Arizona tops Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook’s preseason Top 25.
The Wildcats of coach Sean Miller barely edged out Michigan State for the top spot in the “bible” of college basketball’s 37th annual rankings.
“This was a close one,” Blue Ribbon editor and publisher Chris Dortch said. “Both Arizona and Michigan State were worthy No. 1 candidates, and a strong case could have been made for Duke and Kansas, too. But in the final analysis, our writers and editors liked the size and experience Arizona can put on the floor.”
Duke and Kansas are No. 3 and 4 in the poll, and Kentucky rounds out the Top 25.
The Atlantic Coast Conference leads all conferences with six teams in the rankings, and for the second consecutive year, the West Coast Conference is represented by its two stalwarts, Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.
Blue Ribbon announced its five-man preseason All-America team a month ago—JOCK LANDALE of Saint Mary’s, ETHAN HAPP of Wisconsin, MICHAEL PORTER, JR. of Missouri, BONZIE COLSON of Notre Dame and GRAYSON ALLEN of Duke.
In addition, Colson was voted the publication’s preseason national player of the year, and Porter was chosen national newcomer of the year, and Blue Ribbon released its second, third and fourth-team All-Americans.
Blue Ribbon’s 37th edition—in perfect bound, spiral bound or tablet version—can be ordered at blueribbonyearbook.com.
BLUE RIBBON COLLEGE BASKETBALL YEARBOOK PRESEASON TOP 25
- Arizona
- Michigan State
- Duke
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisville
- Wichita State
- Florida
- West Virginia
- North Carolina
- USC
- Villanova
- Cincinnati
- Purdue
- Seton Hall
- Miami
- Saint Mary’s
- Minnesota
- Notre Dame
- Gonzaga
- Xavier
- UCLA
- Northwestern
- Alabama
- Virginia Tech
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
MICHAEL PORTER, JR. • 6-10 FR, Missouri
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
BONZIE COLSON • 6-5 SR, Notre Dame
2017-18 BLUE RIBBON ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
JOCK LANDALE
6-11 SR, Saint Mary’s
ETHAN HAPP
6-10 JR, Wisconsin
MICHAEL PORTER, JR.
6-10, FR, Missouri
BONZIE COLSON
6-6 SR, Notre Dame
GRAYSON ALLEN
6-5 SR, Duke
SECOND TEAM
MARVIN BAGLEY III
6-11 FR, Duke
MILES BRIDGES
6-7 SO, Michigan State
ALLONZO TRIER
6-5 JR, Arizona
JOEL BERRY II
6-0 SR, North Carolina
DEVONTE GRAHAM
6-2 SR, Kansas
THIRD TEAM
DEANDRE AYTON
7-1 FR, Arizona
YANTE MATEN
6-8 SR, Georgia
TREVON BLUIETT
6-6 SR, Xavier
JEVON CARTER
6-2 SR, West Virginia
JALEN BRUNSON
6-2 JR, Villanova
FOURTH TEAM
ROBERT WILLIAMS
6-10 SO, Texas A&M
ANGEL DELGADO
6-10 SR, Seton Hall
GARY CLARK
6-8 SR, Cincinnati
HAMIDOU DIALLO
6-5 R-FR, Kentucky
LANDRY SHAMET
6-4 SO, Wichita State