When members of the ACC basketball community gathered in Charlotte last month, an outgrowth of their sharing information, fellowship, and food was predictions of how teams will finish during the 2026-27 regular season and who will win major individual awards.
As usual in recent years, Duke was projected to finish atop the standings and a Blue Devil freshman, Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, was tabbed the league's Rookie Of the Year. Twelve of the last 19 ACC top rookies at year's end played for the Blue Devils.
Similarly, six of the last nine ACC Players Of The Year ultimately came from Duke. Four of them were freshmen – Marvin Bagley III, Zion Williamson, Cooper Flagg, and Cameron Boozer.
This year, however, sophomore Thijs De Ridder, a key ingredient in Virginia's surprising ascent to 30 wins last year, got the preseason media POY nod. If he fulfills that forecast and wins the award at year's end, he'd be the first Cavalier so honored since Malcolm Brogdon in 2016.
Brogdon was a three-time All-ACC selection, an increasingly rare feat these days when outstanding players tend to jump quickly to the pros and freshmen can command the POY award. Brogdon, solidly built and savvy, tied UNC Marcus Paige for preseason Player Of The Year, then won the 2016 award outright at year's end. His career .876 free throw accuracy stands sixth in ACC history.
A second-round NBA selection, the 6-4 guard Brogdon lasted nine seasons in the pros and was that league's 2017 Rookie Of The Year. Virginia retired his No. 15 Cavalier jersey. The UVa program lists Brogdon serving as something called "a strategic advisor" to men's basketball.
Over the years 74 players were chosen for ACC Player Of The Year, including a 2001 tie vote between Duke's Shane Battier and UNC's Joseph Forte. Battier deserved to win, but the creator of this chart failed to submit what proved the tie-breaking ballot in time to be counted. Apologies.
BEST
ACC Players Of The Year By SchoolListed In Descending Order As Chosen
(Repeat Winners Shown By Most Recent Year)
School
No.
Recent
Honoree
D
20
2026
C. Boozer
UNC
17
2024
R.J. Davis
UM
1
2023
I. Wong
GT
2
2021
M. Wright
NCS
8
2017
D. Smith
V
5
2016
M. Brogdon
VT
1
2013
E. Green
M
6
2010
G. Vasquez
BC
1
2007
J. Dudley
WF
11
2003
J. Howard
C
1
1987
H. Grant
SC
1
1970
J. Roche
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