[2024] Preseason Preview Part 2: Top Players and Preseason All-Americans

[Wahoo]

Welcome back to Part 2 of Wahoo's 2024 Preseason Preview. If you missed Part 1's recap of the 2023 season, you can find that here.

Some disclaimers to start: my team rankings and award predictions are based on the proprietary Wahoo Ability Ranking model (WAR™). Through a top-secret formula, I assign each player a rating. My formula has different weightings based on what I view as more or less important. These weightings are different from Tuscan’s weightings, and likely different from what you would choose. My weightings do tilt towards offensive ability over other factors, so you will often see teams with a few great shooters outrank teams with great defense or many average shooters. Players are also not ranked based only on their Overall rating; there are many situations where a C overall is rated higher than a B overall based on their individual attributes. The top 8 players on a team contribute to a team’s ranking, with a heavier weighting on the starting 5. I do not account for positions; I assume that most teams will find a gameplan that will work to get their best players on the court. However, a team’s ranking could theoretically be made up of 5 centers, which would obviously not be a valid lineup. AI teams may also not value their players the same way I do and default to different gameplans and lineups. However, I do believe my system gives a general sense of the talent that would be playing for each team. And if you disagree, then make your own formula!

 

Top Returning Scorers
Listed year is for this season

SG Don Burtner, Sr., USC	28.7 PPG
PG Howard Wen, Sr., Utah	23.9 PPG
PG Dustin Cook, (Jr.), SMU	23.1 PPG
PG Derrick Morehead, Jr., Virginia	22.7 PPG
SG Mitchell Henderson, Sr., Nebraska	22.2 PPG
PG Robert Good, Sr., Alabama	21.6 PPG
C Christopher Nettnin, Sr., Bowling Green	20.5 PPG
PG Adam King, So., Tennessee	19.2 PPG
PF Lawrence Davis, Jr., Illinois State	18.9 PPG
PF Jeffrey Butler, Jr., Cal State Northridge	18.4 PPG

Last season’s top scorer, USC SG Don Burtner, returns for one last go-around, this time in a new conference. Utah loses first team All-American PF Timothy Plungis, but they do return their top scorer and second team All-American PG Howard Wen. SMU PG Dustin Cook and Virginia PG Derrick Morehead are set to duel in the new-look ACC, although Morehead is not expected to be relied on as much in Charlottesville with the addition of #1 overall recruit PF Watson Webb. Nebraska SG Mitchell Henderson will take over primary bucket duties as first team All-American PF Christopher Merlo departs. Despite losing the top draft pick C Mike Park, Alabama returns their top scorer PG Robert Good. C Christopher Nettnin, PG Adam King, PF Lawrence Davis, and PF Jeffrey Butler were all leading scorers on their teams last year.

 

Top Returning Rebounders
Listed year is for this season

C David Leonardo, Sr., Charleston	15.4 RPG
SG Paul Kellerhouse, Sr., Oakland	14.4 RPG
SF Rich Siebert, Jr., Morehead State	13.2 RPG
PF John Jones, Sr., Presbyterian	12.8 RPG
SF Martin Malone, Jr., Alcorn State	12.7 RPG
SF Joseph Ball, Sr., Eastern Washington	12.6 RPG
C Seamus Stebenne, Sr., DePaul	12.6 RPG
PF Edgar Koontz, Sr., Texas A&M-Commerce	12.2 RPG
PG John Chang, Jr., Belmont	12.1 RPG
PF Ivan Deollos, Sr., Saint Peter’s	12.1 RPG

Last year’s rebounding champion C David Leonardo will be back on the court as a senior for Charleston after just averaging a double-double with 10.0 PPG last season. He may be dueled by last year’s third best rebounder SG Paul Kellerhouse, who seemed to spend more time under the basket than at the 3-point line, only averaging 7.9 PPG. This list is dominated by smaller conference players, who have the opportunity to throw their bodies against less competitive opposition on a week-in, week-out basis. The top returning Power 6 (now Power 5 in basketball?) rebounder is BYU’s first team All-Big 12 C Jamie Witt, who pulled down 11.8 RPG (36th in the nation).

 

Wooden Award Winner

C Robert Lampe, Sr., UMBC

 

PF Christopher Merlo was my preseason Wooden Award pick last year, and, while he didn’t take home the coveted award, Merlo did garner first team All-American status after averaging 23.5 PPG/9.8 RPG and getting Nebraska into the NCAA tournament. This year, C Robert Lampe is set to lead a star-studded UMBC roster. The Retriever’s heavy-duty scorer and third team All-American SG Blair Stiles is gone, opening up more opportunity for Lampe to move up from being the team’s second option last season. Lampe led UMBC in rebounds and steals last year, while being second on the team in scoring despite only taking the 4th most FG attempts. Lampe attempted 0 3-point shots last year but has shown improvement behind the line during the offseason. This could help him stuff the scoresheet and show marked improvement on his 14.8 PPG from last year.

 

2023 stats shown where applicable

First Team All-Americans

C Robert Lampe, Sr., UMBC
14.8 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.4 BPG, 1.2 SPG
SF Joon-Woo Kang, Fr., Kentucky
N/A
SF Glenn Everett, Sr., Central Michigan
13.8 PPG, 6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.3 BPG, 1.2 SPG
C Christopher Nettnin, Sr., Bowling Green
20.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2 APG, 2 BPG, 1 SPG
SF Craig Bennett, Sr., Iowa State
18.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1 BPG, 1.2 SPG

Second Team All-Americans

SF Jules Stillwell, (Sr.), Colorado State
11.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.2 BPG, 0.8 SPG
C Michael Deluise, Sr., Villanova
10.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1 BPG, 1 SPG
SF Everett Ryan, (Jr.), St. Bonaventure
11.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.8 BPG, 1.2 SPG
SG Don Burtner, Sr., USC
28.7 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.1 SPG
PF Derek Sandhu, Sr., Louisville
13.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.2 BPG, 1.5 SPG

Third Team All-Americans

SF Max Garner, (Jr.), Colorado State
10.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 BPG, 1.2 SPG
SF Stephen Kelley, Sr., Buffalo
17.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2 APG, 1.8 BPG, 0.9 SPG
C Jamie Witt, Sr., BYU
11.2 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.2 BPG, 1.1 SPG
PF Jeffrey Nocito, Sr., San Francisco
10.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.7 BPG, 1.4 SPG
C Ernesto Peralta, Sr., Louisiana Monroe
10 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 0.9 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.2 SPG

One of these first team All-Americans is not like the other. Among a bevy of experience-laden seniors, Kentucky 5-star freshman SF Joon-Woo Kang has the talent to break into the top echelon. Kang can score from inside and outside and is expected to play a significant role in Kentucky’s offense and defense. The only thing that may hold him back is his own fitness, as coach Ezaco reported that Kang will only be able to play at a top-level for about 30 minutes per game. Some other familiar names here are 2023 third team All-American USC SG Don Burtner (last year’s top scorer), first team All-MAC Bowling Green C Christopher Nettnin, and first team All-Big 12 Iowa State SF Craig Bennett.

 

All-Freshman Team

SF Joon-Woo Kang, Fr., Kentucky
PF Marcus Lee, Fr., Kentucky
PF Emile Musa, Fr., Kentucky
PF Noah Green, Fr., Georgia
SG Jason Smithy, Fr., St. John’s

The SEC will be the land of the freshman, with 4 of my top 5 rated freshman playing in the conference. What a stunning recruiting class from Kentucky. While it is unlikely that all 3 of these players end up on the All-Freshman team come season end as they compete with each other for minutes and stats, these 3 stars are bringing high expectations to Lexington. Not even mentioned on this list are Tennessee’s pair of freshman 5-stars SF Jacob Brown and PG Jorge Garcia or Alabama’s freshman 5-star PF Enrique Chavarria. 

 

Part 1

Edited August 12 by Wahoo

[SageBow]

Wow Howard Wen not a predicted All-American? He's gonna prove this wrong!

[nemolee.exe]

booooooo Hyung-Min Lee not on here 

@subsequentyou see this shit 

[Ape]

Bulletin Board Material for Avery Johnson

[subsequent]

23 hours ago, nemolee.exe said:

booooooo Hyung-Min Lee not on here 

@subsequentyou see this shit 

BLASPHEMY