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Sports Writers Name 4 Big Ten Players to All-America Squad
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, Purdue’s Zach Edey, Penn State’s Jalen Pickett and Iowa’s Kris Murray were named to the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America Team today.
Jackson-Davis and Edey were named to the First Team, while Pickett and Murray notched Third Team accolades.
Jackson-Davis, a two-time USBWA All-American, enters the NCAA Tournament with averages of 20.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.7 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game. His scoring average is on pace to be the highest for a Hoosier since Eric Gordon (20.9 points per game in 2007-08), his rebounding figure is the highest since Steve Downing (15.1 in 1972-73), and his block number would be the most since Dean Garrett (2.7 in 1987-88).
Edey, the first Purdue player to earn USBWA First Team All-America honors since Glenn Robinson in 1993-94, is one of just two Big Ten players in league history to have at least 700 points and 400 rebounds in a season (Jery Lucas, 1959-60, 710 points, 442 rebounds) and is close to becoming the first player in NCAA history with 750 points, 450 rebounds, 50 blocks and 50 assists in a season (assists became an official NCAA statistic in 1983-84).
Pickett, Penn State’s first ever USBWA All-American, is the only player in the country averaging at least 17 points (17.9) per game, seven rebounds (7.3) per game and six assists (6.7) per game. Only two men's college basketball players in the last 30 years (since 1992-93 season) have finished a season averaging 17/7/6 or better: Michigan State's Denzel Valentine (19.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 7.8 apg in 2015-16) and Memphis' Penny Hardaway (22.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 6.4 apg in 1992-93).
Murray’s inclusion marks the fourth consecutive year an Iowa player has been named to the USBWA All-America Team. The senior is averaging a team-best 20.4 points, 20th in the country, and 7.9 rebounds per outing, including 21 points per conference game. Murray has increased his scoring average by 11.7 points per game this season compared to last year.
By virtue of their inclusion on the All-America Teams from the Associated Press, NABC, Sporting News and USBWA, Jackson-Davis, Edey and Pickett are also consensus All-Americans.
Jackson-Davis and Edey were named to the First Team, while Pickett and Murray notched Third Team accolades.
Jackson-Davis, a two-time USBWA All-American, enters the NCAA Tournament with averages of 20.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.7 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game. His scoring average is on pace to be the highest for a Hoosier since Eric Gordon (20.9 points per game in 2007-08), his rebounding figure is the highest since Steve Downing (15.1 in 1972-73), and his block number would be the most since Dean Garrett (2.7 in 1987-88).
Edey, the first Purdue player to earn USBWA First Team All-America honors since Glenn Robinson in 1993-94, is one of just two Big Ten players in league history to have at least 700 points and 400 rebounds in a season (Jery Lucas, 1959-60, 710 points, 442 rebounds) and is close to becoming the first player in NCAA history with 750 points, 450 rebounds, 50 blocks and 50 assists in a season (assists became an official NCAA statistic in 1983-84).
Pickett, Penn State’s first ever USBWA All-American, is the only player in the country averaging at least 17 points (17.9) per game, seven rebounds (7.3) per game and six assists (6.7) per game. Only two men's college basketball players in the last 30 years (since 1992-93 season) have finished a season averaging 17/7/6 or better: Michigan State's Denzel Valentine (19.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 7.8 apg in 2015-16) and Memphis' Penny Hardaway (22.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 6.4 apg in 1992-93).
Murray’s inclusion marks the fourth consecutive year an Iowa player has been named to the USBWA All-America Team. The senior is averaging a team-best 20.4 points, 20th in the country, and 7.9 rebounds per outing, including 21 points per conference game. Murray has increased his scoring average by 11.7 points per game this season compared to last year.
By virtue of their inclusion on the All-America Teams from the Associated Press, NABC, Sporting News and USBWA, Jackson-Davis, Edey and Pickett are also consensus All-Americans.