Compiling preseason All-America teams is a difficult task because nobody knows what will come during the upcoming season. There will always be several players who fall short of expectations and there will always be several relatively unknown types who will unexpectedly emerge to stardom. When our outfit of seven RTC pollsters selected their preseason All-America teams in November; nobody could have guessed that only five of the 15 players chosen would live up to their hype; Villanova's Josh Hart, Oregon's Dillon Brooks, Iowa State's Monte' Morris, Washington's Markelle Fultz, and Kansas' Josh Jackson. Hart was the only player projected to be a first-teamer who ended up there. The 10 other players who did not make our postseason team are Duke's Grayson Allen and Jayson Tatum, California's Ivan Rabb, Maryland's Melo Trimble, Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes, Indiana's Thomas Bryant, NC State's Dennis Smith, Xavier's Edmond Sumner and Trevon Bluiett, and Kentucky's Bam Adebayo. All turned in varying degrees of productive seasons but were surpassed in achievements by the names that moved ahead of them on our list. Here are the 2016-17 RTC All-America Teams.
First Team All-America
Frank Mason, Senior, Kansas (consensus) (20.9 PPG, 5.2 APG, 49% FG, 47.1% 3FG). After being little more than a complementary contributor during his first three seasons in Lawrence, Mason wrapped up his collegiate career this season in spectacular fashion. What the point guard lack lacks in stature (he is listed at just 5'11"), he made up for it in big time performances. Kansas earned its 13th consecutive Big 12 regular season title and advanced to the Elite Eight this season, and neither of those would have been possible without Mason elevating his game to a superstar level. One of the coolest things about college basketball is when a relatively unheralded recruit develops into one of the country's most accomplished players – and Mason certainly personified that in his senior season. Kansas fields a great team every year, but it is certain the Jayhawks will miss Mason's services when they hit the hardwood again next fall.
Josh Hart, Senior, Villanova (consensus) (18.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 51% FG, 40.4% 3FG). Hart starred on last season's National Championship team, but he took his game to another level during his senior season. The Big East Player of the Year joined Villanova legend Kerry Kittles as the only players in program history to amass 1,800 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists, and 150 steals. Villanova's season ended with a surprising Second Round loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament, but that defeat should not cloud anyone's perception of Hart's season, as he was phenomenal from the opening tip of the first game to the final buzzer of the last one.
Lonzo Ball, Freshman, UCLA (consensus) (14.6 PPG, 7.6 APG, 6.0 RPG, 55.1% FG). Last year at this time, UCLA was coming off a very disappointing 15-17 season that suggested the 2016-17 campaign would be a make-or-break year for Steve Alford in Westwood. Luckily for the Bruins' head coach, the arrival of Ball as the gem of a star-studded recruiting class aided significantly in morphing UCLA from a losing team to a Sweet Sixteen squad. A dynamic point guard known for his incredible court vision and ability to make his teammates better, Ball also helped had a knack for making key plays in big games – most notably in a December win at Kentucky and in a February home win over Oregon. Unfortunately for Bruins fans, they will not get to experience more of those star performances, as Ball quickly made his intention to enter the NBA Draft known following UCLA's Sweet Sixteen loss to Kentucky.
Justin Jackson, Junior, North Carolina (18.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.8 APG). Following North Carolina's heartbreaking defeat to Villanova in last year's title game, Jackson chose to test the NBA Draft waters before ultimately returning to Chapel Hill for his junior season. At the time, Jackson stated, "The best choice for my basketball future is to return to school and play for the Tar Heels next season." His statement turned out to be prophetic, as he became North Carolina's go-to guy on his way to leading the team in scoring and earning the ACC Player of the Year award. The Tar Heels are a balanced unit with talent littering the roster, but Jackson's emergence to stardom is the most important reason why Roy Williams' team has another chance to play for the title this weekend in Phoenix.
Caleb Swanigan, Sophomore, Purdue (18.5 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 52.7% FG, 44.7% 3FG). The sophomore big man was a double-double machine for the regular season Big Ten champion — finishing a stellar year with 28 double-doubles and having four games where he grabbed 20 or more rebounds. A big reason for Swanigan's increased productivity in his sophomore campaign was improved conditioning, as his minutes per game rose from 25.7 to 32.5. He also added a reliable three-point shot to his arsenal, improving his percentage in that are of the game to a robust 44.7 percent. As a result, the Boilermakers advanced to their first Sweet Sixteen since 2010, and that charge was led by a monster season from the All-American.
| awards, feature, postseason awards | Tagged: bonzie colson, caleb swanigan, derrick walton jr, Dillon Brooks, Ethan Happ, feature, frank mason, Jawun Evans, jock landale, John Collins, johnathan motley, josh hart, Josh Jackson, justin jackson, lauri markkanen, Lonzo Ball, Luke Kennard, malik monk, Markelle Fultz, monte morris, Nigel Williams-Goss, Sindarius Thornwell
Rushed Reactions: #4 Purdue 80, #5 Iowa State 76
Posted by Brendan Brody on March 19th, 2017
Purdue advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2012 by beating Iowa State in one of the best games of the NCAA Tournament so far.
