All Americans

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Preseason All American Team just went up:

https://www.d3hoops.com/awards/all-americans/men/preseason-2027

[NYHoopsGuru]

Boards -

Can I just point out how absolutely absurd it is for Josh Fridman to be named a preseason all american? As a freshman, he averaged under 10ppg and 2.5apg (somehow winning national ROTY over Connor May and others). Last year, not even making it to conference, and averaged under 8ppg. The bias towards IWU is evident, and I'm sure there are other players on that roster who are more deserving of a preseason AA award. There's no doubt that Fridman is a good and winning player, but putting him this high up on a pedestal this early seems a bit extreme. At the end of the day, it's only preseason, and we'll see how this plays out.

- Guru

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Boards -

Can I just point out how absolutely absurd it is for Josh Fridman to be named a preseason all american? As a freshman, he averaged under 10ppg and 2.5apg (somehow winning national ROTY over Connor May and others). Last year, not even making it to conference, and averaged under 8ppg. The bias towards IWU is evident, and I'm sure there are other players on that roster who are more deserving of a preseason AA award. There's no doubt that Fridman is a good and winning player, but putting him this high up on a pedestal this early seems a bit extreme. At the end of the day, it's only preseason, and we'll see how this plays out.

- Guru

Entirely fair.  Everything you've said is true.  He's getting a lot of benefit of the doubt coming off an injury.

I will ask how many of his games have you watched?  Especially at the PG position, there's a lot of impact that doesn't show up in the stats.  I can't recall very many games in which he was not the best or maybe second best player on the floor.

Also, I'm 100% confident Conner May would've been above him on this list if he'd come back.

[Patrick Coleman]

Agreed on Connor May. Helps to have an extra season under his belt in that hypothetical comparison.

I suspect the NY Hoops Guru is thinking about someone else rather than Connor May, regardless.

[Patrick Coleman]

Using Josh Fridman's 2025-26 stats as proof of something is a little silly as well -- he got into 6 games, one of which he played 2 minutes before leaving with his season-ending injury. The two games before that, IWU won by an average of 55 points and he played 33 minutes total between those two games, 35 minutes over three games.

That doesn't seem like three games to us, and it's a case where maybe it's OK to dig a little deeper before the "gotcha" moment.

[Gregory Sager]

Using Josh Fridman's 2025-26 stats as proof of something is a little silly as well -- he got into 6 games, one of which he played 2 minutes before leaving with his season-ending injury. The two games before that, IWU won by an average of 55 points and he played 33 minutes total between those two games, 35 minutes over three games.

That doesn't seem like three games to us, and it's a case where maybe it's OK to dig a little deeper before the "gotcha" moment.

Regardless, he did suffer a serious injury that ended his season, so you and Ryan are definitely going out on a limb with that pick. But, c'mon ... a second-teamer and a third-teamer? Why stop there? Why not pick three or four Titans for your preseason A-A team? Normally, Pat, I'd chalk this one up as a victory for the Quillman Hype Machine , but you're usually immune to Bob's blandishments.

Of course, Ryan is all in for Wesleyan, as they say down in Blo-No. He's got them third on his preseason ballot ... which almost sounds as though he's underrating them, given the way the preseason A-A team was put together. And all this for a team that the CCIW coaches picked second in the league's own preseason poll.

Oh, well. As NYHoopsGuru said, it's only preseason. And I'm sure that Ryan Johnson of Carthage, Michael McNabb of Carroll, Lane Thomann of Millikin, Dom Trelenberg of Elmhurst, and Mike Vuckovic of North Park are taking copious notes as to which CCIW players are getting national attention and which ones aren't.

[Patrick Coleman]

Gregory -- you've been on the board almost as long as I have. Do I usually respond well to silly hyperbole?

[Gregory Sager]

Gregory -- you've been on the board almost as long as I have. Do I usually respond well to silly hyperbole?

No, but you like it when your site's preseason poll draws some discussion.