DURHAM, N.C. – Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler were named All-ACC First Team selections, while Nolan Smith grabbed second team honors as voted on by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association on Monday. Lance Thomas was also tabbed as a member of the media’s ACC All-Defensive Team.
Scheyer becomes the first senior in ACC history to earn unanimous all-conference distinction without having appeared on the first, second or third teams in any of his first three seasons. The Northbrook, Ill., native leads the Blue Devils in scoring (18.9 ppg.), assists (162), three-point field goals (89), steals (51) and free throw percentage (.889). He is the only player in the league to rank in the top 5 in seven statistical categories: scoring, assists, free throw percentage, three-point field goals, three-point field goal percentage, assist-to-turnover ratio and minutes. Scheyer is tied for second in the ACC with 15 games with 20 or more points scored and has reached double figures in 30 of 31 games this season.
Singler, a second team selection a year ago, joins Scheyer on the first team, giving Duke two members on the squad for the 10th time under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. He ranks among the league leaders in scoring, rebounds, three-point field goals, three-point field goal percentage and minutes. Singler has a team-high five double-doubles on the year to go along with 12 games with 20 or more points scored. He is six points and seven rebounds shy of becoming just the fourth player in Blue Devil history to top 1,600 points and 700 rebounds as a junior.
Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), Malcolm Delaney (Virginia Tech) and Trevor Booker (Clemson) were also named first team All-ACC.
Smith grabs his first All-ACC accolade after raising his scoring average 9.2 points per game from a season ago. The junior guard is fourth in the ACC in scoring at 17.6 ppg. and has 20+ points 14 times this season. Smith is shooting a team-high 40.4 percent (46-of-114) from three-point range and ranks second on the team in free throw percentage (.789), assists (89) and steals (36). He has surpassed his scoring total from his first two seasons in 2009-10 and is just two points shy of becoming the 60th player in Duke history to score 1,000-points in a career.
Al-Farouq Aminu and Ishmael Smith of Wake Forest along Tracy Smith (N.C. State) and Sylvan Landesburg (Virginia) join Smith on the second team, while Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech), Dorenzo Hudson (Virginia Tech), Chris Singleton (Florida State), Joe Trapani (Boston College) and Soloman Alabi (Florida State) make up the third team.
Thomas has anchored the Duke defense throughout the year and was rewarded with all-defensive team honors. The Scotch Plains, N.J., native leads the team with 12 charges taken and is one of the hardest working defensive players in the country. Thomas’ versatility and toughness has helped give the Blue Devils one of their best defensive clubs since the 1949-50 season. Duke has held 16 opponents to under 60 points in a game, including nine times in league play. The Blue Devils’ 61.8 points per game scoring defense is the lowest since the 1949-50 season and ranks second in the ACC, while their 27.2 percent three-point percentage defense is among the best in the NCAA.
Thomas was joined on the all-defensive team by Florida State's Chris Singleton and Soloman Alabi as well as Booker and Wake Forest's L.D. Williams.
Duke, the top-seed in the 2010 ACC Tournament, will open tournament play on Friday, March 12 at noon at the Greensboro Coliseum. The Blue Devils will face the winner of Thursday’s game between Boston College and Virginia.