season, shot 41.6% from 3 and provided high-quality minutes with rebounds and steals. Jim Boeheim called him one of the highest motor players he’s ever coached, and that’s what you want in a bench guy. Griffin is also a streaky shooter. When he’s on, he can get red hot and carry an offense. He wouldn’t be a primary ball handler in this all-star offense, but as a floor spacer, defender and rebounder, he’s everything I want in a sixth man. He also offers versatility, as he could play the two or the three.

Emerman: Manny Bates, center, North Carolina State

Bates is converting a conference-leading 63% of his field goals, and he also leads the league in blocks per game (three). As a lob finisher and rim protector in Bennett’s pack-line, he’d be lethal. I waited to select a center because there’s so much depth at the position here, and somehow, one of the strongest options fell to me in the sixth round. 

North Carolina State center Manny Bates drives past Syracuse’s Marek Dolezaj in 76-73 loss. Courtesy of Mark Konezny | USA Today Sports

In the first meeting with an undersized Syracuse team, Bates recorded a monster 17 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. In the teams’ upcoming ACC Tournament matchup, SU might need to size-up with Jesse Edwards to handle him.

Crane: Day’Ron Sharpe, center, North Carolina

With Bates now off the board, and my team still in need of a pure center to avoid the problems that have plagued Syracuse throughout the season, the next-best option is Sharpe. He’s started just three games this season but still has the best offensive rebounding percentage in the country (18.7%), per KenPom. He’s also UNC’s leading rebounder and ranks fourth on the Tar Heels in scoring.

Head coach Roy Williams — who I’ll select with my next pick — can utilize the 6-foot-11 freshman in a couple ways: Off the bench to sub out a small-ball lineup with Wright and Simms as my two post players, or as a starter. With expanded minutes, I envision a plethora of offensive rebounds and kickouts to Hauser for 3-pointers with this pick.

Round 7:

Crane: Roy Williams, head coach, North Carolina

Drafting a coach in the first round is like picking a kicker in fantasy football before the final round. There are so many good coaches in the conference, even in a down year, and I’m more than happy picking Williams in this spot. It’ll help that he worked with Sharpe during the year and coached the best offensive rebounding team in the country, which will open up possibilities for Team Crane’s forwards group of Sharpe, Simms and Wright. There’s lots of potential for Williams to work with.

Emerman: Marek Dolezaj, power forward, Syracuse

The three things I needed with my sixth man are frontcourt versatility, size and playmaking. Dolezaj gives me all three. Boeheim has pointed to him as the team’s most important player all year, as he’s played out of position defensively and often held his own. He never stops the ball offensively, always making the right plays. If either of my frontcourt players get into hypothetical foul trouble, my team won’t miss a beat with Dolezaj on the court. 

Dabbundo: Leonard Hamilton, head coach, Florida State

If Bennett is the ACC’s best coach right now, then Leonard Hamilton is the conference’s most underrated. He just signed a new extension, won an ACC title in 2019-20 and consistently has the Seminoles finishing above Duke and North Carolina. Elite 8 in 2018, Sweet 16 in 2019 and headed toward a top-three seed in 2020 before COVID-19. He’s had success in the tournament format, and since Danny reached for his coach in the first round, I’ll settle for the second-best coach in the league right now with the final pick of the draft. He knows how to roster manage a talented team of players.

Maya Goosmann | Design Editor

Final teams:

Crane:

PG: Carlik Jones
SG: Sam Hauser
SF: Aamir Simms
PF: Moses Wright
C: Day’Ron Sharpe
Sixth man: Prentiss Hubb
Head Coach: Roy Williams

Dabbundo:

PG: Scottie Barnes
SG: Isaiah Wong
SF: Justin Champagnie
PF: Matthew Hurt
C: Jay Huff
Sixth man: Alan Griffin
Coach: Leonard Hamilton

Emerman: 

PG: Jose Alvarado
SG: M.J. Walker
SF: Michael Devoe
PF: Keve Aluma
C: Manny Bates
Sixth man: Marek Dolezaj
Head coach: Tony Bennett

Published on March 8, 2021 at 11:58 pm