2017 NBA Draft Lottery

*Picks represent what teams should do and not what they will do.

1) PHI - Lonzo Ball, UCLA
2) LAL - Markelle Fultz, Washington
3) BOS - Josh Jackson, Kansas
4) PHX - Lauri Markkanen, Arizona
5) SAC - De'Aaron Fox, Kentucky
6) ORL - Jonathan Isaac, Florida State
7) MIN - Malik Monk, Kentucky
8) NYK - Jayson Tatum, Duke
9) DAL - Dennis Smith, North Carolina State
10) SAC - OG Anunoby, Indiana
11) CHA - Frank Ntilikina, International
12) DET - Donovan Mitchell, Louisville
13) DEN - Justin Patton, Creighton
14) MIA - Harry Giles, Duke

2016-17 NCAA Honors & Awards

1st Team All-American

Lonzo Ball, UCLA [fr]

Frank Mason, Kansas [sr]

Josh Hart, Villanova [sr]

Dillon Brooks, Oregon [jr]

Caleb Swanigan, Purdue [soph]

2nd Team All-American

Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga [jr]

Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina [sr]

Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame [jr]

Johnathan Motley, Baylor [jr]

Alec Peters, Valparaiso [sr]

All-Defensive Team

Jevon Carter, West Virginia [jr]

Jordan Bell, Oregon [jr]
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin [soph]

Ben Lammers, Georgia Tech [jr]

Reggie Lynch, Minnesota [jr]

All-Freshman Team

Lonzo Ball, UCLA
De'Aaron Fox, Kentucky

Malik Monk, Kentucky

Josh Jackson, Kansas
TJ Leaf, UCLA

Player of the Year: Lonzo Ball, UCLA

Top Defender: Jordan Bell, Oregon

Best Freshman: Lonzo Ball, UCLA

Coach of the Year: Mark Few, Gonzaga

2016-17 Conference Honors & Awards

All-AAC

Robert Gray, Houston [jr]
Damyean Dotson, Houston [sr]

Dedric Lawson, Memphis [soph]

Semi Ojeleye, Southern Methodist [jr]

Tacko Fall, Central Florida [soph]

Player of the Year: Semi Ojeleye, Southern Methodist

Top Defender: Tacko Fall, Central Florida

Best Freshman: K.J. Lawson, Memphis

Coach of the Year: Tim Jankovich, Southern Methodist

All-ACC

Donovan Mitchell, Louisville [soph]
Luke Kennard, Duke [soph]

Justin Jackson, North Carolina [jr]

Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame [jr]

John Collins, Wake Forest [soph]

Player of the Year: Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame

Top Defender: Ben Lammers, Georgia Tech

Best Freshman: Jayson Tatum, Duke

Coach of the Year: Mike Brey, Notre Dame

All-Big East

Jalen Brunson, Villanova [soph]

Josh Hart, Villanova [sr]
Trevon Blueitt, Xavier [jr]
Kelan Martin, Butler [jr]

Angel Delgado, Seton Hall [jr]

Player of the Year: Josh Hart, Villanova

Top Defender: Mikal Bridges, Villanova

Best Freshman: Shamorie Ponds, St. John's

Coach of the Year: Chris Holtmann, Butler

All-Big Ten

Melo Trimble, Maryland [jr]
Derrick Walton, Michigan [sr]

Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin [sr]

Ethan Happ, Wisconsin [soph]

Caleb Swanigan, Purdue [soph]

Player of the Year: Caleb Swanigan, Purdue

Top Defender: Ethan Happ, Wisconsin

Best Freshman: Miles Bridges, Michigan State

Coach of the Year: Chris Collins, Northwestern

All-Big 12

Monte Morris, Iowa State [sr]

Frank Mason, Kansas [sr]
Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State [soph]
Jevon Carter, West Virginia [jr]

Johnathan Motley, Baylor [jr]

