Veterans make up the majority of the AP’s Preseason All-American team, as freshman Ben Simmons joins a trio of seniors and a redshirt junior.
Gonzaga’s Kyle Wiltjer, Iowa State’s Georges Niang and Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield are the three seniors on the first team, while Providence junior Kris Dunn -- who is a senior academically -- is on the team as well. Wiltjer was the leading vote-getter.
Simmons, an Australian freshman from LSU, is the lone underclassmen on the team. He’s just the fourth freshmen to ever be named a Preseason All-American, joining Harrison Barnes, Andrew Wiggins and Jahlil Okafor in that rarified air.
Dunn was the NBCSports.com Preseason Player of the Year, while Simmons and Hield both made our first team. Niang and Wiltjer were on the second team.