March 4, 2018
THE FLATS — Georgia Tech sophomore Josh Okogie was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference third team, and senior center Ben Lammers earned a spot on the ACC’s All-Defensive team for the second straight year in voting announced Sunday by the conference office.
The All-ACC team is selected by a 60-member panel which includes media and all 15 head coaches.
Okogie, a 6-4 guard from Snellville, Ga., has led the Yellow Jackets in scoring, currently at 18.4 points per game, all season despite missing the season’s first eight games with a dislocated finger. He ranks fourth in the conference in scoring and leads the ACC in getting to the free throw line, 6.9 times a game while converting 82.4 percent of his attempts. A member of the ACC all-freshman team a year ago, Okogie has made 38.3 percent of his three-point field goal tries, and 42.7 percent overall from the floor this season. He has scored 20 or more points in a game 11 times this season, eight of those in ACC games, including 30 against No. 15 Miami in early January and 29 against No. 5 Duke on Feb. 11.
Okogie became the sixth sophomore in Tech history to go over 1,000 career points on Saturday with his 22-point effort in the Yellow Jackets’ 64-56 win over Wake Forest.
Lammers, a 6-10 center from San Antonio, Texas, was the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, but made the All-Defensive team again this year despite being hobbled by an ankle injury for much of the season. Lammers ranks third in the conference in blocked shots and 19th in the nation, and anchors a defense that ranks fourth in the ACC in scoring average against and eighth in field goal percentage against.
Lammers also surpassed 1,000 career points this season and has reached third place in program history in blocked shots and 10th place in rebounds.
With a sweep of Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors, Duke’s Marvin Bagley III led the 2017-18 season award winners. Bagley, bidding to lead the ACC in both scoring and rebounding heading into the postseason, was the choice for ACC Player of the Year by 37 members of the 57-member voting panel (15 ACC head coaches, 42 selected media) that cast ballots for this year’s postseason honors. Boston College’s Jerome Robinson placed second with 14 votes.
The ACC Rookie of the Year balloting was more clear cut, with Bagley receiving 56 of the 57 votes cast. Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter received the remaining vote.
Virginia’s Tony Bennett was recognized as the ACC Coach of the Year. Bennett’s Cavaliers, who won the ACC regular-season title and own the nation’s No. 1 ranking, earned two more individual honors as Virginia senior Isaiah Wilkins received the nod as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and freshman De’Andre Hunter was tabbed as the Sixth Man of the Year. North Carolina junior Luke Maye was voted the ACC’s Most Improved Player.
Bagley was joined on the All-ACC first team by Boston College’s Robinson, North Carolina’s Maye and senior Joel Berry II, and Virginia sophomore Kyle Guy.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL
Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is in its second year under head coach Josh Pastner. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, won three ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993), played in the NCAA Tournament 16 times and played in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on Twitter (@GTMBB) and Instagram.
For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com. Tickets for men’s basketball can be purchased here.
