Scott Wood, NC State- Simply put, if Wood shoots well and scores, the Pack win. If he is missing his threes and not scoring, they lose. In the last nine games, NC State is 4-5. In the four wins Wood is averaging 5.2 points while shooting 5-34 from the field including 4-20 from deep. In the four wins, Wood is averaging 16 points while shooting 19-40 total and 15-32 from three.
Mike Scott, Virginia- Scott is one of only two players on Virginia that scores in double figures and he also is the only Cavalier averaging over 4.5 rebounds per game. After Assane Sene went down with an ankle injury, Scott, at 237 pounds, was the biggest player on the court for the Wahoos. Going against Florida's talented frontcourt of Erik Murphy and Patric Young, Scott's renowned defense will be tested.
Tyler Thornton, Duke- Thornton is far and away the best outside defender for the Blue Devils. They are going to need him, as he should get Lehigh's CJ McCollum (21.9 ppg) in the second round and then a potential of either Xavier's Tu Holloway (17.0 ppg) or Notre Dame's Jerian Grant (12.3 ppg). Basically, the opposing team's point guard, or maybe their shooting guard, or maybe their 6-8 wing man (see Harrison Barnes).
James Michael McAdoo, North Carolina- Carolina will be heavily favored over Vermont when the two meet tomorrow afternoon, but their is still some uncertainty as to whether John Henson will be 100%. McAdoo got his first two career starts in ACC tournament games against NC State (9 pts, 2 rebs, 4 fouls) and Florida State (4 pts, 8 rebs, 1 foul). It was clear that coach Roy Williams talked to McAdoo about his foul trouble, but he seemed reserved offensively in the championship loss to the Seminoles.
Okaro White, Florida State- White came up huge in the ACC tournament semifinal win over Duke (9 pts, 7 rebs) and has shown signs of brilliance on both ends of the court. Bernard James is no slouch and should be able to handle his business but starting center Xavier Gibson has been up and down recently. The sophomore White is, along with Jon Kreft, the first bigger guy off the bench and his output is essential for the Seminoles.
CJ Leslie, NC State- You could argue that Leslie had the most impressive February out of any ACC player and he is coming off 4 double-doubles in the last 5 games. Along with Lorenzo Brown, Leslie has asserted himself as the most important offensive player on this Wolfpack team. He went down early with his fifth foul in the semifinal loss againt North Carolina and although the Pack kept the game close, you could tell they missed him down low.
Joe Harris, Virginia- Harris is Virginia's second leading scorer and best shooter. He had a left wrist injury (non-shooting hand) in mid-February and you can tell it has affected his shot (33.8% field goals since February 1st) and his ballhandling (career-high 5 turnovers in season ending loss to Florida State). He is the second option for this team, and can cause a matchup nightmare (6-6, 210) for opposing guards or big men.
Austin Rivers, Duke- Rivers became the first freshman selected to the All-ACC team since Tyler Hansbrough in 2006. There was a reason for that. Rivers is the first freshman to lead Duke in scoring (15.4 ppg) since Johnny Dawkins in 1983 and the guard could rival Leslie for the best February out of anyone in the conference. He has the power to breakdown any player in the country and Duke's offense goes as he goes.
Kendall Marshall, North Carolina- Plain and simple, Marshall was North Carolina's most important player. Clearly his importance is seen through his record setting assist total, but he is also the only viable option for UNC at point guard since Dexter Strickland went down with an ACL tear. Marshall is set to match up against teams with much lesser point guards, and one's he could potentially break down.
Michael Snaer, Florida State- The Most Outstanding Player of the ACC tournament has evolved into the leader and best player for the Seminoles. He leads the team in scoring and coach Leonard Hamilton has called him the "best perimeter defender in the ACC...by far". Snaer makes this team go, hits the clutch shots, and sets the tone on both ends of the floor.
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