The five CBS Sports First Team All-Americans come from five different conferences. What's most interesting about them is that only one of the five players was a no-doubt First Teamer in the preseason five months ago.
That's obviously Zach Edey.
Purdue's 7-foot-4 center, the reigning and soon-to-be two-time CBS Sports National Player of the Year, was expected to be the sport's best player before this season began, and he's been the sport's best player by a sizable margin. He's joined on the First Team by Houston's Jamal Shead, North Carolina's RJ Davis, UConn's Tristen Newton and Tennessee's Dalton Knecht, the last of whom is the biggest surprise relative to preseason expectations.
Knecht, who transferred to UT after two years at Northern Colorado that followed two years of junior college, wasn't even on CBS Sports' list of the top 100 And 1 college basketball players last October. His emergence from a relatively unknown mid-major scorer to the SEC Player of the Year and likely lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft is a wild story that'll be told many times between now and when he's selected by a franchise in June.
2023-24 CBS Sports All-America First Team
Zach Edey | Purdue | Center | 7-4 | Senior
The most obvious of picks since ... Edey did the same thing last season. Yes, Purdue has the rare guy who is both the best player in the sport and a multi-time First Team honoree. That is a dying species over the past 10 years in men's college basketball. A consensus pick for this honor, Edey leads the country in scoring (25.0 ppg) and is the first player to do that and make a Final Four since Oscar Robertson in 1960. Edey also averages 12.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and shoots 62.4% from the field. He's now one of four players ever to average 30-plus points and 15-plus rebounds in the NCAA Tournament after four games, joining three fellow legends: Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas, 1957), Jerry West (West Virginia, 1959) and Elvin Hayes (Houston, 1968). That's not the only legendary company he keeps. In totaling more than 900 points and 450 rebounds this season, Edey became the first player to do that since Larry Bird in 1978-79. Purdue is 33-4 and will play in its third Final Four this weekend. Without Edey, it doesn't come close. His greatness is undersold, if anything. — Matt Norlander
Dalton Knecht | Tennessee | Guard | 6-6 | Fifth year
Along with Edey, Knecht was our only other consensus choice to First Team All-America. He ignited Tennessee's offense and became one of the best players Rick Barnes has coached in more than four decades in the business. Knecht finished eighth nationally in scoring (21.7 ppg) and turned himself into a viable lottery pick after transferring last offseason from Northern Colorado. He was the biggest reason Tennessee's run to the Elite Eight as a No. 2 seed (its best showing under Barnes), where it ultimately lost to Edey and Purdue to end its season at 27-9. Knecht also averaged 39.7% from beyond the arc and hauled in 4.9 rebounds per night. He was the best transfer in the country; over the next few weeks, every coaching staff at a power-conference program will be trying to find "the next Dalton Knecht." Good luck with that. — MN
RJ Davis | North Carolina | Guard | 6-0 | Senior
Although top-seeded UNC's season ended in the Sweet 16 against Alabama, and Davis had one of his worst games in that spot, there's no denying the impact he had on the Tar Heels during his senior season. It was fellow/former All-American Armando Bacot who was anticipated to be UNC's MVP, but Davis stepped up in a lead guard role and brought Carolina back to relevance one year removed from its historic miss of the NCAAs after being ranked No. 1 in the preseason. He averaged 21.2 points (39.8% from 3-point range), 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists on a 29-win team. Crucially, the 6-footer was unafraid and willing to take big shots in big moments — and often made the right plays down the stretch of many games. Davis was the catalyst for an ACC championship season. The question is: With one year of eligibility left, does he opt to come back for a fifth year? — MN
Jamal Shead | Houston | Guard | 6-1 | Senior
A cruel twist on one of the toughest players in the sport. Shead's twisted ankle late in the first half of Houston's Sweet 16 loss to Duke was the event that halted the Cougars' hopes of making their second Final Four in the past four tournaments. Regarded as one of the elite man-to-man defenders in the sport, Shead was a bulwark on the perimeter for the toughest defensive team in the country. He averaged 12.0 points, 6.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 steals. Houston (32-5) was led by Shead's ethos. His passing ability was also too often overlooked. Shead's 40.2 assist rate was fifth-highest in the country, according to KenPom.com. Kelvin Sampson has coached First Team All-American guards in back-to-back seasons. A year ago, it was Marcus Sasser. This season, Shead. — MN
