ACC Basketball Preview: Top 10 Returning Scorers for 2011-12

Nolan Smith. Malcolm Delaney. Reggie Jackson. Iman Shumpert. Kyle Singler. Jordan Williams. Joe Trapani. Demontez Stitt.

They are eight of the top 10 ACC scorers from just a year ago. And not one of these players returns for 2011-12.

Seldom is there this big of a turnover in the conference.

But hold on before you think that this is a gloom and doom piece, because it is not.

There is still plenty of fire power in the league.

Let's take a quick look at the Top 10 returning scorers in the ACC.  

10. Terrell Stoglin: Maryland

Watch for Terrell Stoglin to have a breakout season in 2011-12.

The shifty guard scored 11.4 PPG last year while playing only 21.5 minutes per outing.

Stoglin shoots a nice percentage (46 percent) from the floor and from the line (82.7).

First-year Terrapin coach Mark Turgeon will look to maximize Stoglin's ability to put the ball in the hole from either the outside or inside.

9. Erick Green: Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech starting point guard Erick Green had an outstanding year in 2010-11 and is poised for another super season in '11-12.

The 6'3" junior went from scoring 2.6 PPG his freshman year to dropping in 11.6 points per night as a sophomore.

Playing with great confidence, Green has all the tools to become one of the top guards in the ACC.

8. John Henson: North Carolina

Tar Heel PF John Henson is known for his shot blocking (118 rejections last year) and rebounding (10.1 RPG).

But Henson (11.6 PPG) can also put the ball in the hole.

In a UNC lineup that has numerous offensive weapons, he creates a lot of his own scoring opportunities by hitting the offensive glass.

7. Reggie Johnson: Miami

Big man Reggie Johnson averaged 11.9 points, a team-high 9.6 rebounds (fourth in ACC) and a team-best 1.3 blocks per game as a sophomore.

Johnson shot 59.1 percent from the field—the third-highest single-season percentage in UM history.

He posted 13 double-doubles last season.

Unfortunately for the Canes, Johnson is expected to be off the court until December/January after tearing the meniscus in his right knee during a pickup game in June.

6. Glen Rice Jr.: Georgia Tech

Glen Rice Jr scores the ball well (12.8 PPG last year) but also distributes like a PG (2.5 APG).

The junior forward is able to score in a variety of ways.

First-year head coach Brian Gregory will like the fact that Rice often puts up numbers in every column of the stat sheet.

5. Travis McKie: Wake Forest

Travis McKie is one of the best-kept secrets in the ACC.

Last year, the 6'7" forward was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and the CollegeInsider.com Freshman All-America Team.  

McKie became the 10th freshman in ACC history to lead his team in both scoring (13 PPG) and rebounding (7.7 RPG).

4. Durand Scott: Miami

Durand Scott is a super-productive guard who averaged 13.6 points, 4.2 boards and 3.1 assists per game last year.

First-year Canes head coach Jim Larranaga will see to it that Scott gets to the line as much as possible. The 6'5" guard connects on 83.7 percent (third in the ACC) of his attempts from the charity stripe. 

3. Malcolm Grant: Miami

Malcolm Grant is the only non-Tar Heel to return to the collegiate ranks who was named to the 15-member All-ACC team from last year.

Grant averaged 14.8 PPG, 3.2 APG and 1.8 RPG in 2010-11.

A definite deep threat, Grant dropped in an ACC-high 2.7 three-pointers per game at a league's best 42.3 percent (19th in the country).

2. Harrison Barnes: North Carolina

Harrison Barnes is one of the top wing players in the country.

The 6'8" sophomore was selected as the 2011 ACC Rookie of the Year, the ninth Tar Heel to earn that honor (along with Sam Perkins, Michael Jordan, J.R. Reid, Ed Cota, Joseph Forte, Marvin Williams, Tyler Hansbrough and Brandan Wright...a nice group to be in!).

Barnes is the 14th player in school history to earn Freshman All-American honors (USBWA and Fox Sports.com).

Barnes also garnered first-team All-ACC Tournament honors, scoring 24.7 PPG and 5.0 RPG.

He averaged 15.7 PPG and 5.5 RPG for his first season in Chapel Hill.

1. Tyler Zeller: North Carolina

There is no more steady player in the ACC than Tyler Zeller.

The Tar Heels 7', 250-lbs center averaged 15.7 points per game and led the ACC in field goal percentage in all games (.547) and ACC games (.580).

Zeller outscored his Tar Heel teammate, Harrison Barnes, by one point last year.

Zeller is a rare big man when it comes to going to the line. He led the Tar Heels in free throws made (161), free throws attempted (211) and free throw percentage (.763).

In fact, Zeller made 19 more free throws than any other UNC player attempted.