2019-20 Rush the Court All-America Teams

Posted by Walker Carey on March 27th, 2020

Compiling preseason All-America teams is a difficult task because nobody knows what will come during the regular season. There will always be several players who fall short of expectations and there will always be several relative unknowns who unexpectedly emerge to stardom. When our unit of RTC pollsters selected their preseason All-American teams in November, nobody could have guessed that eight of the 15 players chosen would live up to that lofty standing: Marquette’s Markus Howard; Kansas’ Devon Dotson; Kansas’ Udoka Azubuike; Seton Hall’s Myles Powell; Maryland’s Jalen Smith; Michigan State’s Cassius Winston; Duke’s Tre Jones; and Louisville’s Jordan Nwora.

Here are the 2019-20 RTC All-America Teams.

First Team All-America

  • Obi Toppin, Sophomore, Dayton (consensus) (20.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 63.3% FG). Among the worst things about the college basketball season coming to an early end because of the COVID-19 crisis is that we will never get to see what Toppin and Dayton could have accomplished in the NCAA Tournament. The AP National Player of the Year was sensational all season, leading the Flyers to a program-best 29-2 record. Dayton finished the season ranked second at KenPom in offensive efficiency and the sophomore forward was a major reason why, as he dominated opponents from wire to wire, shooting an incredible 69.8 percent on two-point field goals. Toppin also drew a lot of attention nationally for his highlight reel dunks that helped make the Flyers one of the must-watch teams throughout the season.
  • Luka Garza, Junior, Iowa (consensus) (23.9 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 54.2% FG). Iowa has had several players emerge as big-time scoring weapons throughout Fran McCaffery’s tenure in Iowa City, and Garza burst onto the scene early with a 30-point effort against Oral Roberts and a 29-point outing versus North Florida. He began garnering national attention, however, after putting up 44 points at Michigan in early December. The Big Ten Player of the Year was so dominant through conference play that he tallied fewer than 20 points only once in 20 league games.
  • Markus Howard, Senior, Marquette (27.8 PPG, 3.3 APG, 41.2% 3FG). The Big East’s all-time leading scorer wrapped up an illustrious career with the Golden Eagles this season — and he went out in style. The dynamic guard left school with 2,761 career points, including seven career games where he topped 40. It is tough to predict what will happen in a sport as chaotic as college basketball, but it is a safe bet to say that Marquette will sorely miss Howard’s elite scoring prowess next season and into the future.
  • Devon Dotson, Sophomore, Kansas (18.1 PPG, 4.0 APG, 46.8% FG). There has been a long lineage of great point guards to come through Kansas during Bill Self’s time in Lawrence — from Aaron Miles to Mario Chalmers to Sherron Collins to Tyshawn Taylor to Frank Mason to Devonte’ Graham, the Jayhawks have found success when they have a terrific floor general. Dotson became the next in line during a sophomore season that saw him lead the Jayhawks to being the consensus #1 team in the country. The dynamic scorer’s ability to breeze past defenders to get to the rim, coupled with his knack for hitting outside jumpers, led to him finishing the season as the Big 12’s leading scorer.
  • Udoka Azubuike, Senior, Kansas (13.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.6 BPG, 74.8% FG). Another enormous bummer of the college basketball season being cut short is that we will never get to see a fully healthy Azubuike in the postseason. The dominant big man missed both his freshman and junior postseasons with injury and was hampered by a knee issue during his sophomore campaign. A convincing argument can be made that Azubuike was the most valuable player in the country this season — and that was never more evident than in his 23-point, 19-rebound effort in the Jayhawks’ win at Baylor on February 22. In a sport that has recently gone the way of guard play and perimeter shooting, the senior big man proved that having a force in the interior can still lead a team to the top of the rankings.

