ACC Basketball: 5 storylines to watch as 2023-24 league play gets going

Who's the best freshman in the ACC so far?

A few freshmen names are already the leading faces for their programs as the bulk of conference play approaches. Here we take a look at a few freshman that are playing well and making their case for ACC Freshman of the Year.

Markus Burton - Notre Dame Fighting Irish

As mentioned above, Burton is leading the way as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish look to rebuild with the departure of head coach Mike Brey. He's producing 15.9 points per contest to lead all freshman in the ACC and ranks third in assists per game (3.9). He's a name to keep an eye on following a strong performance against Virginia.

Cartlon Carrington - Pittsburgh Panthers

Carrington leads all freshman in assists per game (5.2) but the Panthers are already off to an 0-2 start in conference action despite being 9-4 overall on the season. They've handled business outside of the conference but they'll need to handle business inside the conference if Carrington hopes to remain a solid candidate.

Baye Ndongo - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Ndongo ranks first in the ACC rebounds per game (9.1) and blocks per game (1.7) and third in points per game (11.9) as he's made his mark in the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets frontcourt under head coach Damon Stoudamire. The Senegal native has made a strong case already for a few different awards at the mid-season point.

Jared McCain - Duke Blue Devils

McCain is one of a few freshman names that could be an early candidate for ACC Freshman of the Year but for now, he leads the way. He's fourth among freshman in the ACC in scoring (11.7 points per game) and second in steals per game (1.2) while averaging 26.3 minutes per game. He's shown he's well-conditioned to handle high-major basketball in Durham.