Kyle Singler - First Team All-American?

[CameronCrazy'11]

Shawn Siegel thinks so: http://collegehoopsnet.com/new/20080...n-update-42437

He also has Duke penciled in as pre-season #3.

[gw67]

Singler is a very good player but I don't think that he will have the stats to get support for All American. It is interesting that Siegal makes this argument against a couple of others but not Singler. Johnson of Wake was Singler's equal as a frosh but, like Singler, I don't expect him to put up big numbers on a loaded Wake team. Similarly, Ellington and Henderson should have good years but they play on teams with well balanced scoring. Top ACC players who should have good statistical years but were not listed include McClinton and Vasquez.

gw67

[BlueintheFace]

Well, I don't know about this, but if it comes true then you can also pencil in Duke for the Final Four. Here's Hoping...

[yancem]

Singler is a very good player but I don't think that he will have the stats to get support for All American. It is interesting that Siegal makes this argument against a couple of others but not Singler. Johnson of Wake was Singler's equal as a frosh but, like Singler, I don't expect him to put up big numbers on a loaded Wake team. Similarly, Ellington and Henderson should have good years but they play on teams with well balanced scoring. Top ACC players who should have good statistical years but were not listed include McClinton and Vasquez.

gw67

There is a good chance that you are right about Singler and Henderson not putting up huge numbers because of the balance in Duke's offense but I wonder if Duke's best chance at making a deep run would be for one or both to stake larger roles in scoring. It is good to have a balanced offense and in fact, if you look at the most successful of Duke's seasons, you will usually see 4-5 double digit scorers. But you will also see 1 or 2 players that separate from the pack and score 17-20 ppg. The only team that I can think of that had good post season success and didn't have a decisive lead scorer was '04. Every other final 4 team under K has had at least 1 player average 17+ ppg.

Again while having balanced scoring is important because it make the team more difficult to guard as a whole, it is also important to have that 1 or 2 guys that you know you can count on to get you a bucket when you need it most. It's ok to have several different players rotate as the leading scorer but it is also important to know who you should turn to in the clutch. If that rotates too much then I think it becomes more difficult to know who to get the ball to which can lead to miscues and indecision. Hopefully Paulus and Scheyer are again double digit scores with Smith and 1 of the big men in the 7-9 ppg range. But hopefully Singler and Henderson end up scoring around 17-20 ppg as well.

[Ignatius07]

While I doubt Singler will get first-team AA for the reasons listed above, I do think Henderson and Singler will establish themselves pretty clearly as the go-to scorers (with Scheyer as a very strong third option), albeit on a fairly balance team. I don't really foresee much "confusion" at the end of games in this respect, the same way I don't really think we saw much last year. In fact, even last year Gerald was several times given the opportunity to score in close games (Belmont and Pitt immediately come to mind), with kick outs to Paulus and Singler also options.

[greybeard]

Singler, until he got beat up in three successive games Miami, State, and Clemson I think, was one of the most impressive players in the college game. If there are others who can take some of that weight, anything is possible.

Terrific, terrific talent, with the steely determination and fire of Christian, but without the edge. What he has that Christian didn't, is the ability to play with the fluidity that is Grant-like, smaller. Christian was fluid as a big. Singler can do that too, but can also be fluid like a three. Christian and the other hand was taller.

Singler, for me, the most interesting and entertaining player to watch in the college game. If he don't get beat to a pulp like last year, and gets to carry less of the load as the lone big on the floor for Duke, his evolution as a player will be extraordinary theater. Who cares who makes All America. The "heads" select them, don't they. If the coaches do also, they're in the wrong business. Such an inappropirate role for coaches to play. But, then again they have shoe contracts too.

[kramerbr]

How does Gerald not make it into any of his top four teams or "other's in line"?

[greybeard]

How does Gerald not make it into any of his top four teams or "other's in line"?

Gerald will have to show numbers. He will stand out to the extent that his ability to score the ball stands out. To be exceptional, that means he will have to show an ability to score the mid range jump shot and to consistently create that for himself. His ability to score going to the rim is an established talent, as his ability, exceptional for his size, to rebound the ball in a crowd. He will rank up there if he shows exceptionally off the bounce to a pull up jump shot, sort of like David Thompson. Of course, should he develop a reasonably consistent 3-ball, forgetttaboutit.

[sagegrouse]

I think there are two rules that govern A-A selection.

(1) Saying it makes it so. The A-A team consists of well-known players, most of whom were ballyhooed in the pre-season.

(2) Performing on a national stage is crucial (national TV exposure during the regular season) and goes hand-in-hand with the former point.