Biggie Swanigan Dominated the Inside For Purdue (USA Today Images)
Purdue was large and in charge, and this carried the day. It was fairly well-known by anybody who watches the sport that Purdue was going to have an advantage in the post this evening, and it did so by scoring 40 points against the undersized Cyclones in the paint. Caleb Swanigan, Vincent Edwards and Isaac Haas were the team's top three players in scoring, combining for 55 of the team's 80 points on 56.1 percent shooting for the game.
Tournament Vincent is the best Vincent. Edwards has yet to have a poor effort in thefour NCAA Tournament appearances over his career — the junior forward now boasts averages of 20.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 3.8 APG on 54.2 percent shooting from the floor. He led the Boilermakers in scoring again tonight, doing most of his damage at the rim. Were it not for Swanigan's heroics at the end of the game, Edwards would have easily been deserving as the best player on the floor.
This was a brutal way for the career of Iowa State's seniors to end. Even as a neutral party on press row, watching the careers of four seniors end with such a tough loss was difficult to watch. The foursome of Monte' Morris, Matt Thomas, Nazareth Mitrou-Long and Deonte Burton will go down as one of the best senior classes in Iowa State history, and they deserve to be commended for the way they fought back to put the heat on Purdue in the second half.
Star of the Game. Edwards was extremely good in this game, but it's hard not to give Purdue's Caleb Swanigan the nod here. It wasn't his best or most efficient offensive game, but he still scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and offered a team-leading seven assists. He's been a solid passer all season long for the Boilermakers, but he really did a nice job feeding Edwards and Haas from either the high post or down on the blocks.
| 2017 ncaa tournament, feature, rushed reactions | Tagged: caleb swanigan, Dakota Mathias, deonte burton, iowa state, isaac haas, matt painter, Matt Thomas, monte morris, Nazareth Mitrou-Long, purdue, steve prohm, Vincent Edwards
Rushed Reactions: #5 Iowa St 84, #12 Nevada 73
Iowa State won the most entertaining of the four-game session today in Milwaukee, doing so behind the stellar play of its senior class. Every time Nevada made a run, one of the Cyclones' four senior starters had an answer.
Iowa State (USA Today Images)
This was the highest level and most fun game of the day. It actually wasn't even close. Between the multiple comeback attempts from Nevada every time the Wolf Pack would get behind by double-figures to the high level plays above the rim, it was the most entertaining game by a landslide. There were multiple tweets that went out from this writer telling people at home to switch over and watch.
Iowa State is going to be a really difficult team to beat. The team that ends up removing Iowa State from the bracket (and this is certainly not meant to rule them out of the National Championship picture) will have to figure out how to bend the will of four extremely mentally tough seniors — Monte Morris, Naz Mitrou-Long, Matt Thomas and Deonte Burton — who simply do not crumble in the face of pressure. This team has confidence and experience in spades right now, which is a dangerous combination in March.
Nevada lived up to its billing. Nevada's talented trio of Cam Oliver, Marcus Marshall and Jordan Caroline exhibited their talent and resilience in how they kept coming back. Had the Wolf Pack not missed a number of easy shots in the first half, things might have turned out differently in the end. This was a fun team with several multi-skilled athletes who played at a fast tempo.
Star of the Game. Monte' Morris didn't have his best game of the season, but he nearly notched a triple-double tonight on his way to 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. As mentioned at the top, his quartet of Cyclone seniors were there to get a key bucket each and every time Nevada made some kind of run. A seven-point working margin was officially stretched and finished off when the floor general drew a foul shooting a three with 2:00 remaining.
| 2017 ncaa tournament, rushed reactions | Tagged: Cam Oliver, Donovon Jackson, iowa state, Jordan Caroline, marcus marshall, monte morris, Nazareth Mitrou-Long, nevada, steve prohm
Iowa State Riding High on Another Selection Sunday
Posted by Brian Goodman on March 12th, 2017
With just a few hours to go before the brackets are revealed, there are aren't many programs around the country riding a bigger wave than Iowa State. Steve Prohm's team has elevated its play over the last several weeks and is clicking at precisely the right time, downing Oklahoma State, TCU and West Virginia in succession en route to its third Big 12 Tournament crown in four seasons. This isn't the most talented Cyclones team since Fred Hoiberg resurrected the program, but it may be the most cohesive. Here are three key reasons why.
