As we end into the final week of the regular season and fantasy leagues wind down, it's time to take a look back at the entire season in both the ACC and Big East. Both conferences had surprising players, disappointing players and players who were consistent enough throughout the year to garner Fantasy Player of the Year honors in their respective conferences. A month ago, we looked at some of the midseason conference award winners, but these awards will take into account the entire year. A few consecutive poor games here and there, and a player's quest for Player of the Year honors could disappear. Note: This is the final ACC/Big East Roundup of the season; next week, we will have conference tournament previews. It's been a pleasure covering these two leagues, and I hope my insights helped everyone.
ACC Fantasy Player of the Year
Greivis Vasquez, G, Maryland Terrapins
There were plenty of candidates for this honor in the ACC, as the conference has a host of standout performers throughout the season. However, it's impossible to go against Vasquez with the way he played down the stretch of the season. Over the final eight games of the season, Vasquez averaged 24.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists, including five games with at least 23 points, four games with at least seven rebounds and four games with at least seven assists. He shook off a season-opening four-game stretch when he didn't score in double-figures to put up at least 10 points in every game for the rest of the season. The preseason No. 1 pick in the ACC certainly lived up to his billing.
ACC Fantasy Surprise of the Year
Tracy Smith, F, North Carolina State Wolfpack
A season ago, Smith was a serviceable forward who made the most of his minutes by averaging 10 points and 4.5 boards. However, if you looked closer at his stats from last year, you might have been able to see Smith's huge season before it happened. He only averaged 18.2 minutes last season, meaning that his increase to 33.2 minutes this season predicted his boost his production. He averaged 17.1 points and 7.9 rebounds this season, having only two games with single-digit scoring outputs. Smith had six double-doubles and 11 separate outings of at least 20 points. Even though he was one of only a few options for NC State, he still produced every night.
ACC Fantasy Disappointment of the Year
John Henson, F, North Carolina Tar Heels
This one came down to Iman Shumpert and Henson. The difference was that Shumpert was actually useful at times, averaging 17.0 points/rebounds/assists. On the other hand, Henson, a top-10 recruit with plenty of hype heading into the season, was a complete waste for 80% of the season. Henson scored in double-figures just five times all season, grabbing at least seven rebounds only six times. Sure, he stepped it up once Ed Davis was hurt, averaging 10.4 points and 8.4 rebounds. Unfortunately, he was not owned by anyone remotely paying attention to his or her team by the time he decided to show up. Keep him in mind for next year, but this year was a lost cause.
Big East Fantasy Player of the Year
Dominique Jones, G, South Florida Bulls
Wait, what, not Luke Harangody? Sorry, I know his 24.1 points and 10.0 rebounds are the best numbers in the conference, but his injury and subsequent four-game absence at the most important time for fantasy owners cost him the honor. That, and Jones had some stretches where he was absolutely outstanding. In December, he had a three-game span where he put up 74 points - a precursor for one of the best nine-game stretches we have seen in awhile. From January 5 to February 3, Jones averaged 29.4 points, scoring at least 20 points in each game and dropping at least 26 seven times. He also averaged 20.2 points and 6.0 rebounds in the last five games, proving his consistency.
Big East Fantasy Surprise of the Year
Jamine Peterson, F, Providence Friars
With all of the young studs in the Big East this season, this was a tough decision. Ashton Gibbs, Tim Abromaitis, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Jones, Gus Gilchrist, the list goes on. However, when it came down to the final decision, it's tough to turn down a player like Peterson, who averages nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds after sitting out last season and averaging just 4.7 points two seasons ago. The 6-6 inside-outside forward put up 14 double-doubles this season and scored at least 20 points on 15 occasions. In the last 10 games, he averaged 23.2 points and 9.6 boards. He's going to be an early-round pick next year.
Big East Fantasy Disappointment of the Year
Robert Mitchell, G/F, Seton Hall Pirates
St. John's put up two solid candidates for this honor in Sean Evans and Paris Horne, but Stix Mitchell took the cake with his production falling off by 10.8 points/rebounds/assists per game. After averaging 14.7 points and 8.0 rebounds last season, Mitchell's minutes decreased by 14.3 per game and his production going down accordingly. He started off the season well, averaging 13.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 29.5 minutes. However, since then, Mitchell has scored in double-figures only five times and was shut out on three occasions. Furthermore, he played only 18.5 minutes in his last 19 games. With the unpredictability of the Seton Hall rotation, you can throw Keon Lawrence and John Garcia into this category too.