Friday, February 25, 2022

National and Conference MVPs and Best Players

If I had to vote today for National Player of the Year, it would be a choice between the Most Valuable Player in the Country, Iowa's Keegan Murray, and the best player in the country, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren. 

MVP and POY are not the same thing. A freshman heading into March Madness on the way to the NBA Draft is often the best player in time for the tournament. However, the most valuable player over the course of the season is rarely a freshmen - but an upper classman who does not take all the bad shots or force turnovers trying to wedge between two defenders like even the greatest freshman do for much of the season.

That is why Murray has improved Iowa by 12.49 points per game at www.valueaddbasketball.com to make him the most valuable player in the season, while Holmgren is the top freshman at 11th (9.89).

The following is the list of the Most Valuable Player and Best Freshman in each conference, with a link to the 25 MVPs and top freshmen in each conference at www.valueaddbasketball.com, the a list of the best in the nation.

6 Top Rated Conferences (alphabetical order)

 Other 22 Conferences (alphabetical order)

And here is the list of the top players and freshman in the country in the same form you will see for each conference listed above.


Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)  .    

Note the freshman appear on bold as they tend to prove more that other players near the end of the season. For an explanation and links to the similar list for the other 31 conferences and the All-American list, click here.

Big 12 Conference (B12) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Big 12 Conference (B12).    


Note the freshman appear on bold as they tend to prove more that other players near the end of the season. For an explanation and links to the similar list for the other 31 conferences and the All-American list, click here.

Big East Conference (BE) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Big East Conference (BE).    


Note the freshman appear on bold as they tend to prove more that other players near the end of the season. For an explanation and links to the similar list for the other 31 conferences and the All-American list, click http://www.pudnersports.com/2022/02/national-and-conference-mvps-and-best.html?m=1


Big Ten Conference (B10) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Big Ten Conference (B10).   

Note the freshman appear on bold as they tend to prove more that other players near the end of the season. For an explanation and links to the similar list for the other 31 conferences and the All-American list, click http://www.pudnersports.com/2022/02/national-and-conference-mvps-and-best.html?m=1


Details to follow.

Pac 12 Conference (P12) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Pac 12 Conference (P12).   


Note the freshman appear on bold as they tend to prove more that other players near the end of the season. For an explanation and links to the similar list for the other 31 conferences and the All-American list, click http://www.pudnersports.com/2022/02/national-and-conference-mvps-and-best.html?m=1

Details to follow.

Southeastern Conference (SEC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).    


Note the freshman appear on bold as they tend to prove more that other players near the end of the season. For an explanation and links to the similar list for the other 31 conferences and the All-American list, click http://www.pudnersports.com/2022/02/national-and-conference-mvps-and-best.html?m=1


Details to follow.

America East Conference (AE) 25 MVPs and Top Freshman

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the America East Conference (AE).    


Note the freshman appear on bold as they tend to prove more that other players near the end of the season. For an explanation and links to the similar list for the other 31 conferences and the All-American list, click http://www.pudnersports.com/2022/02/national-and-conference-mvps-and-best.html?m=1




Details to follow.

Details to follow.

American Athletic Conference (Amer) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the American Athletic Conference (Amer).    


Note the freshman appear on bold as they tend to prove more that other players near the end of the season. For an explanation and links to the similar list for the other 31 conferences and the All-American list, click http://www.pudnersports.com/2022/02/national-and-conference-mvps-and-best.html?m=1

Details to follow.

ASUN Conference (ASun) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the ASUN Conference (ASun). 


Note the freshman appear on bold as they tend to prove more that other players near the end of the season. For an explanation and links to the similar list for the other 31 conferences and the All-American list, click http://www.pudnersports.com/2022/02/national-and-conference-mvps-and-best.html?m=1


Details to follow.

   Details to follow.

Atlantic 10 Conference (A10) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Atlantic 10 Conference (A10).   



Details to follow.

Big Sky Conference (BSky) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Big Sky Conference (BSky).    



Details to follow.

Big South Conference (BSth) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Big South Conference (BSth).    



Details to follow.

Big West Conference (BW) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Big West Conference (BW).  



Details to follow.

Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).    




Details to follow.

Conference USA (CUSA) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Conference USA (CUSA).   



Details to follow.

Horizon League (Horz) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Horizon League (Horz).    



Details to follow.

Ivy League (Ivy) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Ivy League (Ivy).    



