AP All-American team: Duke freshman phenom R.J. Barrett highlights selections

Duke’s freshman phenom R.J. Barrett and potential No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is one of the headliners on the Preseason AP All-American team.

We’re in the thick of the college football season but don’t let that distract you from the fact that the college basketball season is right around the corner. Earlier this week, the Preseason AP Top 25 was released that saw the Kansas Jayhawks occupy the top spot with the Kentucky Wildcats right behind at No. 2 and many of the usual suspects (Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Villanova) right behind.

And now, the Preseason AP All-American team has been revealed. Purdue point guard Carsen Edwards was the leading vote-getter, appearing on 63 of 65 ballots. Edwards was a third-team All-American last year and looks poised to lead the Boilers to a potential Big Ten title and deep run in the NCAA Tournament in March and into April.

Edwards is joined on the AP All-American team by North Carolina’s Luke Maye, Duke freshman R.J. Barrett, Kansas point-forward Dedric Lawson, Nevada’s Caleb Martin and Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ. Yes, the first team consists of six, not five, because there was a tie between Ethan Happ and Nevada’s Caleb Martin tied for the final spot.

Martin and Happ are two players who could be playing in the NBA this fall instead of their college programs. Both flirted with the NBA Draft before ultimately withdrawing and returning to school. Others might not be as familiar with Lawson simply because he sat out last year after transferring from Memphis, but he’s a versatile talent who will stuff the stat sheet for Bill Self’s Jayhawks this year.

Despite never playing a college basketball game, Duke freshman, Barrett has been named one of the six to the first team. This isn’t unprecedented in the era of the one-and-done, but Barrett is part of the heralded Duke recruiting class that also includes human highlight reel Zion Williamson and could be the No. 1 pick in next year’s NBA Draft.

It’s hard to argue with the AP’s All-American team. I’m glad they included Barrett even though he hasn’t played in college yet. He’s just that good and talented and should have a monumental impact for the Blue Devils this year.

As far as snubs are concerned, there is one less because the first team has six players instead of five. However, players who could find themselves on the AP All-American team at the end of the year that bears watching this season are Tennessee’s Grant Williams, Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura and Tennessee’s Tyus Battle.