Iowa State has given its fans plenty to be excited about during their recent stretch of play. (Danny Medley/USA Today)
Veteran leadership: The is a cliche rooted in truth — the Cyclones' core of Monte' Morris, Naz Mitrou-Long and Matt Thomas comprise the winningest class in program history. Their run started as supporting players on the 2013-14 squad, the first Iowa State team to make the Sweet Sixteen since the Larry Eustachy era. Following their first-round NCAA Tournament loss to UAB a year later and Hoiberg's subsequent departure to the NBA, a vocal subset of fans questioned the sustainability of the Iowa State program. While Prohm's tenure hasn't come without some speed bumps, his team is now in great position based on the combined strength and experience of his nucleus.
| big 12, feature, microsites | Tagged: iowa state, Matt Thomas, monte morris, naz mitrou-long, steve prohm
Rushed Reactions: Iowa State 84, TCU 63
RTC's Brian Goodman (@BSGoodman) is providing on-site coverage of the Big 12 Tournament.
Iowa State Seems to Have this Big 12 Tournament Thing Down Pat (USA Today Images)
The long ball propels the Cyclones to a laugher. Friday night was classic Hoiball, as the Cyclones scorched the nets to the tune of a 48 percent clip from deep. Iowa State connected in transition, in half-court sets, off the bounce and on catch-and-shoots. Steve Prohm's use of forward Solomon Young in the starting lineup also continued to pay dividends. While he's hardly an offensive force, he pulled TCU's defense inward just enough to provide space for the likes of Naz Mitrou-Long, Monte' Morris and Matt Thomas to fire away with plenty of clean looks. Iowa State was also highly efficient inside the arc, but the three-ball continues to be the Cyclones' bread and butter. They will enter Saturday's championship game shooting a mind-blowing 47 percent from deep over their last 11 games.
Deonte Burton was at his best. Burton won't ever be mistaken for Georges Niang, but he's similarly difficult for opponents to match up with. He scored nine of Iowa State's first 11 points and carried that confidence through the rest of the night, sinking jumper after jumper on his way to a game-high 22 points. The senior transfer also made some smooth passes in transition and was active on the glass, displaying his usual versatility. Burton is just as capable of shooting his team into losses as he is of shooting them into wins, but Iowa State didn't need his 'A' game to beat a gassed TCU team tonight. He brought it anyway and his contributions played a key role in building a lead big enough for Prohm to comfortably pull his starters down the stretch.
TCU builds a strong foundation in Jamie Dixon's first year. The national media didn't pay much attention to TCU before the Horned Frogs upset Kansas on Thursday afternoon, but to be fair, there wasn't much reason for them to. TCU played a lax non-conference schedule and went just 1-9 against teams in the top half of the Big 12 standings this season. The development on its roster was apparent, however, as the core of Kenrich Williams, Alex Robinson, Jaylen Fisher and Vladimir Brodziansky made tremendous strides throughout the season. The Horned Frogs won't be anonymous for much longer. This season's starting lineup has no seniors and reinforcements are on the way in the form of a recruiting class headlined by four-star signees Kevin Samuel and R.J. Nembhard.
| big 12, feature, microsites | Tagged: big 12 tournament, iowa state, jaylen fisher, kenrich williams, monte morris, steve prohm, tcu, vladimir brodziansky
Big 12 Quarterfinal Takeaways
Thursday's quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City had a little bit of everything. While #1 seed Kansas wasn't at full strength with Josh Jackson out of the lineup, TCU pulled off what could be the upset of the week in college basketball in moving to the semifinals. The other afternoon game featured Iowa State's Monte' Morris and Oklahoma State's Jawun Evans putting on an entertaining show as the Cyclones treated their big contingency of traveling fans to a win. In the evening session, West Virginia wore Texas down in the only game that lacked significant drama, but Kansas State made up for it by winning a game it absolutely needed to stay alive for an at-large bid. Let's get to the biggest takeaways from the day that was.
