The Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association announced its All-ACC teams Monday and named Wolfpack big man Tracy Smith to the second team, rewarding the junior for finishing the season as one of the ACC’s best in terms of scoring, rebounding and shooting. No Wolfpack player since Julius Hodge has received such an honor and it is great to see Smith recognized, but Smith’s place on the second instead of first team is a slight to the season he’s had.

Making the first team were Malcolm Delaney of Virginia Tech, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler of Duke, Trevor Booker of Clemson and ACC Player of the Year Greivis Vasquez of Maryland. Delaney, Scheyer and Vasquez were unanimous picks and even after Smith played as well as he did this season, it would be very difficult to justify him replacing one of that trio on the first team. Booker and Singler rounded out the first team as the fourth and fifth-highest vote-getters, respectively.

At the very least, Smith should have been one of the first men left off the first team. But Smith actually came closer to being left off the second team than he did to earning first-team honors, and that is where my problem with the voting comes in. Eight players in the conference were more deserving of a place on the first team than Smith, according to the voting results.

But the list of this season’s statistical league leaders tells a far different story. Smith finished the season no worse than eighth in scoring, rebounding, or field goal shooting in conference play. His combination of scoring, 15.8 points per game, and accuracy from the field make for a valid argument that he was as efficient a scorer as any player in the ACC. Only two players in the conference, Booker and Derrick Favors of Georgia Tech, shot the ball better from the floor than Smith, who made .495 of his shots from the field. Smith outscored both those players, and none of the players who edged Smith in scoring shot the ball better, percentage-wise.

And Smith was at his best against the toughest opposition he faced. Duke, a team many would consider the best team the Pack played during the regular season, was one of the few teams this year to attempt to guard Smith with one defender. Smith quickly made Duke pay for its decision to do so, scoring 14 points in the first half alone. He finished the night with 23 points on 10 for 12 shooting and his dominance of the then No. 7 Devils highlighted his team’s biggest win of the season.

But far more impressive than any of Smith’s accomplishments have been the circumstances under which he has achieved them. Playing in the paint on a team that finished in a three-way tie for ninth place in a 12-team conference, Smith scored at will despite constant double and occasional triple teams. But if his team’s 5-11 record in ACC play and seven-game conference losing streak do not make his consistent production stand out, consider his teammates’ presence, or relative lack thereof, among the conference’s statistical leaders. Outside of Dennis Horner, who finished sixth in free throw shooting in conference play, no Wolfpack player other than Tracy Smith is mentioned anywhere on theacc.com website’s listing of the conference’ statistical leaders. If those facts fail to illustrate just how much Smith did despite playing on a team that failed to keep opposing defenses honest, then consider Scott Wood’s assessment of Smith after the loss to Maryland.

“He’s a beast and he’s going to get paid a lot of money some day,” Wood said. “I would be more than happy to give him all my shots. I just wish I could help him out more. He is carrying the team on his back. I’m sure he probably has back spasms real bad right now.”