Second Team All-America

  • Payton Pritchard, Senior, Oregon (20.5 PPG, 5.5 APG, 41.5% 3FG). The Oregon point guard established himself as one of the country’s most clutch players during his final season in Eugene. When it was winning time, Pritchard came through time and time again. Whether it was his game-winning three-pointer in an overtime comeback win at Washington or his 38-point effort in an overtime win at Arizona, the Ducks knew they could rely on their floor leader to guide the team to victory. While he just made the second team here, Pritchard’s season was so impactful that it led to him becoming Oregon’s first consensus first-team All-American in 80 years.
  • Myles Powell, Senior, Seton Hall (21.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.9 APG). The Seton Hall senior finished off an illustrious career that saw him go down as one of the most dynamic scorers in program history. His offensive ability was one of the key reasons why the Pirates took home a share of their first Big East title since 1993. Powell’s ability to take over games was never more evident than in the game where he scored his 2,000th career point. Needing a second half run to knock off St. John’s on January 18, Powell put up 23 of his game-high 28 points in the second stanza to lead the Pirates to an 82-78 win.
  • Malachi Flynn, Junior, San Diego State (17.6 PPG, 5.1 APG, 2.0 SPG). San Diego State remaining unbeaten until February 22 was among the most unexpected occurrences this season. A major facet of the Aztecs’ historic year was the emergence of Flynn as a big time player. The Washington State transfer came through for Brian Dutcher’s squad all season, but never more than in the regular season finale when he tallied 36 points on 13-of-20 shooting to lead the Aztecs back from a nine-point halftime deficit to knock off Nevada.
  • Vernon Carey Jr., Freshman, Duke (17.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 57.5% FG). The National Freshman of the Year shined throughout his inaugural campaign in Durham. The athletic big man was a match-up problem throughout ACC play, as his knack for scoring around the rim left many opponents unable to prevent him from taking over the game. If Carey Jr. departs for the NBA, his last game in a Duke uniform was a memorable one, as he dropped 25 points and collected 10 rebounds in an 89-76 victory over archrival North Carolina.
  • Jalen Smith, Sophomore, Maryland (15.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 53.8% FG). The sophomore forward was electric all season for a Maryland team that took home a share of its first Big Ten title since joining the conference in 2014. Smith, affectionately known as Stix due to his slender frame, was a true terror for opponents due to both his prowess in the post and ability to step out and hit shots from the perimeter. Smith’s marquee performance of the season came in the January 26 comeback win at Indiana when he scored 29 points, drained four of six three-point attempts, and corralled 11 rebounds to lead the Terrapins to victory.

Third Team All-America

  • Cassius Winston, Senior, Michigan State (18.6 PPG, 5.9 APG, 44.8% FG). Winston will go down in Michigan State lore in the same rarefied air that accompanied past four-year Spartan standouts Mateen Cleaves and Draymond Green. Winston’s Senior Day sendoff following a win over Ohio State should give you an idea of how much he meant to the Michigan State program. In a senior season marred by an unthinkable personal tragedy, the heady point guard still found a way to excel on the hardwood while leading the Spartans to a share of the regular season Big Ten crown.
  • Jared Butler, Sophomore, Baylor (16.0 PPG, 3.1 APG, 1.6 SPG). Baylor was likely going to be a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. A substantial reason for that was Butler, who, on a team with no top recruits, established himself as one of the country’s premier playmakers. The Bears set a Big 12 record this season with 23 consecutive wins and Butler’s steady play led the way. The sophomore guard’s most notable performance came in Baylor’s first-ever win at Kansas on January 11, where he poured in 22 points and turned in a dominant defensive effort.
  • Tre Jones, Sophomore, Duke (16.2 PPG, 6.4 APG, 1.8 SPG). While classmates Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish departed Durham after one season, Jones returned to school and took on a much greater role in his sophomore campaign. The ACC Player of the Year boosted his scoring average from 9.4 points per game as a freshman to 16.2 points per game as a sophomore. He also compiled a 2.4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and turned in an elite defensive season.
  • Filip Petrusev, Sophomore, Gonzaga (17.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 56.2% FG). Petrusev was the latest in Gonzaga’s acclaimed line of breakout performers. After a freshman season that saw him play just 11.4 minutes per game and average only 6.5 points and 2.7 rebounds, he exploded onto the scene as a sophomore, putting up 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in 26 minutes per game. The forward’s standout performance occurred in Gonzaga’s regular season finale when his 27 points lifted the Bulldogs to a win over conference rival Saint Mary’s.
  • Jordan Nwora, Junior, Louisville (18.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 40.2% 3FG). The dynamic forward made his decision to bypass the NBA Draft last spring worth it with a junior season that saw Nwora lead the Cardinals in scoring, finish second in rebounding, and help the team to a second place finish in the ACC.

