| SI's 2012-13 Midseason All-Americans |
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SI's Luke Winn and Seth Davis assemble their midseason All-America teams.
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| First Team |
| PG |
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| Trey Burke |
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Michigan Wolverines, Soph. |
| 18.2 ppg, 7.3 apg, 4:1 assist/turnover ratio |
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Burke made an extremely wise decision to pass on the NBA draft; as a sophomore he's emerged as the best all-around point guard in college. He's piloting the nation's best offense with remarkable efficiency, and is challenging Duke's Mason Plumlee to be the new national player of the year favorite.
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| SG |
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| Russ Smith |
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Louisville Cardinals, Jr. |
| 19.4 ppg, 2.5 spg |
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Smith is a volume shooter -- he uses an insane 34.1 percent of the Cardinals' possessions -- who's grown from a reckless reserve as a sophomore to a national star as a junior. He's also the leader of Louisville's pressure defense, racking up a team-high 38 steals.
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| SF |
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| Doug McDermott |
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Creighton Bluejays, Jr. |
| 22.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 49.3% threes |
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The son of Bluejays coach Greg McDermott is the nation's best inside-out scoring threat. Doug shoots 57.8 percent inside the arc by using quick, craft moves in the post; and makes 49.3 percent of his threes, forcing opposing power forwards to chase him well outside the arc.
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| PF |
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| Mason Plumlee |
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Duke Blue Devils, Sr. |
| 17.7 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 61.6 FG% |
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His senior-year star turn has powered the Blue Devils to a 15-0 start and No. 1 ranking. By becoming a respectable free-throw shooter -- and prolific whistle-drawer -- Plumlee is now the centerpiece of Duke's offense. He also happens to be the most dominant rebounder in the ACC.
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| C |
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| Jeff Withey |
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Kansas Jayhawks, Sr. |
| 13.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 5.1 bpg |
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The senior 7-footer is a peerless defensive game-changer. Withey leads the country in blocks per game, block percentage (18.9) and blocks per foul (4.2) ... and therefore it's no surprise that the Jayhawks hold opponents to a nation-low 37.3 percent shooting from inside the arc.
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| Second Team |
| SG |
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| C.J. McCollum |
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Lehigh Mountain Hawks, Sr. |
| 23.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 51.6% threes |
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The Mountain Hawks' star was leading the nation in scoring (at 25.7 ppg) entering a Jan. 5 game at VCU -- in which he broke his left foot and will be sidelined 8-10 weeks. While there's no chance he'll be an end-of-season All-American, his non-conference work was well-deserving of midseason honors.
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| PG |
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| Michael Carter-Williams |
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Syracuse Orange, Soph. |
| 12.0 ppg, 9.6 apg, 5.0 rpg, 3.2 spg |
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Carter-Williams' takeover of the Orange's point-guard gig has been a hit: He leads the nation in assists per game and is also the steals leader (with 51) of the No. 2-most efficient defense. Syracuse's offense has been so dependent on him that he assists on 47.4 percent of his teammates' field goals.
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| PF |
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| Anthony Bennett |
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UNLV Runnin' Rebels, Fr. |
| 19.4 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 55.8 FG% |
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The lone freshman who's been more valuable than McLemore, Bennett is an ultra-versatile scoring power forward with the ability to knock down threes and as well as throw down thundering putback dunks. UNLV's route to winning a tough Mountain West race will be by showcasing him even more in its offense.
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| PF |
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| Jack Cooley |
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Sr. |
| 15.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 61.3% FGs |
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Cooley leads the nation in offensive rebounding percentage (22.4) is arguably the most dominant all-around glass-cleaner. His interior toughness is the biggest reason why the Irish are 14-1 and have a shot at challenging favorites Louisville and Syracuse for the last full-Big East title.
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| C |
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| Cody Zeller |
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Indiana Hoosiers, Soph. |
| 16.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 62.7 FG% |
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Zeller may not be as dominant as the preseason hype suggested, but he's playing just as well as he did during his freshman season -- which means he's still one of the top 10 players in the country, and the centerpiece of a top-10 offense. That's All-America-worthy.