TCU guard Desmond Bane hit three decisive free throws after being fouled by Svi Mykhailiuk with the game tied in the closing seconds. (Nick Krug/KUSports.com)
TCU stuns Kansas, but the Jayhawks are still in position for a #1 seed. Prior to Thursday afternoon's upset, Jackson's suspension didn't seem like a deal-breaker. Kansas had swept TCU in the regular season, including a December 30 win in Fort Worth where the freshman wing scored four points and fouled out in 12 forgettable minutes. As it turned out yesterday, however, Kansas sorely missed Jackson's presence, especially on the offensive glass. The Horned Frogs, playing for the second day in a row, rebounded 78.8 percent of Kansas' misses, about 10 percent above their season-long rate. Still, despite the shock factor, this isn't a devastating loss for Kansas. The Jayhawks won the nation's top-rated conference by four games, beat Kentucky, Baylor and Iowa State on the road, and outlasted Duke on a neutral court. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that when Kansas begins its NCAA Tournament appearance on March 17, it will be playing in just its fourth game in 19 days, and Jackson will be playing his first game in almost two whole weeks. The Jayhawks could benefit from some rest and a #16 seed will provide a chance to shake off any rust, but it's a very different stretch from what the team has grown accustomed to.
| big 12, feature, microsites | Tagged: barry brown, baylor, bruce weber, dean wade, iowa state, jamie dixon, Jawun Evans, johnathan motley, Josh Jackson, kansas, kansas state, monte morris, oklahoma state, tcu, texas, west virginia
Four Storylines Heading into the Big 12 Tournament
Posted by Brian Goodman on March 8th, 2017
While the Big 12 figures to take a step back from 2016 in terms of NCAA Tournament participation, the league has once again enjoyed a stellar season. You could certainly look at Kansas winning the regular season championship by four games and conclude that it wasn't all that great, but a look under the hood reveals a different stance. Of the 90 league games that were played this season, 43 were decided by five points or fewer (or in overtime) and just two were decided by 20 points or more. Although the majority of the league's NCAA Tournament fates are already sealed, we should be in for more several more exciting finishes over the next four days. Here are the four biggest storylines worth following this week in Kansas City.
Frank Mason takes his POY campaign to Kansas City for the Big 12 Tournament (Reed Hoffmann/Getty Images)
Kansas State has everything to play for. After losing eight of 10 games, the Wildcats rejoined the bubble conversation by closing its regular season with victories in must-win games against TCU and Texas Tech. Bruce Weber also appears to have received a temporary reprieve from the hot seat with athletic director John Currie stepping down, so things are trending in the right direction in Manhattan. A win over Baylor in Thursday's quarterfinals should remove any lingering doubts over an NCAA Tournament bid, and senior D.J. Johnson is the most important piece of that puzzle. The injury-prone big man was healthy and, more importantly, productive in the team's regular season finale, scoring 19 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting against the Red Raiders. He also helped contain standout Bears forward Johnathan Motley to 6-of-17 shooting in the Wildcats' win over Baylor in early February.
| big 12, feature, microsites | Tagged: baylor, bruce weber, Dj Johnson, frank mason, iowa state, Josh Jackson, kansas, kansas state, monte morris
Iowa State's Recent Winning Streak Reveals Its March Potential
Posted by Chris Stone on March 3rd, 2017
On February 4, Iowa State flashed the peak of its potential. On that fateful day, the Cyclones held on to win at iconic Allen Fieldhouse for the first time since 2005, ending Kansas' 54-game home winning streak and handing Jayhawks' head coach Bill Self just his 10th loss ever at the venue. All it took was an overtime, 92 points and a school-record 18 three-pointers. It also represents Iowa State's offense at its best — an efficient scoring machine capable of raining down a barrage of jumpers on its competition. The scary thing is that the Cyclones haven't cooled off since — they've been performing at a similar level for the last month. After beating the Jayhawks, Iowa State stumbled on the road at Texas, but has won six straight since. During that stretch, Steve Prohm's squad has converted 1.21 points per trip, taking 40.7 percent of their shots from behind the arc and making 48.5 percent of those attempts. For greater context, that would easily rank as the best three-point rate nationally over the course of a season. It is a sustained run of shooting unlike anything Iowa State has seen this season.
