I'm going to open this article with a disclaimer: the names that follow aren't complete busts as fantasy draft picks, and they certainly aren't bad players. We also have two-thirds of the season remaining, so the word "disappointment" being heaped upon the unfortunate few have ample time to right their ship. And to be honest, I struggled to find enough names for this column. The ACC, and its membership as a whole, have been disappointing. But from a player standpoint, both real and from a fantasy angle, we're seeing virtually what we expected. Very few breakout stars, very few collosal failures, and a virtual status quo start to the year.
Durand Scott, guard, Miami Hurricanes
Scott is probably the easiest to include on this list, as he simply can't throw it in the ocean right now. Though he's never been a terrific shooter, the junior came in to the season making 44% of his shots. Through nine games, Scott is struggling to keep his shooting above 30% (he's at 30.2% presently), and his poor accuracy has caused his scoring to decrease from 13.6 to 11.9. His free throw percentage is also down 7.1%. He is rebounding at a career rate, and his five boards nightly are terrific from a guard. Scott simply has no confidence in his shot right now.
C.J. Leslie, forward, North Carolina State Wolfpack
In August 2010, Leslie was considered a "one-and-done" type of player for the Wolfpack. To say he isn't ready for the League now is an understatement. The biggest reason for Leslie's lack of growth is a lack of minutes. Two seasons, two different coaches, and yet Leslie can't seem to find a way to play 30 minutes nightly. To date, his scoring is up 1.8 points to 12.8, but his rebounding as dropped off slightly over one per game, down to six boards. Defensively, his stats are up (2.2 blocks, 1.5 steals compared to 1.3 and 0.6 respectively as a freshman,) which would lead you to think it's not an effort issue with regards to his playing time. Short of saying Leslie may have been overrated, or over hyped, I'm out of ideas as to why he isn't a star. If you have some thoughts, let me know!
Dorenzo Hudson, guard, Virginia Tech Hokies
Hudson's averages (10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists) are nearly identical to what he put up a season ago, so why is he on this list? For starters, most of us assumed he would step in for the departed Malcolm Delaney as the Hokies' go-to scorer. Even if you accept that he is better suited to play a complementary role, you have to be disheartened by Hudson's play. His scoring is aided by a 31-point outburst against Florida International. Hudson sandwiched that outing with another 31 points in two games against Syracuse and Monmouth, but he has just 46 points in the team's other seven games, not hitting double-figures in any. When a scorer isn't scoring, he's not going to be useful in fantasy circles. Hudson's slump shows no signs of ending, and he can safely be released across the board.
Tyler Zeller, forward/center, North Carolina Tar Heels
Woah! Stop the presses. Yes, I'm including a Tar Heel on this list, and one that has been pretty hot in recent outings. Zeller has certainly been more than serviceable in fantasy circles, especially where he's center eligible, but he's also not producing like a steady, consistent player that you likely drafted. While forwards Harrison Barnes and John Henson have increased their scoring totals, it appears to be coming at Zeller's expense, as the 7-foot senior is scoring just 13.7 points each night, down from 15.7 a year ago. Critical UNC fans will point to Zeller's "soft" play as the reason for their distain. I'm not going to call him soft, but he is being somewhat careless with the ball; both taking dribbles in the paint as well as not securing entry passes. Last season saw Zeller put up 25.8 points in four NCAA Tournament games. There are enough balls to go around in Chapel Hill, and Zeller needs to find that assertiveness that made him a star last March and likely first round fantasy pick this October.
Milton Jennings, forward, Clemson Tigers
Jennings is another example of a top-ranked recruit who shows zero connsistency. Jennings had a stretch last season where he scored in double-figures in four straight, only to follow it up with eight consecutive single-digit performances. He closed the 2010-11 campaign by hitting for double-digits in six of the Tigers' final ten games, but failed to score in two of the remaining for contests. Fast forward to this season, and the junior hit for at least ten points in four of the first five contests, including three straight. Since then, he's scored a combined 13 points in three games. Jennings looks like the ultimate tease, and it's hard to be optimistic about him ever seizing his opportunity.
Andre Dawkins, guard, Duke Blue Devils
C'mon, you had to know I'd put a Dukie in this article, especially after singling out Tyler Zeller. Dawkins, and nearly all Blue Devils without the last name of Plumlee, are contributing one thing for fantasy owners; points. Here are Dawkins scoring totals this season: 6-4-26-5-10-14-6-0-15-17. There is little room on rosters for a player that is impossible to predict.
Carson Desrosiers, center, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
While I didn't expect miracles from the 7-footer, Desrosiers has squandered the bulk of his opportunity while teammate Ty Walker was suspended. Desrosiers is playing a respectible 26 minutes per game, up over seven from a season ago. But he's got one double-double to show for it, a second game with double-digit rebounds, and not much else. He's averaging 6.1 points and 5.1 boards, up from four points and 3.2 rebounds from a season ago. In a word - boring; and now Walker is back from suspension, who will have to cut in to Desrosiers' minutes.
Kenny Kadji, center, Miami Hurricanes
I'm stealing my own content for next week, when we will take an early look at big men. But Kadji is another large body who is throwing away the opportunity in front of him. Reggie Johnson figures to be about a month away from returning, and Kadji's value will drop significantly upon his return. And Kadji has been decent in his last two games, at least from a scoring perspective. But if you watch the 'Canes play, you can see that Kadji isn't overly assertive, bordering on soft. His upside is clearly that of a serviceable big - which translates into Kadji not having much upside at all.
I personally don't think it's fair to single out freshmen as disappointments after just ten games, but if I had to, Maryland Nick Faust, Boston College's Patrick Heckmann and North Carolina's James Michael McAdoo would top that list. And finally, a 7-3 Florida State squad tops my list of disappointing teams. They've beaten nearly everyone they should have, but lost three straight to Harvard, Connecticut and Michigan State, which doesn't bode well for their prospects entering conference play, or getting in to the Big Dance come March, let alone returning to the Elite Eight.