ACC media picks NC State as favorite
CHARLOTTE - The coronation of the NC State men's basketball team became complete Wednesday at ACC Operation Basketball.
NC State was named the preseason ACC favorite by both the coaches and media, with the latter giving the Wolfpack 26 first-place votes and 601 points. Both entities also selected NC State junior power forward C.J. Leslie as the preseason ACC player of the year, and freshman shooting guard Rodney Purvis was named preseason league rookie of the year.
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NC State second-year coach Mark Gottfried is proud of the achievements for his players, especially with the improvements Leslie has made during his career. He also knows that the hype can be fleeting, and is more concerned with how NC State finishes rather than starting.
Gottfried touched on a variety of subjects, from who might start on the wing, how recruiting perceptions have changed and the ACC becoming a super conference with the future additions of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Notre Dame.
Click below to listen to Gottfried, and come back for future stories and video:
1. NC State (26), 601
2. Duke (21), 589
3. North Carolina, 520
4. Florida State (6), 484
5. Miami, 436
6. Maryland, 341
7. Virginia, 287
8. Clemson, 277
9. Georgia Tech, 189
10. Virginia Tech, 169
11. Wake Forest, 151
12. Boston College, 90
53 ballots were placed
Preseason first team all-ACC: NC State's C.J. Leslie and FSU's Michael Snaer got 50 points, UNC's James Michael McAdoo has 41, and NC State's Lorenzo Brown 40 and Duke's Mason Plumlee had 39.
ACC preseason player of the year: C.J. Leslie, NC State
ACC rookie of the year: Rodney Purvis, NC State