CBS Sports 2015-16 Preseason College Basketball All-America Team
Providence's Kris Dunn, Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, LSU's Ben Simmons, Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer and Kentucky's Skal Labissiere headline the CBS Sports Preseason All-America teams.
By
Gary Parrish
•
4 min read
College basketball is a unique sport in that the best players in any given season rarely return for the following season -- the latest bit of proof being that not a single CBS Sports First Team All-American from last season is back in school this season.
Jerian Grant and Frank Kaminsky exhausted their eligibility.
Willie Cauley-Stein, Jahlil Okafor and D'Angelo Russell left early.
So, like usual, we're basically starting from scratch. And in an attempt to gather as many points of view as possible, I took suggestions from my colleagues Doug Gottlieb, Matt Norlander, Jerry Palm, Chip Patterson, Jon Rothstein and Sam Vecenie, then discussed and debated everything further with Norlander, Patterson and Vecenie. Our only rule was that each All-American team had to look something like a real team, meaning we weren't going to have five guards and no bigs on one team, then four bigs and no ball-handler on another. In other words, we decided, each group of five had to be a group that could theoretically take a court together.
The results are below.
Here are the CBS Sports Preseason All-America Teams:
FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
KRIS DUNN
Providence Friars | Junior | Guard
Comment: It's a testament to Dunn's individual talent that he's an obvious First Teamer even though he plays for a Providence team that won't be in preseason Top 25 polls. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 15.6 points, 7.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds last season. He projects as a lottery pick whenever he enters the NBA Draft.
BUDDY HIELD
Oklahoma Sooners | Senior | Guard
Comment: Hield's decision to return to Oklahoma for his senior season gives the Sooners a legitimate shot to end Kansas' run of Big 12 championships. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 17.4 points and 5.4 rebounds last season. He shot 82.3 percent from the free-throw line.
BEN SIMMONS
LSU Tigers | Freshman | Forward
Comment: Simmons is a uniquely talented prospect who projects as a top-five pick in the NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10 forward should be a star in what will likely be his only season of college basketball. He averaged 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 3.6 steals and 2.2 blocks during LSU's five-game tour of Australia this preseason.
KYLE WILTJER
Gonzaga Bulldogs | Senior | Forward
Comment: Wiltjer is the CBS Sports Preseason National Player of the Year based on the fact that he's a statistical star on a team with a reasonable shot at another Elite Eight or, perhaps, even the Final Four. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds last season for a 35-win team. He shot 54.0 percent from the field and 46.6 percent from 3-point range.
SKAL LABISSIERE
Kentucky Wildcats | Freshman | Forward
Comment: Labissiere is now projected by most to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft because of a unique skill set for a player his size. He's a 6-foot-11 forward who is comfortable away from the basket. The only question is whether barely playing competitive basketball for the past two years will hinder him in some way.
SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
JAMAL MURRAY
Kentucky Wildcats
Freshman | Guard
Comment: Murray scored 30 points in the Nike Hoop Summit, then put 22 on Team USA (while playing for Team Canada) in the Pan Am Games. Consequently, the 6-foot-4 guard is now a projected lottery pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and his ability to play multiple positions will give John Calipari options in the backcourt.
MELO TRIMBLE
Sophomore | Guard
Comment: Trimble is the top returning scorer for a preseason top-five team. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 16.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists last season while leading the Terps to 28 wins. He shot 41.1 percent from 3-point range.
MALCOLM BROGDON
Senior | Guard
Comment: Brogdon averaged a team-best 14.0 points for the ACC champs last season. The 6-foot-5 guard has shot at least 87.5 percent from the line in each of the past two seasons.
GEORGES NIANG
Senior | Forward
Comment: Niang's versatility makes him a matchup problem in college basketball. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 15.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists last season. He shot 40.0 percent from 3-point range and 80.8 percent from the free-throw line.
NIGEL HAYES
Junior | Forward
Comment: Hayes will be Wisconsin's primary option now that Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker are gone. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 12.4 points and 6.2 rebounds last season. He shot 49.7 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from 3-point range.
THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
FRED VANVLEET
Senior | Guard
Comment: VanVleet has led Wichita State to a 65-6 record over the past two seasons. The 6-foot point guard averaged 13.6 points, 5.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds last season. He only turned the ball over 1.7 times per game.
MARCUS PAIGE
Senior | Guard
Comment: Paige was hampered by injuries last season and watched his points-per-game average and field-goal percentage drop. Still, the 6-foot-1 guard is the top returning scorer on a possible No. 1 team. He averaged 14.1 points and 4.5 assists per game last season.
DENZEL VALENTINE
Senior | Guard
Comment: Valentine had a breakout season last season and is now a legitimate NBA prospect. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He shot 41.6 percent from 3-point range and 82.6 percent from the free throw line.
PERRY ELLIS
Senior | Forward
Comment: Ellis is a four-year player and big reason why Kansas has won each of the past three Big 12 titles. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds last season. He shot 45.7 percent from the field, which was down from the previous season.
JAKOB POELTL
Sophomore | Forward
Comment: Poeltl was one of the nation's best freshmen on a team that won 26 games last season. The 7-foot forward averaged 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game. He shot 68.1 percent from the field.
