Written by Ricky O’Donell at SBNation.com
The AP announced its college basketball preseason All-Americans on Wednesday. The group includes two seniors, two juniors, a sophomore and no freshmen. Here’s a look at the team:
G Grayson Allen, Duke: Allen is the headline name for a Duke squad that will begin the season as the consensus No. 1 team in the country. After breaking out in the Final Four as a seldom-used freshman, Allen turned into one of college basketball’s best players as a sophomore. He averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on his way to leading Duke to the Sweet 16 and being named a Third Team All-American by the AP.
G Monte Morris, Iowa State: Morris spent his first three years in college basketball redefining what it means to be a pure point guard. He has twice led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio while logging heavy minutes leading the Cyclones’ attack. Morris came into his own as a scorer last season, posting a career-high 13.8 points per game while continuing to be a heady floor general.
F Josh Hart, Villanova: Hart’s decision to pull his name out of the NBA draft gives Villanova a real shot at repeating. The 6’6 senior wing should be the Wildcats’ best player on both ends of the floor this year, serving as a rugged perimeter defender and impressive slasher on offense. Aside from averaging 15.5 points per game last season, he also averaged 6.8 rebounds. Villanova will need his work on the glass even more without graduated senior Daniel Ochefu.
F Dillon Brooks, Oregon: The Ducks are trying to build on last season’s No. 1 seed and trip to the Elite Eight. The return of Brooks, a junior wing, is a big reason why they think they can do it. Brooks led Oregon in scoring last season at 16.7 points per game and also sets the tone for the Ducks defensively. He’s recovering from a foot injury but hopes to be ready to go before conference play in the Pac-12 begins.
C Ivan Rabb, Cal: Rabb was a projected NBA lottery pick after a standout freshman season with Cal, but made the surprising decision to return to school. The Bears are glad to have him. Rabb is hyper-efficient around the rim, finishing last season with a 63.5 true shooting percentage that ranked in the top 50 in the country. He scored in double figures in his final eight games, and hopes to lead the Bears back to the NCAA tournament to get the taste of last season’s first-round loss to Hawaii out of his mouth.
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