Big Ten has 2 First Team All-Americans

Published 1:55 am Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Frank Kaminsky and Jahlil Okafor are as different as stories can be in college basketball. The two, however, have a lot in common — both are in the Final Four and both were the top selections on The Associated Press’ 2014-15 All-America team.

Kaminsky, the 7-foot senior from Wisconsin, was a unanimous choice Monday. Okafor, the 6-11 freshman from Duke, received all but one first-team vote.

Notre Dame senior Jerian Grant, Kentucky junior Willie Cauley-Stein and Ohio State freshman D’Angelo Russell rounded out the first team.

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Russell is a freshman who isn’t expected to be back for a second season. He averaged 19.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists and received 51 first-team votes. Russell is the 15th All-American from Ohio State and the first since Jared Sullinger repeated in 2012.

“The level that he sustained was the most impressive thing,” Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said. “The other thing that I loved was that the mistakes early, he learned from. He got better as the season went on. He became a more complete player. We knew he was going to be really good but just seeing his dedication to becoming a great player was very, very impressive.”

Kaminsky worked his way to the top by improving through four seasons in college. Okafor arrived with all the laurels out of high school and immediate talk about leaving for the NBA.

“Not to be overly patriotic, but we’re an American story, that you can do that in this kind of a system,” Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. “Sometimes where it looks like the privileged, the ones that are identified as being great players and can’t-miss-type guys, where there can always come that guy from behind in the race and then cross the tape first.

“Frank is that guy who got a little bit later start as far as people noticing his abilities, but that’s just a great accomplishment on his part. … He took advantage of a chance and has made the most of it.”

Kaminsky, projected as a top pick in the NBA draft, led the Badgers to their second straight Final Four berth, averaging 18.2 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 55.3 percent from the field, including 39.5 percent from 3-point range.

He is one of those big men as comfortable on the perimeter as in the lane, and his outgoing personality has made him a media favorite.

“It’s cool to be named first team All-American. It’s something you dream of as a kid,”’ Kaminsky said. “To finally be able to do so, it’s a good thing and it shows how hard I’ve worked in my career. To be up there with Alando Tucker is a pretty cool thing.”

Kaminsky is Wisconsin’s second All-American joining Tucker in 2007. He is the second unanimous pick in as many years following Doug McDermott of Creighton.

Okafor is Duke’s 16th first-team All-America and is the Blue Devils’ second freshman in as many years, with Jabari Parker being chosen last season.

Okafor, who received 64 first-team votes, averaged 17.7 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 66.9 percent, second in the nation.

Utah senior Delon Wright led the second team and was joined by Kentucky freshman Karl-Anthony Towns, Northern Iowa senior Seth Tuttle, Arkansas sophomore Bobby Portis and Virginia junior Malcolm Brogdon.

The third team was Gonzaga teammates Kyle Wiltjer and Kevin Pangos, Oklahoma junior Buddy Hield, Syracuse senior Rakeem Christmas and Iowa State junior Georges Niang.