Beloved former NC State coach Jim Valvano and three star players of more recent vintage make up the Big Four contingent to 2017 ACC Basketball Legends class. Valvano forever endeared himself to Wolfpack fans by leading his team to the 1983 national championship before earning national acclaim for his courageous battle against cancer. Joining him among this year’s group of honorees are North Carolina’s Antawn Jamison, Duke’s Shelden Williams and Wake Forest’s Josh Howard. The quartet will be recognized with representatives of the other 10 current ACC schools at the conference basketball tournament in Brooklyn on March 7-11. Jamison was the unanimous national Player of the Year in 1998, when he led the Tar Heels to the ACC championship and a spot in the Final Four for the second straight season. Despite playing just three college seasons, the 6-foot-8 forward still ranks sixth at UNC in career rebounds with 1,027 and eighth in scoring with 1,974 points. Williams was the first player under coach Mike Krzyzewski to average a double-double for a season, a feat he accomplished twice on his way to becoming the Blue Devils’ all-time leader in rebounds (796) and blocked shots (422). He was twice named national Defensive Player of the Year, Howard helped the Deacons to the 2000 NIT title as a freshman, then was the backbone of three straight NCAA tournament teams. He was a unanimous selection as ACC Player of the Year during his senior season while becoming one of only four players in league history to accumulate 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocked shots for his career. The other members of the 2017 ACC Legends class (some of which actually played in the ACC) are Boston College’s Troy Bell, Clemson’s Edward Scott, Florida State’s Tim Pickett, Georgia Tech’s Matt Harpring, Louisville’s Rodney McCray, Miami’s Wayne Beckner, Notre Dame’s Gary Brokaw, Pittsburgh’s Curtis Aiken, Syracuse’s Dwayne “Pearl” Washington, Virginia’s Junior Burrough and Virginia Tech’s Bobby Beecher.
