Purdue’s Zach Edey highlights Heat Check CBB’s midseason All-American list.
With conference play in full swing, the Heat Check CBB staff has completed its voting for midseason All-Americans, highlighting the top 15 players in college basketball through the first two months of the season.
While the usual suspects — Purdue’s Zach Edey and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson — have lived up to the billing, this college basketball season has featured its fair share of breakout stars as well.
Without further ado, let’s check out the top 15 players in the sport so far this season.
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First Team
Zach Edey, C, Purdue
The Purdue big man has picked up right where he left off this season, averaging 22.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game through the first 15 games of the season. The favorite to win back-to-back Player of the Year honors, Edey has the Boilermakers humming and looking like national championship contenders once again. If Edey ends the season at his current kPOY rating, it would be the highest finish since Frank Kaminsky in 2015.
Kevin McCullar, G, Kansas
A fifth season in college — and a second in Lawrence — has put McCullar on the Ochai Agbaji trajectory. Like the former Jayhawk and current Jazz wing, the super-senior has exploded as an offensive threat under Bill Self. McCullar was already one of the best perimeter defenders in the sport. Now, he’s obliterating career-highs in scoring (20.4) and 3-point percentage (37.7).
Tristen Newton, G, UConn
Coming into the season, Newton was barely a blip on the radar when discussing the nation’s top point guards. However, the fifth-year senior has put together an elite year so far for the Huskies, recording career-highs in rebounding (6.5) and assists (5.7) — both are also team highs. Newton also has a team-high 15.1 points per game on efficiency reminiscent of his final season at East Carolina.
Isaiah Stevens, G, Colorado State
Stevens has been one of college basketball’s most productive guards throughout his career in Fort Collins, but he has taken his game to a new level in his fifth season. The 6-foot, 185-pounder is Colorado State’s leading scorer (17.6) while also ranking as the nation’s third-leading assist man (7.4). He’s the engine that drives a Rams team currently ranked in the top 20 in the AP poll.
PJ Hall, C, Clemson
For the past two seasons, Hall has quietly performed like one of the best big men in the country. But there’s nothing quiet about him anymore. With Clemson emerging as a bona fide ACC contender, college hoops fans have taken notice. Hall anchors the Tigers on defense and showcases a burgeoning perimeter game that complements his strength in the post.
Second Team
Hunter Dickinson, C, Kansas
Despite being an All-American and a three-time All-Big Ten selection at Michigan, Dickinson is enjoying a career year in Lawrence. Now at Kansas, the big man is averaging career bests in scoring (19.4 ppg), rebounding (12.4 ppg), field goal percentage (.610), 3-point percentage (.536), and steals (1.3 spg). With a strong supporting cast and perhaps America’s best coach, Dickinson could add a Final Four — and perhaps more — to his already impressive resume.
RJ Davis, G, North Carolina
Davis has become an alpha scorer in North Carolina’s Caleb Love-less backcourt. The 6-foot guard ranks first in the ACC in scoring and free throw percentage, fifth in 3-point percentage, and 12th in usage rate. Additionally, he has improved as a playmaker, evidenced by his assist numbers (3.6 apg) and eye-popping passes.
Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette
The reigning Big East Player of the Year is angling to make it a double. Kolek leads the league in assists (6.3 ppg) for the third year in a row, and his assist rate (36.9) ranks 17th nationally. On top of that, the senior guard is averaging a career-high 14.6 points on career-best shooting splits (.513/.412/.930). After a disappointing early March exit last year, Kolek will look to lead Marquette out of the opening weekend this time around.
Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke
Duke hasn’t lost since Dec. 2, thanks in large part to Filipowski’s evolution. He had already established himself as one of the most versatile bigs in the country with an inside-out game. Now, he is shining as the hub through which the Blue Devil offense runs. The sophomore has nearly doubled his assist rate from a season ago to go along with impressive scoring (17.5 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg) numbers.
Braden Smith, G, Purdue
Entering the season as a popular Year 2 breakout guard, Braden Smith has shined as Purdue’s floor leader. Smith has proven to be an especially lethal jump shooter as a sophomore. He made 33.2 percent of his jumper attempts (combined 2-point jumpers and 3-pointers) last season and has skyrocketed to 47.6 percent this season. This elevated usage, combined with excellent floor vision, has made the Purdue pick-and-roll attack with Zach Edey incredibly difficult to slow down.
Third Team
Caleb Love, G, Arizona
A change of scenery and up-tempo system seems to be all that was needed to unlock the potential of the former North Carolina Tar Heel. Love is tracking to finish the year with career-high averages in points (17.7), rebounds (4.7), steals (1.3), blocks (0.4), field goal percentage (44.4), and free throw percentage (86.7). His effort as the top option for Arizona is a big reason why the Wildcats are viewed as a national title threat.
Jaedon LeDee, F, San Diego State
LeDee’s potential was obvious at previous stops with Ohio State and TCU, but he has found a home with the Aztecs. San Diego State returned several players from last season’s team that made the national championship game, yet LeDee is the one who has taken the biggest step forward and become the go-to guy. He’s top 10 nationally in scoring (21.4) while providing the kind of interior presence that has helped guide the Aztecs to a 13-2 start.
David Jones, F, Memphis
Jones spent his first three seasons in the Big East, enjoying solid statistical seasons with DePaul in 2021-22 and St. John’s last year. Now at Memphis, the 6-6 Jones is averaging a career-best 20.9 points. He has also become a legitimate deep threat (.381 3P% on six attempts per game) after hitting just 28.4 percent on 275 attempts coming into the year. While FAU had more preseason hype, Memphis may be the AAC’s best team with Jones in the fold.
Johnell Davis, G, Florida Atlantic
The do-it-all guard has scored 15 or more in 11 of the Owls’ games. But none cemented his All-American case more than his 35-point outing in a double-overtime win over Arizona on Dec. 23. Indeed, the junior’s efforts led FAU to its highest AP ranking in school history (No. 7). Since then, the Owls have endured puzzling losses, but the Davis has remained a constant positive.
Devin Carter, G, Providence
Last season, Carter staked his reputation primarily on defense, but this year, he has made an offensive leap that earned him a spot on our mid-season list. The 6-3 junior is averaging a career-high in points (16.2 ppg) and is converting 38.8 percent of his long-range attempts after shooting sub-30% in his past two campaigns. Plus, he ranks fourth in the Big East in defensive rebounding rate, a rarity for a guard.
Honorable Mentions
- Dalton Knecht, G, Tennessee
- Keshad Johnson, F, Arizona
- Tamin Lipsey, G, Iowa State
- KJ Simpson, G, Colorado
- Kylan Boswell, G, Arizona
- TJ Bickerstaff, F, James Madison
- Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky
- Terrence Edwards Jr., G, James Madison