Wake Forest Athletics
Deacs Attend ACC Operation Basketball
10/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@TieDyeNation)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Wake Forest head coach Danny Manning, sophomore guard Bryant Crawford and graduate student Austin Arians spent Wednesday at ACC Operation Basketball, the league's annual preseason media event. The trio spent the day doing interviews and photo shoots with local, regional and national media at both the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and at the ESPNU studios.
The Demon Deacons were selected 13th in the preseason ACC poll of media attending the event. Wake Forest returns three starters from last year's squad, including Crawford, who was selected to the ACC All-Freshman Team. They are joined by four freshman and two transfers, including Arians, who was a standout during his undergraduate career at Milwaukee.
Wake Forest opens the 2016-17 season on Nov. 4 as it hosts Piedmont International in an exhibition contest. The regular season starts a week later, on Nov. 11, as the Demon Deacons host Radford.
ACC Operation Basketball 2016-17 Preseason Poll
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
Team & Points
1. Duke (85) - 1359
2. North Carolina (6) - 1239
3. Virginia - 1125
4. Louisville - 1034
5. Syracuse - 905
6. NC State - 772
7. Notre Dame - 716
8. Florida State - 705
9. Miami - 650
10. Virginia Tech - 645
11. Clemson - 623
12. Pitt - 511
13. Wake Forest - 309
14. Georgia Tech - 199
15. Boston College -- 128
2016-17 Preseason All-ACC Team
(votes in parenthesis)
First Team
Grayson Allen, Duke (87)
Jaron Blossomgame, Clemson (70)
Joel Berry II, North Carolina (45)
London Perrantes, Virginia (36)
Dennis Smith, Jr., NC State (34)
Second Team
Justin Jackson, North Carolina (22)
Jayson Tatum, Duke (21)
Tyler Lydon, Syracuse (20)
Dwayne Bacon, Florida State (16)
Michael Young, Pitt (14)
ACC Preseason Player of the Year
Grayson Allen, Duke (70)
Jaron Blossomgame, Clemson (7)
London Perrantes, Virginia (5)
Joel Berry II, North Carolina (5)
Dennis Smith, Jr., NC State (2)
Andrew White, Syracuse (1)
Davon Reed, Miami (1)
ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year
Dennis Smith, Jr., NC State (51)
Jayson Tatum, Duke (20)
Harry Giles, Duke (10)
Tyus Battle, Syracuse (5)
VJ King, Louisville (2)
Jonathan Isaac, Florida State (2)
Josh Okogie, Georgia Tech (1)
