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J.J. Redick of Duke and Adam Morrison of Gonzaga spent all season locked in a bicoastal scoring race. Fittingly, they ended it as the only unanimous selections for The Associated Press' All-America men's basketball team.
Redick, the most prolific 3-point scorer in college history, was a repeat choice. He and Morrison were joined on the first team Monday by Redick's teammate Shelden Williams, Randy Foye of Villanova and Brandon Roy, Washington's first All-America in 53 years.
Redick and Morrison gave fans a "Can you top this?" scoring competition that ended with both receiving all 72 first-team votes from members of the national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. The voting took place before the NCAA Tournament.
Morrison, the only junior on an otherwise all-senior first team, won the scoring title with a 28.4 average, just ahead of Redick's 27.4. Morrison shot 43.7 percent from 3-point range, while Redick hit 42.1 percent from beyond the arc.
"It is a testament to the type of season each of us has had," Redick said. "Adam is certainly a great player and it is an honor to be unanimous pick along with him."
Morrison said being an All-America isn't "something you think about receiving when you start your collegiate career, but to be associated with some of the great names of college basketball is an honor. I guess to be a unanimous pick with J.J. seems only fitting since the two of us have been followed so closely this year. He's a great player."
Morrison is Gonzaga's second All-America, joining Dan Dickau in 2002.
This is the second time in three years there were two unanimous selections. In 2004, Jameer Nelson of Saint Joseph's and Emeka Okafor of Connecticut were unanimous.
Redick is the first repeat first-teamer since Jason Williams, another Duke guard, in 2001 and 2002.
Redick and Williams, a senior center who averaged 18.4 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 58 percent from the field, are the ninth set of teammates to be selected to the first team and the first since Jason Williams and Shane Battier of Duke in 2001.
"Both J.J. and Shelden are deserving of this honor. They have produced on the court at a high level all season, and throughout their entire careers at Duke," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "They both understand that individual awards like this come about as a result of throwing themselves into what is important for our team. It is quite an accomplishment for teammates to be named first team All-America by The Associated Press."
Duke, the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, was the only team besides Connecticut to be ranked No. 1 in the AP poll this season. The Blue Devils won both the regular season and tournament championships in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Foye, who averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists as the key in Villanova's four-guard offense, was the third-leading vote-getter, named on 55 first-team ballots. He is the Wildcats' first All-America since Kerry Kittles in 1996.
"It's an honor to be selected as an AP All-America with such great players," Foye said. "It's an honor for my family, my school and our fans, and I'm very grateful to everyone involved, especially my teammates and coaches."
Roy is Washington's first All-America since Bob Houbregs in 1953.
"It's awesome that top players from the state of Washington with a year difference in age are considered top players in the country," Roy said. "That says a lot for the state and how we've come along as basketball players. When I was a kid, I dreamed about this."
Roy, a 6-foot-6 swingman, averaged 19.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 51 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free throw line.
Dee Brown of Illinois was the leading vote-getter on the second team and was joined by fellow senior Rodney Carney of Memphis, junior P.J. Tucker of Texas and sophomores Rudy Gay of Connecticut and Leon Powe of California.
The third team includes seniors Craig Smith of Boston College and Allan Ray of Villanova, junior Nick Fazekas of Nevada, sophomore Glen Davis of LSU and freshman Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina.
The preseason All-America team this season was Redick, Morrison, Williams, Brown and Smith.
Source: AP
Redick, the most prolific 3-point scorer in college history, was a repeat choice. He and Morrison were joined on the first team Monday by Redick's teammate Shelden Williams, Randy Foye of Villanova and Brandon Roy, Washington's first All-America in 53 years.
Redick and Morrison gave fans a "Can you top this?" scoring competition that ended with both receiving all 72 first-team votes from members of the national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. The voting took place before the NCAA Tournament.
Morrison, the only junior on an otherwise all-senior first team, won the scoring title with a 28.4 average, just ahead of Redick's 27.4. Morrison shot 43.7 percent from 3-point range, while Redick hit 42.1 percent from beyond the arc.
"It is a testament to the type of season each of us has had," Redick said. "Adam is certainly a great player and it is an honor to be unanimous pick along with him."
Morrison said being an All-America isn't "something you think about receiving when you start your collegiate career, but to be associated with some of the great names of college basketball is an honor. I guess to be a unanimous pick with J.J. seems only fitting since the two of us have been followed so closely this year. He's a great player."
Morrison is Gonzaga's second All-America, joining Dan Dickau in 2002.
This is the second time in three years there were two unanimous selections. In 2004, Jameer Nelson of Saint Joseph's and Emeka Okafor of Connecticut were unanimous.
Redick is the first repeat first-teamer since Jason Williams, another Duke guard, in 2001 and 2002.
Redick and Williams, a senior center who averaged 18.4 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 58 percent from the field, are the ninth set of teammates to be selected to the first team and the first since Jason Williams and Shane Battier of Duke in 2001.
"Both J.J. and Shelden are deserving of this honor. They have produced on the court at a high level all season, and throughout their entire careers at Duke," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "They both understand that individual awards like this come about as a result of throwing themselves into what is important for our team. It is quite an accomplishment for teammates to be named first team All-America by The Associated Press."
Duke, the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, was the only team besides Connecticut to be ranked No. 1 in the AP poll this season. The Blue Devils won both the regular season and tournament championships in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Foye, who averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists as the key in Villanova's four-guard offense, was the third-leading vote-getter, named on 55 first-team ballots. He is the Wildcats' first All-America since Kerry Kittles in 1996.
"It's an honor to be selected as an AP All-America with such great players," Foye said. "It's an honor for my family, my school and our fans, and I'm very grateful to everyone involved, especially my teammates and coaches."
Roy is Washington's first All-America since Bob Houbregs in 1953.
"It's awesome that top players from the state of Washington with a year difference in age are considered top players in the country," Roy said. "That says a lot for the state and how we've come along as basketball players. When I was a kid, I dreamed about this."
Roy, a 6-foot-6 swingman, averaged 19.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 51 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free throw line.
Dee Brown of Illinois was the leading vote-getter on the second team and was joined by fellow senior Rodney Carney of Memphis, junior P.J. Tucker of Texas and sophomores Rudy Gay of Connecticut and Leon Powe of California.
The third team includes seniors Craig Smith of Boston College and Allan Ray of Villanova, junior Nick Fazekas of Nevada, sophomore Glen Davis of LSU and freshman Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina.
The preseason All-America team this season was Redick, Morrison, Williams, Brown and Smith.
Source: AP
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