CORAL GABLES, Fla. – For the second time in program history, a member of the University of Miami men’s basketball team is the ACC Player of the Year, as Isaiah Wong claimed the award Monday night.
Wong joins 2012-13 honoree Shane Larkin in program record books. He also received First Team All-ACC distinction, becoming the second Hurricane, alongside Jack McClinton, to earn three postseason All-ACC honors.
In addition, Jordan Miller claimed Second Team All-ACC plaudits, and Norchad Omier garnered Third Team All-ACC accolades. This is the third time three Hurricanes have earned first-, second- or third-team status in the same year, including just the third time in the ACC era, alongside 2015-16, 2012-13, and 2001-02 (BIG EAST).
“I am so proud of all three of our All-ACC honorees. Isaiah, Jordan, and Norchad have all had amazing impacts on the court and in the locker room,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said. “They are tremendous basketball players who helped lead us to a share of the ACC regular season title, as well as fantastic representatives of both our program and our University.
“I want to especially commend Isaiah on winning ACC Player of the Year, an award he most certainly deserves. He is one of the hardest-working players I have ever coached and I am overjoyed for him to receive this recognition.”
A fourth-year junior guard, Wong received 30 votes for ACC Player of the Year, seven more than second-place Tyree Appleby of Wake Forest. His 337 points in All-ACC balloting also led all players, putting him 13 above second-place Armando Bacot of North Carolina. Wong, Larkin, and James (1998-99) are the only Hurricanes to win conference player of the year in any league, with James doing so in the BIG EAST.
The Piscataway, N.J., native is the fourth First Team All-ACC designee in program history, joining Kameron McGusty, McClinton (2007-08 and 2008-09), and Larkin (2012-13). He is the sixth Hurricane, regardless of league, to earn first-team status, as Tim James (1997-98 and 1998-99) and Johnny Hemsley (1998-99) did so when Miami was in the BIG EAST. Additionally, Wong, McClinton (2007-09), James (1997-99), and Darius Rice (2002-04) are the only three-time all-league honorees in any conference in program history, with the latter two doing so in the BIG EAST.
The 6-foot-4, 184-pounder is averaging team highs in points (15.9), assists (3.4), and steals (1.4) per game. He is also third on the team in rebounding (4.4), while shooting 44.2 percent from the floor, 38.1 percent beyond the arc, and 82.9 percent at the line.
Wong owns the highest single-game point total in the league this year (36 vs. Cornell on 12/7/22) and is a two-time ACC Player of the Week. He ranks sixth in the ACC in made free throws (121), eighth in steals per game and free-throw percentage, co-eighth in 20-point games (nine), No. 11 in points per game, No. 13 in field-goal percentage and No. 14 in assists per game.
A fifth-year senior guard, Miller is just the eighth Hurricane to receive first- or second-team All-ACC status, joining Wong, McClinton, Larkin, McGusty, Sheldon McClellan (2015-16), Kenny Kadji (2012-13) and Guillermo Diaz (2005-06 and 2004-05). Only four others—James, Rice, Johnny Hemsley (1998-99 and 1999-200), and John Salmons (2000-01)—did so in the BIG EAST era. Miller finished ninth in All-ACC balloting with 148 points.
Hailing from Middleburg, Va., Miller is averaging 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, all second-best on the team, in a Miami-high 34.5 minutes per outing. He is shooting 54.0 percent overall, second-best among Hurricanes, as well as 35.4 percent on 3-pointers and 80.0 percent from the stripe. He owns two double-doubles, four 20-point showings, and a co-team-high 27 double-digit scoring performances, including 24 in a row, this season.
The 6-foot-7, 195-pound guard is sixth in the ACC in field-goal percentage, ninth in offensive rebounds per game (2.1), co-No. 10 in steals per game, No. 11 in minutes per game, No. 13 in rebounds per game, No. 14 in free-throw percentage and No. 17 in points per game.
A third-year sophomore forward, Omier is the third player to claim first-, second- or third-team All-ACC honors in his first season on the floor as a Hurricane, alongside McClinton (2006-07) and Kadji (2011-12). He garnered 131 points in the All-ACC balloting, good for the most among third-team selections and just one shy of a second-team spot.
Omier, who leads Miami with 13 double-doubles this year, is averaging 14.1 points per game to go along with team highs in rebounds (10.0) and blocks (1.3) per contest. He is also pacing the Hurricanes with a 59.0 percent clip from the field while adding 1.3 assists per game, 1.0 steal per game, and a 71.2 free-throw percentage to his ledger.
The Bluefields, Nicaragua, native is second in the ACC in field-goal percentage and offensive rebounds per game (3.7), third in rebounds per game, co-third in double-digit rebounding outings (15), co-fourth in double-doubles and fifth in both blocks per game and defensive rebounds per game (6.3). In addition, Omier is top-30 nationally in offensive rebounds per game (sixth), rebounds per game (No. 12), double-doubles (No.19), and field-goal percentage (No. 26).
Along with the honors Miami won, several others received votes for individual awards. Larrañaga placed second in ACC Coach of the Year balloting with eight nods, while Miller tied for second ACC Most Improved Player with 14 votes. Sophomore guard Wooga Poplar tied for fifth in ACC Most Improved Player with three votes, sophomore guard Bensley Joseph placed fifth in ACC Sixth Man of the Year balloting with three votes and Omier finished eighth in ACC Defensive Player of the Year with one vote.
Top-seeded Miami (24-6, 15-5 ACC), ranked No. 14/13 nationally, opens ACC Tournament competition Thursday at noon in the quarterfinals against either eighth-seeded Syracuse or ninth-seeded Wake Forest, live on ESPN or ESPN2 from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.
Courtesy of Alex Schwartz of Miami Athletics
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