Kansas Basketball: Azubuike, Dotson snubbed from preseason All-American team

The AP All-American First Team is out, but it lacks Kansas Basketball stars Udoka Azubuike and Devon Dotson, both deserving of the accolade.

Don’t expect to see your favorite Kansas Basketball players on the AP All-American roster this preseason.

As the 2019-20 season draws closer, preseason rankings and accolades are being released ad nauseam. One of the most notable releases is that of the All-American team, filled with obvious stars and bereft of obvious snubs.

Including both Udoka Azubuike and Devon Dotson on the top squad was going to be a stretch. But it seemed reasonable to expect at least one of them to crack the list. Instead, both were relegated to the “Other Receiving Votes” section; Azubuike garnered eight votes, while Dotson received just four.

Michigan State star Cassius Winston led the voting which was little surprise, as he’s the top player on the top team entering the season and a leading contender for National Player of the Year. Next up were Markus Howard of Marquette and Myles Powell of Seton Hall, both coming off seasons where they averaged at least 23 points per game. Louisville’s Jordan Nwora is less known nationally, but at least somewhat deserving after averaging 17.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last year.

Here’s where the gripe of every Jayhawks fan should come in.

The fifth member of the All-American team is James Wiseman, a center for the Memphis Tigers. College basketball fans who haven’t heard of him before now would be forgiven, as he’s yet to play a single minute of college hoops; he’s just a heralded freshman.

Sure, freshmen leave a big impact every season and often deserve to be placed on the All-American team after the season. But he has yet to prove anything on the hardwood on the biggest stages. Ben Simmons and RJ Barrett proved worthy of their preseason honors, but they had to work to find themselves on the All-American rosters after the year.

Meanwhile, Azubuike and Dotson have proved it on the court.

Azubuike played in only nine games last season due to a wrist injury. When he was on the court, however, the rising senior center was dominant. He averaged 13.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He’s in line for a monster season and should be one of the best big men in the country.

Dotson has the potential to be even better. As a freshman, Dotson emerged as a star, making the All-Big 12 Third Team. He averaged 12.3 points per game on 36.3 percent 3-point shooting, both better marks than WIseman had in college last year – but that went without saying. With much of Kansas‘ cast from a year ago gone, Dotson is going to shoulder an even greater load in his sophomore campaign.

None of that was good enough to earn invites to the All-American team for either player entering the 2019-20 season. They’re sure to use these slights as just another motivation to prove doubters wrong this year.

Udoka Azubuike and Devon Dotson may not be on the preseason All-American roster, but don’t be surprised if they pop up on the team after the season.