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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. For more information on the USBWA and its All-America team,
contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-444-4325.
Related links:
• 2011-12 USBWA All-District teams
• All-time USBWA All-America
teams
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