Details to follow.

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).    



Details to follow.

Mid American Conference (MAC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Mid American Conference (MAC).   



Details to follow.

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).    



Details to follow.

Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC).   




  Details to follow.

Mountain West Conference (MWC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Mountain West Conference (MWC).    



Details to follow.

Northeast Conference (NEC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Northeast Conference (NEC).   




Details to follow.

Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).  



Details to follow.

Patriot League (Pat) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Patriot League (Pat).    



Details to follow.

Southern Conference (SC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Southern Conference (SC).   



Details to follow.

Southland Conference (Slnd) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Southland Conference (Slnd).   



Details to follow.

Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).    



Details to follow.

Summit League (Sum) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Summit League (Sum).    


Details to follow.

Sun Belt Conference (SB) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Sun Belt Conference (SB).   



Details to follow.

West Coast Conference (WCC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the West Coast Conference (WAC).



Details to follow.

Western Athletic Conference (WAC) 25 MVPs and Top Freshmen

The following are the 25 most valuable players based on their value above a typical replacement player both offensively and defensively at www.valueaddbasketball.com in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) .    


Details to follow.





Most Valuable 50 College Hoops Players & Top 20 Freshmen

Here is a preview of the top freshmen, and then the top 50 most valuable college basketball players from the soon-to-be-updated www.valueaddbasketball.com site. First, the most valuable freshmen, which as I have argued repeatedly are really not the most valuable players in the country due to the number of mistakes (turnovers, poor shot selection etc.) they make, but they are the most spectacular players and will likely mature to cut down on those mistakes and be the best players long-term.

Only the top three freshmen are truly already in the top 50 of the most valuable players in the country.
 
RnkFreshmenTeamPosYrOffenseDefenseValue
1Chet Holmgren #34GonzagaCFr5.91-3.989.89
2Bennedict Mathurin #0ArizonaGFr6.8-1.748.54
3Jabari Smith #10AuburnFFr5.72-2.558.27
4Norchad Omier #15Arkansas St.CFr5.42-2.718.13
5Gibson Jimerson #24Saint LouisGFr5.41-1.967.37
6Tyson Degenhart #2Boise St.FFr5.39-1.717.1
7DaRon Holmes #15DaytonCFr4.85-2.257.1
8Malaki Branham #22Ohio St.GFr5.43-1.667.09
9Kendall Brown #2BaylorGFr4.85-1.926.77
10TyTy Washington #3KentuckyGFr5.04-1.656.69
11Kennedy Chandler #1TennesseeGFr4.36-2.296.65
12Johni Broome #4Morehead St.CFr3.83-2.656.48
13Azuolas Tubelis #10ArizonaFFr4.84-1.616.45
14Kenneth Lofton #2Louisiana TechCFr4.38-2.046.42
15Caleb Houstan #22MichiganGFr2.98-3.396.37
16Jadon Jones #12Long Beach St.GFr4.02-2.286.3
17Paolo Banchero #5DukeFFr4.39-1.86.19
18Justin Lewis #10MarquetteFFr4.27-1.736
19Malachi Smith #11DaytonGFr3.23-2.695.92
20Dalen Terry #4ArizonaGFr4.12-1.715.83

Next we go to the actual 50 most valuable players of all. Note, we tweaked the positions. Until now, we have been categorizing players as 1-PG, 2-SG, 3-SF, 4-PF and 5-C based on analytics. However, we found in a number of cases the analytics were not distinguishing well between the first three and in fact that their did not seem to be much of a disadvantage to playing either of those three positions (PG is the hardest position, but the ratings reflect that with credit for assists). 

The real advantage in the rankings is to playing the Center spot or the Power Forward spot, where you often received the ball closer to the basket for easier shots and with a lower chance of turning it over. Therefore, the raw Value Add calculation for a center is multiplied by 0.9, for a power forward by 0.95 and for what we are now considering any of the three guards on the floor a 1.05. This is also more accurate for most line-ups, which do features about three guards due to more and more 3-pointers. With those notes, the most valuable players in college basketball to date in terms of the number of points they improve their team over a standard replacement player are the following:

