Bleacher Report's 2014-15 College Basketball All-American, All-Conference Picks

Last year was easy. Doug McDermott was the clear choice for Player of the Year. 

This season, there's been an actual debate for not just Player of the Year but also Coach of the Year and the coveted All-American spots.

Frank Kaminsky or Jahlil Okafor? Tony Bennett or John Calipari? What do you do with Calipari's platoon boys? Who gets All-American love at Virginia? 

My colleague Jason King and I had some healthy debates over chicken wings and BLTs at The Peanut in Kansas City for our second-annual Bleacher Report college basketball awards.

In the following slides, you'll find our national award picks, All-Americans and all-league selections in some of the top conferences in the country.

First-Team All-American: Jerian Grant, Notre Dame

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Notre Dame's Jerian Grant put together one of the best redemption stories in the history of college basketball. A year after getting booted from school, he returned to the Irish to lead them to a third-place finish in the ACC. 

The senior guard not only puts up great numbers—16.8 points and 6.7 assists per game—but he makes everyone around him better. The Irish have one of the most efficient offenses in college basketball, per KenPom.com, and every player in the rotation is shooting a better percentage this season than last.

First-Team All-American: D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State

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D'Angelo Russell has made Ohio State DVR-worthy this season. Almost every game, the freshman guard does something that sets Twitter ablaze.

The freshman guard has put up some impressive numbers too, averaging 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. He's scored 25 or more points six times this season and dropped a triple-double at Rutgers on Feb. 8.

First-Team All-American: Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky

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Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein had shown flashes of greatness as a freshman and sophomore, but he's played at an elite level almost every single game this season. Not many teams in America boast a post presence as intimidating as the 7-footer, who blocks 1.6 shots per game and alters countless others.

Cauley-Stein is also averaging 1.4 steals and a career-high 8.9 points. His performance this season has propelled him up NBA draft boards. He's expected to be a top-10 pick this summer.

First-Team All-American: Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin

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One season after leading the Wisconsin Badgers to the Final Four, senior big man Frank Kaminsky has been even better in 2014-15. The potential NBA lottery pick ended the regular season averaging career highs in points (18.4) and rebounds (8.1) while shooting 55.9 percent from the field.

Kaminsky has scored in double figures in all but one game and has surpassed the 20-point plateau on 13 occasions. With the 7-footer leading the way, no one will be surprised if Wisconsin returns to the Final Four.

First-Team All-American: Jahlil Okafor, Duke

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There was a ton of hype surrounding Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor entering the season—and all of its seems justified after the potential No. 1 draft pick ended the regular season averaging team highs in points (17.6), rebounds (9.2) and blocks (1.4).

Duke will enter the ACC tournament on an 11-game winning streak largely because of Okafor, who has 11 double-doubles and has scored in double figures in all but one game this season. His ability to flourish in the national spotlight at such a young age speaks volumes about his potential at the next level.

Second-Team All-Americans

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G Tyus Jones, Duke: The freshman point guard has been consistently good all season, but he's been exceptional in big games. Take his two contests against North Carolina, for example, in which he averaged 23 points, 7.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds.

G Delon Wright, Utah: The senior point guard has led an impressive turnaround at Utah, which will return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009. Wright averages 14.7 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds for the Pac-12's second-best team.

G Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia: Brogdon has hit big shot after big shot this season for the Wahoos. He's Virginia's leading scorer, and similar to his buddy on the wing, Justin Anderson, Brogdon is a great defender whose length and athleticism make him a perfect fit for Tony Bennett's pack-line D.

F Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga: The Kentucky transfer is one of the toughest matchups in the country and an extremely efficient scorer. He makes 44.7 percent of his threes and 57.5 percent of his twos. 

F Seth Tuttle, Northern Iowa: Tuttle is smart and fundamentally sound with the ball in his hands. Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky is the only big man in the country who has comparable feel and vision. Tuttle leads the Panthers in points (15.3), assists (3.3) and rebounds (6.8) per game.

Third-Team All-Americans

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G Darrun Hilliard II, Villanova: The Wildcats won a second straight Big East title thanks, in large part, to Hilliard, who averages 14.2 points, 2.0 assists and 1.8 steals.

G Fred VanVleet, Wichita State: The ultimate team leader, the Shockers point guard and 2014 Naismith finalist is averaging 12.7 points and 5.3 assists. VanVleet is 63-5 as a starter the past two seasons.

