Sporting News releases college basketball All-America team

College basketball is entering the best part of its calendar, with conference tournament week kicking off on Monday afternoon. For the next few weeks, it will be non-stop action of the sport before a champion is crowned in the first weekend of April.

However, before looking to the postseason, everybody took the opportunity to reflect on the entirety of the regular season. Each conference released their All-Conference selection and even a few All-America teams were revealed.

On Tuesday, Sporting News released their own All-America teams, giving awards to 15 different players across three teams. The Big Ten has the most representatives with five selections, including three in the first teams.

Here’s the All-America first, second, and third-team according to Sporting News.

Sports News college basketball first-team All-America

Ochai Agbaji – Guard, Kansas

Johnny Davis – Guard, Wisconsin

Keegan Murray – Forward, Iowa

Kofi Cockburn – Center, Illinois

Oscar Tshiebwe – Center, Kentucky

Second-team

Jaden Ivey – Guard, Purdue

Bennedict Mathurin – Guard, Arizona

Jabari Smith – Forward, Auburn

Drew Timme – Forward, Gonzaga

Chet Holmgren – Center, Gonzaga

Third-team

James Akinjo – Guard, Baylor

Collin Gillespie – Guard, Villanova

JD Notae – Guard, Arkansas

Paolo Banchero – Forward, Duke

EJ Liddell – Forward, Ohio State

One of the three players on the first team out of the Big Ten is Johnny Davis. Suffering an injury in Wisconsin’s season finale against Nebraska, the loss proved how valuable the guard can be to the Badgers. Throughout the season, he averaged 20 points and just over eight rebounds per game. Only Keegan Murray and Kofi Cockburn, also named to the first team, scored more than Davis within the conference.

Kansas is one of the most dangerous teams in college basketball and Agbaji is one of the reasons. Also named the Big 12 Player of the Year, the Jayhawks star led the conference in scoring with 19.8. If Bill Self is going to make another Final Four, it’s going to be because of Agbaji and the skill he will bring in the NCAA Tournament.

Finally, Tshiebwe from Kentucky may be the favorite for National Player of the Year. As dominant as you can get down low, the West Virginia transfer was a force both scoring the ball and rebounding. Tshiebwe had double digit rebounds in all put two appearances this season and double digits points in all but four. The Wildcats center even had a 20 point, 20 rebound game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in early January. A well deserved ending to the Sporting News All-America team.