For the second time in program history, a member of the University of Miami men’s basketball team is the ACC Player of the Year, as Isaiah Wong claimed the award Monday night.
Wong joins 2012-13 honoree Shane Larkin in program record books. He also received First Team All-ACC distinction, becoming the second Hurricane, alongside Jack McClinton, to earn three postseason All-ACC honors.
In addition, Jordan Miller claimed Second Team All-ACC plaudits and Norchad Omier garnered Third Team All-ACC accolades. This is the third time three Hurricanes have earned first-, second- or third-team status in the same year, including just the third time in the ACC era, alongside 2015-16, 2012-13 and 2001-02 (BIG EAST).
“I want to especially commend Isaiah on winning ACC Player of the Year, an award he most certainly deserves. He is one of the hardest-working players I have ever coached and I am overjoyed for him to receive this recognition.”
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A fourth-year junior guard, Wong received 30 votes for ACC Player of the Year, seven more than second-place Tyree Appleby of Wake Forest. His 337 points in All-ACC balloting also led all players, putting him 13 above second-place Armando Bacot of North Carolina. Wong, Larkin and James (1998-99) are the only Hurricanes to win conference player of the year in any league, with James doing so in the BIG EAST.
The Piscataway, N.J., native is the fourth First Team All-ACC designee in program history, joining Kameron McGusty, McClinton (2007-08 and 2008-09) and Larkin (2012-13). He is the sixth Hurricane, regardless of league, to earn first-team status, as Tim James (1997-98 and 1998-99) and Johnny Hemsley (1998-99) did so when Miami was in the BIG EAST. Additionally, Wong, McClinton (2007-09), James (1997-99) and Darius Rice (2002-04) are the only three-time all-league honorees in any conference in program history, with the latter two doing so in the BIG EAST.
The 6-foot-4, 184-pounder is averaging team highs in points (15.9), assists (3.4) and steals (1.4) per game. He is also third on the team in rebounding (4.4), while shooting 44.2 percent from the floor, 38.1 percent beyond the arc and 82.9 percent at the line.
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Wong owns the highest single-game point total in the league this year (36 vs. Cornell on 12/7/22) and is a two-time ACC Player of the Week. He ranks sixth in the ACC in made free throws (121), eighth in steals per game and free-throw percentage, co-eighth in 20-point games (nine), No. 11 in points per game, No. 13 in field-goal percentage and No. 14 in assists per game.
Top-seeded Miami (24-6, 15-5 ACC), ranked No. 14/13 nationally, opens ACC Tournament competition Thursday at noon in the quarterfinals against either eighth-seeded Syracuse or ninth-seeded Wake Forest, live on ESPN or ESPN2 from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.
