A day after releasing its preseason top 25 poll, the AP also submitted its preseason All-American team. The ACC landed two players on the team, too: Luke Maye of North Carolina (52 votes) and Duke freshman RJ Barrett (50 votes)
The other players named to the roster hail from the Big Ten — Carsen Edwards (Purdue) and Ethan Happ (Wisconsin) — the Big 12 (Dedric Lawson, Kansas) and the Mountain West Conference — Nevada’s Caleb Martin, who played for two seasons at NC State (2014-16).
The AP preseason men's All-America team: Purdue's Carsen Edwards (@Cboogie_3), North Carolina's Luke Maye, Duke's R.J. Barrett, Kansas' Dedric Lawson (@DSmoove1_2many), Nevada's Caleb Martin (@Calebmartin14) and Wisconsin's Ethan Happ (@EthanHapp22) https://t.co/V1xcyaOLOa pic.twitter.com/I8eE3fjRUz
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) October 23, 2018
In his first season as a full-time starter, Maye evolved beyond a solid rotation piece; he became one of the top inside-out scorers in college hoops. He averaged a double-double — 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds — while shooting 43.1 percent on three-point attempts.
Barrett is on the opposite end of the experience spectrum from Maye, in terms of college playing time. However, the Golden Child of Canadian Basketball has some national team experience, including with the senior team, and enters college hoops as the No. 1 prospect in the 2018 class.
Others Receiving Votes
Outside of RJ Barrett and Luke Maye, three other ACC players received votes for the preseason honor: Tyus Battle (11) of Syracuse, Virginia’s Kyle Guy (8) and another Duke rookie — Zion Williamson (3).
Read More on RJ Barrett
Duke: Why Barrett enters college basketball as the most talented player in the nation