Instant Success: Okafor & Russell Join List of Frosh 1st-Team All-Americans
April 5th, 2015 - 20:38
Duke center Jahlil Okafor and Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell achieved something luminaries Mark Aguirre, Carmelo Anthony, Patrick Ewing, Phil Ford, Tyler Hansbrough, Magic Johnson, Bernard King, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal, Derrick Rose and Ralph Sampson failed to do. Okafor and Russell each became a first-team All-American as a freshman.
After a 16-year frosh A-A drought from 1991 through 2006, 11 DI newcomers were named first-team selections in the last nine seasons. Following is a chronological list of yearlings in this rare-air category:
Freshman First-Team All-American | Pos. | College | Year | Freshman All-American Recognition |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arnie Ferrin | F | Utah | 1944 | C1 |
Tom Gola | C-F | La Salle | 1952 | C1 |
Keith Lee | C | Memphis State | 1982 | C1, AP2 |
Wayman Tisdale | F-C | Oklahoma | 1983 | AP1, C1, USBWA1, UPI2, NABC3 |
Chris Jackson | G | Louisiana State | 1989 | AP1, UPI1, USBWA1, NABC2 |
Kenny Anderson | G | Georgia Tech | 1990 | NABC1, AP3 |
Kevin Durant | F | Texas | 2007 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Greg Oden | C | Ohio State | 2007 | AP1, NABC2, USBWA2 |
Michael Beasley | F | Kansas State | 2008 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Kevin Love | C | UCLA | 2008 | AP1, USBWA1, NABC2 |
DeMarcus Cousins | C | Kentucky | 2010 | AP1, NABC2, USBWA2 |
John Wall | G | Kentucky | 2010 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Jared Sullinger | F-C | Ohio State | 2011 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Anthony Davis | C | Kentucky | 2012 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Jabari Parker | F | Duke | 2014 | USBWA1 |
Jahlil Okafor | C | Duke | 2015 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
D'Angelo Russell | G | Ohio State | 2015 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
KEY: AP-Associated Press; C-Converse; NABC-National Association of Basketball Coaches; UPI-United Press International; USBWA-United States Basketball Writers Association.