CBB: Harrison Barnes and the Top 5 Candidates for ACC Player of the Year

The ACC is one of college basketball's top conferences, and these are the top five players who could win the ACC Player of the Year Award.

Nolan Smith won the award last season, giving the Duke Blue Devils a record 14 ACC Player of the Year Awards. The Blue Devils are being chased by North Carolina, with 13. Both teams have players trying to win the award this year.

But they are not the only schools who have had success. Wake Forest University also has 10 awards, while three schools (Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech) are all looking for their first.

The ACC Player of the Year award was first handed out after the 1953-54 season, and the award has been given to some of the best basketball players ever, including Tim Duncan, Elton Brand and Michael Jordan.

Only 11 players have ever won the award twice, and Ralph Sampson of Virginia won it three times in a row, along with three National Player of the Year awards during those three seasons.

These five players all have a chance to win the ACC Player of the Year award this season and join the prestigious group of players who have won it.

Tyler Zeller, North Carolina

Tyler Zeller is a forward for the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Tar Heels have several NBA-ready players, and Zeller is one of them. This being his senior year, Zeller will be asked to step up.

Last season, Zeller led the team in scoring with 15.7 points per game, and he also averaged 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. He only played 28.1 minutes per game last season, and while playing time will be scarce at UNC this season, he should still get his fair share.

This 7'0" 250-pound man of a player has a chance to be the best in the ACC this season. If he can become more assertive he will be one of the best players in the nation, and will have a chance at winning the National Player of the Year award too.

Malcolm Grant, Miami

It's nice to see Miami in the news for something other than the possibility of their football team getting the death-penalty. Malcolm Grant is a senior for the Miami Hurricanes, and he is poised to take control of the team.

Grant led the team in scoring and assists with 14.6 points and 3.2 assists per game last season. Grant also led the entire ACC in three-point field-goal percentage (42.3), three-point field goals per game (6.2) and free-throw percentage (85.3).

Grant had a nice season last year, and he is looking to improve. Grant is going to be the star of this Miami team, and a player of his caliber thrown into that role is bound to put up some big numbers.

The team hopes that those numbers are big enough for wins, while fans hope that they are good enough to steal the ACC Player of the Year award from the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils.

C.J. Leslie, North Carolina State

C.J. Leslie is a sophomore for the North Carolina State Wolfpack who could have gone to the NBA after his freshman season last year.

Leslie was second on the team in scoring with 11.0 points per game, and led the team in rebounding with 7.2 boards per game.

With leading scorer Tracy Smith graduating, the team will look to Leslie to lead them in scoring, and help make up for most of Smith's 14.0 points per game.

Leslie is going to be a great player who will probably be playing his final season in college basketball, and he will be the leader of this Wolfpack team. Leslie has a lot of potential, and he could surprise us by winning the ACC Player of the Year award.

Austin Rivers, Duke

Austin Rivers is the freshman sensation for the Duke Blue Devils. The No. 1 recruit in the 2011 class, Rivers is supposed to be one of the best players in the nation and then go to the NBA.

Rivers is going to be the leader of the Blue Devils, seeing as Kyrie Irving, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler all went to the NBA, and the only senior on the team in Miles Plumlee.

Rivers has the ability to make clutch shots, has range out to about 30 feet, and has the ability to drive through the lane.

Rivers is an NBA-ready player who Mike Krzyzewski will rely upon, and being the leader for Duke could help him win the ACC Player of the Year award.

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Harrison Barnes is the best player on the best team in college basketball. He is the consensus ACC Player of the Year for the consensus No. 1 team in the nation. Barnes is going to have a shot at winning the National Player of the Year, so it isn't surprising to see him on this list.

Barnes averaged 15.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in his freshman season last year. This talented sophomore would have been a lottery pick in the NBA Draft, but decided to return to college basketball.

Barnes is one of the premier big men in the country with the ability to do it all for the Tar Heels. He is one of the elite players in college basketball this season, and this should be his last year in college.

Barnes is going to have some competition, but it would be surprising to see anyone else win the ACC Player of the Year award.