Player of the Year: Frank Mason, Kansas

Top Defender: Jevon Carter, West Virginia

Best Freshman: Josh Jackson, Kansas

Coach of the Year: Bob Huggins, West Virginia

All-Pac-12

Lonzo Ball, UCLA [fr]
Markelle Fultz, Washington [fr]
Dillon Brooks, Oregon [jr]

TJ Leaf, UCLA [fr]
Jordan Bell, Oregon [jr]

Player of the Year: Lonzo Ball, UCLA

Top Defender: Jordan Bell, Oregon

Best Freshman: Lonzo Ball, UCLA

Coach of the Year: Sean Miller, Arizona

All-SEC

De'Aaron Fox, Kentucky [fr]

Malik Monk, Kentucky [fr]

Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina [sr]

Sebastian Saiz, Mississippi [sr]
Bam Adebayo, Kentucky [fr]

Player of the Year: Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina

Top Defender: Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina

Best Freshman: De'Aaron Fox, Kentucky

Coach of the Year: Mike White, Florida

Tar Heels Earn Sixth Championship Banner

...and are a Kris Jenkins game winner away from back-to-back titles.

Bracket Reaction: Nine Notes

1. This is the first time in the now nine-year history of RBP that the Selection Committee has gotten it right.  So, while the seeding was still a little off, at least the most deserving 68 teams are in the field.

2. The Big Ten has been down this year, and the Selection Committee took notice.  No Big Ten school got better than a 4 seed.  Purdue, the Big Ten regular season champ, picked up the 4, while the league's co-runners-up, Maryland and Wisconsin, received 6 and 8 seeds, respectively.  Confusingly, both Minnesota (5) and Michigan (7) were awarded lower seeds than Wisconsin.  The Wolverines at least won the conference tourney and finished 2-1 versus the Badgers this season.  Minnesota, on the other hand, finished a game behind Wisconsin, failed to advance as far in the conference tourney, and lost twice to the Badgers.

3.  Coming into the tournament as the defending champ with the fewest losses since '92 Duke, Villanova gets rewarded with...Wisconsin as its 8 seed.  The Badgers are the strongest 8 seed since Kentucky in '14.  That year the Wildcats knocked off 1 seed Wichita State in the Round of 32.

4.  Speaking of Wichita State and Kentucky, the Shockers are an extremely strong 10 seed.  First Gregg Marshall's squad will need to get past A-10 regular season champion Dayton, but Kentucky could be looking at Ken Pomeroy's 8th ranked team nationally in the Round of 32.

5.  The Selection Committee did Kentucky no favors, placing the Cats in a region that includes both North Carolina and UCLA.  While the Tar Heels likely will have to contend with either Kentucky or UCLA to advance to the Final Four, the top half of the South Region sets up nicely for Roy Williams' squad.  RBP ranks the Heels' 4 (Butler), 5 (Minnesota), and 8 (Arkansas) seeds as the weakest at each of those positions across the entire bracket.

6. Given their overall records, Vanderbilt (4 games over .500) and Michigan State (5 games over .500) have no business being 9 seeds, even in a weak field.  Both should have been headed to Dayton to play their way into the Field of 64.

7.  The Selection Committee released its 1-68 rankings of the tourney field.  Comparing those rankings to RBP's rankings (see previous post), we can see who the Committee is overvaluing and undervaluing.  The Selection Committee is overvaluing -- Vanderbilt (+13), Michigan State (+13), Minnesota (+12), Butler (+11), and Seton Hall (+8).  It is undervaluing -- Wichita State (-13), Wisconsin (-12), Middle Tennessee (-12), Nevada (-8), and Vermont (-8).  RBP and the Selection Committee agreed on Villanova (1), ETSU (52), South Dakota State (64), and Mount St. Mary's (68).

8. Here are the teams included in RBP's preseason top 25 that did not make the tourney -- Indiana (4), Syracuse (14), California (17), Connecticut (21), Texas (22), and Texas A&M (24).

