John Turner/Old Gold & Black
Entering the 2012-13 season, questions about the Demon Deacon basketball team loomed. More specifically, questions regarding the durability and play of senior C.J. Harris and junior Travis McKie were floating around Winston-Salem with a young team at Wake Forest.
And now? Few questions remain with the dynamic duo’s latest accomplishment, being named All-ACC. If McKie and Harris were not enough in one day, freshman Devin Thomas was rewarded by his inspiring play by being named to the ACC All-Freshmen team by the Atlantic Sports Media Association. The three Deacons were appointed March 11.
McKie and Harris were placed on the ACC Honorable Mention teams for the second year in a row. Harris scored his career high 29 points both March 10 in Wake Forest 90-79 win over Virginia Tech as well as in Wake’s 75-72 win over Boston College Jan. 12. In addition, he has been the Deacons’ leading scorer throughout the year with an average of 15.9 points per game.
The Winston-Salem native was especially impressive from the free throw line on the year by staking claim to an 87.6 free throw percentage. Harris was also named ACC Player of the Week during the week of Feb. 25 shortly after Wake Forest upset then No. 2 Miami with Harris tallying 23 points. Harris is second among active ACC players in total points scored.
McKie ranks second on Wake’s roster in scoring with 13.7 points per game, and he hauls in the second most amount of rebounds with 7.1 rebounds per game.
The Richmond, Va., native has four double-doubles on the year, and leads all active ACC juniors in total points scored. Harris and McKie mark the first Demon Deacons to earn the award more than one time while at Wake Forest since James Johnson was All-ACC in 2007-08 and then again in 2008-09.
Thomas has left little doubt that he is among the best freshmen in the ACC. After the video of him shattering a high school backboard went viral on the Internet, the Harrisburg Pa., native has been making a splash in Winston-Salem. Thomas leads all ACC rookies in rebounding as well as blocked shots.
Thomas joins Harris and McKie who were both ACC Freshmen of the Year in their respectable first years on campus. ACSMA will be deciding if Thomas is the winner of ACC Rookie of the Year March 1. With his numbers, he has got to be a front runner.