Massive Ten lands three gamers on AP All-America first crew

Keegan Murray has given Iowa a first-team Related Press All-American for the third straight yr, and Kofi Cockburn has made it two in a row for Illinois – not unhealthy for a pair packages that have not had an entire lot of them.

The Combating Illini by no means had a first-team decide till Ayo Dosunmu made it final season when Cockburn was voted to the second crew. And the Hawkeyes had not had a first-team choice because the 1952 season till Luka Garza, final yr’s AP participant of the yr, made his second consecutive look within the five-man crew.

Throw in Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis and the Massive Ten was properly represented Tuesday on the AP’s first crew, which additionally included Kentucky massive man Oscar Tshiebwe – this yr’s participant of the yr favourite – and Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji.

“I’ve needed to be taught from lots of guys final yr simply what it takes to be nice at this degree,” mentioned Murray, a sophomore guard from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who’s fourth nationally in scoring at 23.6 factors per recreation heading into the NCAA Event.

“I imply, it is sort of like all the pieces simply acquired put collectively for me,” Murray added, “simply all of the exhausting work that we put in.”

The fifth-seeded Hawkeyes, who received the Massive Ten Event title on Sunday, will open their NCAA tourney on Thursday in opposition to Richmond.

“We struggled earlier on this yr a bit of bit and now we’re doing very well,” Murray mentioned, “and it is only a nice feeling.”

All of the first-team picks have their groups positioned to make a postseason run.

Cockburn, the bruising ahead from Kingston, Jamaica, and the fourth-seeded Combating Illini play Chattanooga on Friday, the identical day Davis and the third-seeded Badgers open in opposition to Colgate. Tshiebwe has Kentucky seeded second going into Thursday’s recreation in opposition to Saint Peter’s. Agbaji and the top-seeded Jayhawks open in opposition to one of many play-in groups.

Davis is the Badgers’ third first-team All-American, becoming a member of Alando Tucker in 2007 and Frank Kaminsky in 2015, whereas Tshiebwe is the primary for Kentucky since Tyler Ulis in 2016. Agbaji provides the Jayhawks a first-team decide for the third time in six years after Frank Mason in 2017 and Devonte Graham in 2018.

Identical to Murray with the Hawkeyes, Agbaji already has some expertise reducing down nets this season.

The Massive 12 participant of the yr led Kansas previous Texas Tech within the convention title recreation, including match MVP honors to a rising assortment of {hardware} that Agbaji has earned throughout his senior season.

“It is nice to see him do all this stuff. He is undertaking just about each aim he got down to accomplish,” Jayhawks teammate Christian Braun mentioned, “and it is superior to look at him day-after-day, you recognize, work exhausting and observe exhausting and do all this stuff, after which accomplish all the pieces he got down to accomplish.”

SECOND TEAM

Drew Timme of Gonzaga led the AP second crew for the second straight yr and was joined by freshman teammate Chet Holmgren. Jaden Ivey of Purdue gave the Massive Ten one other All-American, whereas possible No. 1 draft decide Jabari Smith of Auburn and Benedict Mathurin of Arizona rounded out the second crew.

The Bulldogs, who’re the No. 1 total seed within the NCAA Event for the second straight season, additionally had two second-team picks final yr in Timme and Jalen Suggs. One other teammate, Corey Kispert, was a first-teamer final yr.

THIRD TEAM

Paolo Banchero of Duke was the one participant from the ACC to be chosen for one of many first three groups, whereas the Blue Devils had been the one crew from the vaunted basketball convention to land within the closing High 25 ballot this season. Banchero additionally will go down as the ultimate All-American in an extended record to have performed for retiring Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Banchero was joined on the third crew by Collin Gillespie of Villanova and E.J. Liddell of Ohio State, each of whom had been honorable point out picks final season, and Walker Kessler of Auburn. James Akinjo of Baylor and JD Notae of Arkansas tied for the final spot on the third crew, giving it six members relatively than 5.

HONORABLE MENTION

David Roddy of Colorado State was the highest vote getter among the many honorable point out choices. Others to obtain the consideration embrace Armando Bacot of North Carolina; Johnny Juzang of UCLA; Alondes Williams of Wake Forest; Tari Eason of LSU; Zach Edey of Purdue; two-time decide Max Abmas of Oral Roberts; and Ron Harper Jr. of Rutgers.