Playing Race Card: Gonzaga Leads With Most White A-As in 21st Century

It might not rise to the level of aggressive African-American commentary on devout Tim Tebow possibly returning to the NFL or POTUS lecturing Christians rather than unprincipled marauders, but it could be time to proclaim white basketball players matter. Many white-privilege provocateurs care as much, however, as far-left zealots are outraged about Muslim terrorists murdering saints and believers.

A milestone didn't trigger White History Month a couple of seasons ago, but 2013 marked the first time in 34 years that at least half of the list of NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans were white players. From 1980 through 2012, less than one-fifth of the NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans were Caucasian.

Gonzaga (adding Kyle Wiltjer to Dan Dickau, Blake Stepp, Adam Morrison and Kelly Olynyk) boasts the most white consensus All-Americans thus far this century with five. The only other school boasting as many as four different white consensus All-Americans in the 21st Century is Duke.

Wiltjer likely will be a preseason favorite for national player of the year next season. If he wins the award, Rev Al and Jesse could bus in agitators for a discrimination protest rally in the wake of Wiltjer joining Doug McDermott (Creighton) and Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin) as the third different white player in as many years to become national POY for the first time since the first half of the 1960s.

Are we in the midst of a modest resurgence for the white player? After all, Duke was the nation's only school to supply a white first-team All-American in a nine-year span from 1987-88 through 1995-96 (Danny Ferry in 1989, Christian Laettner in 1992 and Bobby Hurley in 1993). For those keeping track of such demographics or who might be a dues-paying member of another NAACP (National Association for Advancement of Caucasian Players), following is a list of white NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans since Indiana State's Larry Bird was unanimous national player of the year in 1979:

1979 (6 of 12) - Indiana State's Larry Bird (1st), Duke's Mike Gminski (1st), North Carolina's Mike O'Koren (2nd), Dayton's Jim Paxson (2nd), Duke's Jim Spanarkel (2nd) and Notre Dame's Kelly Tripucka (2nd)

1980 (3 of 10) - Duke's Mike Gminski (2nd), Kentucky's Kyle Macy (1st) and North Carolina's Mike O'Koren (2nd)

1981 (4 of 11) - Brigham Young's Danny Ainge (1st), Virginia's Jeff Lamp (2nd), Notre Dame's Kelly Tripucka (2nd) and Utah's Danny Vranes (2nd)

1982 (1 of 10) - Notre Dame's John Paxson (2nd)

1983 (4 of 14) - Notre Dame's John Paxson (2nd), Missouri's Steve Stipanovich (2nd), Missouri's Jon Sundvold (2nd) and Indiana's Randy Wittman (2nd)

1984 (2 of 11) - Brigham Young's Devin Durrant (2nd) and St. John's Chris Mullin (2nd)

1985 (3 of 11) - Southern Methodist's Jon Koncak (2nd), St. John's Chris Mullin (1st) and Georgia Tech's Mark Price (2nd)

1986 (2 of 11) - Indiana's Steve Alford (1st) and Michigan State's Scott Skiles (2nd)

1987 (1 of 10) - Indiana's Steve Alford (1st)

1988 (2 of 11) - Duke's Danny Ferry (2nd) and Brigham Young's Michael Smith (2nd)

1989 (2 of 11) - Duke's Danny Ferry (1st) and Stanford's Todd Lichti (2nd)

1990 (0 of 12)

1991 (1 of 10) - Duke's Christian Laettner (2nd)

1992 (2 of 10) - Duke's Christian Laettner (1st) and UCLA's Don MacLean (2nd)

1993 (3 of 12) - Duke's Bobby Hurley Jr. (1st), Vanderbilt's Billy McCaffrey (2nd) and North Carolina's Eric Montross (2nd)

1994 (1 of 11) - North Carolina's Eric Montross (2nd)

1995 (0 of 10)

1996 (1 of 11) - Utah's Keith Van Horn (2nd)

1997 (2 of 10) - Kansas' Raef LaFrentz (1st) and Utah's Keith Van Horn (1st)

1998 (2 of 10) - Notre Dame's Pat Garrity (2nd) and Kansas' Raef LaFrentz (1st)

1999 (2 of 10) - Northwestern's Evan Eschmeyer (2nd) and Miami of Ohio's Wally Szczerbiak (2nd)

2000 (2 of 12) - Texas' Chris Mihm (1st) and Notre Dame's Troy Murphy (1st)

2001 (3 of 10) - Villanova's Michael Bradley (2nd), Stanford's Casey Jacobsen (1st) and Notre Dame's Troy Murphy (1st)

2002 (3 of 10) - Gonzaga's Dan Dickau (1st), Duke's Mike Dunleavy (2nd) and Stanford's Casey Jacobsen (2nd)

2003 (2 of 10) - Kansas' Nick Collison (1st) and Creighton's Kyle Korver (2nd)

2004 (2 of 10) - Oregon's Luke Jackson (2nd) and Gonzaga's Blake Stepp (2nd)

2005 (2 of 11) - Utah's Andrew Bogut (1st) and Duke's J.J. Redick (1st)

2006 (3 of 12) - North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (2nd), Gonzaga's Adam Morrison (1st) and Duke's J.J. Redick (1st)

2007 (2 of 10) - Nevada's Nick Fazekas (2nd) and North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (1st)

2008 (3 of 11) - North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (1st), Notre Dame's Luke Harangody (2nd) and UCLA's Kevin Love (1st)

2009 (2 of 11) - North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (1st) and Notre Dame's Luke Harangody (2nd)

2010 (3 of 11) - Kansas' Cole Aldrich (2nd), Notre Dame's Luke Harangody (2nd) and Duke's Jon Scheyer (2nd)

2011 (2 of 11) - Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette (1st) and Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough (2nd)

2012 (2 of 10) - Creighton's Doug McDermott (1st) and North Carolina's Tyler Zeller (2nd)

2013 (5 of 10) - Creighton's Doug McDermott (1st), Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk (1st), Duke's Mason Plumlee (2nd), Kansas' Jeff Withey (2nd) and Indiana's Cody Zeller (2nd)

2014 (2 of 11) - Creighton's Doug McDermott (1st) and Michigan's Nik Stauskas (2nd)

2015 (3 of 11) - Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky (1st), Northern Iowa's Seth Tuttle (2nd) and Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer (2nd)