9. With a healthy Chris Boucher, Oregon comes out of the Midwest and is RBP's pick for the title.  Without Boucher, the Ducks' third leading scorer and the Pac-12's top shot blocker, the Ducks will be hard-pressed to advance beyond the Sweet 16.

Field of 68

*Seeding and invites do not project what I believe the Selection Committee will do.  Rather, this entry reflects what the Selection Committee should do.

**This is the weakest bubble in recent memory.  The last four in (the 12 seed play-ins) really have no business being in the tournament.  Kansas State is below .500 in Big 12 play.  The overall records of Vanderbilt and Michigan State are particularly underwhelming - just 4 games and 5 games over .500, respectively.  USC may be the weakest at-large RBP has ever recommended.  The 11 seeds are not much better.  And the first four out - Utah, Syracuse, Illinois State, and Houston are deeply flawed teams that do not deserve 1 seeds in the NIT.

1 seeds
Villanova
Gonzaga
Kansas
North Carolina

2 seeds
UCLA
Oregon
Arizona
Kentucky

3 seeds
Duke
Louisville
West Virginia
Purdue

4 seeds
Baylor
Notre Dame
Florida State
Virginia

5 seeds
Wisconsin
Iowa State
Southern Methodist
Florida

6 seeds
Cincinnati
Michigan
Creighton
Butler

7 seeds
Wichita State
St. Mary's
Maryland
Miami

8 seeds
Dayton
Minnesota
Northwestern
Virginia Tech

9 seeds
South Carolina
Arkansas
Virginia Commonwealth
Middle Tennessee

10 seeds
Marquette
Oklahoma State
Nevada
Xavier

11 seeds
Rhode Island
Seton Hall
Providence
Wake Forest

12 seeds
Vermont
Vanderbilt (play-in)
Kansas State (play-in)
Michigan State (play-in)
USC (play-in)
UNC Wilmington

13 seeds
Princeton
ETSU
Bucknell
New Mexico State

14 seeds
Florida Gulf Coast
Winthrop
Iona
Kent State

15 seeds
Troy
Northern Kentucky
North Carolina Central
Jacksonville State

16 seeds
North Dakota
South Dakota State
New Orleans (play-in)
Texas Southern (play-in)
UC Davis (play-in)
Mount St. Mary's (play-in)

2016-17 Preseason All-Americans & Award Projections

First Team
Grayson Allen, Duke [jr]
Josh Hart, Villanova [sr]
Dillon Brooks, Oregon [jr]
Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin [sr]
Ivan Rabb, California [soph]

Second Team
Monte Morris, Iowa State [sr]
Trevon Blueitt, Xavier [jr]
Jaron Blossomgame, Clemson [sr]
Alec Peters, Valparaiso [sr]
Thomas Bryant, Indiana [soph]

All-Defense
Tra-Deon Hollins, Nebraska-Omaha [soph]
OG Anunoby, Indiana [soph]
Hassan Martin, Rhode Island [sr]
Khadeem Lattin, Oklahoma [jr]
Chris Boucher, Oregon [sr]

All-Freshman
De'Aaron Fox, Kentucky
Dennis Smith, North Carolina State
Malik Monk, Kentucky
Josh Jackson, Kansas
Jayson Tatum, Duke

Player of the Year: Dillon Brooks, Oregon

Top Defender: OG Anunoby, Indiana

Best Freshman: Josh Jackson, Kansas

2016-17 RBP Preseason Rankings

1) Duke
2) Kentucky
3) Oregon
4) Indiana
5) Wisconsin
6) Kansas
7) Villanova
8) North Carolina
9) Xavier
10) Louisville
11) Michigan State
12) Arizona
13) Purdue
14) Syracuse
15) Cincinnati
16) Virginia
17) California
18) West Virginia
19) Notre Dame
20) Gonzaga
21) Connecticut
22) Texas
23) Maryland
24) Texas A&M
25) Dayton

2015-16 NCAA Awards & Honors

1st Team All-American

Kris Dunn, Providence [jr]

Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia [sr]

Buddy Hield, Oklahoma [sr]

