Duke may not be starting the year as the top-ranked team in the country, as it did in 2005-06, but it does have one thing in common with that team: a preseason All-American.
Junior forward Kyle Singler, the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, was named to the AP preseason All-America team Monday, becoming the first Blue Devil to take that honor since J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams were both named to the team prior to the 2005-06 campaign. This year's team also boasts the first pair of teammates since Redick and Williams: Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins of No. 1 Kansas. Notre Dame's Luke Harangody led all players with 57 votes, and Kentucky forward Patrick Patterson rounds out the squad.
Singler averaged 16.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last year. After spending much of his first two seasons in the paint, he will play primarily on the perimeter for the suddenly forward-heavy Blue Devils.
Evidently, the AP believes what Singler said at Duke's media day: That switch isn't going to hurt his game.
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