This college basketball season has been so terrific because there’s talent everywhere, and there haven’t been a ton of paltry seasons from guys with sky-high expectations. For the most part, the predicted good players have lived up to the hype. Of course, there have been surprises. That’s what makes this sport great.Â
But there’s legitimate staying power when the biggest preseason returners, free agents and freshmen are sources of brilliance, not frustration. Let’s dive into the 15 names who were named CBS Sports’Â Preseason All-Americans. How is it trending? Who did we whiff on the most?
How it’s trending: The Boilermakers are mired in a three-game losing streak, but it’s not Smith’s fault. The senior point guard has been the best pick-and-roll machine in the entire sport. No one is better at probing the defense and using a barrage of fakes to create an open shot for himself or others. He isn’t just a good passer. He is a breathtaking playmaker. Any National Player of the Year conversation that does not include Smith is unserious. Grade: A
How it’s trending: Toppin is sixth in KenPom’s National Player of the Year metric for good reason. The lefty power forward is utterly unstoppable. His engine is always revving. He is a maniac on the glass. His soft touch travels every night. He has turned himself into one heck of a defender. He’s even added more counters to his bag of tricks. Toppin is a total monster. Grade: A
How it’s trending: Peterson has scored 216 points in 272 minutes this year. It’s a ludicrous stat that is somehow real. Peterson makes a hard game look remarkably easy with an automatic jumper and gliding drives. The nagging leg injuries are the lone detractors from Peterson staking a claim as a First Team All-American. Grade: A-
F Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
How it’s trending: Kaufman-Renn is battling a hip injury and a position change which explains a hefty drop in his production. He’s cracked 20 points just once this year after averaging over 20 points last season. Kaufman-Renn has turned his rebounding up a notch, posting career-highs in offensive rebounding rate and defensive rebounding rate. He’s just a piece, not the featured piece of this offense. Overall, that’s been a good thing for Purdue. The Boilermakers’ offense is even better this year, even if it’s forced Kaufman-Renn’s offensive counting stats to dip. Grade: B
G Donovan Dent, UCLA
How it’s trending: The transition from a fast-paced New Mexico attack to more of a plodding halfcourt style at UCLA has been an adjustment for Dent. It didn’t help that his jumper betrayed him for long stretches this year. The talented senior point guard has rediscovered himself here in January, though, and is playing like the All-American we projected in the preseason. His 23-point, 13-assist showing against Purdue was outstanding. He has 41 assists and just seven turnovers in his last six games combined. It’s no surprise that UCLA is 5-1 in that span. Dent hasn’t had an All-American season, but he is starting to simmer like an All-American. The Bruins become thousands of times more vicious if this version of Dent sticks around for the next seven or eight weeks. Grade: C+
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David Cobb
How it’s trending: Boozer is like Thanos. Simply inevitable. The freshman big man is firmly in the lead for National Player of the Year, and he’s the unquestioned offensive engine for a 19-1 Duke club that has a top-five offense in the nation. He just stacks winning plays on top of the next. He leads Duke in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Grade: A+
F AJ Dybantsa, BYU
How it aged: Dybantsa is a freight train. He is college basketball’s most dangerous scorer in the open floor, and it’s just almost impossible to defend him without fouling. Dybantsa has drawn 7.7 fouls per 40 minutes. That ranks 10th-best in America. He’s leading the country in scoring, so he’s been as good as advertised. Grade: A
How it aged: Zooming out, Oweh has not had a disastrous season. The Kentucky senior is averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 33% from downtown and getting to the free throw line nearly six times a night. But it’s been a bumpy road with some low-lows for a Kentucky team that has not coalesced. Even Oweh would admit he had higher expectations for his senior campaign. Grade: C
How it aged: Iowa averages 1.068 points per possession directly off Stirtz’s pick-and-rolls. The 6-foot-4 guard is one of the elite ball-screen maestros, and he’s been productive (18.3 points, 5.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds) even though every Big Ten defense is loaded up to stop him. Iowa doesn’t have a fabulous supporting cast (yet), but Stirtz’s problem solving and barrage of pocket passes create advantages left and right. Some iffy shooting nights against the elite teams is the only downside on Stirtz’s resume, so far. Grade: B+
How it aged: The consensus around Lendeborg was high in October, and the top-rated UAB transfer has more than lived up to the hype. Lendeborg has rounded out his game for a Michigan club that is a Tier I National Championship contender. The shift to playing on the perimeter was wise, and it’s showcased all of Lendeborg’s best attributes. He’s a terrific secondary playmaker. His perimeter defense is outstanding. He is a menacing stampede driver who tilts the floor constantly. He’s already made more 3s this year at Michigan (27 in 20 games) than last year at UAB (25 in 36 games). Grade: A
How it aged: Warrior. Dawg. Hyena. Leader. What other adjectives do you want for Ejiofor? The St. John’s captain has somehow kept all the attributes that made him an elite role player while adding to his game. His assist rate has doubled. He’s become an even better rim protector. He’s more comfortable knocking down treys. Ejiofor has been everything you could want and then some. Grade: A
How it aged: Haggerty vowed to get buckets at Kansas State, and he’s lived up to his word. Haggerty is fifth in the nation in scoring (23.0 PPG), to go along with 5.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists. It just hasn’t been enough to impact winning for an injury-riddled, 10-11 Kansas State club. Grade: B-
How it aged: Ike is one of the safest bets for 20 points and 10 rebounds a night. The Zags’ star is dealing with a nagging ankle injury, but he’s manhandled every frontcourt he’s faced this year, outside of Michigan’s behemoth unit. He’s just gotten a little bit better every year. Gonzaga now lets him grab-and-go off the glass and lead its terrifying transition break once in awhile. He can get teams into early offense. He’s making better decisions offensively. He’s the Johni Broome of the West Coast Conference. Grade: A
How it aged: Kingston Flemings, not Uzan, has become Houston’s best guard. But Flemings has heaped praise onto Uzan for helping him assimilate into college and dominate. Uzan takes the toughest assignments defensively every night. He owns a 2.6-to-1, assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s shooting 41% from 3-point range in Big 12 play after a rather cold start from downtown through the first six weeks. Uzan has been one of Houston’s most reliable players, but Flemings is the All-American. Grade: B
G/F Darrion Williams, NC State
How it aged: Williams dealt with a shoulder injury in December, but the prized Texas Tech transfer has been such a steady fulcrum for this NC State club. Sometimes, he scores. Sometimes, his day is filled with hockey assists. Sometimes, he’s getting credited for real dimes. Running the offense through Williams has been a wise decision for Will Wade. The Wolfpack have just a 13% turnover rate when Williams is on the floor against top-100 teams, per hoop-explorer. NC (15-6) State needs to get on a heater to help Williams chase All-American honors, but his impact is clear as day. Grade: B
Notable omissions
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State: 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina: 19.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Darius Acuff, Arkansas: 20.2 points, 6.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds
Kingston Flemings, Houston: 17.5 points, 5.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds
Labaron Philon, Alabama: 22.0 points, 5.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds