Without another elite scorer to consistently lighten his load, Smith nevertheless dominated the paint throughout his junior season.

A year after starting in less than half of his team’s games, Smith enjoyed a breakout junior season and played his way into conversations regarding the conference’s top players. Smith’s averages of 15.8 points per game on .495 shooting from the field in conference play were among the best in the ACC.

Such numbers make an emphatic case for a player to be considered as one of the ACC’s premier players. Putting up those statistics without anyone to deter constant double teams and occasional attention from as many as three opposing defenders makes them all the more impressive.

Smith was at his best in the 2010 team’s landmark win, when he scored 20 points against eventual national champion Duke.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was one of the few coaches who chose to single-cover him, or at least attempt to assign the task of defending Smith to one player. Smith made him sorely regret that decision, pouring in 20 points. That effort became all the more notable when the Blue Devils defeated Butler in the NCAA title game a few months later.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Hill, Dallas Poulk