Blossomgame Preseason All-ACC

CLEMSON, S.C. — Jaron Blossomgame was tabbed first-team All-ACC on Wednesday by league media attending Operation Basketball, the annual preseason media day. Blossomgame is the first Clemson player to be named to the preseason All-ACC team since Trevor Booker in 2009.

In addition, Clemson was chosen by attending media to finish 11th in the ACC. The Tigers, who return three starters and nine lettermen, have finished higher than their preseason prediction in four of six previous seasons under head coach Brad Brownell. Duke was the preseason favorite on all but six ballots, while North Carolina was the No. 2 choice.

Blossomgame was named to the first team along with Grayson Allen (Duke), Joel Berry (North Carolina), London Perrantes (Virginia) and Dennis Smith (NC State). He is coming off a first-team All-ACC season in 2016, when he was voted the ACC’s Most Improved Player by the media and head coaches. He averaged 18.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, both high figures for the Tigers’ 10-win ACC team. Blossomgame is attempting to become the only two-time, first-team All-ACC player in Clemson history.

Blossomgame has received a number of accolades this preseason. He was pegged a second-team All-American by Athlon Sports, and was rated the nation’s No. 1 “inside-out” player by the same publication. He was also named the top small forward in the nation by Lindy’s. Blossomgame was named a preseason third-team All-American by both NBC Sports and USA Today. Last week, he was named to the Julius Erving Award watch list as one of the nation’s top small forwards.