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Midseason All-Americans for the 20-21 season

Can we really be halfway through the 20-21 college basketball season?

While there’s still a lot of work to be done before the bracket for the 2021 NCAA Tournament is announced on March 14th, we’ve still gotten a pretty good sample size of which teams will be poised to make deep runs in the field of 68 and which players will lead them there.

Below please find College Hoops Today’s list of midseason All-Americans for the 20-21 season:

First Team

Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga (14.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.5 steals)
The Zags look like the best team that college basketball has seen in years and one of the primary reasons for that is Suggs. Mark Few has never had a point guard like this 6-4 floor general, who makes passes that others can’t and adds intangibles that others simply aren’t capable of. A two-way player, Suggs has already had six games this season with three or more steals. He’s also shooting 54.6 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three-point range.

Jared Butler, Baylor (16.4 points, 5.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 2.4 steals)
The focal point of the sport’s best perimeter, Butler can dominate a game with offense, defense, or by showcasing his ability to set the table for his teammates. The 6-3 guard has tallied 12 steals in his last three games and has also had three games this season with seven or more assists. Butler is one of the primary reasons why Baylor is 11-0.

Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois (22.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists)
Brad Underwood said over the summer that if Dosunmu returned to school for his junior season instead of entering the NBA Draft that people in Champaign would eventually “build a statue of him”. Let’s hope the sculptors are ready. Arguably the most complete guard in the sport, Dosunmu has done everything for the Illini and he’s doing it efficiently. The 6-5 guard is shooting a career-best 49.8 percent from the field and 42.2 percent from three-point range; he only shot 29.6 percent from long distance last season as a sophomore. 

Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (21.2 points, 4.8 rebounds)
Kispert is a joke. Gonzaga’s elder statesmen is shooting 60.2 percent from the field and 48.8 percent from three-point range; he’s already had seven games this season with three or more made shots from long distance. A 6-7 senior, Kispert bypassed the start of a professional career last summer to return to school and have a season for the ages. He’s halfway there. 

Luka Garza, Iowa (27.6 points, 8.6 rebounds)
In a day and age where college players are always trying to get to the next level as quickly as possible, Garza is a throwback to a completely different time. The 6-11 big man came back to school to lead Iowa to the Final Four for the first time since 1980 and he’s putting the Hawkeyes in position to do just that. An improved outside shooter, Garza is shooting 48.9 percent from long distance after shooting 35.8 percent last season as a junior. He’s also had three games this season with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds. 

Second Team

Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State (17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists)
The hype for Cunningham was through the roof before he ever played a college game and for the most part, he’s lived up to the billing. The 6-7 floor general can affect a game by scoring, distributing, and by defending, which he showed earlier in the week when the Cowboys came back to beat Kansas in Stillwater. A complete player who has great size for his position, Cunningham has already had five games this season with seven or more rebounds. 

Collin Gillespie, Villanova (15.3 points, 4.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds)
The rock of Villanova’s program for the last several years, Gillespie is as reliable a player as there is in the sport who does whatever it takes to win. Like all great point guards, Gillespie’s ability to protect the basketball is one of his greatest assets; he’s only had a total of three turnovers in his last 163 minutes played. This veteran floor general is a major reason why the Wildcats have an excellent chance of winning their third national title in the last decade. 

Cam Thomas, LSU (21.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals)
The all-time scoring leader at Oak Hill Academy has quickly taken his offensive prowess to the collegiate game. This 6-4 Thomas is currently leading the SEC in scoring and already has had six games with 25 or more points. Thomas’ game is eerily similar to Buddy Hield, but it’s important to note that Hield only averaged 7.8 points when he was a freshman at Oklahoma. 

Drew Timme, Gonzaga (18.6 points, 6.8 rebounds)
Gonzaga’s staff didn’t fret when Filip Petrusev opted to leave school early and begin a professional career in Europe because it knew that Timme was ready to step in. He has delivered. After averaging 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds last season as a freshman in 20.5 minutes, Timme’s numbers have spiked as a sophomore despite only playing seven minutes more a game (27.5). Incredibly accurate around the rim, the 6-10 big man is shooting 59.6 percent from the field. 

Hunter Dickinson, Michigan (17.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.5 blocks)
The Wolverines are starting to solidify themselves as the sport’s third-best team behind Gonzaga and Baylor; Dickinson is a major reason why. The 7-1, 255 pound center has anchored Michigan’s defense, which is now allowing just 62.8 points in Big Ten play and is ranked in the Top 10 at KenPom.com. Incredibly efficient around the rim, Dickinson has shot 60 percent or better from the field in eight of the Wolverines’ 11 games this season.

Third Team

Marcus Carr, Minnesota (20.9 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds)
There’s absolutely no way that the Gophers would have been able to keep pace in the rugged Big Ten without Carr’s brilliance. He’s elevated himself as a scorer this season and has already had three games with 30 or more points. Carr also has had three games where he’s attempted 10 or more free throws. This is one of the more complete point guards in the sport.

James Bouknight, UConn (20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals)
Bouknight may currently be out of the lineup due to an elbow injury, but his presence is still a major reason why the Huskies are again nationally relevant. The 6-5 sophomore has the talent, ability, and work ethic to be the next great guard to come out of UConn’s program and he’s shown flashes of that brilliance this season. Bouknight had a 40-point game earlier this year against Creighton and hasn’t scored less than 18 in a game this season when he’s been fully healthy. Whatever “it” is, he has. 

Chris Duarte, Oregon (18.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.5 steals)
There may be other players in the Pac-12 who boast better long-term potential, but right now Duarte is clearly the best player in the conference. An efficient scorer who also plays defense, the 6-6 wing is shooting 55 percent from the field and 45.6 percent from three-point range, but has also accumulated 14 steals in his last three games. This is a two-way threat who does a little bit of everything. 

Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers (20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds)
One of the most improved players in all of college basketball, Harper has quickly become one of the sport’s toughest players to cover. The 6-6 forward has already made 30 three-point shots this season and is shooting an astronomical 45.5 percent from long distance; he made 38 three-point shots during all of last year and shot just 34.9 percent from deep. Capable of punishing his opponent at the rim or by facing the basket, Harper has had a major hand in continuing to augment the overall perception of Rutgers’ program. He’s already had four games this season with 25 or more points. 

Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana (20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocks)
Jackson-Davis is good at what he knows and knows what he’s good at. During a time when big men are always trying to prove that they can make three-point shots with regularity, Jackson-Davis has yet to attempt a shot from long distance during his two-year college career. A resident of the paint, the 6-9 sophomore has tallied four double-doubles this season and is shooting over 50 percent from the field. 

Honorable Mention

  • David Duke, Providence
  • Quentin Grimes, Houston
  • Sandro Mamukelashvili, Seton Hall
  • Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova
  • Kofi Cockburn, Illinois

Leftovers: