ST. LOUIS (USBWA) The 2014-15 USBWA Men's All-America Team features a true five-man lineup of first-teamers, led by two seniors who pushed their teams to conference tournament championships: Wisconsin forward Frank Kaminsky and Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant. Joining Kaminsky in the front court is junior forward Willie Cauley-Stein of unbeaten and top-ranked Kentucky and Duke freshman center Jahlil Okafor. Grant's backcourt mate is another freshman, Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell.
Based on regular-season performance, the entire USBWA membership of nearly 1,000 selects the nation's top five players on each of two teams regardless of position.
Overall, the Atlantic Coast Conference leads all selections with three, including Virginia's Malcolm Brogdon, who was named to the second team. The Big Ten and SEC each boast two All-America selections. Joining Brodgon on that second team are Bobby Portis from Arkansas, Seth Tuttle from Northern Iowa, Kyle Wiltjer from Gonzaga and Delon Wright from Utah. Portis, Tuttle, Wiltjer and Wright are all USBWA District Players of the Year.
Cauley-Stein, a 7-0 junior from Olathe, Kan., contributes to Kentucky's potent and balanced attack with 9.3 points per game to go with 6.4 rebounds. He is the USBWA's District IV Player of the Year and was a first-team All-SEC selection in leading the Wildcats to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Grant, a 6-5 senior from Bowie, Md., leads the Fighting Irish with 16.8 points per game and 6.6 assists while shooting 48.8 percent from the field. Grant was a first-team All-ACC selection and leads the conference in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio.
Kaminsky's 18.2 points per game leads the Badgers, champions of the Big Ten. The 7-0 senior from Lisle, Ill., is shooting 39 percent from three-point range and pulls down 8.1 rebounds per game. The Big Ten and USBWA District V Player of the Year leads his team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.
Okafor, the ACC Player of the Year and USBWA District III Player of the Year, leads the Blue Devils and ranks among the top five in the ACC in scoring (17.7), rebounds (9.0) and field goal percentage (.669). The 6-11 freshman from Chicago, Ill., is attempting to become the first freshman to lead Duke in all three categories.
Russell, a 6-5 freshman from Louisville, Ky., is the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and an All-Big Ten first-team selection. He is the leading freshman scorer in the country and second-leading scorer in the Big Ten (19.3) and also leads the Buckeyes with 5.6 rebounds per game and is second on the team with 5.1 assists per game.
Each of the 10 All-America selections is among the Oscar Robertson Trophy finalists. The USBWA's National Player of the Year Award will be announced on Friday, April 3, in Indianapolis, in conjunction with the NCAA Final Four. The Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Trophy will be formally presented on Tuesday, April 14, at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards Gala in Oklahoma City.
Following is the complete 2014-15 USBWA All-America team:
The USBWA will continue to unveil its 2014-15 men's award winners throughout the remainder of the season. Here is the remaining schedule of releases:
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. Today, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its All-America team, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.
Related links:
2014-15 USBWA All-District teams
· All-time USBWA All-America teams