How Kiyan Anthony's Syracuse debut stacked up among top ACC freshmen

Anthony played 29 minutes off the bench in the season opening victory, finishing with 15 points in contrasting fashion and three boards, with some added playing time thrown in. Anthony replaced an injured J.J. Starling as the off-guard just under three minutes into Monday's contest, and he looked ever so smooth in the process.

Whether it was long range shooting (1-of-3 from beyond the arc), a left-handed layup off a slick move in the paint or dishing to an open teammate (three assists) for an easy hoop, Anthony let the game come to him in a collected manner, and also finished with zero turnovers.

Fellow heralded Orange frosh, power forward Sadiq White Jr., also had a nice debut. White flashed his athleticism and defensive acumen (one steal and one blocked shot) in 20 minutes of playing time, finishing with four points/four rebounds.

White, by-the-way, also failed to receive any media votes in the ACC preseason rookie of the year balloting, but was named Monday as one of 25 first-year players to the preseason watch list for the Wayman Tisdale Award honoring the nation's top freshman player.

The ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year takes a while to get going

Duke's Cameron Boozer was the unanimous pick last month by the media as the top newcomer, and why not?

The highly recruited big man, son of former Blue Devils great Carlos Boozer, arrived in Durham to accolades along with his twin brother Cayden, but took one half of Duke's 75-60 win Tuesday over Texas (in the inaugural Dick Vitale Invitational in Charlotte) to get going.

Cameron Boozer went scoreless (0-for-7 shooting) in the first half against the Longhorns, but asserted himself in the second half getting to the foul line (9-of-12 free throws) and finishing with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds.

How the other three ACC all-rookie team members fared in their debuts

Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville - The five star guard played limited minutes (18) due to the nature of the Cardinals 104-45 blowout Monday against South Carolina State, but was impressive in his time on the court. Brown finished with 11 points, six assists and three boards. displaying his quickness and versatility.

Caleb Wilson, North Carolina - Wilson, another five star recruit, dazzled against over-matched Central Arkansas in the Tar Heels 94-54 rout Monday, becoming just the fifth Carolina frosh to score 20 or more points in his debut. He finished with 22 points/4 rebounds/3 assists/1 steal/1 block in 25 minutes, but was most impressive were his four dunks in the first three minutes of the one-sided affair.

Neoklis Avdalas, Virginia Tech - The 6'9" forward from Greece has great playmaking skills for a big man, and is tough defensively. Those traits were evident in his near double-double debut Monday as the Hokies beat Charleston Southern 98-67. Avadalas played 29 minutes and finished with eight points, three rebounds and two blocked shots, but most impressive was his nine assists.

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