Who is the ACC's player of the year?

I know, I might as well call the Pope the second most important man in Catholicism. Sometimes, though, you just have to tell it like it is, even if it means alienating millions of worshippers, er, fans. Sure, Chris Carrawell had a fantastic season. And anyone with a television set, radio, computer or any other device within screaming distance of Dick Vitale knows Carrawell's had an even more fantastic career. But the player of the year isn't a career award. If it were, Ron Dayne and Ricky Williams would have both won the Heisman trophy. Ok, bad example. Let's look at the numbers. Carrawell's per game averages aren't too shabby: third in the ACC in scoring (18.0), ninth in assists (3.4), eighth in blocks (1.1). In fact, Carrawell finished in the league's top 10 in six categories. What could Battier possibly do to top that? How about finishing in the league's top five in six separate categories? He was fourth in scoring (17.6), fourth in free-throw percentage (82.3), fifth in blocks (1.9), fifth in steals (2.0), fifth in assist/turnover ratio and the tallest player since Wake Forest's Ricky Peral to lead the league in three-point shooting (46.5 percent). So Carrawell captured scoring, the glamour statistic. So what? In 28 games, Carrawell has outscored Battier by a whopping 10 points. He also took 39 more shots. Think Battier would have gotten 10 points out of an additional 39 shots? Advantage: Battier. Carrawell's a top-notch defender, but Battier is the nation's best-he won the Iba award as a sophomore and would have won it as a freshman were it not for another episode of seniority, in this case for Steve Wojciechowski. Advantage: Battier. You want leadership? How about team captain (as a junior), on-court drill sergeant, college basketball spokesman and chairman of the nation's first student-athlete congress? Advantage: Battier. Carrawell certainly had his clutch moments, but when Mike Dunleavy went down and took the Blue Devils' depth with him, it was Battier who carried Duke on his shoulders, even upstaging a worn-out Carrawell on his own Senior Day. He may not have hit game-winners, but he was the difference between nail-biters and easy wins. It's not the sentimental call, but it's the right one. Advantage: Battier.