RALEIGH — The three front-runners for ACC rookie of the year took the floor Wednesday at the RBC Center, sharing the court in one of their last opportunities before the votes are sent.
Harrison Barnes used the final minutes of the game to state his case.
With back-to-back follow-up slams and a 3-pointer that all but put the game away, Barnes gave voters a few more reasons why they should choose him rather than teammate Kendall Marshall or N.C. State’s C.J. Leslie.
In fact, Barnes, who finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, has hit the go-ahead or game- winning shot on four previous occasions. His recent play made Marshall give his vote to Barnes as rookie of the year.
“I’d probably have to go with Harrison,” Marshall said. “He’s fought through a lot of publicity maybe he didn’t want or deserve or maybe he did deserve it and people got down on him. But he fought through it and played hard. He’s leading us right now.”
But something must be said about Marshall, whose entrance in the starting lineup aligns with Barnes’ top-three scoring performances.
He trails only probable ACC player of the year Nolan Smith in assists and assist-error ratio for the conference, two categories that define a point guard.
Marshall scored UNC’s first four points as N.C. State denied Marshall assists by collapsing John Henson and Tyler Zeller in the paint.
Leslie stuck to Henson for much of the game. But the freshman, who scored 13 points and eight boards, was denied on multiple occasions by both Henson and Zeller and had to pass the ball to the perimeter.
