’13-14 All Americans: 3rd Team
Jan 9, 2013; Wichita, KS, USA; Southern Illinois Salukis guard Jeff Early (22) looks up after scrambling for a loose ball with Wichita State Shockers players Cleanthony Early (11) and Tekele Cotton (32) during the second half at the Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State defeated Southern Illinois 82-76. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
With season somewhat around the corner, if November is considered around the corner, now would be the time to pust the Busting Brackets pre season All American picks. So after tough consideration in what is one of the most stacked talent years in the NCAA, here are our picks for the 3rd team.
3rd team All American
G: Aaron Craft, Ohio State
Now a crafty senior (pun intended), the Buckeyes point guard is the clear leader of his locker room. Craft provides extremely tough perimeter defense for an Ohio State team that will be looking to continue its amazing success in the last decade. Combined with his defense is a great talent at finding his teammates and some very good shooting of his own.
While Craft may never find himself on an NBA team due to his lack of athleticism, he will go down by many as one of the best Buckeyes in recent memory. All of his hard work will go rewarded with an All American selection at the end of the year as the Buckeyes should once again be one of the better teams in the country.
G: CleAnthony Early, Wichita State
The latest of the Cinderella teams, last season saw the Wichita State Shockers make a final four run as a 9 seed. The catalyst for the run was Early, whose excellent back court play helped pave the way for the Shockers’ unprecedented success.
Early is about as different as it gets to his 3rd team all american partner, Craft. With the type of athleticism that could translate to the NBA, Early leads his team with flash and dazzle. On the court, he is comfortable scoring from everywhere and isn’t shy to look for his owns shot.
If the Shockers are to have the same type of success in 2013-14, Early will have to be even better than he was last year. Having put his name on the map, Early also has a lot to gain for his individual future by stepping it up yet another notch.
F: CJ Fair, Syracuse
Four year players always mean a lot to a school. In four years, a lot happens and memories are made. This is the case when it comes to CJ Fair and the Syracuse Orange. Having spent his first three years playing on an always solid Orange team, Fair is now its clear leader. Syracuse is going to go as far as Fair can take them.
That isn’t to say that he won’t have any help, the Orange’s roster is still one of the best in the country, but Fair showed last season that he can compete with anyone in the nation. If Fair is able to improve on his numbers from last season, Syracuse could go pretty far into the NCAA tournament and Fair should easily find himself a spot on an All American team.
F: Kyle Anderson, UCLA
As a freshman last season, Anderson showed great versatility in an offense that was largely dominated by Shabazz Muhammad. With Muhammad now off to the NBA, Anderson will have a much bigger role in the UCLA offense and should be able to show off his talents.
Having announced that he plans on declaring for the NBA after this season, Anderson has put some pressure on himself to perform at a high level. The Bruins of recent memory have not stacked up to the team’s precious history and with a new coach this season, the school is looking to turn the corner. Anderson is the type of player that could help change the culture of the team. On the court, he works hard and plays honestly. The talent level is clearly there and if he is let loose, Anderson should have no difficulty showing it.
F: Noah Vonleh, Indiana
With the departure of Cody Zeller to the NBA, there is a spot in the Indiana lineup for a scoring big man who can run up and down the court with ease. It just so happens that the Hoosiers went out and recruited just that type of player in Noah Vonleh.
A highly skilled forward, Vonleh will have the green light from his first day on campus to take over the Hoosiers offense. While he may not be as developed as Zeller was, he will fit in his spot in the lineup about as seamlessly as any freshman could have.
Indiana should once again be one of the better teams in the Big Ten but having lost both Zeller and Victor Oladipo, they will need Vonleh to produce in order to keep up with the top of the conference. While Vonleh was highly recruited, he seems to have gotten lost in the hoopla of his recruiting class. It would be wise not to sleep on him because he is about to put the NCAA on notice.
That is our 3rd team picks, check back later on for the 2nd and 1st teams to see if your favorite players make the cut.