Duke Becomes First School to Place Three Players on the All-ACC First Team

March 5, 2002

Duke first to have three make All-ACC

By DAVID DROSCHAK : Associated Press

RALEIGH -- Jason Williams and Juan Dixon were unanimous selections to The Associated Press All-ACC basketball team, while Duke became the first school in league history to place three players on the squad.

Williams, Duke's All-America guard, and Dixon, Maryland's top scorer and one of the best defensive players in the nation, received all 84 first-place votes cast by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association for 252 points.

Williams was joined on the first team by teammates Mike Dunleavy and Carlos Boozer, and Anthony Grundy of N.C. State.

The Blue Devils placed two players on the first team each of the last four seasons during their record-setting ACC regular-season title runs. However, no school in the 49-year history of the league had placed three players on the top team prior to Monday.

Each has first-team credentials.

The 6-2 Williams leads the ACC in scoring at 21.9 points a game heading into this week's ACC tournament in Charlotte. He is also third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage, fifth in steals and sixth in assists.

Williams' 1,968 career points rank third all-time in the ACC among juniors. Only Antawn Jamison of North Carolina (1,974) and Dennis Scott of Georgia Tech (2,115) have better scoring numbers through three seasons.

"I am not big on ranking players," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "I'll just say he's certainly of the caliber of any kid that I've coached, and he has helped us win a national championship."

The 6-9 Dunleavy, arguably the most versatile player in college hoops, was three votes shy of unanimous. The junior is tied for fifth in the ACC in scoring (17.7), is tied for second in steals (2.41) and is fifth in 3-point shooting (37.5 percent).

The 6-9 Boozer has had a remarkable ACC season, going 110-for-156 from the field in 16 league games for 70.5 percent. He has made 56 of his last 67 shots to place fourth in the ACC in scoring (18.4). Boozer is also third in rebounding (8.7).

Duke is 90-12 in three years with Williams and Boozer leading the way. The two juniors said they will turn pro after the season.

"They have just been really great kids to work with and they want to get better," Krzyzewski said. "They are going to get better and better because they're still young."

The 6-3 Dixon becomes the 23rd player in ACC history to be named to the first team three times and just the second Maryland player to accomplish the feat. John Lucas did it in 1974-76.

The first unanimous pick from Maryland since the late Len Bias in 1986 is averaging 19.5 points, an ACC-leading 2.79 steals and an ACC-best 90.8 percent from the free-throw line heading into postseason play.

Dixon, a senior, also has scored in double figures in 46 straight games in leading the Terrapins to their first outright ACC regular-season crown in 22 years.

"Juan is valuable in a lot of ways," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "He gives you that veteran player as a senior who has been through everything."

Grundy is the Wolfpack's first all-ACC first-team pick since Todd Fuller in 1996. The 6-foot-3 guard helped his team to a tie for third place in the ACC by averaging 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.62 assists and 2.21 steals a game.

"Anthony's selection is a well deserved tribute and recognition for his outstanding, career-best season," N.C. State coach Herb Sendek said Monday.

Dixon, Dunleavy and Grundy also were named to the ACC's all-defensive team.

Lonny Baxter of Maryland was the top vote-getter on the second team. He was joined on that squad by Darius Songaila of Wake Forest, Virginia's Roger Mason Jr. and Travis Watson, and Georgia Tech senior point guard Tony Akins.

Watson leads the ACC in double-doubles with 16, including 10 in league play.

Steve Blake of Maryland, the top assist man in the league, and Josh Howard of Wake Forest head the third team. Edward Scott of Clemson, Chris Wilcox of Maryland and Jason Capel of North Carolina also were named.

It was the first time since 1990 that North Carolina did not place a player on the first or second teams.

The only team to be closed out in the all-ACC picks was Florida State. Monte Cummings of the Seminoles was the top vote-getter of honorable-mention picks.