F Stanley Johnson, Arizona: The McDonald’s All-American has more than lived up to his billing by averaging team highs in points (13.9) and rebounds (6.6) for the Pac-12 champs.

F Bobby Portis, Arkansas: Portis averages 17.8 points and 8.7 rebounds for the SEC’s second-place team. Portis scored in double figures in every regular-season game.

F/C Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky: The Wildcats are on a different level when Towns is at his best. The likely top-five NBA draft pick averages 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks for the nation's lone undefeated team.

Honorable Mention: All-Americans

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• G Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
• G Ron Baker, Wichita State
• C Rakeem Christmas, Syracuse
• G Justin Anderson, Virginia
• G T.J. McConnell, Arizona
• G Quinn Cook, Duke
• F Rico Gathers, Baylor
• G Terry Rozier, Louisville
• G Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga
• G Tyler Haws, BYU

Player of the Year: Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin

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All season, the race for Player of the Year has been a two-man battle between Kaminsky and Okafor. 

The offensive numbers are close to even, with a slight lean toward Kaminsky whether you look at their averages or advanced stats. Kaminsky is better from the perimeter. Okafor is better from the blocks. What sets Kaminsky apart is that he's a better passer (2.6 assists per game) and a better defender. 

Both are worthy. Kaminsky has just been the better all-around player over the course of the entire season. 

Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Kentucky

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With eight McDonald’s All-Americans and a slew of future first-round NBA draft picks, Kentucky is one of the most talented teams in college basketball history. But that doesn’t mean John Calipari has it easier than most of his coaching colleagues.

Heck, in some ways, his job is harder.

Convincing future pros who have been coddled their entire lives to share the ball, play tough defense and sacrifice minutes in Kentucky’s platoon system is a difficult task. But it's one Calipari has mastered while turning Kentucky into college basketball’s top program. The Wildcats are 31-0 entering the SEC tournament. An undefeated season feels more and more possible each day.

Freshman of the Year: Jahlil Okafor, Duke

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It's rare these days that a phenom freshman lives up to the hype. Just look back to last season, when many analysts were trying to poke holes in Andrew Wiggins' game, despite him having a pretty darn good freshman season. 

Well, Okafor has actually lived up to the hype from the moment he stepped on campus at Duke. He's one of the most unstoppable forces on the blocks the college game has seen in some time. Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell, who is better than anyone expected, made this an actual contest, but Duke's success makes Okafor the clear winner. 

Transfer of the Year: Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga

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Wiltjer was tailor made for the Gonzaga system and made a smart decision to transfer to Spokane.

Two years ago, he was the SEC Sixth Man of the Year and played a nice niche role as a shooter at Kentucky. Now, Wiltjer is a star for the Zags, averaging a team-best 16.6 points per game.

He has one of the best single-game performances all season—45 points at Pacific—and Mark Few has allowed him to score from all over the court in a system that rewards versatile scorers with size.

Defensive Player of the Year: Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky

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Why is Kentucky a historically dominant defense?

Well, it starts with length and the difficulty to get an easy shot around the rim. The versatility of Cauley-Stein is what takes the UK defense to another level, though.

Cauley-Stein is a once-in-a-lifetime defensive talent with the ability to guard every position on the floor. The 7-footer leads Kentucky in steals (44) and is second on the team in blocks (49).

Sixth Man of the Year: Taurean Prince, Baylor

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A Top 25 team for most of the season, Baylor has been one of college basketball’s biggest surprises, and Taurean Prince is one of the main reasons.

The junior small forward is averaging a team-high 14.0 points and ranks second on the squad in steals (1.4) and third in rebounds (5.5). Prince has made more three-pointers (55) than any player on Baylor’s roster, knocking down an impressive 40.4 percent of his looks from deep. He averaged 15.6 points in Big 12 games, a mark that ranked third in the league.

Most Improved Player: Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin

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As good as it was a year ago, Wisconsin is even better this season thanks to Nigel Hayes, the 6’7” forward who often gets overlooked playing alongside Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker.

Hayes, who earned Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year honors as a freshman, has seen his scoring average increase from 7.7 to 12.0 points. His rebounds are up from 2.8 per game last season to 6.4 this year. After not even attempting a three-pointer last season, Hayes has swished 24 of them as a sophomore while shooting 52.0 percent from the field overall and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.   

