Oh, baby! It's awards season in college hoops, and we've got some absolute legends taking center stage. It's time for my All-Rolls Royce and Diaper Dandy squads, celebrating the best of the best in college hoops. These are the prime-time performers, the PTP'ers, and the star freshmen who are lighting it up.
First off, my coach of the year is Rick Pitino. The guy is a winning machine, and what he's done at St. John's is flat-out sensational! He's brought the Johnnies back to the national spotlight, proving once again why he's one of the best to ever do it. The passion, the fire, the X's and O's -- he's got St. John's believing again.
And now, for the player of the year: Cooper Flagg. Are you kidding me? This Diaper Dandy-turned-dominator is the real deal! The Duke freshman plays with the swagger of a veteran, the defense of a lockdown stopper and the all-around game of a future NBA superstar. He's blocking shots, draining 3s and leading the Blue Devils like a seasoned pro. This kid is Special with a capital-S.
Now, let's talk about my All-Rolls Royce Teams. My first team is filled with big-time ballers, starting with Johni Broome, a rim-rocking, glass-cleaning machine for Auburn. Flagg -- oh, baby! -- is the real deal. Braden Smith is a wizard running Purdue's offense, while Mark Sears has been sensational for Bama. And how about John Tonje from Wisconsin? Ice in his veins.
The second team is loaded too: JT Toppin is a force inside for Texas Tech, and Walter Clayton Jr. is a Gator chomping up defenses. Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner is a shot-blocking king. Zakai Zeigler brings tenacity for Tennessee, and Kam Jones is Marquette's clutch deep shooter.
And don't sleep on the third team: Hunter Dickinson is a beast in the paint for Kansas, Javon Small is big-time at West Virginia and Eric Dixon is money for Villanova. And two more scoring sensations made the cut in Rutgers' Dylan Harper and PJ Haggerty from Memphis.
Now let's talk about the freshman phenoms. The Diaper Dandies who are setting the college game on fire.
On the first team, Flagg is living up to the hype and then some. Harper? He's a scoring machine at Rutgers. Kasparas Jakucionis is silky smooth for Illinois. Derik Queen is a bruiser for Maryland, and Tre Johnson is a superstar in Texas.
The second team is stacked too. Blake Harper is dominating for Howard, while Ace Bailey is a highlight reel waiting to happen for Rutgers. VJ Edgecombe, Jeremiah Fears and Liam McNeeley? Get to know these names, baby. They are ballers.
It's awesome, baby! These stars are taking over college hoops and giving us prime-time performances night after night. I love this game!
ALL-ROLLS ROYCE FIRST TEAM
Johni Broome, Auburn Tigers
Cooper Flagg, Duke Blue Devils
Mark Sears, Alabama Crimson Tide
Braden Smith, Purdue Boilermakers
John Tonje, Wisconsin Badgers
ALL-ROLLS ROYCE SECOND TEAM
Walter Clayton Jr., Florida Gators
Kam Jones, Marquette Golden Eagles
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton Bluejays
JT Toppin, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee Volunteers
ALL-ROLLS ROYCE THIRD TEAM
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas Jayhawks
Eric Dixon, Villanova Wildcats
PJ Haggerty, Memphis Tigers
Dylan Harper, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Javon Small, West Virginia Mountaineers
DIAPER DANDIES FIRST TEAM
Cooper Flagg, Duke Blue Devils
Dylan Harper, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois Fighting Illini
Tre Johnson, Texas Longhorns
Derik Queen, Maryland Terrapins
DIAPER DANDIES SECOND TEAM
Ace Bailey, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
VJ Edgecombe, Baylor Bears
Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma Sooners
Blake Harper, Howard Bison
Liam McNeeley, UConn Huskies