The three AP All-American teams have been released. The second and third teams are a little weird -- the second team is entirely comprised of guards, while the third team is all forwards:
AP FIRST TEAM
- G - John Wall, Kentucky
- G - Evan Turner, Ohio State
- G - Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
- F - Wes Johnson, Syracuse
- F - DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky
SECOND TEAM
- G - James Anderson, Oklahoma State
- G - Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
- G - Sherron Collins, Kansas
- G - Jon Scheyer, Duke
- G - Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia
THIRD TEAM
- F - Greg Monroe, Georgetown
- F - Damion James, Texas
- F - Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
- F - Darington Hobson, New Mexico
- F - Cole Aldrich, Kansas
Now, with the exception of John Wall and Evan Turner, I see a valid argument against the other three first teamers. Scottie Reynolds -- and Villanova -- really struggled down the stretch, culminating in a tournament performance that didn't do Reynolds career justice. Wes Johnson spent much of the middle of the season slowed by injuries. DeMarcus Cousins played 23.5 minutes per game.
While those are all legitimate points, who do you put over them?
James Anderson scored a lot of points, but he didn't get his team anywhere. Sherron Collins didn't need to score as much as he did last season, and his numbers took a hit. Greivis Vasquez, Da'Sean Butler, and Jon Scheyer both had terrific seasons, but were they nore deserving than Reynolds or Johnson? The answer to that question likely depends on whether you live in ACC or Big East country.
As far as DeMarcus Cousins is concerned, playing 23.5 minutes per game should only increase his All-American candidacy in my opinion. He averaged 15.1 ppg and 9.8 rpg in just 23.5 mpg, sharing a front court with Patrick Patterson, Daniel Orton, and Perry Stevenson. He was the most unstoppable force in college basketball this year, and he deserves to be recognized for it.
The only other oddity I see on this list is Luke Harangody, who sat out most of the stretch late in the season when Notre Dame was at their best. This may verywell be a lifetime achievement award, something that is well-deserved, but robs guys like Ekpe Udoh or Devan Downey or any of the other talents out there or some national recognition.
Posts
1 comment:
Agreed on the Harangody Lifetime Achievement award. I don't mind that he got it for that reason, but it is pretty obvious that Ekpe Udoh deserved to be on that list.
Post a Comment