Rivers Earns First Team All-ACC Honors

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke's Austin Rivers was named to the All-ACC first team on Monday as voted upon by the league's media. The freshman guard became just the seventh freshman in league history named to the all-conference first team. Juniors Seth Curry and Mason Plumlee also received All-ACC recognition for the first time in their careers with third team honors.

Rivers was joined on the first team by North Carolina's John Henson, Harrison Barnes and Tyler Zeller as well as Virginia's Mike Scott. The All-ACC second team was comprised of Kendall Marshall (North Carolina), Terrell Stoglin (Maryland), Michael Snaer (Florida State), C.J. Leslie (N.C. State) and Erick Green (Virginia Tech), while Curry and Plumlee were joined on the third team by C.J. Harris (Wake Forest), Lorenzo Brown (N.C. State) and Kenny Kadji (Miami).

Rivers finished the regular season tied for seventh in the ACC in scoring at 15.3 points per game, while also ranking ninth in field goal percentage (.442). He has reached double-figures in scoring a team-high 27 times, including eight games with 20 or more points. The Winter Park, Fla., native is also second on the team in assists (67) and steals (29) and third overall with 54 three-point field goals. He is on pace to become the first freshman to lead the team in scoring since Johnny Dawkins in 1983.

Rivers along with Skip Wise (Clemson, 1975), Kenny Anderson (Georgia Tech, 1990), Joe Smith (Maryland, 1994), Stephon Marbury (Georgia Tech, 1996), Antawn Jamison (North Carolina, 1996) and Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina, 2006) are the only freshmen in ACC history to earn first team all-league honors.

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has now had 38 All-ACC first team selections during his record-setting coaching career. Duke has had a first team all-league pick in five straight years and in 15 of the last 16 seasons.

Curry enters the ACC Tournament second on the team and 12th in the ACC in scoring at 13.5 points per game. He leads the ACC in free throw percentage (.864), while also pacing the Blue Devils in assists (75) and steals (39) and ranking second on the team with 59 three-point field goals. Curry has scored in double-figures 21 times this season with six games with 20 or more points.

Plumlee is averaging 11.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the field. He ranks 23rd in the league in scoring, fourth in rebounds and seventh in blocks heading into the ACC Tournament. Plumlee is also third in the ACC with 10 double-doubles and second overall with 14 double-figure rebounding games. Plumlee was named a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America earlier this season.

In addition to receiving All-ACC recognition, Rivers was also an unanimous selection for the ACC All-Rookie Team. He was joined on the team by Ryan Anderson (Boston College), Dorian Finney-Smith (Virginia Tech), Shane Larkin (Miami) and Nick Faust (Maryland).

Duke opens ACC Tournament play on Friday, March 9 at 7pm against the winner of Thursday's contest between Clemson and Virginia Tech.