We are dangerously close to the end of the college basketball season. At this point in the year, we have a pretty good idea of how teams are going to play and who the best players in the country are. Yearly, the best players in the country are rewarded by being named to the College Basketball All-American Team. Recently, some of the players on these teams have included Brandon Miller, Drew Timme, Ochai Agbaji and Keegan Murray. Historically, the players included on these teams have been all-time basketball greats, like Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Walton, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.
With teams like Houston, Purdue, Connecticut, North Carolina and Marquette having stellar seasons, there are players on these teams that can absolutely make the College Basketball All-American Team. Outside of those six top teams, other schools like Creighton, Indiana State and San Diego State are also having great seasons. Some of those players have the chance to see their names on the All-American Teams. With that, let’s predict who you can hear having their name called as the best of the best this season.
First Team All-American | Predicting the College Basketball All-American Team
Jamal Shead, Tyler Kolek, R.J. Davis, Zach Edey, Dalton Knecht
As it stands today, Zach Edey is the obvious front-runner for Player of the Year. He will most likely be the first player since Ralph Sampson to win back-to-back National Player of the Year and for good reason. Edey is by far the most dominant player in the country this season. At 7-4, 300 lbs, Edey has a little Yao Ming in his game. He is the reason that Purdue has been ranked at the top of the country all season. Averaging 23.7 points per game (PPG) and 11.8 rebounds per game, no one in the country can stop Edey and he will be a major force come tournament time. While Armando Bacot was supposed to be the top dog for North Carolina this season, that has changed hands to R.J. Davis. Davis is currently sixth in the country in scoring this season with 21.7 PPG. Coming off of a 42-point performance against Miami, Davis is a major reason why North Carolina is having such a big bounce-back season.
While Houston has the best defense in the country, the undisputed leader of the team is Jamal Shead. In his senior season, Shead is averaging 13.1 PPG on 42.9% from the field. On top of that, Shead may be one of the best passers in the game, averaging 6.1 assists. The best player on the best team in the country needs to be a College Basketball First-Team All-American. Speaking of the best passers in the country, Marquette’s Tyler Kolek is the best. Kolek is the leader of Shaka Smart’s Golden Eagles. With a game similar to Steve Nash, Marquette’s 21st-ranked offense runs through Kolek. Averaging 15.1 PPG and 7.7 assists, Kolek is the best point guard in the country today. My last pick for First Team All-American is Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht. The Northern Colorado transfer is the reason why the Volunteers are one of the best teams in the country. At 20.1 PPG on 47.7% shooting from the field, Knecht is the front-runner for conference player of the year in a stacked SEC.
Second Team All-American | Predicting the College Basketball All-American Team
Tristen Newton, Caleb Love, Kevin McCullar Jr., Jaedon LeDee, Robbie Avila
There is a case to make that UConn is the best team in the country this season. The best returning player from last year’s championship team is Tristen Newton. With Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson gone, Newton has taken over as the leader of the team, averaging 15.2 PPG, 7.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists. There is no doubt that if UConn wants to repeat, Newton will need to spearhead the run. The second guard on the Second Team All-American Team may be controversial, but in a change of scenery, it is Caleb Love. After transferring from North Carolina, Love’s scoring numbers have increased from 16.7 PPG on 37.8% shooting to 19.4 points on 43.4% shooting this season. Partnering with Pelle Larson, Love has made the Wildcats a force, once again.
While Kansas is not being talked about as much this season after starting the year at number one, they are quietly having one of the better seasons in the country. Hunter Dickinson was the big piece at the start of the season, but Kevin McCullar turned into the main attraction. Transferring from Texas Tech two seasons ago, McCullar is having his best scoring season in his five-year career, with 19 PPG on 46.3% shooting. That scoring has helped lead Kansas to a 21-7 record. In another quiet season, Jaedon LeDee has led San Diego State to a 22-7 record. As they try to reach back-to-back Final Fours, LeDee’s 20.8 PPG will the force that gets them there. Rounding out the final spot on the College Basketball Second Team All-America is mid-major superstar and Indiana State center Robbie Avila. When the Sycamores make the tournament this season, America is going to fall in love with Avila, who averages 16.7 PPG, shoots 41% from the three-point line and sports a great pair of rec specs.
Third Team All-American | Predicting the College Basketball All-American Team
Baylor Scheierman, Mark Sears, Boo Buie, Ja’Kobe Walter, Hunter Dickinson
Finally for my College Basketball Third Team All-America picks, it starts off with Creighton superstar Baylor Scheierman. Scheierman made his name known at South Dakota State, before becoming a force at Creighton. This season, Scheierman is having his best season, scoring 18.2 PPG. That scoring average has allowed Creighton a top-15 offense and a 21-8 record. Speaking of a great offense, let’s take a look at Alabama. Without Brandon Miller this season, Mark Sears’ scoring average has jumped from 12.5 PPG to 20.4, which ranks 22nd in the country. He will look to take KenPom’s top-ranked offense to a place where Miller couldn’t. Due to his scoring skill, Boo Buie has turned Northwestern into its renaissance. Buie has increased his scoring averages in each of his five years and that has resulted in an 18.9 PPG average this season. Buie has brought the Wildcats to the third spot in the Big Ten conference right now and a legitimate shot at winning a game in the NCAA Tournament.
Out of all of the players that I have talked about today, Ja’Kobe Walter may have the best opportunity to succeed at the next level. He leads Baylor this season, scoring 14.8 PPG on 38.8% shooting from the field and 33.5% from the field. While one would like to see those shooting percentages rise, there is no denying Walter’s talent. In fact, many experts expect him to be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. The last player to talk about is the man I mentioned before, Hunter Dickinson. Dickinson, similar to Edey, has parts of his game where he is just unguardable. After transferring from Michigan, Dickinson is averaging 18.3 PPG and 10.9 rebounds per game. That scoring average includes 55.5/33.3/64.5 splits. Those shooting numbers could be better, but with McCullar on the team Kansas can manage with that.
