We are less than a week from the delayed start of the college basketball season, and I’ve had a couple of more weeks than usual to think about those players who are going to be super, scintillating and sensational in 2020-21.
With games set to tip off Wednesday, here are my preseason players to keep an eye on, from the leader of the “All-Marco Polo” team (most talented transfer) to the “All-Thomas Edison” team (best creator) to the “All-Florence Nightingale” team (best player returning from injury). These guys are going to be awesome, baby!
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Luka Garza, Iowa
ALL-MARCO POLO: Landers Nolley II, Memphis (from Virginia Tech)
ALL-DIAPER DANDY: Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State
ALL-SCORER: Antoine Davis, Detroit-Mercy
ALL-PASSPORT: Franz Wagner, Michigan
ALL-VELCRO DEFENDER: Marcus Garrett, Kansas
ALL-THOMAS EDISON: Colbey Ross, Pepperdine
ALL-HUMAN ERASER: Kevin Samuel, TCU
ALL-GLASS EATER REBOUNDER: James Butler, Drexel
ALL-DIPSY DOO DUNKEROO: Keyshawn Bryant, South Carolina
ALL-CLUTCH: Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois
ALL-FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE: Joshua Langford, Michigan State
ALL-BIG MAN ON CAMPUS: Chris Lykes, Miami
And in case you missed it, here are my complete All-America teams heading into 2020-21. Diaper Dandies aren’t eligible this time around, but Cade Cunningham and others will be eligible for the postseason All-America team in March:
First team
Luka Garza, Iowa
Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois
Jared Butler, Baylor
Remy Martin, Arizona State
Olivier Sarr, Kentucky
Second team
Garrison Brooks, North Carolina
Marcus Zegarowski, Creighton
Collin Gillespie, Villanova
Sam Hauser, Virginia
Marcus Garrett, Kansas
Third team
Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Kofi Cockburn, Illinois
Keyontae Johnson, Florida
Chris Smith, UCLA
Fourth team
Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia
Jalen Crutcher, Dayton
McKinley Wright IV, Colorado
Trendon Watford, LSU
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova
Fifth team
Colbey Ross, Pepperdine
James Bouknight, Connecticut
John Fulkerson, Tennessee
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Oscar da Silva, Stanford
And finally, here’s my preseason Top 40, with Mark Few’s loaded Gonzaga squad topping the charts. These teams are going to be awesome, baby, with a capital A!
1. Gonzaga Bulldogs
2. Villanova Wildcats
3. Baylor Bears
4. Virginia Cavaliers
5. Wisconsin Badgers
6. Kansas Jayhawks
7. Michigan State Spartans
8. Texas Tech Red Raiders
9. Duke Blue Devils
10. Tennessee Volunteers
11. Creighton Bluejays
12. Iowa Hawkeyes
13. Kentucky Wildcats
14. Florida State Seminoles
15. North Carolina Tar Heels
16. Illinois Fighting Illini
17. Alabama Crimson Tide
18. Arizona State Sun Devils
19. LSU Tigers
20. West Virginia Mountaineers
21. UCLA Bruins
22. Michigan Wolverines
23. Stanford Cardinal
24. Houston Cougars
25. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
26. Louisville Cardinals
27. Texas Longhorns
28. Oregon Ducks
29. Richmond Spiders
30. Seton Hall Pirates
31. Ohio State Buckeyes
32. Florida Gators
33. Arizona Wildcats
34. Memphis Tigers
35. UConn Huskies
36. Indiana Hoosiers
37. Providence Friars
38. Oklahoma Sooners
39. Purdue Boilermakers
40. Northern Iowa Panthers