 
RnkPlayerTeamPosYrOffenseDefenseValue
1Keegan Murray #15IowaFSo9.84-2.6512.49
2Oscar Tshiebwe #34KentuckyCJr7.72-3.8311.55
3Ochai Agbaji #30KansasGSr9.01-2.3811.39
4Alex Barcello #13BYUGSr8.98-2.111.08
5EJ Liddell #32Ohio St.FJr8.46-2.1310.59
6Collin Gillespie #2VillanovaGSr8.74-1.8210.56
7Iverson Molinar #1Mississippi St.GJr8.77-1.6210.39
8Tari Eason #13LSUFSo6.78-3.5110.29
9Hunter Dickinson #1MichiganCSo6.98-3.2110.19
10Justin Bean #34Utah St.FSr7.82-2.2710.09
11Nijel Pack #24Kansas St.GSo8.44-1.459.89
12Chet Holmgren #34GonzagaCFr5.91-3.989.89
13David Roddy #21Colorado St.FJr7.94-1.99.84
14RJ Cole #2ConnecticutGSr6.93-2.869.79
15Malachi Smith #13ChattanoogaGSo8.09-1.659.74
16Tylor Perry #5North TexasGJr7.96-1.779.73
17Walker Kessler #13AuburnCSo5.48-4.259.73
18Kendric Davis #3SMUGSr8.06-1.649.7
19Posh Alexander #0St. John'sGSo5.66-3.899.55
20Jamaree Bouyea #1San FranciscoGSr6.57-2.959.52
21Eli Brooks #55MichiganGSr5.73-3.769.49
22Hunter Maldonado #24WyomingGSr7.48-1.969.44
23Matt Bradley #3San Diego St.GSr7.27-2.129.39
24Trayce Jackson-Davis #23IndianaCSo6.94-2.459.39
25Teddy Allen #0New Mexico St.GJr5.89-3.429.31
26Terrell Brown #23WashingtonGSr8.36-0.659.01
27Johnny Davis #1WisconsinGSo6.27-2.718.98
28Armando Bacot #5North CarolinaCJr6.15-2.838.98
29Baylor Scheierman #3South Dakota St.GSo7.22-1.568.78
30Lucas Williamson #1Loyola ChicagoGSr4.9-3.868.76
31Christian Braun #2KansasFJr6.38-2.338.71
32Izaiah Brockington #1Iowa St.GSr6.92-1.738.65
33Trent Frazier #1IllinoisGSr4.82-3.818.63
34Bennedict Mathurin #0ArizonaGFr6.8-1.748.54
35Keon Ellis #14AlabamaGSr6.52-1.958.47
36Tevin Brown #10Murray St.GJr6.09-2.388.47
37Brad Davison #34WisconsinGSr6.12-2.348.46
38Jalen Williams #24Santa ClaraGJr7.06-1.368.42
39Isiaih Mosley #1Missouri St.GJr6.56-1.828.38
40Will Richardson #0OregonGSr7.46-0.98.36
41Santiago Vescovi #25TennesseeGJr6.26-2.18.36
42Sincere Carry #3Kent St.GJr6.61-1.728.33
43Wendell Moore #0DukeGJr6.53-1.778.3
44Bryce Hamilton #13UNLVFSr6.66-1.638.29
45Jabari Smith #10AuburnFFr5.72-2.558.27
46Garrett Sturtz #3DrakeGSr6-2.268.26
47Orlando Robinson #10Fresno St.CJr5.86-2.398.25
48Drew Timme #2GonzagaFJr6.2-2.038.23
49Alondes Williams #31Wake ForestGSr6.42-1.788.2
50Kellan Grady #31KentuckyGSr6.14-2.068.2

Sunday, February 20, 2022

Pierce's Kansas beats Kentucky's 1st National Champ

After real life heart-breaking losses for my team Marquette against Creighton as well as one of my back-up teams Auburn, I decided to divert attention back to the classic tournament with the Value Add Basketball Game.

When Juwan Howard's altercation took over the sports news, my first thought was to remember if I had his Fab 5 in my game, but then realized I had gone with Glen Rice's Michigan from a few years earlier. Back to the 32-team tournament in progress.

Kansas (1997) 78, Kentucky (1948) 54

Note that among the slight adjustments we made to some cards, Kansas 1997 team had a dunk range of 51-57. Kansas and Kentucky squared off to see who would face the winner of Artis Gilmore's Jacksonsville and Clyde Drexler's Houston.

Alex Groza was a three time All-American, and led Kentucky to their first national title and the US Olympic team to the Gold Medal before being voted NBA Rookie of the Year. His brother Lou Groza is in the football Hall of Fame as the first great field goal kicker.

