Oct. 21, 2007

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The University of North Carolina was the unanimous pick as the favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in men's basketball in 2007-08 and Tyler Hansbrough was voted the preseason ACC player of the year when the ACC's media convened in Greensboro on Sunday for the annual ACC Operation Basketball.

UNC sophomore point guard Ty Lawson joined Hansbrough on the ACC preseason team. Virginia's Sean Singletary, Boston College's Tyrese Rice and NC State's Brandon Costner also earned spots on the preseason all-conference squad.

The Tar Heels received all 64 first-place votes from the gathered media, amassing 768 total points in the polling. Duke was second with 653 points (29 second-place votes, 22 third-, 10 fourth- and three fifth-). NC State was a close third in the voting with 641 points (27 second-place, 21 third-, nine fourth-, six fifth- and one eighth-).

Clemson (514 points) was voted into fourth place, Virginia (492) was fifth, Maryland (447) was sixth, Georgia Tech (389) was seventh, Boston College (332) was eighth, Florida State (284) was ninth, Virginia Tech (162) was 10th, Wake Forest (157) was 11th and Miami (153) was 12th.

Hansbrough received 60 of 64 votes for ACC preseason player of the year with Singletary taking home the other four.

Duke's Kyle Singler was voted the preseason ACC Rookie of the Year, earning 36 votes. NC State's J.J. Hickson (15 votes) and Duke's Nolan Smith (five) rounded out the top three in the voting for the conference's top freshman.