2016-17 College Basketball All-Conference Teams/NBA Translation

coolhandgopher

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The conversation started in the Jamal Mashburn thread about comparisons to Nate Mason, the reminder that Mason was All-Big 10 his junior year, and overall, how that particular year was not a great year for the conference translating to the NBA. Ozzy & Ray provided this for us:
Here you go:

Here is the all-conference team as selected by Big Ten coaches (unanimous selections IN ALL CAPS).

FIRST TEAM

Peter Jok, Iowa
MELO TRIMBLE, Maryland
Nate Mason, Minnesota
CALEB SWANIGAN, Purdue
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin

Source: https://btn.com/2017/03/06/check-out...ference-teams/

So, it got me thinking about that group overall. My thought was, yet another year where the Big 10's talent falls behind the likes of ACC, SEC, or Big 12 when considering next level talent. But, as you will see, the all conference teams were highlighted with players who didn't ascend to NBA stardom (or in many cases, even the end of the bench):
SEC
KeVaughn Allen So., G, Florida
J. J. Frazier Sr., G, Georgia
De'Aaron Fox Fr., G, Kentucky
Luke Kornet Sr., C, Vanderbilt
Yante Maten Jr., F, Georgia
Malik Monk Fr., G, Kentucky
Sebastian Saiz Sr., F, Ole Miss
Sindarius Thornwell Sr., G, South Carolina

ACC
Luke Kennard, So., G., DUKE
Justin Jackson, Jr., F., NORTH CAROLINA
John Collins, So., C., WAKE FOREST
Bonzie Colson, Jr., F., NOTRE DAME
Donovan Mitchell, So., G., LOUISVILLE

Big 12
Jawun Evans, So., G, Oklahoma State
Josh Jackson, Fr., F, Kansas
Frank Mason III, Sr., G, Kansas
Monte Morris, Sr., G, Iowa State
Johnathan Motley, Jr., F, Baylor

Pac 10
Bryce Alford UCLA G Sr.
Lonzo Ball UCLA G Fr.
Dillon Brooks Oregon F Jr.
Markelle Fultz Washington G Fr.
Kyle Kuzma Utah F Jr.
T. J. Leaf UCLA F Fr.
Lauri Markkanen Arizona F Fr.
Ivan Rabb California F So.
Reid Travis Stanford F RS So.
Derrick White Colorado G RS Sr.

Big East
Andrew Chrabascz, Butler
Marcus Foster, Creighton
Ángel Delgado, Seton Hall
Jalen Brunson, Villanova
Josh Hart, Villanova
Trevon Bluiett, Xavier

Players of the Year for the respective conferences?
Caleb Swanigan/Melo Trimble
Malik Monk
Justin Jackson
Frank Mason
Dillon Brooks
Josh Hart

NBA Draft that year

It seems obvious, that college basketball's golden years (to my mind, the '80s/early 90s) will never return (and tbh, from the perspective of the players, that's likely a good thing). The days of all conference teams being populated by juniors and seniors with a projected high ceiling in the NBA has sailed. And because I love college basketball in comparison to the NBA game, I can't help but consider those glory days. Just imagine this 2016-17 batch of players if they had stuck around (looking at freshman and sophomores who left college in '15):
Kris Dunn
Jahlil Okafor
Tyus Jones
Justise Winslow
Terry Rozier
Bobby Portis
Karl Anthony Towns
Devin Booker
Tyler Ulis
Trey Lyles
DÁngelo Russell
Myles Turner
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Stanley Johnson
Kevon Looney
Rondae Hollis Jefferson
Jakob Poltl

Obviously, some of these players have starred in the NBA, others have become role players and others fizzled, but if this was the '80s/early 90s, many of those players would have stuck around until at least junior year and those All Conference teams would have looked considerably stronger.
 




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