Chante Black from East Forsyth and Duke: ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year

GREENSBORO, N.C. – ACC Women’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year Chante Black(East Forsyth HS) of Duke headlines the conference’s 2009 All-Defensive Team, as announced by the league yesterday.

Joining Black on this year’s defensive squad are North Carolina’s Jessica Breland, Clemson’s Lele Hardy, Florida State’s Jacinta Monroe and Georgia Tech’s Jacqua Williams. The ACC All-Defensive team and Defensive Player of the Year are selected by a vote of the 12 ACC women’s basketball head coaches.

Black, the only Duke player to start every game this year, led the 10th-ranked Blue Devils to a 24-4 overall mark and an 11-3 ACC finish. The 6-foor-5 senior from Winston-Salem, N.C., is a major reason Duke leads the ACC in field-goal percentage defense, blocking 61 shots (third most in the ACC). She ranks second on Duke’s all-time list and sixth all-time among ACC players in blocked shots list with 253 and has made 45 steals

North Carolina’s Breland leads the ACC in blocked shots with 94 and is one of the nation’s top post defenders. The Kelford, N.C.., junior established a career high for blocked shots with six vs. Austin Peay on Dec. 30, then matched that total in conference games against Virginia (Jan. 16) and Wake Forest (Jan. 29). The 6-foot-3 center also has 45 steals and leads the Tar Heels in rebounding.

Clemson’s Hardy ranks second among ACC players and among the national leaders in steals with 94. The 5-foot-10 junior from Spartanburg, S.C., leads the conference in defensive rebounds with 6.0 per game and ranks fourth in the ACC in rebounding overall. Hardy has also blocked 11 shots.

Monroe, a 6-foot-4 junior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., proved an intimidating inside defensive presence as the 11th-ranked Seminoles (24-6, 12-2) stormed to a share of the ACC regular-season title. Monroe’s 76 blocks are just four shy of the Florida State school record for a single season, and her 217 career blocks already rank atop the Seminole’s all-time list. She has also been credited with 35 steals.

Georgia Tech’s Williams, who was also named to the ACC Women’s Basketball All-Defensive Team in 2008, is a major part in a Yellow Jacket defense that led the conference in steals. Williams, a 5-foot-7 senior guard from Seattle, has made 105 steals in 29 games to rank among the nation’s best and lead all ACC players

The 32nd annual ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament will take place at the Greensboro Coliseum, beginning on Thursday, March 5, and will conclude on Sunday, March 8, with the championship contest slated for 1 p.m. ET.

2008-09 ACC All-Defensive Team
Chante Black, Duke
Jessica Breland, North Carolina
Lele Hardy, Clemson
Jacinta Monroe, Florida State
Jacqua Williams, Georgia Tech

2008-09 ACC Defensive Player of the Year
Chante Black, Duke