ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, October 29, 1996 TAG: 9610290077
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: GREENSBORO, N. C.
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
For the second straight year, Wake Forest All-American Tim Duncan heads the 1996-97 All-Atlantic Coast Conference preseason squad as voted on by media attending the league's 35th annual Operation Basketball on Sunday. (Complete team in Scoreboard. B4)
Duncan was picked on all 89 ballots and was joined on the first team by one senior, Maryland's Keith Booth, juniors Matt Harpring of Georgia Tech and Greg Buckner of Clemson and North Carolina sophomore Antawn Jamison.
Duncan, Harpring and Jamison were ACC first-team picks following last season, while Booth made the third team.
For the second straight year, Duncan fell one vote shy of being the media's unanimous choice as the preseason player of the year, receiving 88 out of a possible 89 votes. A year ago, Duncan received 82 of a possible 83 votes for player of the year honors.
A two-time all-ACC selection, Duncan is the first returning player of the year since Duke's Danny Ferry in 1989 and 1990.
The 6-foot-10, 248-pound senior needs 28 points, 21 blocked shots and 10 assists to become the first player in NCAA history to have at least 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 blocked shots and 200 assists in his career.
Balloting for ACC preseason rookie of the year had a definite ``Big Apple'' flavor as Georgia Tech's Kevin Morris, a 5-11, 175-pound guard from New York, N.Y., and North Carolina's Ed Cota, a 6-1, 170-pound guard out of Brooklyn, tied with 27 votes apiece.
LENGTH: Short : 37 linesby CNB