The Hardware Store (ACC and Big East Edition)

I've been meaning to do this since the regular season ended on Sunday, but better late than never. Here are my postseason awards for the Big East and ACC:

ACC

All-Conference Team:

• Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
• Gerald Henderson, Duke
• Ty Lawson, North Carolina (Player of the Year)
• Jack McClinton, Miami
• Jeff Teague, Wake Forest

Newcomer of the Year: Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest
Coach of the Year: Al Skinner, Boston College

Big East

All-Conference Team:

• Dejuan Blair, Pittsburgh (Player of the Year)
• Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
• Jerel McNeal, Marquette
• Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
• Terrence Williams, Louisville

Newcomer of the Year: Greg Monroe, Georgetown
Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova

Notes:

1. Tyler Hansbrough, though somewhat overrated (or maybe just overexposed), is a very good player. But Ty Lawson is more efficient, more versatile, and more valuable to his team. Rest him up, Roy, you'll need him.


2. Yes, Florida State outperformed expectations. But expectations were so low because they've horribly underachieved relative to their talent level for years. Leonard Hamilton shouldn't win coach of the year just because he didn't waste this team's talent like he usually does. Al Skinner gets the nod, narrowly over Gary Williams.


3. Blair, McNeal, and Williams are three of my favorite players in college basketball. Williams is the quintessential, do-everything stat-sheet stuffer, McNeal is a go-to guy on both ends of the court, and Blair's offensive efficiency and rebounding dominance are a thing to behold for a guy who measures 6-7. I haven't always been a Big East proponent, but I am this year.


4. The Hasheem Hype bothers me just a little. He's offensively so-so, and the reason UConn is a top team is because they are strong at all positions. By comparison, Thabeet's teammates (especially Price and Adrien) don't get as much recognition as they deserve. But on the merits, you can't ignore the way he changes the game defensively.