Tristen Newton | UConn | Guard | 6-5 | Graduate
There's no way we're listing a First Team All-America and not including someone from the best team in the country — and that is still playing for the national championship. Newton didn't come to this late, either. Within the first few weeks of the season, Newton's leadership and stats backed up the case that he was UConn's most important player. He's also the Huskies' most dangerous threat for a triple-double (and with three, is the school's all-time leader). Newton averaged 15.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists: the only guy in the sport to average at least 15/6/6. Though surrounded by future first round picks (Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan), Connecticut's modus operandi starts with Newton. He played on a Final Four stage a year ago and will bring his understated swagger to that spotlighted floor this weekend. It would be no surprise if the 35-win Huskies won two more games, and in doing so, Newton added to his trophy case with a Most Outstanding Player honor. — MN
2023-24 CBS Sports All-America second team
Terrence Shannon Jr., | Illinois | Guard | 6-6 | Fifth year
Shannon finished second in scoring in the Big Ten this season with 23.0 points per game, behind only Player of the Year Zach Edey. He served as the catalyst for a top-five Illinois offense that powered the program to its first Elite Eight since 2005. — Kyle Boone
Mark Sears | Alabama | Guard | 6-1 Senior
Alabama had the highest-scoring offense in college basketball this season, and Sears was the straw that stirred the drink in Tuscaloosa. He averaged 21.5 points, 4.1 boards and 4.1 assists per game while hitting a career-best 43.4% from 3-point range. — KB
Tyler Kolek | Marquette | Guard | 6-3 | Senior
Kolek led college basketball in assists per game this season and assist rate in a career year when he flourished as the No. 1 playmaking option for Marquette's high-octane offense. He finished the year with career-highs in scoring (15.3 PPG), assists (7.7 APG) and rebounds (4.9 RPG) on a per-game basis. — KB
Jaedon LeDee | San Diego State | Forward | 6-9 | Senior
In a deep and loaded Mountain West this season, LeDee stood out as the league's best talent and stepped up to the plate when the lights were brightest. He finished as the leader in the MWC in points by nearly four per game and turned in 58 points and 17 boards in SDSU's first two tourney wins before getting bounced by UConn. — KB
Kyle Filipowski | Duke | Center | 7-0 | Sophomore
Duke's best team of the young Jon Scheyer era was a credit to the development and star turn of Filipowski. The sophomore big improved significantly as a shooter, shot-blocker and passer, all while taking on a bigger role within the Blue Devils system. He finished top-10 in points, rebounds and blocks per game among all ACC players and was consistently Duke's most reliable weapon. — KB
2023-24 CBS Sports All-America third team
DaRon Holmes II, Dayton | Forward | 6-10 | Junior
Holmes carried Dayton to the second round of the NCAA Tournament by averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. The dynamic forward has been a star for three seasons but took it to the next level as a junior. — David Cobb
Hunter Dickinson | Kansas | Center | 7-2 | Senior
After three standout seasons at Michigan, Dickinson averaged 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds as one of the nation's top impact transfers at Kansas. He gave the Jayhawks an element of interior play they lacked in 2022-23. — DC
Baylor Scheierman | Creighton | Guard | 6-7 | Senior
Scheierman shined as a shot-maker for Creighton in his second with the program after spending three years at South Dakota State. His well-rounded offensive game propelled the Bluejays to the Sweet 16. — DC
Caleb Love | Arizona | Guard | 6-4 | Senior
Love enjoyed a renaissance at Arizona, upping his shooting percentage to 50.2% and scoring average to 18 per game after transferring in from North Carolina. He led the Wildcats to a Pac-12 title and Sweet 16 appearance. — DC
Donovan Clingan | UConn | Center | 7-2 | Sophomore
Clingan was at his best in big postseason moments, producing 22 points and 16 rebounds in the Big East Tournament title game. He also finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in UConn's Elite Eight win over Illinois. -- DC