Honorable Mention: Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky; Daniel Oturu, Minnesota; Xavier Tillman, Michigan State; Yoeli Childs, BYU; Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State.

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2019-20 RTC16: Week 16

Posted by Walker Carey on March 9th, 2020

The final week of the regular season saw the resolution to many conference championship battles. In the SEC, #7 Kentucky secured the outright championship last week. In the Big 12, #1 Kansas clinched a share of the league title with a win over TCU on Tuesday and earned the outright crown with a win at Texas Tech on Saturday. The ACC saw #4 Florida Statewhich was picked to finish fifth in the preseason — take home the outright league title with wins over Notre Dame and Boston College coupled with #15 Louisville falling at Virginia. #14 Oregon used comfortable home wins over California and Stanford along with some help via UCLA and Arizona State losing to earn the outright Pac-12 title. The Big Ten and Big East races ended with three teams earning the privilege to hang a banner. #8 Michigan State, #13 Maryland and Wisconsin shared the Big Ten title while #9 Creighton, #10 Villanova and #12 Seton Hall split the Big East crown. This regular season was defined by the unexpected, so be on high alert for some surprises as the postseason hits its stride later this. This week’s Quick N’ Dirty is after the jump.

Quick N’ Dirty Analysis.

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2019-20 RTC16: Week 15

Posted by Walker Carey on March 2nd, 2020

In case you have not heard by now, “This is March.” With the calendar finally turning to college basketball’s premier month, the regular season is winding down. And continuing with the unexpected nature of this season, several ranked teams were once again tripped up by unranked foes over the weekend. #13 Duke was the week’s most notable victim. The Blue Devils’ first loss came last Tuesday at Wake Forest when they blew a nine-point lead with 1:21 to play in regulation and ended up losing by 12 in double-overtime. Mike Krzyzewski‘s group then suffered its second loss of the week on Saturday when it was unable to overcome Virginia’s stifling defense in a 52-50 defeat. #4 Baylor had developed a well-earned reputation as one of the surest things in the country this season, but that reputation took a hit Saturday when the Bears suffered their second defeat in three games at TCU. #8 Florida State and #11 Creighton also joined the party in suffering upset losses on the road with the Seminoles falling at Clemson and the Bluejays getting hit with a flurry of three-pointers in a 20-point loss at St. John’s. If the trend of ranked teams taking unexpected losses continues throughout the rest of this month, it is likely this March will go down as one to remember. This week’s Quick N’ Dirty after the jump.

Quick N’ Dirty Analysis.

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2019-20 RTC16: Week 14

Posted by Walker Carey on February 24th, 2020

Saturday was among the most chaotic regular season days in recent college basketball history. It started with #1 Kansas going to #2 Baylor and using a dominant 23-point, 19-rebound effort from senior big man Udoka Azubuike to hand the Bears their first loss since November 8. The victory was extra sweet for the Jayhawks as it earned some revenge from a 67-55 home loss to Baylor back on January 11. #5 San Diego State then saw its dream of an undefeated season come to an end with a stunning 66-63 home upset loss to UNLV. What made the defeat even more surprising that the Aztecs only led once during the game at 2-0. It would be foolish to write off San Diego State now, however, as one loss should not define a team that started the season by winning its first 26 contests. The chaos concluded late night in Provo when #3 Gonzaga fell for the first time since November 29 in a convincing 91-78 loss to #14 BYU. The Cougars were electric offensively, hitting 53.2 percent of their field goals with senior forward Yoeli Childs acting as the best player on the court, contributing 28 points and 10 rebounds to a winning effort. If Saturday was any sign of things to come, we should be in for an exciting March packed with impressive performances and unexpected results. This week’s Quick N’ Dirty after the jump.

