The preseason Associated Press All-America first team came out on Monday. The five players who were selected are Purdue senior guard Braden Smith, Texas Tech junior big man JT Toppin, Michigan graduate student forward Yaxel Lendeborg, BYU freshman forward AJ Dybantsa and Florida junior power forward/center Alex Condon. Though each of these players has been a standout (Dybantsa’s lack of collegiate experience is buoyed by his status as the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft), there are some huge omissions.
Preseason AP All-America First Team Has Huge Omissions
The biggest issue with this preseason AP All-America first team is that it has four big men and only one guard. That doesn’t make sense. Yes, the positional lines in basketball have been blurred as of late. Even so, every All-American team should have two guards, a wing and two big men.
So, let’s look at the AP All-America first team, player by player.
Braden Smith
With three college seasons under his belt, Smith decided to return to Purdue for another year. His presence is one reason why his Boilermakers are ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP top-25 poll. Heading into 2025-26, Smith is a unanimous preseason All-American, and that’s logical. A year ago, he won the Bob Cousy Award and was a consensus first-team All-American.
JT Toppin
As a sophomore, Toppin resided on All-America second teams. Leading the Red Raiders to the NCAA Tournament, he averaged career-highs of 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He’s poised for another huge season in the Big 12 Conference, so it makes sense that he was named on Monday to the preseason AP All-America first team.
AJ Dybantsa
Dybantsa’s inclusion isn’t surprising. He was the No. 1 national prospect in the 2025 cycle, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. Two days ago, BYU hosted Nebraska in an exhibition, and Dybantsa didn’t disappoint. He dropped 30 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block, although the Cougars fell to the Cornhuskers, 90-89. Yet, having someone on the first team who has yet to play a collegiate game can be thought of as an interesting –perhaps even controversial –selection.
Yaxel Lendeborg & Alex Condon
Lendeborg and Condon are excellent players. Condon helped lead the Gators to the national championship this past spring in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Lendeborg may have been drafted in the first round this past summer had he kept his name in the hat. However, they shouldn’t be preseason first-team All-Americans.
Preseason AP All-America First Team Snubs
As previously mentioned, the AP All-America first team needs another guard. So, how about Iowa senior guard Bennett Stirtz, who transferred to the Hawkeyes from Drake?
For one, he’s listed as the No. 3 player around the country, according to On3. In 2024-25, Stirtz averaged a ridiculous 39.4 minutes per game, along with 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game while connecting on 49.8% of his field goal attempts, 39.5% of his 3-point attempts and 79.4% of his free-throw attempts.
Both Stirtz and UCLA senior guard Donovan Dent received 2024-25 All-America honorable mention honors. Dent transferred to the Bruins from New Mexico, where last season he averaged 20.4 points, 6.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds per contest while shooting 50.3% from the field.
Beyond Stirtz and Dent, three other names come to mind for consideration on the preseason AP All-America first team. The first is NC State senior wing/forward Darrion Williams, a five-star transfer from Texas Tech. The two others are true freshmen, Darryn Peterson of Kansas and Cameron Boozer of Duke.
Williams is the ACC Player of the Year in the media’s preseason media poll. Peterson, a combo guard, is the nation’s No. 2 player in the 2025 cycle, per the 247Sports Composite. Boozer, a power forward, is the No. 3 overall prospect in that class
Snubs aside, the 2025-26 college basketball season is only two weeks away, and it should prove to be another exciting campaign.
© Talia Sprague-Imagn Images
