North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough and Kansas State’s Michael Beasley were unanimous selections to The Associated Press’ All-America men’s basketball team, which was announced Monday. For the first time, no senior was chosen.
Beasley and Kevin Love of UCLA made it two straight years there were two freshmen chosen. Sophomore D.J. Augustin of Texas and junior Chris Douglas-Roberts of Memphis rounded out the selections, shutting out the seniors.
The AP started choosing All-America teams after the 1947-48 season, and for the next six decades there was at least one member of the senior class on every first team.
Until this group.
Hansbrough, a junior and the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, and Beasley, the Big 12 player of the year and third freshman to lead the country in rebounding, were named on all 72 ballots and received 360 points from the same national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. The voting was done before the NCAA tournament.
“To be one of just two players in the country to receive such an honor is very humbling,” said Beasley, who led Kansas State to its first NCAA bid since 1996. “I have never been about individual accomplishments, but about helping my team win games. I wish we were still playing, but I am happy with the success we had this season.”
The 6-foot-10 Beasley averaged 26.5 points and 12.4 rebounds for the Wildcats, shooting 53.5 percent from the field including 38.9 percent from 3-point range. He is Kansas State’s first All-American since Bob Boozer in 1959.
Hansbrough, a second-team selection last season, compiled impressive numbers (23.0 points, 10.4 rebounds) while leading the Tar Heels to a school-record 36 wins and their 17th Final Four. The last North Carolina player to be picked to the first team was Joseph Forte in 2001.
Washington forward Jon Brockman, a junior from Snohomish, earned honorable mention.
2007-08 AP All-America Basketball Teams
FIRST TEAM
Michael Beasley, Kansas State, 6-10, 235, freshman, Washington, 26.5 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 53.5 fg pct, 38.9 3-pt fg pct, 1.7 blocks (72 first-place votes, 360 points)
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina, 6-9, 250, junior, Poplar Bluff, Mo., 23.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 54.0 fg pct, 81.7 ft pct (72, 360)
D.J. Augustin, Texas, 6-0, 180, sophomore, New Orleans, 19.8 ppg, 5.7 apg, 37.2 minutes (66, 346)
Kevin Love, UCLA, 6-10, 260, freshman, Lake Oswego, Ore., 17.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 55.7 fg pct (52, 318)
Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis, 6-7, 200, junior, Detroit, 17.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 55.1 fg pct, 44.9 3-pt fg pct (52, 309)
SECOND TEAM
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, 6-8, 251, sophomore, Schererville, Ind., 20.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 51.5 fg pct, 37.5 3-pt fg pct (9, 211)
Shan Foster, Vanderbilt, 6-6, 205, senior, Kenner, La., 20.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 52.6 fg pct, 47.3 3-pt fg pct (7, 159)
D.J. White, Indiana, 6-9, 251, senior, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 17.3 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 60.4 fg pct, 1.7 blocks (2, 146)
Stephen Curry, Davidson, 6-2, 185, sophomore, Charlotte, N.C., 25.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, 43.8 3-pt fg pct, 89.8 ft pct, 1.9 steals (4, 117)
Roy Hibbert, Georgetown, 7-2, 278, senior, Adelphi, Md., 13.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.9 apg, 60.1 fg pct, 2.3 blocks (1, 86)
THIRD TEAM
Derrick Rose, Memphis, 6-3, 190, freshman, Chicago, 13.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.5 apg (4, 85)
Chris Lofton, Tennessee, 6-2, 200, senior, Maysville, Ky., 16.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 39.8 3-pt fg pct, 83.5 ft pct (4, 82)
Darren Collison, UCLA, 6-1, 165, junior, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 15.2 ppg, 3.9 apg, 50.6 3-pt fg pct, 87.4 ft pct, 1.9 steals (2, 80)
Brook Lopez, Stanford, 7-0, 260, sophomore, Fresno, Calif., 19.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.2 blocks (1, 73)
Eric Gordon, Indiana, 6-4, 215, freshman, Indianapolis, 21.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, 84.5 ft pct (4, 72)
HONORABLE MENTION
Joe Alexander, West Virginia; Josh Alexander, Stephen F. Austin; Ryan Anderson, California; Darrell Arthur, Kansas; Jerryd Bayless, Arizona; Marqus Blakely, Vermont; Jon Brockman, Washington; Chase Budinger, Arizona; Jaycee Carroll, Utah State; Mario Chalmers, Kansas.
Lee Cummard, BYU; Scott Cutley, Cal State-Fullerton; Louis Dale, Cornell; Jeremiah Dominguez, Portland State; Wayne Ellington, North Carolina; Adam Emmenecker, Drake; Al Fisher, Kent State; Gary Forbes, Massachusetts; J.R. Giddens, New Mexico; Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State.
Mike Green, Butler; James Harden, Arizona State; Alex Harris, UC Santa Barbara; Andrew Hayles, Alabama State; Richard Hendrix, Alabama; George Hill, IUPUI; Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin; Ty Lawson, North Carolina; Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky; Tony Lee, Robert Morris.
Eric Maynor, Virginia Commonwealth; O.J. Mayo, Southern California; Drew Neitzel, Michigan State; DeMarcus Nelson, Duke; David Padgett, Louisville; Jeremy Pargo, Gonzaga; A.J. Price, Connecticut; Arizona Reid, High Point; Tyrese Rice, Boston College; Brandon Rush, Kansas.
Thomas Sanders, Gardner-Webb; Sean Singletary, Virginia; Jamar Smith, Morgan State; Tyler Smith, Tennessee; Greg Sprink, Navy; Jason Thompson, Rider; Sam Young, Pittsburgh.
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