Denzel Valentine, Michigan State [sr]

Brice Johnson, North Carolina [sr]

2nd Team All-American

Tyler Ulis, Kentucky [soph]

Yogi Ferrell, Indiana [sr]

Thomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin [sr]

Georges Niang, Iowa State [sr]

Perry Ellis, Kansas [sr]

All-Defensive Team

Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia [sr]

Gary Payton, Oregon State [sr]
Chinanu Onuaku, Louisville [soph]

Egidijus Mockevicius, Evansville [sr]

Vashil Fernandez, Valparaiso [sr]

All-Freshman Team

Jamal Murray, Kentucky
Brandon Ingram, Duke

Jaylen Brown, California

Ben Simmons, LSU
Henry Ellenson, Marquette

Player of the Year: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma

Top Defender: Vashil Fernandez, Valparaiso

Best Freshman: Ben Simmons, LSU

Coach of the Year: Dana Altman, Oregon

2015-16 Conference Honors & Awards

All-AAC

Nic Moore, Southern Methodist [sr]
James Woodard, Tulsa [sr]

Troy Caupain, Cincinnati [jr]

Quenton DeCosey, Temple [sr]

Shaq Goodwin, Memphis [sr]

Player of the Year: Nic Moore, Southern Methodist

Top Defender: Shaq Goodwin, Memphis

Best Freshman: Dedric Lawson, Memphis

Coach of the Year: Fran Dunphy, Temple

All-ACC

Cat Barber, North Carolina State [jr]

Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia [sr]

Grayson Allen, Duke [soph]

Jaron Blossomgame, Clemson [jr]

Brice Johnson, North Carolina [sr]

Player of the Year: Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia

Top Defender: Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia

Best Freshman: Brandon Ingram, Duke

Coach of the Year: Jim Larranaga, Miami

All-Big East

Kris Dunn, Providence [jr]
Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall [soph]

Josh Hart, Villanova [jr]

Ben Bentil, Providence [soph]

Henry Ellenson, Marquette [fr]

Player of the Year: Kris Dunn, Providence

Top Defender: Kris Dunn, Providence

Best Freshman: Henry Ellenson, Marquette

Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova

All-Big Ten

Yogi Ferrell, Indiana [sr]

Denzel Valentine, Michigan State [sr]

Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa [sr]

Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin [jr]

AJ Hammons, Purdue [sr]

Player of the Year: Denzel Valentine, Michigan State

Top Defender: AJ Hammons, Purdue

Best Freshman: Ethan Happ, Wisconsin

Coach of the Year: Tom Crean, Indiana

All-Big 12

Buddy Hield, Oklahoma [sr]

Georges Niang, Iowa State [sr]
Taurean Prince, Baylor [sr]

Perry Ellis, Kansas [sr]
Devin Williams, West Virginia [jr]

Player of the Year: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma

Top Defender: Prince Ibeh, Texas

Best Freshman: Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State

Coach of the Year: Bob Huggins, West Virginia

All-Pac-12

Gary Payton, Oregon State [sr]
Dillon Brooks, Oregon [soph]
Ryan Anderson, Arizona [sr]
Josh Scott, Colorado [sr]

Jakob Poeltl, Utah [soph]

Player of the Year: Crazy Big Head, Utah

Top Defender: Gary Payton, Oregon State

Best Freshman: Jaylen Brown, California

Coach of the Year: Dana Altman, Oregon

All-SEC

Tyler Ulis, Kentucky [soph]

Stefan Moody, Mississippi [sr]

Jamal Murray, Kentucky [fr]

Jalen Jones, Texas A&M [sr]

Ben Simmons, LSU [fr]

Player of the Year: Tyler Ulis, Kentucky

Top Defender: Alex Caruso, Texas A&M

Best Freshman: Ben Simmons, LSU

Coach of the Year: Billy Kennedy, Texas A&M

Villanova Wins 2015-16 National Title

I'm a little late with the post.  Nice shot, Kris.