ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, March 12, 1997 TAG: 9703120077
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RALEIGH, N.C.>
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wake Forest center Tim Duncan is the league's player of the year for the second straight season.
Tim Duncan may need a U-Haul to cart off all his postseason honors.
One day after being named to The Associated Press All-American first team for a second straight season, the 6-foot-10 Wake Forest center was named player of the year in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the second consecutive year.
The senior is also an overwhelming favorite to win all national player of the year honors handed out by various organizations.
Duncan, from the Virgin Islands, received 119 of a possible 121 votes cast by the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association. Maryland's third-team All-American Keith Booth picked up the remaining two votes.
Duncan becomes just the eighth player to be named ACC player of the year two or more times. He joins Dickie Hemric and Len Chappell of Wake Forest, Larry Miller of North Carolina, David Thompson of N.C. State, Ralph Sampson of Virginia, Len Bias of Maryland and Danny Ferry of Duke. Thompson and Sampson are the only two players in the league's 44 years to win the award three straight years.
Wake Forest is 96-30 in Duncan's career heading into the NCAA tournament this week, making him the winningest player in Demon Deacon history. He has also won two ACC titles and has led Wake Forest to the postseason in each of his four seasons.
The ACC's all-time shot-blocker has recorded 84 double-doubles in 126 career games, including 27 this season. Duncan matched his career-high point total with 33 in a semifinal loss to North Carolina in last week's ACC tournament, and he recorded 20 or more rebounds in three games this season, including 23 at Virginia on Feb.22.
Also last week, Duncan became the No. 1 all-time rebounder in ACC tournament history and the No. 2 scorer.
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines KEYWORDS: BASKETBALLby CNB