North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough and Kansas State's Michael Beasley were unanimous selections to The Associated Press' All-America team today. For the first time, no senior was chosen.
Beasley and Kevin Love of UCLA made it two straight years there were two freshmen chosen. Sophomore D.J. Augustin of Texas and junior Chris Douglas-Roberts rounded out the selections, shutting out the seniors.
The AP started choosing All-America teams after the 1947-48 season, and for the next six decades there was at least one member of the senior class on every first team.
Hansbrough, a junior and the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, and Beasley, the Big 12 player of the year and third freshman to lead the country in rebounding, were named on all 72 ballots and received 360 points from the same national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. The voting was done before the NCAA Tournament.
The 6-foot-10 Beasley averaged 26.5 points and 12.4 rebounds for the Wildcats, shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from 3-point range. He is Kansas State's first All-America since Bob Boozer in 1959.
Hansbrough, a second-team selection last season, compiled impressive numbers (23.0 points, 10.4 rebounds) and lived up to his "Psycho T" nickname while leading the Tar Heels to a school-record 36 wins and their 17th Final Four.
Notre Dame sophomore center Luke Harangody was sixth in the voting with 211 points, and he was joined on the second team by seniors Shan Foster of Vanderbilt, D.J. White of Indiana and Roy Hibbert of Georgetown, and college basketball's newest star, Davidson sophomore guard Stephen Curry.