College Basketball: Preseason Predictions for All 3 All-American Teams

Some years, the return of established stars makes predicting college basketball’s All-Americans a straightforward endeavor. This season, however, only three of the AP’s 15 All-America honorees from 2010-11 are still in the college game.

With so much change at the top, the ranks of the country’s best players are likely to be a good deal younger than last year’s senior-laden group. Returning freshman standouts like Kentucky’s Terrence Jones and Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger will be headliners in their second seasons of college ball.

Read on for a look at one way the first, second and third teams could shake out in 2011-12.

Third Team: G Tu Holloway, Xavier

Defending A-10 champion Xavier is the prohibitive favorite to repeat in the conference thanks to the return of combo guard Tu Holloway. As a junior in 2010-11, Holloway led the Musketeers with 20.2 points and 5.5 assists a night, while making the AP’s All-America third team.

The undersized (6’0”, 185 lbs) Holloway was locked down in last year’s NCAA tournament loss to Marquette, and there’s a good chance that the Musketeers will suffer a similar fate this year.

Until that happens, though, Holloway is set up to post another huge season in 2011-12.

Third Team: G Ashton Gibbs, Pitt

With Brad Wanamaker and Gary McGhee having graduated, the offensive burden for the Pitt Panthers will fall squarely on Ashton Gibbs. Luckily for Pitt, the senior guard looks to be ready for the challenge.

Gibbs led the Panthers with 16.7 points a game last season, shooting a dazzling 49 percent from three-point land in the process.

With Wanamaker gone, Gibbs may be thrust into more of a playmaker role (after posting only 2.8 assists a night last year), but either way the he'll be the undisputed leader of what will still be a dangerous Pitt squad.

Third Team: F Kris Joseph, Syracuse

A close call over Texas A&M defensive whiz Khris Middleton, Kris Joseph is likely to benefit from playing on a superior team. With most of the key personnel back from last year’s 27-8 squad, the Orange are leading contenders for the Big East crown this year.

With center Rick Jackson lost to graduation, Joseph is likely to get an even bigger slice of the offensive pie in 2011-12. Expect his team-high 14.4 points per game from last season to improve appreciably in his final collegiate season.

Third Team: F JaMychal Green, Alabama

At 6’8”, 228 lbs, JaMychal Green isn’t the most physically imposing power forward around. When it comes to putting up numbers, though, the Alabama senior is tough to beat.

Green led the Tide’s NIT-finalist squad with 16 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks a game in 2010-11. Don’t be surprised to see him improve on even those gaudy stats as he wraps up his career in Tuscaloosa.

Third Team: C Alex Oriakhi, UConn

Kemba Walker may be gone, but UConn is a national championship contender again, thanks to the return of all four other starters from last year’s title team. Already one of the country’s toughest defenders, Alex Oriakhi will get a chance to expand his offensive role in Walker’s absence.

Oriakhi led all returning Big East players with 8.5 rebounds a game last season, while also blocking 1.6 shots a night. He won’t need to improve much on his 10-point scoring average to earn his place among the best post players in the country.

Second Team: G Kendall Marshall, North Carolina

The best pure distributor in the nation, Kendall Marshall has more than his share of scorers to feed on the stacked Tar Heels. Marshall took advantage to the tune of an ACC-best 5.8 assists per game in 2010-11.

Marshall’s unimpressive scoring average—6.1 points a night last season—isn’t likely to improve much, and with so few points he won't crack the top All-America lineup. As the floor leader of a national title favorite, though, he’s still in an outstanding position to succeed.

Second Team: G Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin

Though he’s very much a scoring point guard—his 18.1 points a game led the Badgers last season—Jordan Taylor is one of the country’s most skilled passers. He posted an astonishing assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.8 in 2010-11.

Even with three-point sniper Jon Leuer gone, Taylor will be able to keep the Badgers’ offense clicking this year. After earning a second-team All-America nod from the AP as a junior, he’s a good bet to do at least that well again this season.

Second Team: G Will Barton, Memphis

Few teams are likely to take a bigger step forward this season than the Memphis Tigers.

The freshman-laden squad went just 10-6 in C-USA play, but after a surprise win in the conference tournament, the Tigers nearly upset Derrick Williams and Arizona in the second round of the NCAAs.

Leading the charge for the no-longer-green squad will be high-flying guard Will Barton. The 6’6” sophomore posted a team-high 12.3 points and finished second with 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals a game last year.

Expect a more seasoned Barton (on a tougher team) to improve on all three numbers this season.

Second Team: F Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota

One of the country’s best pure athletes at the PF spot, Trevor Mbakwe was one of the overlooked stars of the 2010-11 season. The 6’8” junior led the Big Ten with 10.5 rebounds a game while also leading the Gophers with 13.9 points a night.

After Mbakwe’s star turn for the U.S. team at the World University Games this summer, he’s only going to be tougher to stop this season. Even in the rough-and-tumble Big Ten, Mbakwe will be a physical presence to be reckoned with.

Second Team: C Perry Jones, Baylor

Even if Perry Jones had (as many expected) jumped to the NBA after his freshman season at Baylor, he would have been an instant lottery pick. Accordingly, the ceiling on what he’ll be able to accomplish in his second year of college ball is exceedingly high.

The 6’11” Jones averaged 13.9 points and 7.2 rebounds a game last season—finishing second on the team in both categories—and he’ll be facing a Big 12 conference with few established big men this year.

A monster year would make him a virtual lock for the No. 1 overall pick in June.

First Team: G Scoop Jardine, Syracuse

Running the point for a national title contender is a fast track to national recognition. With Syracuse likely to make a deep run in March, senior Scoop Jardine will have plenty of opportunities to showcase his considerable skills.

Jardine’s 5.8 assists a game last season were second in the Big East, and he also managed to score 12.8 points a night despite Rick Jackson and Kris Joseph taking most of the shots. With Jackson gone, Jardine could post even bigger individual numbers in 2011-12.

First Team: G John Jenkins, Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt has a real shot at the first Final Four berth in school history this season. If they make it, John Jenkins will be the primary reason.

As a sophomore last season, Jenkins led the SEC with 19.5 points a game. With a veteran team returning around him, Jenkins will get even more opportunities, and likely post even more impressive stats, in 2011-12.

First Team: F Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

The most spectacular player on the nation’s best team, Harrison Barnes will be a fixture on North Carolina highlight reels this season. The explosive 6’8” forward led the ACC champion Tar Heels with 15 points a game as a freshman last season.

The rest of North Carolina’s gargantuan front line returns intact, meaning that defenses will find it no easier to key on Barnes in 2011-12. Expect even bigger numbers and, likely enough, a national title shot for the potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick.

First Team: F Terrence Jones, Kentucky

Even with Brandon Knight on his way to the Detroit Pistons, Kentucky is a front-runner for the national championship. The biggest reason for that distinction is the return of power forward Terrence Jones.

As one of the Wildcats’ many freshman stars last year, Jones averaged 16.5 points (second on the team behind Knight) and an SEC-high 8.9 rebounds per game.

Even with another crop of elite freshmen (led by Anthony Davis) arriving in Lexington, Jones’ relative experience and absolute talent will make him the leader of this year’s Kentucky squad.

First Team: F Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

The AP’s only returning first-team All-American, Jared Sullinger’s performance isn’t going to drop off any time soon. The national Freshman of the Year led Ohio State to a No. 1 seed with 17.2 points and 10.1 rebounds a game.

The 6’9”, 280-lb Sullinger is already strong on fundamentals, and a year of college experience will only make him tougher to handle. Expect him to be a favorite for the Wooden Award this year.