Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant earns first team All-ACC honor
The post-season honors parade for Notre Dame senior guard Jerian Grant has started.
A first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference preseason selection for a second-straight fall, Grant was one of five players named Sunday to the ACC's first team all-league squad as voted on by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA).
Grant is the first Irish player to earn first team All-ACC postseason honors.
Grant and Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor were the only two unanimous selections to the five-man first team. Okafor was the runaway winner for league player of the year. Grant finished second.
Grant leads the ACC in assists at 6.7 per game and in assists-to-turnover ratio (3.23:1). He is fifth in scoring at 16.8 ppg., which leads the No. 12 Irish (26-5, 14-4). The 6-foot-5 guard from Bowie, Md., closed the season with a 19-point, eight-assist, five-rebound effort Saturday in an 81-67 victory over Clemson. He has scored in double-figures in all but three games this season.
Notre Dame captain Pat Connaughton was a third team all-league selection.
The ACC will release results of the coaches' all-league teams Monday afternoon. Grant is certain to earn another firstt-team honor and will challenge Okafor for league player of the year.
In other ACSMA voting, Irish coach Mike Brey finished second to Virignia's Tony Bennett for ACC coach of the year. Sophomore swingman V.J. Beachem finished fourth in voting for the league's sixth man of the year.
All-ACC teams
First team
Jahlil Okafor, Fr., Duke; Jerian Grant, Sr., Notre Dame; Rakeem Christmas, Gr. Syracuse; Malcolm Brogdon, Jr., Virginia; Olivier Hanlan, Jr., Boston College.
Second team
Montrezl Harrell, Jr., Louisville; Quinn Cook, Sr., Duke; Terry Rozier, So., Louisville; Trevor Lacey, Jr., NC State; Justin Anderson, Jr., Virginia.
Third team
Marcus Paige, Jr., North Carolina; Tyus Jones, Fr., Duke; Pat Connaughton, Sr., Notre Dame; Anthony Gill, Jr., Virginia; Brice Johnson, Jr., North Carolina.
Honorable Mention
Jamel Artis, So., Pittsburgh; Tonye Jekiri, Jr., Miami; London Perrantes, So., Virginia; Sheldon McClellan, Jr., Miami; Justise Winslow, Fr., Duke; Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Fr., Florida State; Michael Young, So., Pittsburgh; Angel Rodriguez, Jr., Miami; Codi Miller-McIntyre, Jr., Wake Forest; Kennedy Meeks, So.,North Carolina.
Player of the Year
Jahlil Okafor, Fr., Duke
Freshman of the Year
Jahlil Okafor, Duke
Coach of the Year
Tony Bennett, Virginia
Defensive Player of the Year
Darion Atkins, Sr., Virginia
Most Improved Player
Rakeem Christmas, Sr., Syracuse
Sixth Man of the Year
BeeJay Anya, So., NC State
