BLACKSBURG – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced its preseason awards Tuesday live on Packer and Durham, with Virginia Tech redshirt-senior forward Keve Aluma earning Preseason All-ACC honors.
Aluma was named to the first team after averaging 15.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in 2020-21. He is the only returner who earned a spot on the All-ACC first or second teams last season. Tech was picked to finish fifth in the league's predicted order of finish. All voting was conducted by media that cover the ACC.
After exploring his NBA Draft options, Aluma opted to return to Blacksburg for the 2021-22 season. The Berlin, Maryland native reached double-figure scoring 17 times, including a season-high 30 at Pitt on February 3, 2021. He had a team-leading six double-doubles.
The Hokies open the 2021-22 season versus Maine at Cassell Coliseum on November 9 at 8 p.m. Ticket information for the 2021-22 season can be found HERE.
2021 ACC Tipoff – Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
| Rank | Team | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke | 1132 (47) |
| 2 | Florida State | 1034 (14) |
| 3 | North Carolina | 1001 (5) |
| 4 | Virginia | 949 (9) |
| 5 | Virginia Tech | 857 (5) |
| 6 | Louisville | 791 (1) |
| 7 | Syracuse | 781 |
| 8 | Notre Dame | 599 |
| 9 | NC State | 555 |
| 10 | Georgia Tech | 524 |
| 11 | Clemson | 430 |
| 12 | Miami | 428 |
| 13 | Wake Forest | 274 |
| 14 | Pitt | 253 |
| 15 | Boston College | 112 |
Preseason All-ACC First Team
| Name | Team | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Buddy Boeheim | Syracuse | 68 |
| Keve Aluma | Virginia Tech | 52 |
| Paolo Banchero | Duke | 49 |
| Armando Bacot | North Carolina | 46 |
| Isaiah Wong | Miami | 37 |
Preseason All-ACC Second Team
| Name | Team | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Devoe | Georgia Tech | 25 |
| Kihei Clark | Virginia | 23 |
| Prentiss Hubb | Notre Dame | 17 |
| Mark Williams | Duke | 12 |
| Wendell Moore Jr. | Duke | 9 |
| Malik Williams | Louisville | 9 |
| Caleb Love | North Carolina | 9 |
Preseason ACC Player of the Year
| Name | Team | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Paolo Banchero | Duke | 28 |
| Keve Aluma | Virginia Tech | 16 |
| Buddy Boeheim | Syracuse | 13 |
| Armando Bacot | North Carolina | 12 |
| Kihei Clark | Virginia | 5 |
| Wendell Moore Jr. | Duke | 3 |
| Caleb Love | North Carolina | 2 |
| Mark Williams | Duke | 2 |
Preseason ACC Freshman of the Year
| Name | Team | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Paolo Banchero | Duke | 64 |
| Trevor Keels | Duke | 5 |
| Terquavion Smith | NC State | 3 |
| Dontrez Styles | North Carolina | 3 |
| Igor Milicic Jr. | Virginia | 3 |
| Wooga Poplar | Miami | 1 |
| Benny Williams | Syracuse | 1 |
| Cameron Hildreth | Wake Forest | 1 |