Quick N’ Dirty Analysis.

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2019-20 RTC 16: Week 13

Posted by Walker Carey on February 17th, 2020

Entering this season, it seemed like almost a formality that preseason #1 Michigan State was going to run through the Big Ten on its way to a regular season title. That notion, however, has not turned out to the be the case, as #7 Maryland and #9 Penn State have emerged as the clear favorites to take home the Big Ten title. The Terrapins have now won eight straight games after overcoming a seven-point deficit with less than four minutes to play in a stunning 67-60 weekend victory at Michigan State. The Terrapins currently have a one-game lead in the Big Ten standings over the Nittany Lions, who are equally as hot. A January 16 loss to Minnesota left Penn State at 2-4 in the league and decidedly behind the eight-ball in a very competitive conference. Things have turned on a dime, though, for Pat Chambers‘ group, as the Nittany Lions have now won eight consecutive league games for the first time in program history with an ability to win both at home and on the road. While the Big Ten race has thus far shaken out much differently than expected, Maryland and Penn State have both shown they are good enough to not only take home the league title, but also be legitimate contenders to advance to the Final Four. This week’s Quick N’ Dirty after the jump.

Quick N’ Dirty Analysis.

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2019-20 RTC 16: Week 12

Posted by Walker Carey on February 3rd, 2020

It is usually not very wise too look ahead in sports, but it is especially not wise to look ahead during a college basketball season where top teams falling to unranked foes has been the norm. There was plenty of talk last week, for example, about the upcoming showdown between #11 Seton Hall and #12 Villanova. This game was billed as the upstart Pirates looking to establish themselves as the team to beat in the Big East against a Wildcats team that has been the league’s top dog since 2013. While the game will still undoubtedly be quite important, it lost a bit of its national luster on Saturday when both squads suffered home court upset losses. Seton Hall fell behind 30-6 in the game’s first 13 minutes against Xavier and never recovered, as the Musketeers returned home with an impressive 74-62 win. In the defeat, the Pirates only shot 22.7 percent from the three-point line and star guard Myles Powell was held to just nine points on 3-of-14 shooting. Villanova also got off to a poor start in its loss on Saturday, as Creighton held a 12-point halftime lead that it was able to ride to a relatively easy 76-61 win. The Wildcats were done in by a poor defensive effort that allowed the Bluejays to shoot 50.9 percent from the field and an even 50 percent from the perimeter. If anything, let Saturday’s results reinforce the notion that you should always focus on a team’s next game before looking down the line because this season has shown us time and time again that things can change rapidly. This week’s Quick N’ Dirty after the jump.

Quick N’ Dirty Analysis.

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2019-20 RTC16: Week 11

Posted by Walker Carey on January 27th, 2020

It is time to take notice of college basketball’s final undefeated team. #4 San Diego State moved its record to 21-0 on Sunday with a gutsy 71-67 win at UNLV. The Aztecs now have a four-game lead in the Mountain West standings and — barring a complete collapse — they will take home the program’s first league crown since 2016. Guard Malachi Flynn has emerged as a legitimate star for Brian Dutcher‘s squad, averaging 16.6 points and 5.1 assists per game while shooting a commendable 40.7 percent from the three-point line. While Flynn has shouldered the load for San Diego State offensively, team defense is really what has distinguished it as one of the country’s finest. The Aztecs are only allowing 56.6 points per game, are currently seventh overall at KenPom in defensive efficiency, and their 91.3 defensive efficiency rating is seven points better than the Mountain West’s next best defensive team. It is no secret that the Mountain West does not have the same depth as conferences like the Big Ten or the Big East, but much like Gonzaga and Wichita State in years past, all Dutcher’s squad can do is beat the teams on its schedule. The Aztecs still have eight games remaining in the regular season and they could still very well drop a game or two before March, but their 21-0 start has established them as a legitimate Final Four contender in a wide open year. This week’s Quick N’ Dirty after the jump.

Quick N’ Dirty Analysis.

