Guard Lykes makes All-ACC preseason first team
University of Miami point guard Chris Lykes was voted Preseason First Team All-ACC, the league office announced Wednesday.
Lykes, a 5-7 senior guard, got 50 points in the balloting, tied for the fifth most of any player in the conference.
The Mitchellville, Maryland, native is the first two-time Preseason AllACC honoree in program history; he earned secondteam status last year. The other Hurricanes to earn at least one such accolade are Jack McClinton (2008-09), Malcolm Grant (2011-12) and Bruce Brown Jr. (2017-18).
Lykes was also one of eight players to receive a vote for Preseason ACC Player of the Year, tying for sixth among that group with three votes.
The third-leading returning scorer in the league, behind only North Carolina’s ACC Preseason Player of the Year Garrison Brooks and Georgia Tech’s Michael Devoe, Lykes averaged 15.4 points per game last year.
The ACC also announced the preseason predicted order of finish. The Hurricanes placed seventh in the voting with 1,223 points, just 11 points behind sixth-place Syracuse.
ACC Preseason Order of Finish (first-place votes in parentheses) 1. Virginia (97) 2. Duke (34) 3. Florida State (15) 4. North Carolina (7) 5. Louisville (2) 6. Syracuse Miami 8. NC State 9. Georgia Tech 10. Clemson 11. Virginia Tech 12. Notre Dame 13. Pittsburgh 14. Boston College 15. Wake Forest
Preseason All-ACC First Team
Garrison Brooks, North Carolina, 137 points
Sam Hauser, Virginia,
7. 89
Scottie Barnes, Florida State, 59
Jalen Johnson, Duke, 52 Chris Lykes, Miami, 50 Aamir Simms, Clemson, 50
Preseason ACC Player of the Year
Garrison Brooks, North Carolina, 102
Sam Hauser, Virginia, 24 MJ Walker, Florida
State, 10
Wendell Moore Jr., Duke, 7
Aamir Simms, Clemson,
Matthew Hurt, Duke, 3 Chris Lykes, Miami, 3 Kihei Clark, Virginia, 1 Preseason ACC Freshman of the Year
Scottie Barnes, Florida State, 64
Jalen Johnson, Duke, 60 Caleb Love, North Carolina, 9
Day’Ron Sharpe, North Carolina, 6
DJ Steward, Duke, 4
UM SIGNS RECRUITS
Guard Nisine “Wooga”
Poplar, a four-star recruit from Philadelphia, signed with UM on Wednesday. He picked UM over Auburn, Georgetown, LSU, Georgia, Marquette, Nebraska, Maryland, Penn State, Seton Hall and Virginia Tech.
“Wooga is one of the most gifted athletes we have recruited in recent years,” said UM coach Jim Larrañaga. “He’s also an outstanding three-point shooter who will be a very good 3-and-D player.”
The UM women’s team signed Ja’Leah Williams, a guard from Pompano Beach, forward Chiso Okafor from Spain, guard Jasmyne Roberts from Jacksonville, and guard Lashae Dwyer from Toronto.
Here is what coach Katie Meier had to say about each.
On Dwyer: “She’s going to be electric for us.”
On Roberts: “Ohhh my. Y’all are going to love Jas. Blue collar. Effort player with a magical game.”
On Okafor: “Dynamic and physical. Fearless!”
On Williams: “She is known throughout South Florida, but soon the nation will be on notice. A baller.”
STETSON GAME POSTPONED
UM and Stetson University announced Wednesday that the season-opening men’s game between the two schools has been postponed. The Hurricanes and Hatters were scheduled to meet Nov. 25 at the Watsco Center.
This postponement comes following a positive COVID-19 test within the Stetson basketball program. The schools are looking into rescheduling options.
WOMEN’S TEAM SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
The UM women’s team will open with four nonconference games at home in the Watsco Center and face four in-conference Top 25 teams in No. 5 Louisville, No. 8 NC State, No. 22 Notre Dame and No. 23 Syracuse (23).
The Canes tip off the season on Nov. 25 vs. Jacksonville University and then face North Florida on Nov. 30. On Dec. 3, UM hosts Florida Atlantic for the first time since 2012. Miami is 17-0 against FAU. The Canes face Stetson on Dec. 6.
UM will play four ACC teams before the holiday break, beginning with back-to-back home games against Syracuse on Dec. 10 and Duke on Dec. 13. The Canes head to Atlanta Dec. 17 to take on Georgia Tech before traveling to ACC preseason favorite Louisville on Dec. 20.
They return home to face Notre Dame on New
Year’s Eve.