Duke’s Cameron Boozer headlines freshman-heavy AP All-America first team
Duke forward Cameron Boozer has been named a unanimous selection to the Associated Press All-America first team, headlining a historic group of college basketball freshmen.
The highly-touted first-year player joins BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. in a prestigious line-up dominated by new arrivals to the collegiate game.
Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg and Texas Tech’s injured forward JT Toppin complete the five-member roster chosen by a 61-voter panel.
Freshmen live up to the hype
Boozer secured a first-place vote on every single ballot, replicating the achievement of former Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg last season.
The dominant 19-year-old guided his side to both the ACC regular-season and tournament titles, securing the top overall seed for the upcoming NCAA tournament.
“He’s not about numbers, he’s about winning,” said Duke head coach Jon Scheyer.
“I think when your best player’s that way, it becomes contagious, and it has a big effect on the rest of the group.”
Historic selections across the board
Dybantsa earned his spot after establishing himself as the nation’s top scorer with an impressive 25.3 points per game.
The prolific BYU guard joins former NBA players Jimmer Fredette and Danny Ainge as the only first-team selections in the history of the Cougars.
Meanwhile, Acuff ends a decades-long drought for Arkansas, becoming their first top-tier All-American since Sidney Moncrief in 1979.
Lendeborg also achieved a notable milestone, securing Michigan’s first selection since point guard Trey Burke during the 2012-13 campaign.
Toppin honoured despite season-ending injury
Toppin made Texas Tech history as the programme’s inaugural first-team pick, despite suffering a torn ACL in his right knee last month.
The resilient forward was previously a second-team selection last year after helping the Red Raiders reach the Elite Eight.
“JT Toppin is genuine, he’s an unbelievable competitor,” said Red Raiders coach Grant McCasland.
All five selected players successfully guided their respective programmes into this year’s NCAA tournament bracket.
