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UNC Basketball: Garrison Brooks named ACC Preseason Player of the Year

By Zack Pearson

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 25: Garrison Brooks #15 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a play against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during their game at Dean Smith Center on January 25, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 25: Garrison Brooks #15 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a play against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during their game at Dean Smith Center on January 25, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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UNC Basketball standout Garrison Brooks has been named the 2020-21 ACC Preseason Player of the Year on Wednesday afternoon

With just two more weeks until the start of the UNC Basketball season, more preseason accolades are starting to roll out. Last week we saw a few different North Carolina players earn some honors by being named to various watch lists ahead of the year. 

Now, a week later their best returning player is being recognized among the best players in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The ACC released their annual preseason predictions for the 2020-21 college basketball season including their preseason team, player of the year, freshman of the year and much more. For the Tar Heels, they were picked to finish fourth behind Virginia, Duke and Florida State, which is an improvement from last season.

But senior Garrison Brooks was the real winner in the predictions. The forward was named the 2020-21 ACC Preseason Player of the Year for the conference and it wasn’t even close.

Brooks received 102 votes to lead the way with the next closest player being Virginia’s Sam Hauser with 24 votes. M.J. Walker (Florida State), Wendell Moore (Duke), Aamir Simms (Syracuse), Matthew Hurt (Duke), Chris Lykes (Miami), and Kihei Clark (Virginia) also received votes.

Brooks has developed into a fantastic player for the Tar Heels after originally committing to Mississippi State as a four-star prospect. He flipped his commitment shortly after, joining the Tar Heels 2017 class. Since then, Brooks has elevated his game each season and had a breakout year last season for the Tar Heels.

The forward averaged  16.8 points per game and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game last season for the Tar Heels. In conference play, Brooks was the ACC’s top scorer at 18.8 points per game and was second in rebounds with 9 per game.

If Brooks can continue to improve and have a season like he did a year ago, he’s set to be one of the best players in the country and help UNC turn things around.

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