Player of the Week:
Armaan Franklin, PG/SG, No. 5 Virginia Cavaliers
In a week that began with utter tragedy at the University of Virginia, the Cavaliers dedicated their upcoming tournament to the three football players who lost their lives in a campus shooting. It seemed unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but the Continental Tire Main Event was a turning point for both the Cavaliers and their blossoming star in Franklin (pictured).
The 6-4 senior exploded onto the scene with 26 points and three steals in an upset victory over No. 5 Baylor on Friday night. Tony Bennett is known for his suffocating defensive teams, but Franklin is now averaging 16 points per game on the nation’s fifth most efficient offense, according to KenPom. The Hoos are elite on both ends of the floor and Franklin is the catalyst in both aspects, so keep your eye on his drastic summer progression.
Who’s Hot?
Armando Bacot, PF/C, No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina’s woes continued in week two, but Bacot was able to fend off a pair of upset bids with his interior dominance. The Wooden Award candidate pulled down eight of his 23 rebounds on the offensive glass and scored another 19 points in a win over James Madison.
The Dukes wouldn’t go away in the second half, but Bacot’s strength in the paint was too much to handle, which could be a consistent trend even as the competition gets stiffer for the 6-11 senior.
Reece Beekman, PG, No. 5 Virginia Cavaliers
If Franklin won Virginia its game against Baylor, it was Beekman who delivered to bring home the tournament championship against Illinois. The 6-3 guard did it all over the weekend with a 10-point, 10-assist game against the Bears and a 17-point game against the Illini to lead the Cavs. Beekman looks like the primary shot-creator for Tony Bennett, but any combination of the three-headed backcourt monster should do just fine for the resurgent Hoos in 2022.
Who’s Not?
Dereck Lively, PF/C, No. 8 Duke Blue Devils
While Lively earned his first start of the season against Bellarmine, the five-star freshman continued to struggle in his early career for the Blue Devils. He is yet to score more than five points in his four games this season and is failing to make a noticeable impact despite coming in as ESPN’s top recruit. If Jon Scheyer will compete for a national championship in his first season, he’ll need Lively and the rest of the freshmen to step up more than they have thus far.
Louisville Cardinals
With the exception of El Ellis, everything is going wrong for Kenny Payne and the Cardinals at the start of the 2022 campaign. A trio of one-point losses against weak non-conference foes has the Cardinals heading into the Maui Invitational with an 0-3 record.
As the Invitational’s weakest team, it is more than likely that they leave Maui with an 0-6 record with three straight games against power five opponents on the horizon. In case they aren’t already, things could get ugly in Louisville this season.
Freshman of the Week
Judah Mintz, SG, Syracuse Orange
Jim Boeheim has been doing this a long time – he just won his 1,000th game on Saturday – so he knows he has a special one in his true freshman Judah Mintz. The four-star freshman has started every game in the backcourt and is exceeding the lofty expectations his coach had for him.
Mintz has scored 16 or more points in every game and is the perfect complement to Joseph Girard in the backcourt. Mintz possesses the poise and tight handles that every shooter needs next to them, which makes it no surprise that Girard is enjoying his best shooting season from beyond the arc at 44%. Mintz can be a 2023 NBA Draft sleeper and potentially sneak his way into the first round in one of the upcoming drafts.
Top Five Prospects in the ACC
5. Kyle Filipowski, PF, No. 9 Duke Blue Devils
The most pleasant surprise in an otherwise disappointing start to the season in Durham has been the emergence of Filipowski as a stretch-four. The seven-footer had a frustrating preseason for the Blue Devils, but those struggles are in the rear view mirror as Filipowski currently leads his team in scoring and rebounding and if he continues to show off his range and skills, he could be an intriguing first-round prospect for a contending team that needs to spread the floor.
4. Caleb Love, PG/SG, No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels
There is so much to love, no pun intended, about North Carolina’s standout point guard. Love broke onto the scene in the NCAA Tournament last year and he is picking up where he left off by averaging 18 points per game so far this season. The athletic combo guard plays with a confidence that you just can’t ignore and when his performance matches his confidence, there is no better guard in college basketball.
3. Baba Miller, SF/PF, Florida State Seminoles
A ridiculous NCAA suspension of 16 games is preventing us from seeing the sensational Baba Miller, but upon his return, the Seminoles will be a completely different team. Miller does a ton of things that 6-11 players shouldn’t be able to do, but Leonard Hamilton gets more out of these freakishly tall and athletic wings than anyone.
A second half surge from Miller could see him work his way up into the lottery and even the top-five picks as many Leonard Hamilton freshmen have done before him.
2. Terquavion Smith, PG/SG, NC State Wolfpack
If you haven’t heard of Smith yet, you’re truly missing out on one of college basketball’s most exciting players. He can go from standing still to dunking on your favorite player in the blink of an eye and possesses range that extends well beyond even the NBA 3-point line. The Wolfpack run all of their offense through him and the explosive sophomore guard should rival anyone in the conference for ACC Player of the Year honors as long as the voters pay attention to a scrappy NC State team that could push for an NCAA Tournament spot.
1. Dariq Whitehead, SF, No. 9 Duke Blue Devils
After a setback in August due to a foot fracture, Whitehead made his debut this week, but it wasn’t obvious how exciting of a prospect he is. That will come. The 6’7 wing is an aggressive and powerful athlete with the ability to create shots for himself and others at all three levels. As he gets healthier and accustomed to the offensive sets, look for Whitehead to establish himself as the top freshman in the ACC and push for a lottery selection in the upcoming NBA Draft.