Wednesday, March 11, 2009
ACC writers give Lawson top honor
The UNC guard edges out the 'Noles' Toney Douglas.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- No one has been able to keep up with Ty Lawson all year, not even in the race to be considered the Atlantic Coast Conference's top player.
The speedy junior was named the ACC player of the year Tuesday after guiding top-ranked North Carolina to the league's regular-season championship despite an 0-2 start in the league. Lawson earned 31 of 76 votes from Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association members, becoming the first point guard to win the award since Tar Heel legend Phil Ford in 1978.
Florida State's Toney Douglas finished second with 27 votes. Reigning league and national player of the year Tyler Hansbrough was third with 13 votes.
Hansbrough was the unanimous preseason choice to win the award and led the ACC in scoring for a second straight season. But by the end of the year, Lawson had emerged as the Tar Heels' most valuable and irreplaceable player with a series of dominating late-game performances -- most notably in a pair of wins against Duke.
"I don't mind being overshadowed because Tyler is a great player," Lawson said. "He just does everything for this team. But to come out and have everybody know how well I've been playing, it just makes you feel good with all the hard work I've done."
It was the 13th time a North Carolina player has won the award, which is tied with Duke for most in league history. It also marked the first time the program had won the award in consecutive seasons since Larry Miller in 1967 and '68.
Lawson -- who declared for the NBA draft last year before returning to school -- has always had the speed to blow by any defender while directing coach Roy Williams' fast-paced offense. But this year, Lawson has had an all-around game that made him almost impossible to stop.
The only question right now is his health. He played through an injury to his right big toe in Sunday's win against Duke. On Tuesday, Williams said Lawson's toe was badly swollen, making it unclear whether he'll be at full speed or unable to play at this week's ACC Tournament in Atlanta.
Explaining his value to UNC can be as simple as this: his two worst performances of the season coincided with the Tar Heels' 0-2 league start.
"He's had a big-time year," Williams said. "If you throw out those first two games, his stats are just really off-the-charts impressive."
He ranked among the league leaders in scoring (15.9 points), steals (2.0) and field-goal percentage (53.8 percent) while ranking first in assists at 6.5 per game. He's also shooting nearly 47 percent from 3-point range. All are career highs.
"He's been a leader for us," senior Danny Green said. "He's what makes us go. We go as far as he goes, and the games that he's struggled, we've struggled. But he's done a great job and that's why I think our team is doing so well."
