Sports
Bilas’ All-America teams: My top 20 men’s college basketball players of 2025-26
This has been an amazing college basketball season. Simply amazing.
Despite all of the doomsday predictions from some coaches and administrators, the pronouncements of “chaos” and the “wild west,” the game has never been better. The quality of play has been spectacular. Plenty of teams are older and experienced, and this might be the deepest and most productive freshman class in recent memory, if not in history. Ratings and interest have never been higher. There is A LOT to celebrate.
The only downer of the season has been the high-profile injuries to some of the truly great players in the game. BYU’s Richie Saunders, Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson and Michigan’s L.J Cason are all out for the year, ending great individual seasons (and college careers) and affecting the ceilings of their teams.
Kansas phenom Darryn Peterson has been, at times, the best and most captivating scorer in the game. But his injuries, illness and periodic unavailability have been frustrating, mostly because of our selfish nature of wanting to see him perform. Peterson might be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft in June and would be on the 2026 All-America first team, except he has played in only 20 of the Kansas Jayhawks‘ 31 regular-season games. In the games he has played, he has been All-America good. There is no such designation for this honor, yet there should be.
The National Player of the Year race is over, and it belongs to Duke’s Cameron Boozer. There is no question he has been the best player in the game this season. Boozer’s productivity and consistency have been uncommon. He will be the first player to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 40% from 3-point range since Kevin Durant in 2007. His “worst” game: 14 points, five rebounds and two assists against Niagara, when he played only 21 minutes in a blowout. That consistent production hasn’t happened in the past 30 years. Oh yeah, and he plays for the No. 1 team in the nation. He leads the Blue Devils in scoring, rebounding, offensive rebounding and assists.
Freshman stars earned six of the 20 spots on this All-America list, which is remarkable. And even so, several incredible freshmen were left off: Kingston Flemings (Houston), Ebuka Okorie (Stanford), Hannes Steinbach (Washington), Nate Ament (Tennessee), Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville) and Brayden Burries and Koa Peat (Arizona). The list is ridiculous.
The best news: Only the regular season is over. This incredible group of players and their teams still have tournament play in front of them, where they can pursue championships, build résumés and prove us wrong if they don’t care for our views. That is the way it should be.
FIRST TEAM
National Player of the Year
The undisputed best player in the country. He’s averaging 22.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists, shooting 58% from the field and 40.7% from 3-point range. Whatever happens in the NBA draft, Boozer has ruled college basketball this season.
Dybantsa’s 24.7 points per game leads the nation, and he seems to shine when the spotlight is brightest. He has scored more than 35 points in a game five times — including a high-profile matchup with No. 4 Arizona (35 points) and a 40-spot in his Big 12 tournament debut on Tuesday against Kansas State.
In his first year at Michigan, Lendeborg has been one of the best two-way players in the country. He’s a big reason the Wolverines are as good as they are this year — and why they’re a contender in this tournament.
In his second season in Ames, Jefferson is averaging career highs in points, rebounds and assists. He has grown into one of the most versatile players in the country, with five double-doubles this season.
Smith’s 8.7 assists are good for second in the nation this year — and it’s the second season in a row he has averaged as many. Smith remains one of the best guards in the country, and he’s averaging 14.9 points per game and shooting at the best clip of his career.
SECOND TEAM
Toppin’s ACL injury that sidelined him last month was a shame for the Red Raiders and for college basketball fans. Toppin was one of the best returners in the country, and he had improved in nearly every facet this season.
Fears leads the nation in assists with 9.1 per game, and he has hit double digits 12 times (last season he had just 5.4 per game). Tom Izzo has gotten the best out of Fears as a starter this year.
Even fighting an ankle injury in recent weeks, Acuff has been putting on a show. After a 49-point masterclass in a double-OT loss to Alabama, Acuff scored 20-plus points in three of his final four games.
In his first year at Iowa, Stirtz has been a boon for the offense — and is scoring even more than he did at Drake last year. He’s averaging 20.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
Replacing Mark Sears was never going to be easy, but Philon rose to the challenge and then some. His 21.5 points per game — good for 15th in the country — more than doubled his total as a freshman last year.
THIRD TEAM
Wilson’s loss (just like Toppin’s) was as saddening to college hoops fans as to the Tar Heels faithful. He changes the game when he’s on the court, and UNC will miss him badly in the tournament.
One of college basketball’s best talents — when he was on the floor. His 24-point game against Arizona and 27-point outing in the season finale against Kansas State were bright spots this season.
Ike is shooting at one of the worst rates of his career this season, but at 56.5%, that’s not too shabby. He’s averaging a career-high 19.9 points, and building around his well-rounded game has given Mark Few another contender.
Anderson’s sophomore campaign has seen incredible improvement. His points per game jumped from 10.6 to 19.2; his assists per game climbed from 2.2 to 7.8, good for third in the country.
Wagler, an unranked four-star recruit, has been fantastic for Illinois. His 23-point performance against Michigan (guarded by Lendeborg, no less) was a showcase.
HONORABLE MENTION
Jaden Bradley, Arizona
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
The playing control teams for the April 28 qualifier, April 29 eliminator 1 and May 1 eliminator 2 of the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 have been appointed, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Tuesday.
