Although there will be no National Champion crowned, several NCAA awards will be given out. One of the most important is the AP All-American Team. The members of these teams are nationally recognized as the best fifteen players in the country.
NCAA AP All-American Teams Released
First Team
Toppin was the only unanimous first-team member, receiving 65 out of 65 possible first-place votes. That is no surprise as he was easily the best player in college basketball this season. He averaged 20 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game for a Dayton Flyers team poised to make a Final Four run. This also makes it likely that Toppin will be named AP Player of the Year, possibly leading him to the Wooden Award.
Garza received 63 first-place votes and had a phenomenal season for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He averaged 23.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game en route to being the best player in the Big Ten.
Howard continued his scoring explosion for the Marquette Golden Eagles. He averaged 27.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He received 43 first-place votes, making him the third choice. While he is very deserving of this first-team nod, people will be surprised that he was the third choice.
Powell received 37 votes after another great campaign for Seton Hall. He averaged 21 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. He was a popular choice to win National Player of the Year in the preseason and while that will not come to fruition, he had a great season.
Pritchard rounds out the first-team with 37 votes. The senior Oregon Duck guard averaged 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. Many east coast fans may not have seen Pritchard play often, but make no mistake, he is one of the best guards in the country.
Second Team
Dotson was often thought of as a first-team player this year, however, he only received 30 first-team votes. Regardless, he had a great season for the Kansas Jayhawks. Dotson averaged 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.
Azubuike, Dotson’s teammate, finished his Jayhawks career strongly. He averaged 13.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. This culminated in 22 first-team votes and a Big 12 Player of the Year award.
Flynn, a relative unknown prior to this season, was absolutely dominant for San Diego State in their Cinderella run. He averaged 17.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists earning him 12 first-team votes.
Winston had somewhat of a disappointing season. He was another popular National Player of the Year preseason pick. Winston still played great, especially down the stretch, averaging 18.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. Winston received nine first-team votes.
Carey was outstanding for the Duke Blue Devils. The big man averaged 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game, earning Freshman of the Year honors. He received three first-team votes.
Third Team
Petrusev was one of only two third-team members to receive any first-team votes. He had a great sophomore season for Gonzaga, as he quickly became their best player. He averaged 17.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.
Nwora showed some great flashes this year and led a solid Louisville Cardinals team. He averaged 18 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. Nwora earned 69 total votes making him the second choice for the third-team.
Butler was a key piece in Baylor’s surprise season. He averaged 16 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He received 63 total votes.
Jones was the other player to receive first-team votes, receiving three total. He was the leader of a solid Duke Blue Devils team this year. Jones averaged 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists to go along with 1.8 steals. Jones received 62 total votes.
Smith rounds out the All-American rosters. The sophomore forward from Maryland averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in a great season for the Terrapins. He received 59 total votes.
Who Missed Out?
Players not receiving enough votes included Daniel Oturu, Immanuel Quickley, Marcus Zegarowski, Saddiq Bey, and Mason Jones. All of these players had phenomenal seasons, but it would be difficult to replace anyone mentioned above. Quickley probably made the best case with winning SEC Player of the Year.
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