Purdue’s Zach Edey is lone unanimous choose for AP All-America Team

Purdue’s Zach Edey and Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis have given the Big Ten Conference a 3rd straight yr with a number of first-team Associated Press All-America picks, whereas Kansas had a second straight first-teamer in Jalen Wilson.

The 7-foot-4, 305-pound Edey appeared on all 58 ballots as a first-team choice from AP Top 25 voters, the lone unanimous choose in outcomes launched Tuesday.

The alternatives of the Boilermakers’ Edey and the Hoosiers’ Jackson-Davis got here a yr after the Big Ten had three first-team picks. And it gave the league seven by the final three seasons; no different league has greater than three.

The Big Ten has had at the least one first-teamer for 5 straight years and in eight of the final 9.

Houston’s Marcus Sasser and Alabama’s Brandon Miller joined Edey and Wilson on the primary workforce in representing every of the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 seeds.

Edey has commanded the nationwide highlight all yr. The Big Ten participant of the yr ranks sixth nationally in scoring (22.3), second in rebounding (12.8) and first in double-doubles (26).

“Everybody goes: ‘You go to him so much,’” Purdue coach Matt Painter mentioned after the Big Ten Tournament title win towards Penn State. “If they call it by the rules, they’re fouling him on every possession. So why shouldn’t we get it to him and just try to get in that bonus early and steal points?

“Obviously he could make robust post-ups, and he can get on the rim, and he will get offensive rebounds while you take him away.”

Jackson-Davis, a 6-9 fourth-year forward, is Indiana’s first first-team selection since Victor Oladipo in 2013. He’s averaging 20.8 points and 10.9 rebounds while taking a leap with his passing (4.1 assists, up from 1.9 last year).

“I in all probability have pushed him tougher than any participant on this workforce and I do know there’s been days that he’s walked out of right here considering that, ‘Hey, is this guy really in my corner, based on how he’s pushing me?’” coach Mike Woodson said. “But on the finish of the day, he’s gotten higher as a participant.

“We have benefited from it, you know, with our ballclub, in terms of how we played as a team. And he’s been the driving force behind it.”

Wilson, a 6-8 fourth-year ahead, was a returning complementary starter from final yr’s NCAA title run. He thrived in an expanded function, turning into Big 12 participant of the yr and almost doubling his scoring common (20.1, up from 11.1) to go together with 8.4 rebounds.

It marked the fourth time in seven seasons that the Jayhawks had a first-team choose, going again to nationwide participant of the yr Frank Mason III in 2017.

“He’s an elite competitor,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger mentioned after a Big 12 Tournament loss to the Jayhawks. “He gets to the glass. He makes cuts. He makes it hard. He does so many things.”

Sasser, a 6-2 senior, was a starter on the Cougars’ Final Four workforce two years in the past and is the star of one other title menace this yr. He’s averaging 17.1 factors as this system’s first first-team choice since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984 through the “Phi Slama Jama” period.

Miller, a 6-9 freshman, was a McDonald’s All-American who turned a right away star on the best way to being named the Southeastern Conference participant of the yr. He’s averaging 19.6 factors and eight.3 rebounds for the match’s No. 1 general seed.

Miller has been concerned in a homicide case that has overshadowed the Crimson Tide’s profitable run, resulting in capital homicide costs towards former Alabama participant Darius Miles and one other man for the January taking pictures demise of 23-year-old Jamea Harris. A police investigator testified final month that Miles texted Miller to carry him his gun that evening, although authorities have not charged Miller with any crime.

SECOND TEAM

Pac-12 participant of the yr Jaime Jaquez Jr. of UCLA was the main vote-getter on the second workforce that included Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, final season’s AP nationwide participant of the yr.

Gonzaga’s Drew Timme was a second-team choice for the third straight yr, whereas Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis and Penn State’s Jalen Pickett rounded out the second quintet.

THIRD TEAM

Kansas State’s surge led to the Wildcats incomes third-team alternatives in Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson, their first AP All-Americans since Jacob Pullen in 2011.

Big East participant of the yr Tyler Kolek of Marquette, Iowa’s Kris Murray and North Carolina’s Armando Bacot rounded out the third workforce.

HONORABLE MENTION

National scoring chief Antoine Davis of Detroit Mercy, who averaged 28.2 factors and fell 4 factors shy of tying “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s all-time profession scoring file, was the main vote-getter amongst gamers who did not make the three All-America groups.

Players earned honorable-mention standing in the event that they appeared on a number of voters’ ballots. This yr’s record contains Memphis’ Kendric Davis, Xavier’s Souley Boum and Miami’s Isaiah Wong.

Reporting by the Associated Press

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