Player of the Week
Jaland Lowe, Pittsburgh
This week’s player of the week is point guard Jaland Lowe. Lowe is a sophomore on the Pittsburgh Panthers and had a great first two games of the season. In his first game against Radford he had 21 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. In game two against Murray State he had 20 points, 3 assists and 2 steals. If the Missouri City, Texas, native maintains this level of play, the Panthers could make a run during March Madness. Lowe is considered a potential first round pick for the 2025 NBA Draft.
Freshman of the Week
Kon Knueppel, Duke
My freshman of the week is Kon Knueppel. Knueppel’s ability to knock down threes was big this past week for the Blue Devils. He went 3-8 against Maine and 4-6 against Army from downtown. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native is a player that could be looked over because of how stacked Duke’s roster is, Knueppel could continue to dominate under the radar and really help lead his team to the promised land. The freshman took home the ACC Rookie of the Week.
Who’s Hot
California Golden Bears
New to the ACC on the opposite coast is the California Golden Bears. The Golden Bears are one of the many teams that are off to a 2-0 start in the conference but this is a better start than the squad was off to last year. Led by graduate student Jovan Blacksher Jr. and his 17.5 points per game and sophomore Andrej Stojakovic and his 15.5 points and 6 rebounds per game. These two garner the most attention from opposing teams and if they continue to stay hot the blue and gold could do some damage and have a long season.
Khaman Maluach, Duke
One of the many Duke five-stars and ranked as the top center in the recruiting class, Maluach is averaging 8.5 points and 10 rebounds so far this season and registered 3 blocks in his first collegiate game against Maine. The Rumbek, South Sudan, native is a projected top-15 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. If he continues to garner similar stats as the season continues he could continue to grow his draft stock into the top-5.
Who’s Cold
Boston College Eagles
The Eagles have had a rough start to the season. As a team they are averaging the lowest amount of points per game with 55 and they have the fourth worst defense in the ACC allowing 80 points per game. They also have the worst point differential in the conference. Everything is going wrong to start the season for the maroon and gold. It can only go up from here for Boston College.
Isaiah Evans, Duke
One of the more highly recruited freshmen in the class, Evans has barely seen any court time. In his 15 minutes of playing time he hasn’t been able to show off much of his skill. In six minutes against Maine he had 0 points but in nine minutes against Army he had 6 points. While Duke always has one of the deeper rosters in men’s basketball, Evans needs to find a way to fight for his minutes if he wants to be a first round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Top 5 Playmakers
1. Boopie Miller SMU
The Wake Forest transfer has taken the Mustangs to a completely different level in their first year in the ACC. The squad has started 3-0 and Miller has a big part to do with it. Miller is averaging 7.7 assists per game while averaging 20.7 points per game. Not only is he scoring at a high level but he is getting his teammates involved as well.
2. Elliot Cadeau North Carolina Tar Heels
Cadeau is one of the best guards in the nation. North Carolina is one of the best teams in the nation. It is a perfect match. Cadeau is averaging 7.5 assists through the Tar Heels first two matchups this season. On a very guard heavy team Cadeau, being able to be selfless is key for the Tar Heels to make a deep run in March.
3.Michael O'Connell North Carolina State
The Wolfpack are another team that are undefeated to start the season. After DJ Burns’s final year of eligibility fans wondered how they would respond. The red and white are in a perfect position to start the season. O’Connell is averaging seven assists through the first two games of the year. The Mineola, New York, native has really been effective when it comes to spreading the ball around offensively especially after losing a star like Burns.
4. Nathan George Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets are currently 2-1 with the lone loss coming from North Florida. The sophomore guard has really taken command of the offense averaging seven assists so far in through the teams three contests this season. For Georgia Tech to continue to be competitive he will need to continue being an elite ball distributor in the conference.
5. Markus Burton Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Fighting Irish are off to a much better start in the second year under coach Micah Shrewsberry and Burton is a big part of that turnaround. He’s averaging 6.5 assists in the squad’s first two games. It’s an impressive start but can it be maintained as the season continues?