ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – Ten standout players representing seven conferences have been selected to the 2011-12 U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-America Team. The first team consists of five forwards, as the USBWA selects the nation’s top five players regardless of position. Ohio State sophomore Jared Sullinger, last season’s winner of the Wayman Tisdale Award as the National Freshman of the Year, is the lone repeat selection.
Sullinger, who averaged 17.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, is joined by freshman phenom Anthony Davis of Kentucky, was has led the Wildcats to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament with 14.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game. Michigan State senior Draymond Green (16.1 ppg, 10.4 rpg) sparked the Spartans to the Big Ten tournament title and a No. 1 seed, while Creighton’s sharp-shooting sophomore Doug McDermott (23.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 61.0 field goal percentage, 49.5 3-point field goal percentage) and Kansas’ junior upstart Thomas Robinson (17.9 ppg, 11.8 rpg) have also earned first team honors.
The second team consists of Murray State junior guard Isaiah Canaan (19.2 ppg, 3.7 apg), Missouri senior guard Marcus Denmon (17.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg), West Virginia senior forward Kevin Jones (20.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg), Kentucky freshman forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (11.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg), and North Carolina senior forward Tyler Zeller (16.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg).
The Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC each boast a pair of All-Americans. Other conferences represented on the All-America team are the ACC, Big East, Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley.
Each of the first-team selections is among the Oscar Robertson Trophy finalists. The USBWA’s National Player of the Year Award, as well as the Henry Iba Award, presented to the National Coach of the Year, will be announced next Monday, March 19. Both prestigious awards will be formally presented on Friday, March 30, at the 2012 USBWA College Basketball Awards Breakfast at the New Orleans Marriott in conjunction with the NCAA Men’s Final Four.
On Tuesday, the USBWA will announce the winner of the Wayman Tisdale Award to be presented to the national freshman of the year. Both Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist are among the finalists for the honor.
Following is the complete 2011-12 USBWA All-America team:
2011-12 USBWA MEN’S ALL-AMERICA TEAM
First Team (Pos., Ht., Wt., Cl., Hometown
Anthony Davis, Kentucky (F, 6-10, 220, Fr., Chicago, Ill.)
4th Kentucky All-American since 2008-09 (19th Kentucky player selected as an All-American)
Draymond Green, Michigan State (F, 6-7, 230, Sr., Saginaw, Mich.)
First Michigan State All-American since 2000-01 (Jason Richardson, 2nd team) and 8th overall
Doug McDermott, Creighton (F, 6-7, 220, So., Ames, Iowa)
First first-team All-American from Creighton (Kyle Korver earned 2nd team in 2002-03)
Thomas Robinson, Kansas (F, 6-10, 237, Jr., Washington, D.C.)
7th Kansas All-American since 2001-02 (14th Kansas player selected as an All-American)
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State (F, 6-9, 280, So., Columbus, Ohio)
4th Ohio State player to earn back-to-back honors (Jerry Lucas, Jimmy Jackson, Scoonie Penn)
Second Team (Pos., Ht., Wt., Cl., Hometown)
Isaiah Canaan, Murray State (G, 6-0, 193, Jr., Biloxi, Miss.)
First All-America selection from Murray State (2nd straight from Ohio Valley Conference)
Marcus Denmon, Missouri (G, 6-3, 185, Sr., Kansas City, Mo.)
Fifth Missouri selection and first since 1993-94 (Melvin Booker, 2nd Team)
Kevin Jones, West Virginia (F, 6-8, 260, Sr., Mount Vernon, N.Y.)
Fourth player and fifth selection from West Virginia; first since 1962-63 (Rod Thorn)
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky (F, 6-7, 232, Fr., Somerdale, N.J.)
3rd Kentucky freshman since 2009-10 to earn All-America honors (John Wall, Anthony Davis)
Tyler Zeller, North Carolina (F, 7-0, 250, Sr., Washington, Ind.)
26th North Carolina player honored by USBWA and first since 2008-09 (Tyler Hansbrough)
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. Today, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season.
Leave a Reply