Pitt star Justin Champagnie entered Tuesday’s primetime tilt with Duke as the reigning ACC Player of the Week after an outstanding 24-point, 16-rebound performance against Syracuse, but he had his sights set on more.
Faced with an opportunity to match up with Duke standout Matthew Hurt, a Wooden Award candidate and ACC Player of the Year front-runner, he set out to get the best of him and rose to the occasion. And when the dust had settled, he had matched a personal best with 31 points and set another with a career-high five blocks. The Brooklyn native also set himself apart as a rising star with the potential to be crowned the ACC Player of the Year.