Member of ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees Sir Richard Richardson will lead the playing control team for the qualifier between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi.
Earlier, he made his HBL PSL debut as the match official on April 15 and will bow out for this season, having officiated 10 games.
Christopher Gaffaney of New Zealand will be joined by Alexander Wharf of England as an on-field umpire for the qualifier. Both are part of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires.
Faisal Khan Aafreedi, ICC International Panel Umpire, will serve as the third Umpire, while PCB’s National Elite Panel Umpire Zulfiqar Jan will be the fourth umpire for the all-important 41st HBL PSL 11 match.
Roshan Mahanama of Sri Lanka will lead the playing control team in both eliminators.
He has the honour of officiating in all 11 HBL PSL seasons, and his tally of games as match referee in the league currently stands at 127.
In the Hyderabad Kingsmen v Multan Sultans eliminator 1 in Lahore, ICC Elite Panel Umpire Shahid Saikat from Bangladesh will join ICC Emerging Panel Umpire Asif Yaqoob as on-field Umpire, while Rashid Riaz Waqar of ICC Emerging Panel of Umpires will be the third Umpire.
Nasir Hussain of ICC International Panel of Umpires will perform duties as the fourth Umpire.
The eliminator 2 on May 1 between the winner of eliminator 1 and the losing team of qualifier will be officiated on-field by ICC Elite Panel Umpires Ahsan Raza and Shahid Saikat, while Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz will carry out the duties of third and fourth Umpire, respectively.
The match officials for the highly anticipated May 3 final will be announced in due course.
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The most pressure-packed scoring opportunity in soccer might be the one where no one is defending: the penalty kick.
A goal is almost certain, so long as you keep a cool head and beat the goalkeeper. Simple enough, right?
But what exactly is a penalty kick, and how is it awarded? Here’s everything you need to know about the penalty kick ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
What Is A Penalty Kick?
A penalty kick — or “PK” — is a one-on-one duel between a field player and a goalkeeper in which the field player tries to score a direct kick from the penalty spot.
How Is A Penalty Kick Awarded?
A penalty kick is awarded when a player commits a foul — tripping, pushing or a handball — inside the penalty area, which is a large 18-yard box that extends from the goal line into the field of play. The total width of the box is 44 yards.
A penalty can be awarded in the run of play or during a Video Assistant Referee check.
Who Takes The Penalty Kick?
The designated penalty taker is usually predetermined based on a player’s proven ability to score, from the penalty spot or otherwise. For example, Harry Kane, the active leading goalscorer for England, is the designated penalty taker for the Three Lions.
How Far Is The Penalty Spot?
The penalty is 12 yards from the center of the goal line, meaning that there are just 12 yards that separate the penalty taker and the goalkeeper at the time of a penalty kick.
What Are The Rules For The Penalty Taker?
The penalty taker is given freedom to confuse the goalkeeper during their run-up to the kick so long as:
- The penalty taker doesn’t attempt a fake kick or a “feint” while attempting to strike the ball AND
- The penalty doesn’t make contact with the ball more than once during their attempt.
If a penalty taker participates in illegal feinting, they will be cautioned and an indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposing team.
If a penalty taker makes contact with the ball more than once during their attempt and the attempt is successful, the penalty kick will be retaken. If it isn’t, it will be recorded as a miss and play will resume.
What Are The Rules For The Goalkeeper?
The goalkeeper must follow three key rules during a penalty kick: face the kicker, stay between the goalposts and keep at least one foot on or over the goal line until the kick.
If a goalkeeper leaves their line during a penalty attempt and the attempt is unsuccessful, it will be retaken. If the attempt is successful, it will result in a goal.
Additionally, goalkeepers may not touch the goalposts, crossbar or netting as an intimidation tactic. Trash-talking is also not permitted.
How Often Are Penalty Kicks Awarded?
There were 23 penalty kicks awarded at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which was six fewer than in 2018. Argentina led all countries in penalty attempts with five, and its designated penalty taker, Lionel Messi, converted all five attempts.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled ticketing information for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 Qualifier between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United, set to take place at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Tuesday.
According to the cricket board, E-Tickets for the high-stakes fixture can be purchased from tonight, with prices for all enclosures of the aforementioned venue set at Rs500.
Furthermore, the physical tickets will be available for sale from Tuesday morning and can be bought at the TCS Express Centre at the China Ground situated opposite the venue.
The PCB further advised fans with tickets to reach the stadium “well before the start of play” to avoid any inconvenience. Notably, the coin toss for the Qualifier will take place at 6:30pm as per the Pakistan Standard Time (PST), with the first ball to be bowled at 7pm.
Meanwhile, the ticket details for the remaining two playoffs, set to be played in Lahore, will be announced in due course.
The cricket board announced the ticketing details hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted approval for public attendance in all three playoffs of the ongoing PSL 11.
Taking to X, PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi said he had a meeting with the premier, during which the cricket board secured his approval for allowing fans in the stadia for the upcoming playoffs of the eight-team tournament.
“Just had a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and I’m pleased to share that we have secured his approval for public attendance in all three PSL playoff matches as well,” Naqvi wrote on the microblogging website.
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