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Victory is luxury
Multiple authors
It has been an amazing college basketball season. Simply amazing.
Despite all the doomsday prophecies from some coaches and administrators, the game has never been better, heralded by “chaos” and “wild west.” The standard of play has been spectacular. Many teams are older and more experienced. And This could be the deepest and most productive freshman class in recent memory, if not history. Ratings and interest have never been higher. There is much to celebrate.
The only downer this season has been high-profile injuries to some of the game’s truly great players. BYU’s Richie Saunders, Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson and Michigan’s LJ Cason are all out for the year, capping great individual seasons (and college careers) and impacting their team ceilings.
Kansas phenom Darrin Peterson has been the game’s best and most impressive scorer at times. But his injuries, illnesses and periodic unavailability have been frustrating, mostly because of our selfish nature to want him to perform. Peterson, who could be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft in June and will be a 2026 All-America first teamer, played in just 20 of the Kansas Jayhawks’ 31 regular-season games. He has been All-America in the games he has played. There is no such title for this honor, yet there should be.
The race for national player of the year is over, and it’s Duke’s Cameron Boozer. There is no question that he has been the best player in the game this season. Buzzer’s productivity and consistency has been exceptional. He would become the first player since Kevin Durant in 2007 to average 20-plus points and 10 rebounds while shooting 40% from 3-point range. His “worst” game: 14 points, five rebounds and two assists against Niagara, when he played just 21 minutes in the blowout. That consistent production hasn’t happened in the last 30 years. Oh yeah, and he plays for the number one team in the country. He led the Blue Devils in scoring, rebounding, offensive rebounding and assists.
Freshman stars earned six of the 20 spots on this All-America list, which is remarkable. And even then, several incredible freshmen were left out: Kingston Flemings (Houston), Ebuka Okorie (Stanford), Hannes Steinbach (Washington), Nate Ament (Tennessee), Michael Brown Jr. (Louisville) and Brayden Burris and Koya Peet (Arizona). The list is ridiculous.
The best news: The regular season is just over. This incredible group of players and their teams still have tournament play ahead of them, where they can pursue championships, build resumes, and prove us wrong regardless of our opinions. That should be it.
first team
National Player of the Year
The undisputed best player in the country. He averaged 22.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists, shooting 58% from the field and 40.7% from 3-point range. Regardless of what happens in the NBA draft, Boozer has ruled college basketball this season.
Debantser leads the nation with 24.7 points per game, and seems to shine when the spotlight is brightest. He has scored more than 35 points in a game five times — including a high-profile matchup with No. 4 Arizona (35 points) and a 40-spot in his Big 12 Tournament debut against Kansas State on Tuesday.
In his first year at Michigan, Lendborg is one of the best two-way players in the country. A big reason why the Wolverines are as good as they are this year — and why they’re a contender in this tournament.
In his second season in Ames, Jefferson is averaging career highs in points, rebounds and assists. He has become one of the most versatile players in the country with five double-doubles this season.
Smith’s 8.7 assists this year are good for second in the nation — and it’s the second season in a row he’s averaged that many. Smith remains one of the best guards in the country, and he’s averaging 14.9 points per game and shooting at a career-best clip.
Second team
Toppin’s ACL injury that sidelined him last month is a shame for the Red Raiders and college basketball fans. Toppin was one of the best returners in the country, and he improved in almost every area this season.
Fiers leads the nation in assists with 9.1 per game and has hit double digits 12 times (he had just 5.4 per game last season). Tom Izzo has gotten the best of Fiers as a starter this year.
Even after battling an ankle injury in recent weeks, Acuff has been putting on a show. After a 49-point masterclass in a double-OT loss to Alabama, Acuff scored 20-plus points in three of his last four games.
In his first year at Iowa, Stirtz has been a boon to the offense — and is scoring more than Drake did last year. He averaged 20.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
Replacing Mark Sears was never going to be easy, but Fillon rose to the challenge and then some. His 21.5 points per game — good for 15th in the nation — more than doubled his total as a freshman last year.
Third team
Wilson’s loss (just like Toppin’s) was as saddening to college hoops fans as it was to the Tar Heels faithful. He changes the game when he’s on the court, and UNC will miss him badly in the tournament.
One of college basketball’s greatest talents — when he was on the floor. His 24-point game against Arizona and 27-point outing in the season finale against Kansas State were bright spots this season.
Ike is shooting the worst rate of his career this season, but at 56.5%, it’s not too shabby. He averaged a career-high 19.9 points, and building around his well-rounded game gave Mark Few another contender.
Anderson’s sophomore campaign showed incredible improvement. His points per game increased from 10.6 to 19.2; His assists per game increased from 2.2 to 7.8, good for third in the nation.
Wagler, an unranked four-star recruit, has been great for Illinois. His 23-point performance against Michigan (secured by Landeberg, no less) was a showcase.
honorable mention
Jaden Bradley, Arizona
Thomas Huff, Florida
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
