College Basketball's All-Week 8 First Team: Top Performers at Every Position

Week 8 of the college basketball season showcased many impressive single-game performances, helping teams like Jarrod Uthoff's Iowa and Wayne Selden's Kansas ring in a particularly happy new year.

This week in review includes a few cool breakout performances—including one from a military academy player. There's even a real Diamond who isn't so much in the rough these days at Maryland.

Big scoring efforts are taken into consideration to select the all-week team, as are storylines that made a performance special and playing well against good (ranked) teams.

Picks are by position and include some off-the-bench studs.

Let us know what you think of our picks—and share your own—in the comments.

Point Guard: Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova

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Dec. 28 vs. Penn: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

Dec. 31 vs. Xavier: 27 points, 8 assists, 2 steals

Jan. 2 vs. Creighton: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists

The Villanova glue guy did his biggest work in the Wildcats' biggest game of the week, hitting seven three-pointers out of 14 attempts against Xavier on New Year's Eve. Not bad for a 38-percent long-range shooter. His teammate, freshman Jalen Brunson, had a stomach bug that day, so the leader's presence was even more valuable in the blowout of the Musketeers.
 

Second Team: Isaiah Taylor, Texas

Dec. 29 vs. UConn: 19 points, 2 assists; Jan. 2 vs. Texas Tech: 35 points, 6 assists

Taylor's team lost a couple of times. But sometimes you have to compliment a guy who tried to lay it all out there for his team, including scoring a career high in the Big 12 opener. (We may be shortchanging Tyler Ulis' fantastic game for Kentucky against Ole Miss in the process, but we'll stick with our guns here.)

"(Taylor) went berserk," Texas Tech coach Tubby Smith said afterward, per the Associated Press via ESPN.com. "I think he had (28 points) in the second half. He was phenomenal. We tried to take the ball out of his hands a little bit when he started doing that and didn't have much success."

Shooting Guard: KeVaughn Allen, Florida

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 29 vs. Florida State: 32 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists

Jan. 2 vs. Georgia: 18 points, 2 rebounds

The highly regarded freshman from Arkansas is starting to figure it out. Both games were well above his season scoring average (10.2 points), and the 6'2" guard made about half of his shots from the field and three-point line in a split week.

He provides exactly the burst the Gators need to be a presence again in the SEC.

Second Team: Andrew Andrews, Washington

Dec. 28 vs. UC Santa Barbara: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists; Jan. 1 vs. UCLA: 35 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

Andrews was marvelous in a double-overtime win to start Pac-12 play. The 6'2" senior made half of his eight three-point attempts and 17 of his 19 free throws. All but eight points came after the first half.

Small Forward (Wing): Wayne Selden Jr., Kansas

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 29 vs. UC Irvine: 8 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists

Jan. 2 vs. Baylor: 24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists

If Kansas' junior did a bit of a disappearing act against the humongous Irvine roster, he more than made up for it to start Big 12 play. Selden Jr. scorched Baylor early, making five three-pointers, and continues to grow a game that has coach Bill Self complimentary of a guy who used to confuse Jayhawks followers a ton.

Second Team: Georges Niang, Iowa State

Dec. 30 vs. Coppin State: 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists; Jan. 2 vs. Oklahoma: 29 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist

Niang would have been the first-teamer if the Cyclones could have held on to start Big 12 play at Oklahoma. He was awesome for most of the game, scoring at will from a variety of positions—including a seemingly impossible hook shot early in the second half. He attempted 18 shots, made 13 and elevated himself into the race to become a first-team All-American.

Power Forward: Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa

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Dec. 29 vs. Michigan State: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 6 blocks

Jan. 2 vs. Purdue: 25 points, 5 blocks, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals

Talk about a week. Iowa jumped up big time with a couple of wins against nationally ranked teams, and Uthoff was a big reason at both ends of the floor in each game. That included scoring 16 of the Hawkeyes' first 20 points against Purdue.

Second Team: Tanner Plomb, Army

Dec. 28 vs. Monmouth: 27 points, 4 rebounds; Dec. 30 vs. Lehigh: 23 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds; Jan. 2 vs. Bucknell: 23 points, 4 assists, 3 steals

The 6'7" senior from Wisconsin did a remarkable job in a marquee game against Monmouth, putting a dent in its nonconference portfolio. Plomb nailed a jumper and a couple of free throws to secure a win against a team that has been receiving Top 25 votes in recent weeks.

Center: Diamond Stone, Maryland

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 27 vs. Marshall: 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks

Dec. 30 vs. Penn State: 39 points, 12 rebounds

Jan. 2 vs. Northwestern: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks

The 6'11" freshman has really come into his own, and last week he showed more of it. He was particularly special against Penn State, scoring 23 of Maryland's first 29 second-half points and 32 of his career-high night in the final 20 minutes. But he continues to know how to pick his spots.

Against Northwestern he took just four shots but made all of them in another key Big Ten win.

Second Team: Nikola Jovanovic, USC

Jan. 1 vs. Washington State: 20 points, 12 rebounds

Talk about ringing in the new year the right way. The 6'11" junior helped the Trojans continue their hotter-than-expected start with a Pac-12-opening win against the Cougars. He's a focal point of a more talented, polished team than USC has had in recent years.

Off the Bench: Drew Edwards, Providence

Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 31 vs. Butler: 10 points, 5 rebounds

Jan. 2 vs St. John's: 0 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists

Was the freshman the highest scorer around last week? Of course not. But you have to hand it to a newcomer who can go into a Big East game at Butler, stroke a couple of threes and score about three times his season average. Combined with sophomore forward Rodney Bullock's big day, it's no wonder the Friars are clicking in ways besides point guard Kris Dunn.

Second Team: Dererk Pardon, Northwestern

Dec. 27 vs. Loyola: 6 points, 4 rebounds; Dec. 30 vs. Nebraska: 28 points, 12 rebounds; Jan. 2 vs. Maryland: 8 points, 6 rebounds

In just his second college game, the freshman forward—once a redshirt candidate— led the Wildcats back from a 12-point deficit at Nebraska. That kind of small but necessary win, amid his contribution, could loom large when at-large bid time rolls around for the NCAA tournament.