Last time we checked in on the ACC, we took a look at the sophomore guards and how their careers are progressing. There isn't much need for an intro here; it's simply time to break down the second year forwards.
And thanks to a little layoff in this column, the number of players to report on had dropped by one. Noel Johnson has decided to transfer from Clemson. Another one bites the dust, and we move on.
Superstar
Jordan Williams, Maryland - My fantasy man crush on this man child hasn't been a secret. But the statistics and the growth in year two cannot be understated. Williams is averaging 18.5 points and 11.9 rebounds; good for third and first in the conference. He's also hitting a conference best 58.8% from the floor. You can nitpick here, and ask for more blocked shots (1.0 bpg) or better free throw percentage (54.3%), but honestly, if Williams did any more, it'd be unfair. His only conference game to date was a 27-point, 13-rebound performance against Boston College. He also played 38 minutes. We can expect much the same as league play comes full circle in the coming weeks. We can also expect much the same gloating ink from this author. Williams is a beast.
Budding
Mason Plumlee, Duke - I felt a lot better about placing Plumlee here two weeks ago, but the bottom line is he is better now than he was a season ago. Overall, the numbers have more than doubled (8.3 points, 7.7 rebounds compared to 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds as a rookie) while playing roughly ten minutes more. There is the good news, and it was news the Blue Devils needed after the departures of Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas. Here's the bad news. In the four games Plumlee has played without super frosh point guard Kyrie Irving, the numbers are an eerily similar 3.8 points and six rebounds in just 20 minutes of burn. All this low lighted by a season-worst 11 minutes against St. Louis. Irving's return is no closer to happening, and this could pose big problems for Plumlee and the Blue Devils alike. Keep an eye on this trend.
John Henson, North Carolina - I won't sit here and argue Henson's game being a thing of beauty; heck, I've seen the kid airball consecutive free throws. But his confidence and production are up tremendously and the lanky Henson is averaging a near double-double with 10.5 points and 9.7 boards. He's also second in the ACC with 2.5 blocks per game, and is only playing a meager 23.7 minutes a contest. It's painfully obvious the potential Henson possesses, and it's equally as painful to realize how far away from that potential Henson still is. If he ever figures out how to score anything other than garbage points, look out.
Ari Stewart, Wake Forest - Stewart has been a victim of Wake's dismal start to the season, and the reasonable success of freshmen Travis McKie and J.T. Terrell. As a result, you'll probably be as surprised as I was to see Stewart has scored in double-figures in ten of the Deacs 11 contests this year, putting him third on the team in scoring with 12.8 points. He's grabbing 6.8 boards, good for second on the team, and is making the most of his nearly 30 minutes each night. Having said that, Wake just lost to Presbyterian as I write...so maybe the increased production is a cancer? Who knows, but Stewart figures to be a mainstay in the rotation as they rebuild in Winston-Salem, and his better days should still be on the horizon.
Status Quo
Richard Howell, North Carolina State - One could easily say that Howell deserves better than a "status quo" ranking here. After all, his scoring is up 3.0 points and his rebounding up 1.5 boards in just three extra minutes of action. Pretty good right? Even better when you realize how many minutes the 'Packs fabulous three freshmen are taking up of the nightly 200. But Howell's burn has been equally impacted by Tracy Smith's knee surgery and slow return as he has been by the new blood on campus. The potential is clearly there, and I think Howell's in line to blow up...just not until his junior season. Smith will graduate, and C.J. Leslie is probably one and done. Howell is up to a tight end sized 261 pounds, and while he is a few inches shorter than Jordan Williams, he's got the bulk to be an unstoppable force on the low blocks.
Kammeon Holsey, Georgia Tech - Holsey is getting a free pass from this author here. He redshirted during his first year at Georgia Tech after shredding his knee, but given the lack of big bodies on the Jackets roster, I certainly expected a stronger showing from Holsey in his first year of action. So, with no previous body of work for comparison, I'll withhold disappointment until next season. That said, 3.3 points and 2.9 boards aint getting it done. Good thing classmates Glen Rice (mentioned in Volume I of the Sophomore review) and Brian Oliver (12.7 points, 5.4 boards, but not included in this article because he didn't make the final Rivals Top 100).
Devin Booker, Clemson - The lowest ranked member of the Top 100, Booker came to Clemson as the 96th ranked prospect, and is a victim of his brother Trevor's success. The younger Booker's numbers have doubled along with his playing time, and he is giving the Tigers 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in 22.5 minutes. But he's only blocked three shot all season, and again, is just playing in his brother's shadow. The elder Booker averaged double figures in all four years at Clemson, and blocked 1.9 shots to boot. Baby bro has some growing to do.
Sputtering
Ryan Kelly, Duke - This may not be entirely fair, because anyone who follows recruiting knows Kelly made a meteoric rise through the rankings the summer before his senior year of high school. It finished with him as the 20th ranked prospect according to Rivals, ahead of the likes of Kentucky one-and-dones Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton, and Villanova's Maalik Wayns. How's that ranking looking now? Kelly opened the year in the starting lineup, but struggled to find his role in an offense that has lots of other initiators. I haven't been bashful in saying that Kelly plays better with the ball in his hands, and that simply isn't an option with so much other talent in Durham. Interestingly, his minutes are up while coming off the bench recently, and Kelly's outing last night against Elon produced his first double-digit scoring performance of his career. Duke's roster also claims Kelly has gained 30 pounds since enrolling in college. It's certainly not time to right Kelly off as a dynasty league option. He's got skill, but is short on opportunity. And until that knocks, his 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds aren't good enough for someone ranked as high as he was.
Milton Jennings, Clemson - Jennings was the last five star recruit of 2009, checking in at 25th nationally. His numbers are better than Kelly's, but I argue that despite the lower ranking and better numbers, Jennings has been more of a bust to date. He is playing on a team that needs him to be a superstar, and he is still struggling to be more than a role player. 8.3 points and 5.5 rebounds simply aren't what McDonald's All American's are supposed to contribute, especially a year after arriving on campus. Jennings biggest issue is his shooting. He's hitting just 37.5% on the year, identical to last season's rate, and has hit just five of his last 27 shots. All you can say here is ouch, and pray the light bulb goes off soon.
So there you have it. Two articles, 18 top recruits who are still playing collegiately. Next up, we'll look past Rivals Top 100 rankings from 2009, and touch on a handful of lesser heralded folks who are starting to blossom as sophomores in the ACC. Until then, Merry Christmas!