“I truly think he’s the guy that can take us from a good team to a great team,” Badgers guard Josh Gasser told Bleacher Report. “When Nigel plays well, we tend to play well.”

Most Underrated: Quinn Cook, Duke

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Freshmen Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow get most of the attention, and rightfully so. But Duke wouldn’t be in line for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament if not for Quinn Cook, the senior guard who has been one of the Blue Devils’ MVPs both on and off the court.

Instead of pouting or developing a bad attitude, Cook embraced his move from point guard to shooting guard after the arrival of the highly touted Jones. The move couldn’t have worked out any better for Cook, who is averaging a career-high 16.0 points while shooting 40.4 percent from beyond the arc. He should enter the postseason full of momentum after eclipsing the 20-point barrier in five of his final eight games.

All-American Athletic Conference

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First Team

• G Nic Moore, SMU
• G Ryan Boatright, Connecticut
• G Will Cummings, Temple
• G James Woodard, Tulsa
• C Yanick Moreira, SMU

Second Team

• G Troy Caupain, Cincy
• G Shaquille Harrison, Tulsa
• F Octavius Ellis, Cincy
• F Austin Nichols, Memphis
• C Amida Brimah, UConn

Player of the Year: Nic Moore, SMU

Coach of the Year: Larry Brown, SMU

Freshman of the Year: Daniel Hamilton, Connecticut

Transfer of the Year: Jesse Morgan, Temple

Most Improved: Yanick Moreira, SMU

Most Underrated: Austin Nichols, Memphis

All-ACC

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First Team

• G Tyus Jones, Duke
• G Jerian Grant, Notre Dame
• G Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia
• C Jahlil Okafor, Duke
• C Rakeem Christmas, Syracuse

Second Team

• G Terry Rozier, Louisville
• G Marcus Paige, North Carolina
• G Quinn Cook, Duke
• G Justin Anderson, Virginia
• F Montrezl Harrell, Louisville

Player of the Year: Jahlil Okafor, Duke

Coach of the Year: Tony Bennett, Virginia

Freshman of the Year: Jahlil Okafor, Duke

Transfer of the Year: Trevor Lacey, NC State

Most Improved: Justin Anderson, Virginia

Most Underrated: Pat Connaughton, Notre Dame

All-Big East

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First Team

• G Kris Dunn, Providence
• G Darrun Hilliard, Villanova
• G D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Georgetown
• F Roosevelt Jones, Butler
• F LaDontae Henton, Providence

Second Team

• G Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova
• G Kellen Dunham, Butler
• G D'Angelo Harrison, St. John's
• C Joshua Smith, Georgetown
• C Daniel Ochefu, Villanova

Player of the Year: Darrun Hilliard, Villanova

Coach of the Year: Chris Holtmann, Butler

Freshman of the Year: Trevon Bluiett, Xavier

Transfer of the Year: Matt Carlino, Marquette

Most Improved: Daniel Ochefu, Villanova

Most Underrated: Matt Stainbrook, Xavier

All-Big Ten

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First Team

• G D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State
• G Melo Trimble, Maryland
• F Aaron White, Iowa
• F Sam Dekker, Wisconsin
• C Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin

Second Team

• G Yogi Ferrell, Indiana
• G Dez Wells, Maryland
• F Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
• F Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin
• F Jake Layman, Maryland

Player of the Year: Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin

Coach of the Year: Mark Turgeon, Maryland

Freshman of the Year: D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State

Transfer of the Year: Jon Octeus, Purdue

Most Improved: Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin

Most Underrated: Aaron White, Iowa

All-Big 12

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First Team

• G Juwan Staten, West Virginia
• G Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
• F Perry Ellis, Kansas
• F Rico Gathers, Baylor
• F Georges Niang, Iowa State

Second Team

• G Frank Mason, Kansas
• G Monte Morris, Iowa State
• G Kenny Chery, Baylor
• G Isaiah Cousins, Oklahoma
• F Le'Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State

Player of the Year: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma

Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas

Freshman of the Year: Myles Turner, Texas

Transfer of the Year: TaShawn Thomas, Oklahoma

Most Improved: Frank Mason, Kansas

Most Underrated: Phil Forte, Oklahoma State

All-Pac-12

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First Team

• G T.J. McConnell, Arizona
• G Joseph Young, Oregon
• G Delon Wright, Utah
• F Stanley Johnson, Arizona
• F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Arizona

