Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor keeps reeling in the preseason honors.
The Chicago native became the third freshman in five years to be named to the the Associated Press’ preseason All-American team Monday, and was later selected as the AP Preseason Player of the Year.
The spot on the team adds to the hype the Blue Devil big man has been receiving heading into the season, as he was also named the Preseason National Player of the Year by CBSSports.com Oct. 7.
“It’s definitely an award I’m honored to receive, especially when you consider all the other players that have won the award,” Okafor said in a press release. “But here at Duke, we’re not about preseason awards. We have a lot of team goals for the season so I am just focused on working hard each day and helping the team reach our goals.”
North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes and Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins are the other rookies to be named Preseason AP Player of the Year. Like Okafor, Barnes—who was given the honor in 2010—and Wiggins, last season’s recipient, were also named to the AP First Team All-American team. At year’s end, Wiggins was named a second-team AP All-American; Barnes garnered AP honorable mention honors.
Okafor will get a chance to face off against three of the other four players selected to the All-American team, which consisted of a trio of ACC players. In addition to the Chicago native, North Carolina junior point guard Marcus Paige and Louisville junior forward Montrezl Harrell were recognized by the committee. Paige was the leading vote-getter, selected on 58 of 65 ballots submitted by the national media panel. Harrell was second with 56 votes.
Wisconsin senior forward Frank Kaminsky joined Okafor and Harrell in the frontcourt. Kaminsky was the driving force behind the Badgers’ run to the Final Four last season, and turned down the chance to leave school for the NBA in order to make a bid to return to the final weekend of the tournament this season.
Kaminsky averaged 13.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest a season ago, and waltzed around an imposing Arizona frontcourt in the Elite Eight, burning the Wildcats for 28 points with an arsenal of creative post moves. Okafor and Kaminsky will go head-to-head Dec. 3 as Duke travels to Wisconsin in one of the season’s marquee early-season matchups.
Wichita State junior point guard Fred VanVleet rounded out the five-man team. Blue Devil freshman Tyus Jones also received votes, but not enough for the point guard from Apple Valley, Minn., to be included.
The Blue Devils will begin the season as the No. 4 team in the nation, according to the season’s first AP Poll released last Friday.
Duke will take on Livingstone Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium in its first exhibition of the season.
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