However, at 6-foot-7 with none of his Fab Five teammates taller than 6-foot-3, the could not keep Paul Pierce and Kansas 1997 twin towers of 6-foot-11 Raef LaFrentz and Scot Pollard off the Boards. with one more point, the whole front line would have ended up with double doubles with Pierce (22 points, 10 rebounds), LaFrantz (9,14) and Pollard (15,13).

Pierce gave Kansas their first lead with 4:22 to go in the 1st half when he grabbed three consecutive offensive rebounds, and finally converted the third one for a 24-23 lead. A few minutes later Pierce made the first free throw and missed the second, but LaFrantz grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled - hitting both free throws to make it 29-27. 

With 13:11 to go in the game, Pollard put it away when he grabbed an offensive rebound, and fed it to Pierce who dunked for a 53-39 lead and they never looked back.

By the time Kansas won 78-54, they had won the rebounding battle 44-29.

Here is the tournament to date.







All-Americans Listed by 1st, 2nd and 3rd Teams

Last week we posted the prospects for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd team All-American squads as picked by position and based on their true offensive and defensive value to their team above a replacement player, as calculated at www.valueaddbasketball.com. This follow-up post is response to two requests; 1) to list the All-Americans by 1st, 2nd and 3rd team, and 2) to move Chattanooga's All-American Malachi Smith to his true position of point guard even though the fact that he grabs many defensive rebounds makes him "look" like a small forward to the analytics at www.kenpom.com and www.valueaddbasketball.com.

The following are the lists in that order, starting with the most valuable PG, SG, SF, PF and C as the 1st Team All-Americans. As noted many times, freshmen are almost always the "best" players in the country because the best leave for the NBA after one year. However, they actually are rarely the "most valuable" because they still make too many mistakes. Thus you will see none of the superstar freshmen in the 15 players to make our All-American teams, but we listed the corresponding three All-American Freshman teams below.

Pos1st Team All-AmericansTeamValueConfHtCl
PGCollin Gillespie #2Villanova9.33BE6'3"Sr
SGTerrell Brown #23Washington10.42P126'3"Sr
SFMatt Bradley #3San Diego St.9.3MWC6'4"Sr
PFKeegan Murray #15Iowa10.86B106'8"So
COscar Tshiebwe #34Kentucky11.14SEC6'9"Jr

Next the 2nd team:

Pos2nd Team All-AmericansTeamValueConfHtCl
PGMalachi Smith #13Chattanooga9.28SC6'4"So
SGNijel Pack #24Kansas St.9.39B126'0So
SFOchai Agbaji #30Kansas8.6B126'5"Sr
PFEJ Liddell #32Ohio St.9.93B106'7"Jr
CTrayce Jackson-Davis #23Indiana8.94B106'9"So

And finally the 3rd team:

Pos3rd Team All-AmericansTeamValueConfHtCl
PGIverson Molinar #1Mississippi St.8.68SEC6'3"Jr
SGPosh Alexander #0St. John's8.8BE6'0So
SFLucas Williamson #1Loyola Chicago8.28MVC6'4"Sr
PFJustin Bean #34Utah St.9.69MWC6'7"Sr
CWalker Kessler #13Auburn8.66SEC7'1"So

As for the freshmen, the following are the 1st three All-Freshmen teams first posted in this story. We do not insist on position balance with the freshman, but did required that at least one guard make each of the three teams.







Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Top Prospects At All 5 Positions for All-American College Basketball Honors

After 112 million watched a thrilling Super Bowl, the other long-time $1 billion sporting event of the year - March Madness - is right around the corner.

When choosing an All-American College Basketball Team, you can go with the BEST player at each position - who is usually a freshman heading for the NBA. Or you can go for the player who is truly most valuable at the position - which is almost always NOT a freshman, but a player who has learned not to make mistakes that offset some of the good he does for his team. We break down the best options in this blog, and our separate blog on each of the five positions.

For the Freshman All-American Team you can click on this CBS Sports 247 Link.


The one thing we do believe you should consider, and which seems all but ignored in most voting and most analytical systems except for www.valueaddbasketball.com, is the defense of each candidate. This CBS Sports site goes into great detail on how this is calculated, pointing out that taking away points helps a team win just as much as scoring points. If you are considering All-Conference players, you can click on www.valueaddbasketball.com and sort by conference.

