Wiggins and Selden Earn Preseason Accolades
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins was named to the Associated Press’ 2013-14 Preseason All-America team, released Monday. The AP team is voted on by a 65-member national media panel.
Additionally, Wiggins and teammate Wayne Selden, Jr., have been named to the 10-man Wayman Tisdale Award Preseason Watch List, which is presented to the national freshman of the year by the United States Basketball Writers of America (USBWA), the organization announced Monday.
Wiggins becomes the second freshman to earn Associated Press Preseason All-America honors since the team was first selected for the 1986-87 season. He joins Harrison Barnes of North Carolina in 2010-11 as the only freshmen to earn the preseason accolade.
Joining Wiggins on the AP 2013-14 Preseason All-America team are Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Russ Smith (Louisville) and Mitch McGary (Michigan). Prior to Wiggins, the most recent Jayhawk to be named to the AP Preseason All-America team was eventual Consensus All-America selection Sherron Collins in 2009-10. Jeff Withey, Thomas Robinson and Marcus Morris were all named AP Preseason All-America honorable mention during their time as a Jayhawk.
The USBWA Wayman Tisdale Award began in 1988-89 and was named in Tisdale’s honor three seasons ago. Joining Selden and Wiggins on the list, which was chosen by the USBWA’s board of directors, are Tyler Ennis (Syracuse), Aaron Gordon (Arizona), Aaron Harrison (Kentucky), Andrew Harrison (Kentucky), Kasey Hill (Florida), Jabari Parker (Duke), Julius Randle (Kentucky) and James Young (Kentucky). Last season, Kansas’ Ben McLemore was one of 10 finalists for the Wayman Tisdale Award.
The No. 1 recruit in the class of 2013, Wiggins averaged 23.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocked shots and 2.5 steals while at Huntington Prep in West Virginia last season. The Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, native was the Gatorade Boys High School Basketball Player of the Year and later the Gatorade Boys Athlete of the Year. Wiggins is a consensus preseason All-America selection and the Preseason National Player of the Year by CBSSports.com.
Like Wiggins, Selden was a 2013 McDonald’s All-American who averaged 24.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists last year at the Tilton School in New Hampshire. The Roxbury, Mass., native ended his senior year ranked No. 12 by rivals.com and No. 14 by ESPN100.
Kansas continues exhibition play when it hosts Fort Hays State Tuesday, at 7 p.m., in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks open regular-season action when the Louisiana at Monroe Warhawks visit Lawrence on Friday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m.
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