Naz Mitrou-Long has helped key Iowa State's hot shooting streak. (Reese Strickland/USA TODAY Sports)
For most of this season, Iowa State has oscillated between scorching hot shooting nights and cold spells. In the last six games, however, the Cyclones have converted better than 45 percent of their threes in every contest, but it's tough to pinpoint the exact cause for this trend. Prohm moved big man Solomon Young into the starting lineup after the Texas game, but data from Hoop Lens suggests that Iowa State's offense has been worse with the freshman on the floor during this stretch (largely because of turnovers). Take a look at the Cyclones' three-point percentage by game in 2016-17. Read the rest of this entry »
| big 12, feature, microsites | Tagged: deonte burton, donovan jackson, iowa state cyclones, Matt Thomas, monte morris, naz mitrou-long, solomon young, steve prohm
Big 12 Power Rankings: We Can See Clearly Now Edition
Posted by Big 12 Team on January 13th, 2017
With four games of conference action now in the books, we have good clarity on the league's pecking order. The unblemished Jayhawks maintain their perch at the top of the standings, followed by West Virginia after its demolition of Baylor in front of a national audience. The middle is typically where things get jumbled, but Iowa State's 3-1 start and Texas Tech's head-to-head win over Kansas State this week made #4-#6 a fairly easy call. Rounding out the list of NCAA Tournament-caliber teams is TCU, followed by a trio of teams with just one combined win between them. Below is how our five Big 12 microsite writers — Drew Andrews, Justin Fedich, Brian Goodman, Nate Kotisso, and Chris Stone — see the conference stacking up entering the weekend.
Kansas – "Roughly halfway through the regular season, Frank Mason is shooting better on three-pointers (54.9%) than he is on two-pointers (52.3%). Combine that staggering level of shooting efficiency with his flair for the dramatic against Duke and Oklahoma (not to mention his team's status as the likely #1 team in America on Monday afternoon) and you have a recipe for a first-team All-American. Mason will have two chances to add to his legend when he goes toe-to-toe with Oklahoma State's Jawun Evans and Iowa State's Monte' Morris over the next few days." -Brian Goodman Read the rest of this entry »
| big 12, feature, microsites | Tagged: baylor, frank mason, iowa state, Jarrett Allen, jordan woodard, kansas, kansas state, Matt Thomas, monte morris, oklahoma, oklahoma state, tcu, tevin mack, texas, texas tech, west virginia
A Handy Preview of Big 12 Opening Friday
Posted by Brian Goodman on December 30th, 2016
Thought to be headed for a down year, the Big 12 opened the 2016-17 campaign by notching several high-profile victories in neutral-site events across the country and in the Bahamas. With a handful of exceptions, it's been quiet since as teams have taken advantage of buy-game opponents to firm up their rotations and find their identities. Activity slowed even more over the Christmas weekend, but the season is finally back from its slumber with the first full slate of conference match-ups tipping off today. Here's a breakdown of the five best angles and storylines to follow as you settle in for the New Year's Eve-Eve Big 12 feast.
Jawun Evans and Oklahoma State have a chance to make an early statement in Big 12 play against #11 West Virginia. (Alonzo Adams/USA TODAY Sports)
West Virginia at Oklahoma State (4:00 ET, ESPN2) – In this afternoon's opener, Bob Huggins gets a chance to exact revenge on former assistant Brad Underwood after the latter's Lumberjacks bounced the Mountaineers from last season's NCAA Tournament. West Virginia and Oklahoma State both feature aggressive defenses, with Press Virginia still thriving and Underwood installing more of a half-court press-and-trap look. Both teams rank among the top five nationally in offensive rebounding and in the bottom 50 in defensive rebounding, so the team that makes the most of its second chances could be the difference here.
Texas Tech at Iowa State (6:00 ET, ESPNEWS) – The Red Raider defense has shown an interesting indifference to the deep ball this season, ranking 345th in opponent three-point field goal attempt rate and allowing a greater percentage of their opponents' scoring to come from beyond the arc than all but three other teams. It hasn't cost 11-1 Texas Tech to this point, but that record came against the country's third-easiest non-conference schedule, so take it with a grain of salt. While Iowa State doesn't let it fly under Steve Prohm like it did under Fred Hoiberg, the experienced core of Monte' Morris, Deonte Burton, Naz Mitrou-Long and Matt Thomas are all shooting 35 percent or better from beyond the arc. An improved showing on the perimeter defensively will be crucial if Texas Tech is to notch an impressive road win in Ames.
| big 12, feature, microsites | Tagged: baylor, bob huggins, brad underwood, bruce weber, deonte burton, iowa state, jamie dixon, Jawun Evans, jordan woodard, kansas, kansas state, lon kruger, Matt Thomas, monte morris, naz mitrou-long, oklahoma, oklahoma state, steve prohm, tcu, texas, texas tech, west virginia