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| Wednesday, February 20 Updated: February 21, 6:40 PM ET ESPN.com All-American Candidates By Andy Katz ESPN.com |
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The debate for national player of the year can continue between Duke's Jason Williams, Kansas' Drew Gooden, Cincinnati's Steve Logan and Maryland's Juan Dixon. But the discussion as to whether or not these four players are first-team all-Americans is moot. But what about the fifth spot? Not so easy. Here, the nod still goes to Williams as the player of the year, largely because he has become the toughest player to guard -- even though Maryland put the clamps on him Sunday -- on still what might be the best team in the country -- even though the Blue Devils now sit at No. 3. Sure, Williams' free throws are a concern, but probably not enough to send the player of the year award to Gooden, Logan or Dixon. They are consensus picks, however to join Williams as first-team all-Americans, and drumming up a debate on the subject simply isn't going to happen. But, there are plenty of deserving candidates to fill the fifth spot on the first team, all with a case that could be made. There is no consensus, and the final two weeks of the regular season could determine who the fifth and final all-American will be in March. This isn't about positions, either. The first-team all-Americans should be the five most important players in college basketball to their teams and to this season, regardless of position. Scoring and rebounding are important numbers, but just as critical is how valuable they are to their team's success and where the team would be without them. Here are the 10 who made ESPN.com's cut on Feb. 20:
The numbers: 19.3 ppg (4th in Pac-10); 10 rpg (2nd in Pac-10); 50.7 percent overall; 62.2 percent free-throw shooter. The case for Clancy: Take Clancy off USC and the Trojans wouldn't be a contender for the Pac-10 title. They might not even be in the top five. Clancy has been a dominant presence for the Trojans. He has a remarkable 10 straight double-doubles and has played 40 minutes in 10 games, including a 45-minute overtime stint against Cal. Clancy backs up his importance with production. He is a selective shooter, yet makes the mid-range shots, the post-up moves and is a beast on the offensive backboard. Clancy helps the offense move by getting the Trojans' inside-out game going smoothly. He is at the top of the press and is, perhaps, more nimble than most big men. He's a hard-working, always persistent practice player, too.
The numbers: 20.9 ppg (1st in WCC); 5 apg (2nd in WCC); 3.1 rpg, 45.5 percent overall; 88.6 free-throw percentage; 48 percent on 3s. The case for Dickau: Gonzaga is in the top 10 in both polls and that alone should make a strong case for his candidacy. Dickau has been the leader of this team for the past two seasons and has blossomed into big-time point guard this season. He makes the big shots (see: New Mexico, Saint Joseph's, Pepperdine) and is the catalyst both at the offensive and defensive ends of the court. Dickau is shooting nearly 50 percent on 3s, which in itself is a phenomenal clip. He has handled the rush of two to three defenders coming at him without problems, too. Dickau has handled the pressure of delivering for the Zags and helped keep this team together through a few tough early season losses and injuries to a pair of forwards and a guard.
The numbers: 17.8 ppg (5th in the ACC); 49.5 percent overall; 38.3 percent on 3s; 7.3 rpg. The case for Dunleavy: He is the toughest matchup in all of college basketball. He can take a player outside for 3-pointer or post-up along the baseline. He's a guard in a forward's body and continues to be the ‘X' factor every time Duke plays a game. Dunleavy's transformation from role player to star began last season. Dunleavy continues to hit money shots and never shies away from taking the big time shot. He's matured into a leader and could be the favorite for player of the year next season if he returns. And, his team, with his help, is one of the top three in the nation.
The numbers: 15.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.5 spg, 55.2 percent overall; 80 percent free-throw shooter; 46.4 percent on 3s. The case of Hinrich: Missouri coach Quin Snyder called him the best player in the Big 12. He might not have the nod over teammate Drew Gooden but he could be the most important player. Hinrich's defense on Missouri's Kareem Rush was sensational the first time the teams played. Hinrich is a money player, knocking down big shots and always making big-time plays. He's around the basketball whether it's getting loose balls, feeding the post and ensuring the offense is running smoothly. He gets out on the break as well as anyone in the nation. His importance to the No. 1 Jayhawks cannot be overstated. He is a must for this team to contend for the national title.
