AP preseason college basketball All-American team revealed ahead of 2023-24 season

It’s basketball season, folks. On Monday, the Associated Press released its preseason All-American First Team.

With no shortage of talent returning to the hardwood this season, the AP had plenty of players to choose from. It surely wasn’t easy narrowing the list down to five. Nonetheless, these are the AP’s All-Americans heading into the 2023 campaign:

G Tyler Kolek | Marquette

It isn’t everyday the Big East Player of the Year comes back for seconds. Kolek brought home the hardware last season after averaging 12.9 points, 7.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 40% from 3-point range.

Marquette’s success reflected Kolek’s fantastic statistics. Last season, the Golden Eagles won the Big East Tournament for the first time in program history. Marquette was knocked out in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32 by Michigan State as Kolek battled a thumb injury suffered in the first round.

F Kyle Filipowski | Duke

Filipowski didn’t disappoint in his debut campaign last season. The five-star power forward averaged  15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per outing while shooting 44.1% from the floor. Filipowski was a double-double machine, leading all freshmen with 16.

Filipowski’s figures weren’t hollow. Duke finished with a 27-9 record and defeated Virginia to win the ACC Tournament. Filipowski dropped 20 points in the conference championship, becoming the fourth ACC player to earn rookie of the year and conference tournament MVP honors in the same season.

F Hunter Dickinson | Kansas

Dickinson is in a new environment this season, but he boasts the same skills. The 7-foot stud averaged 18.5 points and 9.0 rebounds at Michigan. The Wolverines won’t forget Dickinson anytime soon.

In four seasons at Michigan, Dickinson earned All-Big Ten honors every year, including two First Team selections, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award and a consensus Second Team All-American in 2021. Now, the agile big man will lend his talents Bill Self and the Jayhawks this season.

F Armando Bacot | North Carolina

Bacot is back for one more ride with his Tar Heels. The 6-foot-11 fifth-year senior averaged 13.7 points and 10.1 rebounds while shooting 56% from the floor last season to earn third-team AP All-America honors.

Although Bacot bolstered another impressive individual seasons, UNC came nowhere near its 2022 success. The Tar Heels became the first preseason No. 1 team to ever miss the NCAA Tournament. Bacot doesn’t plan on closing his career with another disappointing postseason.

C Zach Edey | Purdue

Edey nearly left Purdue for the NBA last season. Now back with the Boilermakers, his decision is already being rewarded. The 7-foot-4, 300-pound center was the lone unanimous pick by a 60-person media panel.

In fairness, Edey swept all major national player of the year awards last season, including AP. In his junior effort, Edey averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 60.7 percent from the field.

From 7-foot paint presences like Edey to 6-foot-3 slashers like Kolek, college basketball fans are in for a treat this season. While these players have already proved their stardom, anybody can climb the ladder. Check in again at the end of the year to see who exceeded expectations.