2 weeks Ago By David Kenyon
Not only are college basketball teams aiming to sharpen their NCAA tournament resumes in the final month of the 2024-25 season, individual honors are at stake, too. At this point of the campaign, several All-American picks are likely. Auburn forward Johni Broome, Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, Marquette guard Kam Jones, for example, are practically locks to command top postseason recognition as long as they stay healthy.
Beyond them, however, the All-American race is fascinating. The projections are a personal opinion but based on a player's production to date and expected future contributions. Hunter Dickinson, Kansas Another year, another likely All-American honor for Hunter Dickinson.
The fifth-year center is averaging 16.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.
2 assists and 1.4 blocks while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor.
Kansas has dropped a few games lately, but Dickinson will remain a prime All-American threat as long as the Jayhawks avoid a late-season meltdown. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton Also a fifth-year player, Ryan Kalkbrenner once again has a thriving all-around game. He's shooting 67.
3 percent and blocking 2.8 shots per game—both of which lead the Big East—in addition to his 19.2 points and 8.
5 rebounds per outing. Kalkbrenner's presence is a key reason for Creighton's surge from a sluggish start to the campaign. PJ Haggerty, Memphis PJ Haggerty is a critical piece of the nation's best three-point shooting team.
Within his 21.6 points per game, he's knocked down 43.2 percent of his long-range attempts.
Haggerty has collected 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and an AAC-leading 2.
1 steals per game, as well. Memphis missed the NCAA tournament last season but is trending toward a top-eight seed, largely thanks to the Tulsa transfer. Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee Tennessee, meanwhile, is excelling with a steady hand in the backcourt.
Senior guard Zakai Zeigler has provided 12.9 points and an SEC-high 7.5 assists per game, also nabbing 2.
1 steals. Zeigler is a hot-and-cold shooter, but his value as the metronome of UT's system is evident. Walter Clayton Jr.
, Florida Fresh off a victory over Auburn in which Walter Clayton Jr. tallied 19 points, nine assists and six rebounds, Florida is inching closer to a potential No. 1 seed in March Madness.
Clayton has been the catalyst for the Gators, averaging 17.5 points and 4.0 assists with a 36.
6 three-point clip. Braden Smith just keeps on improving. After earning a starting job as a freshman at Purdue, he's steadily developed into a game-wrecking force.
The junior is a menace on both ends—and at 36.2 minutes per night, he rarely leaves the floor. While averaging 16.
2 with a 38.3 three-point percentage, he leads the Big Ten in both assists (8.8) and steals (2.
6). Smith is the driving force of a Purdue squad that currently stands atop the conference and is threatening for a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance.
Kam Jones has been a leading contributor at Marquette for three seasons, but he's never been quite this versatile. Through his junior year, he'd totaled 195 assists. With a month-plus to play as a senior, however, Jones has stepped into Tyler Kolek's void and racked up 143 helpers—which breaks down to six per night.
Oh, and he's averaging 19.2 points. Not too bad.
Consecutive losses to Connecticut, St. John's and Creighton have Marquette on a little slide, but having a player like Jones should allow the Golden Eagles to snap their skid as March approaches. In such a loaded conference, it sure is nice for Alabama to have Mark Sears controlling the floor.
Now, the fifth-year guard—a second team AP All-American last season—is playing a bit below expectations. That's fair to say. He probably wouldn't be a first-team selection if voting were to happen imminently.
Sears is starting to trend the right direction, though. Turnovers are a concern, but he's shooting more efficiently lately and sits at 35.6 percent from the perimeter.
He's averaging 17.8 points, 5.0 assists and 3.
1 rebounds, so it's important to remember "below expectations" is due to Sears being judged against a tremendously high bar. Sears is the riskiest pick of the bunch, in my estimation, but I expect his veteran talent to shine down the stretch. Cooper Flagg is matching the hype.
As a true freshman—who even reclassified from 2025 into 2024—the Duke superstar has solidified himself as the best prospect in the upcoming NBA draft cycle. There are just so few holes in his game. Flagg, a 6'9" floor-spacing forward, has registered 19.
5 points per game while hitting 36.4 percent of his threes. He's also stuffed the box score with 7.
7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.
3 blocks per night, all of which lead the Blue Devils save for steals. Beyond his physical excellence, Flagg has showed off tremendous vision and anticipation on both ends. His ability to carry the Blue Devils on offense and defense is truly impressive.
Duke is the clear favorite in the ACC and well-positioned to secure a top seed in the NCAA tourney with Flagg leading the way. Rounding out the projection is Johni Broome, yet another fifth-year player who is closing his college career on a high note. Broome is averaging a personal-best 18.
1 points while leading the SEC in rebounds (10.9) and blocks (2.7) per game.
He's also embraced a bigger role as a passer with an Auburn-high 3.3 assists per contest. In short: Auburn runs through Broome.
So far this season, basically only a lingering ankle injury has managed to slow his impact. Unfortunately for Auburns fans, they'll probably be monitoring that storyline for the rest of the season. Broome still is " not 100 percent " as of mid-February, per AU coach Bruce Pearl.
But if that discomfort doesn't keep Broome off the floor for an extended period, he'll absolutely be a deserving first-teamer..
