Remember when coaches and analysts were saying no one would recruit freshmen any longer because the changing rules allowed programs to bring in European 20-somethings with greater maturity and comprehension of the game?
Of course you do, because it was like three weeks ago.
Well, those who chose not to bring in freshmen in the Class of 2025 are certainly regretting it now.
Fully 1/3 of our AllSportsPeople Midseason All-America team – not as official or enduring as what will come after the regular season, but still a nice honor – is composed of freshmen.
Interestingly, only two of the 15 players (that’s 13.3 percent) are first-year portal players. And none of those selected has G League experience, for all the commotion that developed around those prospects.
Here are the AllSportsPeople Midseason All-Americans for 2025-26:
AllSportsPeople midseason college basketball All-America team
First team
Cameron Boozer, Duke
6-9, 250 pounds, Fr., PF
Key stats: 22.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.8 spg,.579 FG
Defining game: 35 points, 9 rebounds, 13-of-18 field goals in 80-71 victory over Arkansas
Overview: Boozer’s level of productivity has been overwhelming for opponents, who have tried a variety of different strategies to slow him but to little effect. If they double him, he’s an amazing passer. If they play drop coverage, he can pop to a 3-pointer and hit better than 38 percent. He ranks No. 4 in the nation in scoring, although he’s only five times attempted more than 15 shots in a game. Boozer ranks in the top 35 in free throw attempts and is on pace to finish the regular season with 240 free throw.
MORE: Cameron Boozer exceeding Cooper Flagg by some metrics
AJ Dybantsa, BYU
6-9, 210 pounds, Fr., SF
Key stats: 22.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.9 apg,.581 FG
Defining game: 28 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists in 67-64 victory over Clemson
Overview: Dybantsa may be the most versatile player in American basketball since … well, I’d rather not say who because it’s unfair to AJ to make such comparisons. Let’s just say there isn’t a lot on a basketball floor at which he does not excel. BYU has a capable point guard, so he doesn’t need to play there, but he can run a pick-and-roll like a primary playmaker. He is so dynamic and so big for a wing it’s a breathtaking challenge for collegians to defend against his drives. About the only element of his game that could use improvement is 3-point shooting. When he gets that right – and, on some nights, he does – look out.
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
6-9, 240 pounds, Sr., SF
Key stats: 14.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.3 apg,.545 FG
Defining game: 20 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals in 101-61 victory over Gonzaga
Overview: Lendeborg could have gone a lot of places and put up bigger numbers playing the position he fits best in college, but Michigan’s plus-sized frontcourt means he’s operating on the wing and frequently having to cope with smaller and (presumably) quicker players. And they can’t cope. His dynamism matches or exceeds most of them, and his physical power exceeds pretty much every one. His 35 percent 3-point shooting is not a KD-like number, but he has changed some games (4-of-5 against Maryland) with deep shooting and opponents have no choice but to defend him on the perimeter. He has been the key piece for one of the sport’s most dominant teams.
Labaron Philon, Alabama
6-4, 185 pounds, So., PG
Key stats: 21.3 ppg, 5.1 apg,.532 FG
Defining game: 24 points, 5 assists, 3-of-6 3-point shooting in 90-86 victory over Illinois
Overview: It hasn’t been exactly the start the Crimson Tide might have imagined, but imagine where they’d be without Philon’s dazzling play at the point. In their four wins over NCAA Tournament-level opponents, he averaged 23.8 points, driving the attack as a high-volume creator who can score at multiple levels. He also consistently creates opportunities for teammates and ranks No. 5 in the SEC in assists.
Braden Smith, Purdue
6-0, 170 pounds, Sr., PG
Key stats: 14.1 ppg, 9.8 apg, 1.9 spg,.480 FG,
Defining game: 26 points, 14 assists, 1 turnover in 93-85 victory over Penn State
Overview: Smith leads NCAA Division I players in assists and is the only player averaging better than 9 per game. He’s not terribly far from becoming one of the few to ever to average double digits in that category for a full season. But he’s got grander goals. As a sophomore, Smith quarterbacked the Boilers to the NCAA Championship game, and the team certainly has the ability to make another Final Four run. His pull-up game and deep shooting had become an essential component of Purdue’s near-flawless first half.
Second Team
Jaden Bradley, Arizona
6-3, 200 pounds, Sr., PG
Key stats: 13.6 ppg, 4.6 apg, 1.8 spg,.527 FG,
Overview: On a team with several young contributors who still are learning the nuances of Division I competition, Bradley has provided stability. In circumstances when the offense wasn’t connecting, he took over games against Florida and UCLA that helped the Wildcats remain perfect until they could become, shall we say, more perfect. Bradley’s career-best shooting percentage is a reflection of how committed he has been to improvement, but also to scoring when his team needs it and not when he prefers it.
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
6-9, 240 pounds, Sr., SF
Key stats: 17.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.6 spg,.513 FG,
Overview: Now that he’s shooting better than 36 percent from 3-point range, Jefferson may be the single most versatile player in Division I. He’s contributing in every significant statistical category, and perhaps most impressive is an assists number that most any point guard (not named Braden Smith) would embrace. Iowa State counts on him for everything.
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
6-0, 173 pounds, So., PG
Key stats: 17.3 ppg, 5.4 apg, 2.6 spg,.514 FG,
Overview: Even when Tanner was an underrated freshman who’d been recruited primarily by mid-majors, he was getting more minutes at the end of close games than such veterans as AJ Hoggard. Now that he’s the veteran, he’s in charge of one of college basketball’s best – and most surprising – teams. His 19-point, 14-assist gem against South Carolina was particularly impressive.
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
6-9, 230 pounds, Jr., PF
Key stats: 20.6 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 1.7 bpg,.556 FG,
Overview: Perhaps the only thing separating Toppin from a place on the midseason first team is the absence (save for a neutral-court victory over Duke) of significant victories for the Red Raiders. They’ve come up short in four of five high-end games. But here’s the thing: Being a Big 12 member presents at least a half-dozen more such opponents, which means his big numbers could help them win big games.
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina
6-10, 215 pounds, Fr., PF
Key stats: 19.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 1.4 bpg,.573 FG,
Overview: It’s surprising a North Carolina player with so much talent and production – and who does it all so spectacularly – can be delivering all this to little commotion. Some of it’s that Carolina has not yet become a great team, but usually a Tar Heel this terrific would be gaining more attention. He’s reached the 20-point mark in seven of his past eight games. He finds a way to matter, and most often it’s special.
Third Team
Darius Acuff, Arkansas
6-3, 190 pounds, Fr., PG
Key stats: 19.9 ppg, 5.9 apg, 1.6 spg,.487 FG,.425 3-PT
Kingston Flemings, Houston
6-4, 190 pounds, Fr., PG
Key stats: 17.6 ppg, 5.1 apg, 2.0 spg,.527 FG,.400 3-PT
Thomas Haugh, Florida
6-9, 215 pounds, Jr., PG
Key stats: 17.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg,.469 FG
Rienk Mast, Nebraska
6-10, 250 pounds, Sr., C
Key stats: 16.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.9 apg,.485 FG
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
6-4, 190 pounds, Sr., PG
Key stats: 17.6 ppg, 5.1 apg, 1.6 spg,.482 FG