The numbers: 22.5 ppg (1st in Pac-10); 4.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, 44.9 percent overall; 76.1 free-throw percentage; 40.4 percent on 3s. The case for Jacobsen: He has been on a tear in the Pac-10. Jacobsen scored 49 against Arizona State, 41 against Oregon and over 30 twice. Jacobsen has had help in Stanford's Pac-10 title run in center Curtis Borchardt. But he has shed his own self-described soft image from December and played a lot tougher in the Pac-10. He is the ultimate go-to scorer and making tough shots. He has elevated his game over the course of the season and is making a strong run for Pac-10 player of the year. The Cardinal still have a tough road to win the league but he'll have a say in whether or not they will claim the title.
The numbers: 16.3 ppg (4th in Big Ten); 7.8 rpg (second in Big Ten); 47.6 percent overall; 43.1 percent on 3s; 1.5 blocks a game. The case for: Jeffries has led Indiana to the edge of the Big Ten title. He is the clear favorite for Big Ten player of the year. He has been a dominant presence for the Hoosiers and when he's not around (see: loss to Wisconsin) the team is not the same. It's a collection of role players around him. He has handled this season with maturity and leadership while becoming the team's go-to player. His value to the Hoosiers is immeasurable. They simply wouldn't be a Big Ten title contender without him. They would simply be average at best.
The numbers: 15.6 ppg, 5 rpg, 6.8 apg (2nd in the Big East); 42.7 percent overall; 38.3 percent on 3s. The case for Knight: He's the favorite for Big East player of the year and has led the resurgence at Pitt, taking a bottom feeder Big East program and helped push it to the top of the league. Knight's defense has been sensational and although he's a poor free-throw shooter (45.5 percent), he still makes plays. Knight has grown into a leader and proven to be a must for the Panthers to play well. The importance of his leadership is hard to diminish when considering where Pittsburgh was last season and where the Panthers are now heading into the NCAA Tournament.
The numbers: 18.2 ppg; 6.8 rpg; 3.6 apg; 2.6 spg; 48.6 percent overall; 70.7 percent free-throw shooter; 36.6 percent on 3s. The case for Wade: Have you checked where Marquette is ranked? This team came out of nowhere and is suddenly in the top 10. Wade has been the leader for this squad all season. Sure, Cordell Henry has been a stable backcourt mate but Wade provides the lift this team lacked last season. He was ineligible and showed no signs of rust when he made his debut in the Great Alaska Shootout. He scored 30 on Tennessee and 21 on Gonzaga. Wade has been sensational for most of the season and in Marquette's biggest game to date, he scored 25 in the win over Cincinnati. He's given the Eagles more athleticism on the wing, a leader and a scorer - all things the Eagles were missing last season.
The numbers: 15.7 ppg; 7.6 rpg, 6.2 apg (1st in Pac-10), 49.6 percent overall. The case for Walton: Sure, Jason Gardner is the team's leading scorer and it's go-to player but Walton has to be the team MVP. Walton has been the glue guy for this squad and is one of the toughest matchups for anyone going against the Wildcats. He put up a monster game against USC with a triple double (27 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds). He missed three games with a strained Achilles and one of them was a 10-point loss at home to Oregon. Walton has become one of the toughest players in the Pac-10 and always seems to be around the basketball. Walton leads the Pac-10 in assists as a forward and is in the top 10 in five different statistical categories in Pac-10 games (scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and field-goal percentage). His leadership and overall numbers have elevated this team into one of the nation's elite again.
The numbers: 18.5 ppg., (5th in A-10); 10.4 rpg (1st in A-10); 55.3 percent overall (6th in A-10); 2.8 blocks a game (1st in A-10). The case for West: He has been a monster in the Midwest for Xavier. West has been unstoppable at times and is the main reason Xavier is the class of the Atlantic 10. He had nine double-doubles and one triple double against Long Island (15 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds). He put up 31 points and 14 boards at LaSalle. West continues to be a tough matchup for anyone in the league because they can't get him out of the post. He was banged up in the loss to Cincinnati and it would have been interesting to see if the outcome would have been different if he could have played more than 23 minutes. The Musketeers wouldn't be a lock for the NCAAs without West.
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