Pre-season All-American team announced

[FerryFor50]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basketball/news/20131104/smart-leads-college-basketball-all-america-team.ap/?sct=hp_t2_a7&eref=sihp

Wiggins is only the 2nd freshman ever named to the pre-season All American. Sir Harry Barnes was the first... and we all remember how un-All-American he was that year...

Is this the equivalent to the SI curse for NCAAB freshmen?

[flyingdutchdevil]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basketball/news/20131104/smart-leads-college-basketball-all-america-team.ap/?sct=hp_t2_a7&eref=sihp

Wiggins is only the 2nd freshman ever named to the pre-season All American. Sir Harry Barnes was the first... and we all remember how un-All-American he was that year...

Is this the equivalent to the SI curse for NCAAB freshmen?

Can't disagree with the other 4. McDermott, Smart, Smith, and McGary all had great years last year (McGary finished the year extremely strong).

Why have Wiggins there? That sounds like a massive cop out. He is undeniably athletic and filled with potential, but he is still extremely raw.

Whatever. I'll take a balanced team over a superstar any day.

[FerryFor50]

Can't disagree with the other 4. McDermott, Smart, Smith, and McGary all had great years last year (McGary finished the year extremely strong).

Why have Wiggins there? That sounds like a massive cop out. He is undeniably athletic and filled with potential, but he is still extremely raw.

Whatever. I'll take a balanced team over a superstar any day.

Agreed with most of that. I think McGary may regress... that Michigan team was loaded and McGary was able to fly under the radar a bit. I wonder how he'll do now that teams won't have to gameplan for Trey Burke, Hardaway Jr, etc and can gameplan for him.

[rsvman]

Agreed with most of that. I think McGary may regress... that Michigan team was loaded and McGary was able to fly under the radar a bit. I wonder how he'll do now that teams won't have to gameplan for Trey Burke, Hardaway Jr, etc and can gameplan for him.

Agree. I don't think, when the dust clears, that McGary will be on anybody's first team All America list. Just a hunch, though.

[TexHawk]

I'll take a balanced team over a superstar any day.

So would I, but are you suggesting KU won't be balanced? They have two other McDAA's in the starting five, plus a center who Duke wanted pretty badly. There is also a 7-footer on the bench who has high lottery upside (some have suggested he might go #1 ahead of Wiggins).

Wiggins is not a Kevin Durant/Michael Beasley type, he will not put up 20+ shots per game, or even be a particularly good outside shooter. Granted, I only saw him in the one exhibition, but his immediate value will be on the defensive end. His wingspan is unreal. He will get his points in transition and driving to the basket.

[NSDukeFan]

Agree. I don't think, when the dust clears, that McGary will be on anybody's first team All America list. Just a hunch, though.

So, are you saying that because a player or team has a good tournament run, (cough NC State last year cough) we shouldn't completely discount the rest of the season's results?

[FerryFor50]

So would I, but are you suggesting KU won't be balanced? They have two other McDAA's in the starting five, plus a center who Duke wanted pretty badly. There is also a 7-footer on the bench who has high lottery upside (some have suggested he might go #1 ahead of Wiggins).

Wiggins is not a Kevin Durant/Michael Beasley type, he will not put up 20+ shots per game, or even be a particularly good outside shooter. Granted, I only saw him in the one exhibition, but his immediate value will be on the defensive end. His wingspan is unreal. He will get his points in transition and driving to the basket.

I think Wiggins will be a fine player. But the word out on him is that he doesn't look to shoot a lot and is kind of passive. Hard to make an All-America team when your contribution is mostly on defense...

[TexHawk]

I think Wiggins will be a fine player. But the word out on him is that he doesn't look to shoot a lot and is kind of passive. Hard to make an All-America team when your contribution is mostly on defense...

Well, can "the word" wait until he plays a real game or two? Wiggins put up 13 shots in 25 minutes in one exhibition.

Btw... 18 months ago a guy made the All-American team, won the Naismith player of the year, and the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, and his contribution was almost entirely on defense. (Note: I am not saying Wiggins is going to be Anthony Davis, but he will be a plus defender.)

[Kedsy]

There is also a 7-footer on the bench who has high lottery upside (some have suggested he might go #1 ahead of Wiggins).

You mean Embiid? He's not going to start? Will he be getting good minutes, or is he more of a project? (Although hard to imagine him being a project if anyone credible is saying he might go #1 in the draft; also hard to imagine him not starting.)

[FerryFor50]

Well, can "the word" wait until he plays a real game or two? Wiggins put up 13 shots in 25 minutes in one exhibition.

Btw... 18 months ago a guy made the All-American team, won the Naismith player of the year, and the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, and his contribution was almost entirely on defense. (Note: I am not saying Wiggins is going to be Anthony Davis, but he will be a plus defender.)

I wouldn't call 14.2 ppg and 62% FG contributing almost entirely on defense. He led the national champs in scoring.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/anthony-davis-5.html

That season, the following players (and their offensive outputs) were finalists for the Naismith:

Draymond Green 16.2 ppg, 45% FG, 2.8 APG
http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/draymond-green-1.html

Doug McDermott 22.9 ppg, 60% FG, 49% 3pt
http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/doug-mcdermott-1.html

Thomas Robinson 17.7 ppg, 50% FG
http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/thomas-robinson-2.html

Davis scored the fewest but likely won based on team success and defensive prowess. But Davis was hardly one dimensional. Wiggins would have to be as dominant on D (unlikely) and as effective on offense (probable) to be in the discussion.

[TexHawk]

You mean Embiid? He's not going to start? Will he be getting good minutes, or is he more of a project? (Although hard to imagine him being a project if anyone credible is saying he might go #1 in the draft; also hard to imagine him not starting.)

Embiid won't start for a while, maybe not all season. He's behind sophomore "elder-statesman" Perry Ellis and real elder-statesman Tarik Black on the depth chart. His athleticism is just nuts, but he's extremely raw. If he goes #1, it won't be because he has a better season than anybody else, it will entirely be on his potential. A few people have made an Olajuwon comparison. But unfortunately for KU, we probably won't see him fulfill that potential in Allen Field House.

[TexHawk]

I wouldn't call 14.2 ppg and 62% FG contributing almost entirely on defense. He led the national champs in scoring.


Fair enough, but the guy still won MOP when he only put up 6 points on 1-10 shooting in the championship game. Not sure I have ever seen anything like that before.