CRAWFORD | Louisville's Chucky Hepburn voted ACC Defensive Player of the Year | Sports

Louisville point guard voted 1st-team All-ACC; Terrence Edwards 3rd-team

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville senior point guard Chucky Hepburn was voted the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection in a vote of team media.

Teammate Terrence Edwards was voted third-team All-ACC.

Hepburn, Louisville's indefatigable point guard who has averaged better than 34 minutes per game, leads the Cardinals in scoring at 16.3 points per game, but also is recognized as perhaps the best on-ball defender in the league.

He is just the fourth Louisville player voted first-team All-ACC, joining Carlik Jones (2021), Jordan Nwora (2019) and Donovan Mitchell (2017). Other Louisville players named All-ACC include Damion Lee (second team, 2016), Terry Rozier (second team 2015) and Montrezl Harrell (second team 2015).

Hepburn is the fourth Cardinal named to the ACC All-Defensive team, and the first Cardinal to win a conference Defensive Player of the Year award since Gorgui Dieng in the Big East in 2013.

The Wisconsin transfer leads the ACC in steals per game at 2.43. He is third in the conference in assists per game, notching 5.87 on average. Earlier this season, he broke the U of L record with 16 assists in a game at SMU on Jan. 21, and also now holds the school record for making 17 free throws against Florida State on Feb. 22.

Louisville's Terrence Edwards Jr. leaves the court after the Cardinals' Senior Day win over Stanford.
ERIC CRAWFORD

Despite his play this season, Hepburn was left off the list of finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation's top point guard. Louisville coach Pat Kelsey responded, saying, "I wouldn't trade him for any point guard in the country. ... I mean, they got it wrong. I promise you that."

Edwards, who was the Sun Belt Player of the Year at James Madison, has expanded his game at Louisville, become a solid defensive stopper himself, while averaging 15.8 points, 2.65 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. In he is averaging 16.9 points per game while adding three assists and 4.4 rebounds per game.

The Atlanta native scored 16 points or more in nine of Louisville's final 11 games, scoring a career-high 35 against California on March 5. He went seven of 11 from the three-point line in that contest.

Louisville will play in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 13 against either Virginia Tech, California or Stanford.