ACC Single-Season Scoring Leaders Since 1954

After dropping 39 points on Pittsburgh in a futile attempt to lead Boston College to its second ACC win of the season, Olivier Hanlan is poised to pace the league in scoring. Right now he's at 19.4. If he winds up as the top scorer, it would be only the 10th time in 62 years no ACC player broke the 20-point mark in scoring average, and the first since 2007.

Prior to Tuesday night, the conference's 2015 single-game scoring high was 35 points, registered by Florida State's Xavier Rathan-Mayes at North Carolina and by Syracuse's Rakeem Christmas at home in overtime against Wake Forest. Hanlan's 39 came at Pitt's Petersen Events Center, reputedly one of the college game's tougher venues.

Hanlan hit 10 of 20 shots from the floor at The Pete, 5 of 12 on 3-pointers, and made all 14 free throw attempts. The Panthers tried to guard him man-to-man. They double-teamed him. They resorted to a zone. When Pitt had the ball the player Hanlan was guarding ran as hard as he could as long as he could simply to wear down the 6-4 junior.

Hanlan has improved steadily, and as more than a scorer, despite playing for lousy teams and attracting singular defensive attention. In 2013 he averaged 15.4 points, fifth-best in the ACC, and was voted the league's freshman of the year. As a sophomore he averaged 18.5 points and edged into the conversation for all-conference honors, making the third team.

Now Hanlan leads the ACC in scoring in all contests and in league action. He's tops in the conference in minutes played. He's among the top 10 in assists. He is, in short, quite arguably one of the league's best players. Yet it will be a surprise if Hanlan is chosen first team All-ACC, an honor that so far has eluded a single No.1 scorer during this century - Maryland's Terrell Stoglin in 2012.