Dick Vitale releases 2021-22 preseason All-American picks

ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale released his preseason All-American picks on Tuesday. His veteran heavy list includes 25 players, making up five teams heading into the 2021-22 season.

In a controversial move, Vitale opted to exclude freshmen from his preseason All-American team in favor of veterans. He explained the decision in his introduction.

“A lot of people put freshmen on their preseason All-America teams,” Vitale wrote for ESPN. “I believe we have to see them on the collegiate court before we name them All-Americans. I’m sure you will see players like Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga, Jalen Duren of Memphis and Michigan’s Caleb Houstan on the postseason team.”

With the expanded five-team format and no freshmen, there are plenty spots for some of basketball’s brightest stars in Dick Vitale’s preseason All-American team. Here is a look at who made the cut ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Dick Vitale’s Preseason All-Americans

First team

Drew Timme, Gonzaga Bulldogs

Kofi Cockburn, Illinois Fighting Illini

Collin Gillespie, Villanova Wildcats

Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana Hoosiers

Buddy Boeheim, Syracuse Orange

Second team

Hunter Dickinson, Michigan Wolverines

Trevion Williams, Purdue Boilermakers

Johnny Juzang, UCLA Bruins

Max Abmas, Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

Julian Champagnie, St. John’s Red Storm

Third team

Ochai Agbaji, Kansas Jayhawks

E.J. Liddell, Ohio State Buckeyes

Jaden Ivey, Purdue Boilermakers

Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA Bruins

Scotty Pippen Jr., Vanderbilt Commodores

Fourth team

Armando Bacot, North Carolina Tar Heels

Marcus Carr, Texas Longhorns

Jaden Shackelford, Alabama Crimson Tide

Andre Curbelo, Illinois Fighting Illini

Remy Martin, Kansas Jayhawks

Fifth team

Mark Williams, Duke Blue Devils

Paul Scruggs, Xavier Musketeers

Nate Watson, Providence Friars

Marcus Sasser, Houston Cougars

Adam Flagler, Baylor Bears

Notes

The Big Ten leads the way with seven preseason All-American selections, followed by the Big 12 and Big East with four each. Schools with multiple players selected include Illinois, Purdue, UCLA and Kansas.

The list also includes two transfers and two others who spent time in the portal before returning. Vitale warns fans to be wary of the immediate impact each transfer will have, stating that, like freshmen, they are an unknown.

“A number of outstanding players opted to return to college, passing on the NBA draft,” Vitale wrote. “There are also several potential All-America selections coming from the transfer portal, but it’s always tough to evaluate players on new teams.”

This mentality explains the absence of any Kentucky players. The freshman and transfer heavy team will need to prove something before making Vitale’s All-American list.

As Vitale points out in his opening statement, these things are subject to change throughout the season. The emergence of freshmen and transfers who picked the right system will certainly shake up the college basketball landscape and make things interesting as March approaches.