If you get a sense there are not many proven scorers returning to the ACC this season, there’s a good reason. There aren’t.
Only a pair of top-10 ACC point producers is back -- No. 2 Grayson Allen of Duke and No. 3 Clemson’s Jaron Blossomgame. The only other player from the top 15 who returns in 2016-17 is Michael Young of Pittsburgh, who ranked 14th last year.
Typical of the times, Blossomgame flirted with going pro rather than return for his senior year. But happily for the Tigers, unlike K.J. McDaniels, who did leave early following the 2014 season, Blossomgame decided to stick around. The Georgian’s presence could give Clemson the extra nudge it needs to make the NCAAs for the first time since 2011.
Duke’s Allen was quick to shrug off the possibility of leaving early following the ’16 season, just as he readily spurned overtures from other schools once the Blue Devils offered him a scholarship.
Even with Allen and Blossomgame around, this is only the second time during the first 17 seasons of this century that the previous year’s top 10 scorers are so skimpily represented. Back in 2003, none of the top 10 were back.
Allen is just the third Blue Devil since the 2001 season to rank as the ACC’s top returning scorer, after Jason Williams in 2002 and J.J. Redick in 2006.
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GETTING TO THE POINTS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Top 15 Back | Rank Previous Year | Top Returnee | Avg/G | Class |
| 2017 | 3 | 2,3,14 | G. Allen, D | 21.6 | Jr. |
| 2016 | 6 | 9,11,12,13,14,15 | X. Rathan-Mayes, FS | 14.9 | So. |
| 2015 | 4 | 3,4,11,15 | O. Hanlan, BC | 18.5 | Jr. |
| 2014 | 6 | 4,5,9,12,14,15 | J. Harris, V | 16.3 | Sr. |
| 2013 | 8 | 4,6,7,9,10,13,14,15 | C.J. Harris, WF | 16.7 | Sr. |
| 2012 | 4 | 7,8,9,12 | T. Zeller, NC | 15.7 | Sr. |
| 2011 | 7 | 1,4,5,7,10,11,15 | M. Delaney, VT | 20.2 | Sr. |
| 2010 | 5 | 6,7,10,12,15 | M. Delaney, VT | 18.1 | Jr. |
| 2009 | 9 | 1,2,4,5,6,7,9,11,12 | T. Hansbrough, NC | 22.6 | Sr. |
| 2008 | 7 | 3,4,6,9,10,14,15 | S. Singletary, V | 19.0 | Sr. |
| 2007 | 8 | 2,5,7,8,9,12.13,14 | T. Hansbrough, NC | 18.9 | So. |
| 2006 | 8 | 1,2,4,7,9,10,11,12 | J.J. Redick, D | 21.8 | Sr. |
| 2005 | 9 | 2,3,5,7,9,10,11,14,15 | Julius Hodge, NS | 20.0 | Sr. |
| 2004 | 9 | 4,6,7,9,10,11,13,14,15 | Julius Hodge, NS | 17.7 | Jr. |
| 2003 | 2 | 12,13 | Josh Howard, WF | 15.9 | Sr. |
| 2002 | 9 | 2,4,6,7,8,10,12,13,15 | Jason Williams, D | 21.3 | Jr. |
| 2001 | 10 | 1,2,3,6,7,9,10,12,13,14 | Will Solomon, C | 20.9 | Jr. |
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