NCAA Basketball: 2018-19 preseason All-Americans/awards predictions

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 22: A general view before the start of the Michigan State Spartans versus Virginia Cavaliers in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 22, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

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BOSTON, MA – MARCH 23: Edwards #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers gestures. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Preseason All-America First Team

Carsen Edwards | Purdue | JR

Purdue may have lost a ton of talent this offseason but Carsen Edwards raises their floor tremendously. Easily one of the top returning guards in the nation, Edwards is a scoring machine who can seemingly fill up the basket from anywhere on the court. Over the course of last season, the 6-foot-1 guard averaged 18.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game on .458/.406/.824 shooting. He will face more defensive attention this year but should still be an All-American with ease.

Caleb Martin | Nevada | SR

A dark horse candidate to win National Player of the Year, Caleb Martin is the go-to offensive star for Nevada. And considering the Wolf Pack are expected to contend for the national title, Martin more than belongs on every preseason All-America list. A versatile 6-foot-7 forward with limitless range, Martin is a tremendous offensive leader and looks like a future NBA player. He averaged 18.9 points per game last season on .454/.405/.749 shooting.

RJ Barrett | Duke | FR

The top-rated incoming recruit in the nation, RJ Barrett is one of the frontrunners to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Quite simply, he is uniquely talented forward who should be a dominant force for Duke this season. With his athleticism and all-around offensive abilities, it is hard to imagine a more difficult matchup for opponents to face this season. Duke is, of course, stacked with young talent but Barrett is the best.

Dedric Lawson | Kansas | JR

After sitting out last season due to transfer rules, Dedric Lawson projects as the best player on the best team in the nation this year. Kansas is ranked at No. 1 in the preseason AP poll and Lawson is a major reason why. An elite scorer, rebounder, and defender, Lawson should fill up the stat sheet for the Jayhawks this season. In his last season of action (w/ Memphis in 2016-17), Lawson put up a ridiculous stat line.

Luke Maye | North Carolina | SR

A double-double machine, Luke Maye is back in Chapel Hill this year facing high expectations. UNC should be a national title contender this season and Maye (along with incoming freshman Nassir Little) is a major reason why. Maye led the Tar Heels in both total points and rebounding a year ago and should do the same this time around. He was also a Third Team All-American last year.

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