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2019-20 RTC16: Week 10

Posted by Walker Carey on January 20th, 2020

It is often stated that college basketball is where the unexpected becomes the ordinary and that was on full display last week as three members of the previous top five of the RTC16 suffered a pair of defeats. #9 Duke entered the week as winners of nine straight games, but that came to a screeching halt on Tuesday night at Clemson when the Blue Devils fell behind early and were unable to right the ship in a 79-72 loss. A tough week became even tougher on Saturday when #8 Louisville took a 15-point lead a little over 10 minutes into the game and then made enough winning plays down the stretch to leave Cameron Indoor Stadium with an impressive 79-73 victory. #12 Butler looked like it was going to survive #7 Seton Hall at home on Wednesday, as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 10-point halftime lead and seemed to be in complete control of the game. That was until Pirates star guard Myles Powell came up with some other plans. Powell scored 19 of his game-high 29 points in the second half, lifting Seton Hall to a formidable 78-70 win. There is an old adage about never letting one team beat you twice, but that seemed to be the case with Butler when it was subsequently dominated at DePaul on Saturday en route to a 79-66 loss. #16 Auburn began the week as one of the sport’s two remaining unbeaten teams, but the Tigers saw their hot start cool down significantly in a pair of uncompetitive losses at Alabama and at Florida. It will be interesting to track Duke, Butler and Auburn in the coming weeks to see if last week was just a blip on the radar or if it was the start of a troubling trend that will impact their seasons. This week’s Quick N’ Dirty after the jump.

Quick N’ Dirty Analysis.

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2019-20 RTC16: Week Nine

Posted by Walker Carey on January 13th, 2020

Much of the narrative surrounding college basketball this season has been how any team can win on any night and how this uncertainty has allowed several non-traditional powers to become among the best in the country. #2 Baylor definitely fits the non-traditional mold, as the Bears are continuing to establish themselves as one of the nation’s top teams this season. The latest step happened Saturday afternoon when Scott Drew‘s squad went into Allen Fieldhouse and thoroughly dominated #7 Kansas throughout a 67-55 win. The Bears used incredible performances from guards Jared Butler and MaCio Teague to control the game and throw the Jayhawks completely off. The victory was Baylor’s first ever win in Lawrence, as the program had previously been 0-16 at Allen Fieldhouse. The Bears have now won 12 straight since a November 9 loss to Washington and, even before Saturday’s win, they had built quite an NCAA Tournament résumé with wins over #5 Butler, #14 Villanova, Arizona and Texas Tech. There is still a long way to go in Big 12 play, but Baylor’s 4-0 start in the league has already put itself in a solid position to earn the program’s first ever Big 12 regular season title. This week’s Quick N’ Dirty after the jump.

Quick N’ Dirty Analysis

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2019-20 RTC16: Week Eight

Posted by Walker Carey on January 6th, 2020

The beginning of conference play is always good for temporarily removing the shine from a team or two that had been a non-conference darling. This season that phenomenon applies to #11 Louisville and #13 Ohio State. Louisville started its season 9-0, but has since lost three of its last five games, with the most concerning coming Saturday in a 13-point home loss to #10 Florida State. Guard play continues to be a significant issue for the Cardinals, as Fresh Kimble, Darius Perry and Ryan McMahon combined for just 14 points on 6-of-27 shooting in the loss. Ohio State was another early season standout, as the Buckeyes stood at 11-1 on Christmas Day and looked to be the class of a strong Big Ten. They have since lost two straight, including a puzzling 61-57 home loss to Wisconsin last Friday. While sloppy play was a major reason for the defeat (Ohio State committed 14 turnovers to just eight assists), it must be noted that the Buckeyes are currently without junior starting forward Kyle Young, who had an appendectomy early last week and is game-to-game moving forward. It is certainly too early in league play to speculate whether Louisville and Ohio State will regain their early season form, but it would be wise for both teams to get back on track before their NCAA Tournament résumés begin to take significant hits. This week’s Quick N’ Dirty after the jump.

Quick N’ Dirty Analysis.

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