BTW, none of this disadvantages anyone from Duke -- esp. an easily recognizable kid like Singler (it's the stitches and scars on that pink face) who has received widespread praise.

I beg to differ with the posters above that Duke players won't have the stats line to justify A-A status. I don't think it matters as long as the b-ball announcers (and not just Dickie V) are singing their praise every week.

IIRC (and I seldom do), in 2002 CBS Sports had a five person first-team A-A team, which included J-Will, Dunleavy and Boozer.

Singler could very well be 1st team A-A if he has a great sophomore year and Duke has a very good season. I am not so sure about Gerald Henderson -- his talents have not received the recognition they deserve, and maybe there has been a question about consistency. His year may be 2010. (Hint, hint Gerald -- you need two more years.)

sagegrouse

[CameronCrazy'11]

When I first saw someone predicting Kyle as a 1st team, I was a little surprised that it was Kyle over Gerald. I still think that Gerald has at least as good a chance as Kyle, and I still think it's a long shot for either of them, but I can see why someone would suggest that about Singler. Kyle had a number of double-doubles and a few 20 point games last year. Of course, he also had a few low-scoring under-performances. Ultimately, this kind of inconsistency is not too surprising from a freshmen. If he can play consistently next year how he played when we was at his best this year, he will be a huge success. I think if he stays four years, he is a very serious candidate to be NPOY and have his jersey retired.

[gw67]

IMO, the only way that Singler gets 1st team All American consideration is if the Devils are one of the top 2-3 teams in the country, he is clearly Duke’s leading player and he is played up by national sportscasters and sportswriters. All could happen but I doubt it. I like Singler’s all around game, particularly his ability to play inside/out and his toughness. I consider him the Devils’ best player but it is by a very small margin over Henderson, Scheyer and Paulus.

I think Hansbrough, Harangody, Budinger and Griffin will get the ink and have the stats to make All American along with a host of perimeter players who generally dominate the college game.

For the record, JWill, Boozer and Dunleavy were 1st team All ACC in 2002 but according to Charlie Board, only JWill was a consensus 1st team All American that year. Dunleavy made 2nd team and Boozer made 3rd team.

gw67

[CameronCrazy'11]

IMO, the only way that Singler gets 1st team All American consideration is if the Devils are one of the top 2-3 teams in the country, he is clearly Duke’s leading player and he is played up by national sportscasters and sportswriters. All could happen but I doubt it. I like Singler’s all around game, particularly his ability to play inside/out and his toughness. I consider him the Devils’ best player but it is by a very small margin over Henderson, Scheyer and Paulus.

I think Hansbrough, Harangody, Budinger and Griffin will get the ink and have the stats to make All American along with a host of perimeter players who generally dominate the college game.

For the record, JWill, Boozer and Dunleavy were 1st team All ACC in 2002 but according to Charlie Board, only JWill was a consensus 1st team All American that year. Dunleavy made 2nd team and Boozer made 3rd team.

gw67

None of this is really that far-fetched. Duke was 2nd or 3rd for a large portion of the season, and the majority opinion on the board (and of Coach K) seems to be that we will be better next year, so 2nd or 3rd place is well in reach if the team stays together. Singler also had the best rebounding and scoring numbers of anyone other than Demarc last year, so it's definitely possible that, with some development, he could be Duke's "star", but I don't see that as a highly likely scenario. Singler could probably average over 20 points a game and ten rebounds a game if he were stuck on some mediocre team, but on a team with a distribution of talent like Duke, it's probably not gonna happen. I do think Singler and Paulus (3rd team All-ACC last year) as well as Henderson and maybe even Scheyer are all in contention for All-ACC first team though.

[jv001]

I think Hansbrough, Harangody, Budinger and Griffin will get the ink and have the stats to make All American along with a host of perimeter players who generally dominate the college game.

Let them get the awards and we will take the ACC championship and the NCAA championship. I really like our team.

[CameronCrazy'11]

I think Hansbrough, Harangody, Budinger and Griffin will get the ink and have the stats to make All American along with a host of perimeter players who generally dominate the college game.

Let them get the awards and we will take the ACC championship and the NCAA championship. I really like our team.

That's basically what Kansas did, right? I think that's probably the most likely scenario for us. We have a lot of really good players, but no real superstars as of yet.

[Wander]

Kansas did have balance in the sense that they weren't overly dependent on one or two players, but just as importantly they had balance between their backcourt and their frontcourt. Obviously, we don't seem to have that.

Also, I don't know why there's anger about the selection process for these awards. If I remember correctly, last year's first team was Augustin, CDR, Hansbrough, Love, and Beasley. All five of those players deserved it individually, and they had team success as well - three of the five were on Final Four teams, with a fourth being on an Elite 8 team.