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| Third Team |
| PG |
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| Brandon Paul |
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Illinois Fighting Illini, Sr. |
| 18.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.3 apg |
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The Illini have faded a bit since their 12-0 start, but Paul's senior-year surge deserves recognition. Under new coach John Groce, Paul has improved his shot selection to the degree that he's now a 50-plus percent shooter (50.5) from inside the arc for the first time in his career.
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| PG |
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| Phil Pressey |
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Missouri Tigers, Jr. |
| 13.6 ppg, 7.6 apg, 2.2:1 assist/turnover ratio |
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Pressey has made do with an all-new supporting cast and is still generating high-quality scoring looks for the 12-2 Tigers. He's already had three double-dight assist games, and his 19-point, 19-assist effort in an overtime loss to UCLA on Dec. 28 is the highest single-game assist total of this season.
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| SG |
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| Ben McLemore |
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Kansas Jayhawks, Fr. |
| 16.9 ppg, 5.3 prg, 45.9% threes |
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The start of McLemore's college career was delayed when he didn't qualify academically last season, but he's made up for lost time by emerging as a go-to scorer for the sixth-ranked Jayhawks. His 6-of-6 on threes, 7-of-7 on free throws, 33-point performance against Iowa State on Wednesday was a tour de force.
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| SG |
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| Seth Curry |
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Duke Blue Devils, Sr. |
| 16.0 ppg, 41.3% threes |
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The Blue Devils' top outside threat has battled through a shin injury to deliver clutch performances in some of their biggest games. He's thriving in an off-the-ball role as a senior, and after sitting out a transfer season during Duke's last title run, looks poised to finally chase one of his own.
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| C |
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| Mike Muscala |
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Bucknell Bison, Sr. |
| 19.3 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.4 bpg |
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Muscala was the best big man on the floor in the Bison's near-upset of Missouri on Jan. 5, scoring 25 points and pulling down 14 rebounds. He also happens to be the best small-school center in the country, and could be a potential breakout star in the NCAA tournament.
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| Freshman Team |
| PG |
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| Marcus Smart |
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Oklahoma State |
| 14.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.8 apg |
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Smart's arrival has turned the Cowboys from a team with an NIT ceiling into an NCAA tournament hopeful. He's a heady leader who finishes well around the rim (shooting 52.5 percent on twos), and if he ever develops a consistent outside shot (he's hitting at a 29.5 percent from beyond the arc), he'll be a National Player of the Year candidate.
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| SG |
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| Archie Goodwin |
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Kentucky |
| 15.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.8 apg |
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Goodwin has established himself as the best all-around player on a Wildcats roster loaded with talent. He was forced into a primary ballhandling role while Ryan Harrow missed a series of games, and should be poised for a big SEC campaign at his more natural position of shooting guard.
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| SG |
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| Ben McLemore |
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Kansas |
| 16.9 ppg, 5.3 prg, 45.9% threes |
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KU coach Bill Self said McLemore sometimes struggled to assert himself early on this season, but if his 33-point game against Iowa State on Wednesday was any indication, he's finally getting acclimated to a starring role.
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| SG |
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| Shabazz Muhammad |
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UCLA |
| 19.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 48.6% threes |
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Muhammad was suspended for the Bruins' first three games, and then needed a few weeks to get fully healthy and conditioned for college hoops -- but since mid-December he's been a dominant scorer, putting up 20-plus points in five of his past six appearances. If he continues at this pace and UCLA challenges for the Pac-12 title, he'll appear on the normal All-America teams.
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| PF |
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| Anthony Bennett |
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UNLV Runnin' Rebels |
| 19.4 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 55.8 FG% |
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Bennett was the seventh-ranked overall recruit in the Class of 2012, but he's been the most productive overall player thus far, and was a recruiting coup for UNLV coach Dave Rice -- even if the Canadian phenom only stays for one season.
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