Top Candidates for All-American Point Guard "1"

For the full blog on point guards, click here.

RnkTop 10 Freshman PGTeamVA5ConfHtTextCl
23Kennedy Chandler #1Tennessee6.08SEC6'0Fr
52Zakai Zeigler #5Tennessee4.92SEC5'9"Fr
58Malachi Smith #11Dayton4.71A106'0Fr
60Jalen Cook #3Tulane4.54Amer6'0Fr
66Jao Ituka #10Marist4.22MAAC6'1"Fr



If anyone had any doubts about Collin Gillespie being the top point guard in the country, they should watch how he has brought Villanova surging back into the top 10 - and the difference it made last year when he was injured for March Madness. It is a very close battle for 2nd Team All-American Point Guard between Mississippi State's Iverson Molinar and SMU's Kendric Davis. 

It may look strange to have Wyoming's super star Hunter Maldonado listed at point guard despite standing 6-foot-7, but he is in the top half percent of all players in assist rate - dishing and making everyone else score for a team that appears to be heading to March Madness.

 
RnkTop Point Guards (1)TeamVA5ConfHtTextCl
1Collin Gillespie #2Villanova9.33BE6'3"Sr
2Iverson Molinar #1Mississippi St.8.68SEC6'3"Jr
3Kendric Davis #3SMU8.54Amer6'0Sr
4Hunter Maldonado #24Wyoming8.08MWC6'7"Sr
5Jamaree Bouyea #1San Francisco8.06WCC6'2"Sr
6Payton Willis #0Minnesota7.92B106'4"Sr
7Tylor Perry #5North Texas7.77CUSA5'11"Jr
8Trent Frazier #1Illinois7.77B106'2"Sr
9Baylor Scheierman #3South Dakota St.7.45Sum6'6"So
10Will Richardson #0Oregon7.44P126'5"Sr


Top Candidates for All-American Shooting Guard "2"

For the full blog on shooting guards, click here.

RnkTop Freshmen SGTeamVA5ConfHtTextCl
15TyTy Washington #3Kentucky6.34SEC6'3"Fr
20Dalen Terry #4Arizona5.65P126'7"Fr
38Trevor Keels #1Duke4.72ACC6'4"Fr
50Terquavion Smith #0N.C. State4.35ACC6'4"Fr
60Steele Venters #2Eastern Washington4.18BSky6'7"Fr



One reason we love running these numbers is to find truly elite players who will not be noticed because their team either does not get enough TV coverage or is just not winning enough games to draw attention. The biggest case this year comes from teh 13-10 Washington in the Pac-12. We calculte that Washington would be 4-19 instead of 13-10 if Terrell Brown were not on the team, and for us that makes him the truly deserving 1st team All-American shooting guard who will not get any voters for it.

The race for 2nd and 3rd team All-American shooting buard is much closer.  TyTy Washington should be considered because it is truly unusual for a freshman guard to be anywhere near this high - but K-State, St. John's, BYU, Tennessee and the player who may have improved his team the most this year from last year - Alondes Williams of Wake Forest.
 
RnkTop Shooting Guards (2)TeamVA5ConfHtTextCl
1Terrell Brown #23Washington10.42P126'3"Sr
2Nijel Pack #24Kansas St.9.39B126'0So
3Posh Alexander #0St. John's8.8BE6'0So
4Alex Barcello #13BYU8.69WCC6'2"Sr
5Santiago Vescovi #25Tennessee8.65SEC6'3"Jr
6Alondes Williams #31Wake Forest8.15ACC6'5"Sr
7Garrett Sturtz #3Drake7.66MVC6'3"Sr
8Justin Moore #5Villanova7.53BE6'4"Jr
9Jaden Ivey #23Purdue7.05B106'4"So
10Brad Davison #34Wisconsin6.97B106'4"Sr

Top Candidates for All-American Small Forward "3"

For the full blog on small forwards, click here.

RnkTop Freshmen Small ForwardsTeamVA5ConfHtTextCl
9Bennedict Mathurin #0Arizona7.32P126'6"Fr
17Kendall Brown #2Baylor6.07B126'8"Fr
38Ricky Council #4Wichita St.4.97Amer6'6"Fr
53Alijah Martin #15Florida Atlantic4.41CUSA6'2"Fr
56Jadon Jones #12Long Beach St.4.4BW6'5"Fr



If you were picking an All-American team based by position, the Small Forward or "3" spot would be the toughest choice. Mathurin certainly is close enough to the top players to be considered due to freshmen surging at the end of the year. However, Wisconsin's Johnny Davis, San Diego State's Matt Bradley, Chattanooga's Malachi Smith, Loyola's Lucas Williamson and Iowa State's Izaiah Brockingham could all be serious considered as the most valuable small forward in college basketball.
 
