March is finally here. With less than a week until Selection Sunday, conference tournaments are well underway and the upcoming Power 5 matchups are going to be must-see TV. As the season wraps up, I thought it would be a great time to take stock of the best players in the nation who have defined this year in college hoops with my picks for the All-America first team. The trend of first-year dominance continues, with three of the five selections being in their first college basketball seasons, while the two others are senior leaders for their squads. Let’s get into the list.
- Cameron Boozer, Duke
It doesn’t get chalkier than this pick. The heavy favorite for National Player of the Year (and Freshman of the Year), Boozer has been dominating the sport all season. Averaging 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game, the projected top-three 2026 NBA Draft pick has done it all for the Blue Devils, leading them to a 29–2 regular season record and the No. 1 rank in the AP Poll. Ignoring the numbers, when you watch this team play, it’s clear how crucial Boozer is to their success. If he keeps up this play, he could be playing for a National Championship in a month.
- AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Moving onto the next first-year phenom, Dybantsa has lived up to expectations and then some. Although BYU hasn’t been the team they were projected to be in the preseason, its five-star recruit has done all he can to make this team win, with averages of 24.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while being relatively efficient given the shot volume. He passes the eye test, and if the Darryn Peterson debacle continues to be a real issue, Dybantsa will almost certainly be the No. 1 pick in the draft.
- Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Michigan came into the season ranked No. 7 and has somehow blown those expectations out of the water, ranking No. 3 in the latest AP Poll and with an argument for the No. 1 overall seed. A lot of that can be attributed to the play of Lendeborg. As the top-ranked player in the transfer portal out of University of Alabama at Birmingham, it’s not surprising that he has been able to succeed at the Big Ten level. What separates him from other players not on this list is his value on both ends of the court. Lendeborg is putting up a comparably modest 14.7 points per game, but he goes to work on defense, getting 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals on average.
- Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Any other year, for the most part, Acuff Jr. would probably be the clear Freshman of the Year. Coming in as the No. 5 recruit in the country, he has put up a highly efficient 22.2 points per game paired with 6.4 assists per game. Acuff Jr. has led this strong No. 17 Arkansas team all season and I wouldn’t be surprised if they make a splash in March. His scoring prowess alone might still put him in the top five of the sport.
- Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Playing a similar role as Lendeborg for the Cyclones, Jefferson does it all for his team. He scores, with 16.6 points per game, rebounds, with 7.4 rebounds per game, and passes, with 5.0 assists per game; not to mention, he averages a combined 2.4 steals and blocks per game. Given Iowa State’s No. 7 ranking and Jefferson’s significant impact on the game, he’s my last All-American.
