Nick KrugKansas senior Devonte’ Graham, already overjoyed by breaking through to the Final Four, received some more good news on Tuesday when he was named a 2018 Associated Press first-team All-American.
Because the AP honor is one of the outlets used for the official NCAA consensus All-America team status — and Graham is 4-for-4 on consensus All-America first teams as he was recently named to National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and The Sporting News squads — the point guard from Raleigh, N.C., will forever been known as a consensus All-American.
“It’s definitely special,” Graham said. “Personally, I don’t be big on individual things but it’s definitely a huge thing and I know my mom and my grandma are happy. They called me and stuff like that, told me thank you. It’s definitely a great way to go out.”
Graham becomes KU’s 30th consensus first-team AP All-American selection, which gives Kansas more than any other NCAA Division I school in history. North Carolina ranks second with 27.
Joining Graham on AP All-America First Team were Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Deandre Ayton (Arizona), Marvin Bagley III (Duke) and Trae Young (Oklahoma). Potentially matching up against Brunson, Graham said he’s looking forward to playing one of the top players in the country.
But he cautioned that it’s Kansas vs. Villanova and more than just the two point guards.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge. He is so good with the ball and he plays at his own pace,” Graham said of Brunson. “He doesn’t get sped up or things like that. He can shoot the outside shot and get to the rack. He also posts up guys. But we switch so much so he might have me on him, he might have Lagerald on him. Hopefully we can disrupt him a little bit.”
This is the second-straight year a Kansas player has earned AP All-America First Team honors. Jayhawk Frank Mason III earned the distinction last year and later received the AP national player of the year award.
Graham is the only player in NCAA Division I averaging 17.0-plus points, 7.0-plus assists, 1.6-plus steals and fewer than 3.0 turnovers per game in 2017-18. He leads Kansas in scoring at 17.2 points per game and already has set the Kansas single-season records for assists, with 279, and minutes played, at 1,435. His 106 3-point field goals made are the fourth most all-time in KU’s single-season marks.
In Kansas’ win against Seton Hall in the NCAA Tournament, Graham became the 13th player in KU history to record 1,700 career points. He currently sits 13th at 1,727 points and is just the third player in school history to tally 1,700 points, 600 assists and 190 steals in a career. Darnell Valentine and Kirk Hinrich are the other Jayhawks to hit those numbers.
Additionally, Graham ranks second on the Kansas career 3-point field goals made list at 292. He is also among the KU career leaders in assists (fifth at 629), steals (seventh at 195), and minutes played (second at 4,459).
No. 1 seed Kansas (31-7) will face No. 1 seed Villanova (34-4) in the national semifinals of the 2018 Final Four at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Saturday, March 31, at 7:49 p.m. (Central). KU is participating in its 15th all-time Final Four and its first since 2012.
Associated Press All-America First Team
NCAA Tournament Midwest Region All-Tournament Team
NABC All-America First Team (3.21.18)
NABC District 8 First Team
Citizen Naismith Trophy Finalist – 1 of 4 (3.13.18)
USBWA All-America First Team (3.12.18)
Big 12 All-Tournament Team
NCAA.com First Team (3.6.18)
USA TODAY All-America First Team (3.6.18)
USBWA District VI Player of the Year (3.6.18)
USBWA All-District VI Team (3.6.18)
The Sporting News All-America First Team (3.5.18)
Bob Cousy Award Finalist – 1 of 5 (3.5.18)
Big 12 Player of the Year (Big 12, Associated Press)
All-Big 12 First Team (Big 12, Associated Press)
Wooden Award Fional Ballot – 1 of 15 (3.3.18)
Citizen Naismith Trophy Semifinalist – 1 of 10 (2.28.18)
Citizen Naismith Trophy Player of the Week (2.26.18)
Big 12 Player of the Week (2.26.18)
Citizen Naismith Trophy Late Season Team – 1 of 30 (2.12.18)
Wooden Award Late Season Top-20 (2.5.18)
Bob Cousy Award Midseason Watch List – 1 of 10 (2.5.18)
USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List (1.22.18)
Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List (1.11.18)
Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 (1.11.18)
USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy Player of the Week (12.5.17)
Lute Olson Award Player of the Week (12.4.17)
NCAA.com Player of the Week (12.4.17)
Big 12 Player of the Week (12.4.17)
Hoophall Miami Invitational MVP
Wooden Award watch list
Naismith Player of the Year watch list
USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list
Bob Cousy Award watch list
Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year
Preseason All-Big 12