RnkTop Overall Small Forwards (3)TeamVA5ConfHtTextCl
1Matt Bradley #3San Diego St.9.3MWC6'4"Sr
2Malachi Smith #13Chattanooga8.84SC6'4"So
3Ochai Agbaji #30Kansas8.6B126'5"Sr
4Lucas Williamson #1Loyola Chicago8.28MVC6'4"Sr
5Johnny Davis #1Wisconsin7.9B106'5"So
6Izaiah Brockington #1Iowa St.7.79B126'4"Sr
7Keon Ellis #14Alabama7.48SEC6'6"Sr
8Wendell Moore #0Duke7.34ACC6'5"Jr
9Bennedict Mathurin #0Arizona7.32P126'6"Fr
10Darryl Morsell #32Marquette7.04BE6'5"Sr

Top Candidates for All-American Power Forward "4"

For the full blog on power forwards, click here.

RnkTop Freshmen Power ForwardsTeamVA5ConfHtTextCl
7Jabari Smith #10Auburn7.14SEC6'10"Fr
11Paolo Banchero #5Duke6.69ACC6'10"Fr
18Justin Lewis #10Marquette6.28BE6'7"Fr
23Tyson Degenhart #2Boise St.6.13MWC6'7"Fr
27Azuolas Tubelis #10Arizona5.9P126'11"Fr



A voter would certainly be justified in placing Smith, likely the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, as the 1st Team All-American Power Forward. However, if the entire season including early games were rated evenly, the 1st and 2nd Team All-American should really go to two Big Ten stars. Ohio State's EJ Liddell may have been the most valuable player over the course of the last two seasons, while Keegan Murray of Iowa has been able to explode now that his teammate and National Player of the Year Luka Garza has graduated.

RnkTop Freshmen Power ForwardsTeamVA5ConfHtTextCl
1Keegan Murray #15Iowa10.86B106'8"So
2EJ Liddell #32Ohio St.9.93B106'7"Jr
3Justin Bean #34Utah St.9.69MWC6'7"Sr
4Tari Eason #13LSU9.25SEC6'8"So
5David Roddy #21Colorado St.8.84MWC6'6"Jr
6Christian Braun #2Kansas7.54B126'6"Jr
7Jabari Smith #10Auburn7.14SEC6'10"Fr
8Vince Williams #10VCU6.9A106'6"Sr
9Jaime Jaquez #24UCLA6.81P126'7"Jr
10Jake LaRavia #0Wake Forest6.77ACC6'8"Jr

Top Candidates for All-American Center "5"

For the full blog on centers, click here.

RnkTop Freshmen CentersTeamVA5ConfHtTextCl
5Chet Holmgren #34Gonzaga8.52WCC7'0Fr
8Norchad Omier #15Arkansas St.7.79SB6'7"Fr
12Kenneth Lofton #2Louisiana Tech7.03CUSA6'7"Fr
18Johni Broome #4Morehead St.6.68OVC6'10"Fr
34DaRon Holmes #15Dayton5.84A106'10"Fr


In true value, our calculations indicate the 1st Team All-American so far should come from Kentucky, and Holgrem is in a tight races for the 2nd Team All-American center with stars from Indiana, Auburn and UNC.

 
RnkTop Centers (5)TeamVA5ConfHtTextCl
1Oscar Tshiebwe #34Kentucky11.14SEC6'9"Jr
2Trayce Jackson-Davis #23Indiana8.94B106'9"So
3Walker Kessler #13Auburn8.66SEC7'1"So
4Armando Bacot #5North Carolina8.6ACC6'10"Jr
5Chet Holmgren #34Gonzaga8.52WCC7'0Fr
6Orlando Robinson #10Fresno St.8.4MWC7'0Jr
7Hunter Dickinson #1Michigan7.89B107'1"So
8Norchad Omier #15Arkansas St.7.79SB6'7"Fr
9Jack Nunge #24Xavier7.61BE7'0Jr
10KJ Williams #0Murray St.7.27OVC6'10"Jr