2025-26 CBS Sports All-America teams: College basketball's best and most talented players

Duke's Cameron Boozer, Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg, BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. were unanimous first-team selections

Gary Parrish

Cameron Salerno

David Cobb

Apr 1, 2026

12:43 pm ET

•

8 min read

Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports design

Duke's Cameron Boozer, Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg, BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. have been voted unanimous 2026 CBS Sports First Team All-Americans -- with Illinois' Keaton Wagler splitting votes with others before rounding out the First Team.

Ballots were submitted Monday.

That means all of the games that players appeared in from the start of the season through the Elite Eight were considered, which probably contributed to Wagler cracking the First Team. The 6-foot-6 freshman finished with 25 points, three assists and two rebounds in Saturday's 71-59 win over Iowa that pushed the Illini into the Final Four for the first time since 2005. It was the latest impressive performance from the biggest surprise on the First Team (relative to preseason expectations). Wagler was only ranked 150th in the Class of 2025 but quickly developed into the Illini's best player in what will now likely be his first and only season of college basketball.

Wagler is a projected top-10 pick in this year's NBA Draft.

In what has been regularly described as The Year of the Freshmen, it's fitting that four of the five CBS Sports First Team All-Americans are first-year players who double as projected lottery picks. Dybantsa and Boozer are expected to go in the top five of June's NBA Draft. Wagler and Acuff could too.

Lendeborg is the only non-freshman on the First Team. He's also the favorite to win Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four.

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A transfer from UAB, Lendeborg is averaging 15.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists for a Michigan team that won the Big Ten's regular-season title, secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Final Four, where the Wolverines will play Arizona on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

2025-26 CBS SPORTS ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM

Darius Acuff | Arkansas | PG | 6-3 | Fr. (u)

In the strongest year for freshmen in the history of college basketball, Acuff's play was among the best both in his class and in the sport overall. His lead-guard capability led to something that hadn't been done in more than 70 years: Acuff led the SEC in scoring (23.5 ppg) and assists (6.1), joining Pete Maravich as the only players to do that in that conference. That kind of season will put you into the conversation to be a top-five NBA pick. With a sniper's stroke and a stellar instinct for playmaking, Acuff was the catalyst on a talented Arkansas team that won 28 games and lost in the Sweet 16 to No. 1 seed Arizona in the West Regional semifinals. John Calipari has coached some of the best prospects of the past 20 years, and if you'd like to know how special this guy is, just know he's easily somewhere in the top five best one-and-done guys Cal's ever recruited. — Matt Norlander

Cameron Boozer | Duke | PF | 6-9 | Fr. (u)

One of the winningest basketball players of the past three generations is shockingly not in this year's Final Four, but that's no damper on one of the best one-and-done seasons ever. Boozer easily ranks alongside the likes of fellow Blue Devils Zion Williamson and Cooper Flagg, in addition to Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Carmelo Anthony, as the best freshman performers in the history of college basketball. He leaves Duke after 38 games played with averages of 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 39% shooting from 3-point range and 22 double-doubles. After Duke lost five starters to the NBA in 2025, Boozer came in and was the most dependable and unstoppable player in the sport this season. It ended sourly, with a bruised up, black eye and all, but he ranks among the most valuable players to ever wear that uniform. — MN

AJ Dybantsa | BYU | SF | 6-9 | Fr. (u)

Jason Conley at VMI in 2001-02. Trae Young at Oklahoma in 2017-18. AJ Dybantsa this season at BYU. They're the only three freshmen to ever lead men's college basketball in scoring. Dybantsa finished at 25.5 points per game, almost two full points ahead of everyone else. The Brockton, Mass., native was a cultural phenomenon with the Cougars this season, putting up eight games of at least 30 points, including the high mark of 43 at home vs. Utah on Jan. 24. Far from a ball hog, Dybantsa also averaged 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists while enhancing BYU's national reputation. The Cougars have had some stellar talents over the years, but Dybantsa may prove to be a trendsetter for future five-star prospects. (2026 blue-chip recruit Bruce Branch III will be headed to Provo later this year.) — MN

Yaxel Lendeborg | Mic