Second Team

• G Chasson Randle, Stanford
• G Norman Powell, UCLA
• G Gary Payton II, Oregon State
• F Kevon Looney, UCLA
• C Jakob Poeltl, Utah

Player of the Year: Delon Wright, Utah

Coach of the Year: Larry Krystkowiak, Utah

Freshman of the Year: Stanley Johnson, Arizona

Transfer of the Year: Gary Payton II, Oregon State

Most Improved: Norman Powell, UCLA

Most Underrated: Dillon Brooks, Oregon

All-SEC

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First Team

• G Stefan Moody, Mississippi
• F Bobby Portis, Arkansas
• F Jordan Mickey, LSU
• C/F Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky
• C Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky

Second Team

• G Aaron Harrison, Kentucky
• G Michael Qualls, Arkansas
• G Danuel House, Texas A&M
• G Devin Booker, Kentucky 
• F Jarell Martin, LSU

Player of the Year: Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky

Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Kentucky

Freshman of the Year: Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky

Transfer of the Year: Stefan Moody, Mississippi

Most Improved: Michael Qualls, Arkansas

Most Underrated: Marcus Thornton, Georgia

All-Atlantic 10

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First Team

• G Tyler Kalinoski, Davidson
• G Jordan Sibert, Dayton
• G E.C. Matthews, Rhode Island
• F Dyshawn Pierre, Dayton
• F Treveon Graham, VCU

Second Team

• G Jack Gibbs, Davidson
• G Kendall Anthony, Richmond
• G Marcus Posley, St. Bonaventure
• F DeAndre Bembry, St. Joseph's
• C Cady Lalanne, UMass

Player of the Year: Tyler Kalinoski, Davidson 

Coach of the Year: Bob McKillop, Davidson 

Freshman of the Year: ShawnDre' Jones, Richmond

Transfer of the Year: Marcus Posley, St. Bonaventure

Most Improved: Jordan Barham, Davidson

Most Underrated: Cady Lalanne, UMass

All-Mountain West

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First Team

• G Derrick Marks, Boise State
• F Winston Shepard, SDSU
• F Larry Nance, Wyoming
• F Christian Wood, UNLV
• F J.J. Avila, Colorado State

Second Team

• G Rashad Vaughn, UNLV
• G Marvelle Harris, Fresno State
• G Daniel Bejarano, Colorado State
• F J.J. O'Brien, San Diego State
• F Jalen Moore, Utah State

Player of the Year: Derrick Marks, Boise State

Coach of the Year: Leon Rice, Boise State

Freshman of the Year: Rashad Vaughn, UNLV

Transfer of the Year: James Webb III, Boise State

Most Improved: A.J. West, Nevada

Most Underrated: Josh Adams, Wyoming

All-WCC

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First Team

• G Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga
• G Tyler Haws, BYU
• G/F Kyle Collinsworth, BYU
• F Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga
• C Brad Waldow, Saint Mary's

Second Team

• G Kerry Carter, Saint Mary's
• G Johnny Dee, San Diego
• F Stacy Davis, Pepperdine
• C Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga
• C Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga

Player of the Year: Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga

Coach of the Year: Mark Few, Gonzaga

Freshman of the Year: Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga

Transfer of the Year: Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga

Most Improved: Anson Winder, BYU

Most Underrated: Aaron Bright, Saint Mary's

All-Mid-Major

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First Team

• G Fred VanVleet, Wichita State
• G Ron Baker, Wichita State
• G Keifer Sykes, Green Bay
• G Cameron Payne, Murray State
• F Seth Tuttle, Northern Iowa

Second Team

• G Corey Hawkins, UC Davis
• G R.J. Hunter, Georgia State
• F A.J. English, Iona
• F Justin Moss, Buffalo
• C Alan Williams, UC Santa Barbara

Player of the Year: Seth Tuttle, Northern Iowa

Coach of the Year: Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa

Freshman of the Year: Pascal Siakam, New Mexico State

Transfer of the Year: Jimmy Hall, Kent State

Most Improved: Justin Moss, Buffalo

Most Underrated: John Brown, High Point

C.J. Moore and Jason King cover college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow them on Twitter @CJMooreBR and @JasonKingBR.