Men's NCAA Basketball pre-season All-Americans announced
It would be hard to top the type of year Kyle Singler is having. Coming off a 2010 national championship victory over the Butler Bulldogs back in April (during which he was named the Final Four’s Most
Outstanding Player), the Duke University forward was one of five collegiate standouts named to the Associated Press preseason men’s basketball All-America team on Monday, 1 November.
A senior leader for the Duke Blue Devils, Singler received the most votes while serving as this year’s only repeat selection for the annually announced squad. The team is chosen by the national media panel
consisting of 65 members that also selects the weekly AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll.
Of the committee’s 65 members, Singler, who averaged 16.5 points and 7.7 rebounds for the defending national champions, was listed on 62 ballots. Rounding out the rest of the All-Americans are Jacob Pullen
of Kansas State (53 votes), Jimmer Fredette of Brigham Young (49 votes), JaJuan Johnson of Purdue (46 votes), and Harrison Barnes of North Carolina (17 votes).
Barnes, a promising young prospect for the Tar Heels, set a precedent as the first freshman to be named to the preseason All-American team since the voting began back before the 1986-1987 campaign. Last
year, the 6ft 7in newcomer averaged 19.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, complimenting a field goal percentage of 60 as a senior at Ames High School in Iowa.
“This is indicative of the great respect that Harrison has nationally, and it's an unbelievable accomplishment for a freshman,” said Tar Heels coach Roy Williams of his new recruit. But, Williams, who
led his team to the 2009 NCAA title, is aware that it’s not about how you start, but rather, how you finish.
“I know Harrison would agree, however, that it would be even more exciting to make the All-America team that's picked after the season.”
Of last year’s final AP All-Americans, none even had a chance to be named to this year’s preseason squad. Kentucky’s outstanding freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins fled for the NBA, as did juniors
Evan Turner of Ohio State and Wesley Johnson of Syracuse. Meanwhile, Villanova senior Scottie Reynolds graduated.
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