Wednesday, November 12, 1997
The University Daily Kansan
4
Section B·Page 3
Three schools score All-Americans
List of preseason honors has two teammate tandems
The Associated Press
Only three schools could brag about having a preseason All-American this year.
Kansas forwards Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce and Arizona guards Mike Bibby and Miles Simon highlighted The Associated Press' preseason All-America team announced yesterday. They were joined by North Carolina forward Antawn Jamison.
Since the first preseason All-America team before the 1986-87 season, only Duke's Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill had been chosen as a teammate tandem.
LaFrentz, a 6-foot-11 senior and the only returning All-American from last season, got the most votes. He was named on 69 of the 71 ballots cast by a national panel.
Jamison, a 6-9 junior, was second with 67 votes and was followed by Bibby, a 6-1 sophomore who received 59 votes, and Simon, a 6-5 senior who had 32, and Pierce, a 6-7 junior, who was named on 28 ballots.
Bibby averaged 13.5 points and 5.2 assists last season while shooting almost 40 percent from three-point range. He helped lead his team to the NCAA national championship as the Wildcats won it all last season with an overtime victory against Kentucky in the title game.
Simon, who missed the start of last season for academic reasons, averaged 18.4 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 41 percent from three-point range. With eight players back from last season's team, the Wildcats are the Associated
Press' preseason No.1 team.
"Not only is it a great honor for Mike and Miles, but also it is a great honor for our program to have two guys picked to be on the same team," Arizona coach Lute Olson said. "The way Mike and Miles performed throughout last season was outstanding, but the real key for them to receive this type of honor was the way they played in the NCAA Tournament, particularly in the Final Four."
One of the three No. 1 seeds Arizona beat on the way to the title was Kansas, which held The No. 1 ranking for the final 15 weeks of the season.
LaFrentz averaged 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds last season while shooting 58 percent from the field. He stepped up when seniors Scot Pollard and Jacque Vaughn were sidelined with injuries.
Pierce averaged 16.3 points and 6.8 rebounds while leading the team with a 47 percent mark from three-point range. Many thought LaFrentz and Pierce would choose to enter the NBA draft. Instead, they are back for a team ranked second in the preseason AP poll.
"I am very happy for the two youngsters," Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "They are very deserving. Both are outstanding players, and the fact that they chose to return to Kansas as opposed to going to the NBA shows that they also enjoy college life, and I think that makes for a healthy atmosphere."
Jamison helped the Tar Heels reach the Final Four last season, averaging 19.1 points and 9.4 rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the field.
Notre Dame senior forward Pat Garrity and Duke junior guard Trajan Langdon were the only other players to receive more than 10 votes, getting 22 and 12, respectively.
All-American Team
The Associated Press' 1997-98 preseason All-
America team, with school, year, height, position,
votes from a 71-member national media panel and
averages from last season:
69. Rae LaFrentz, Kansas, senior, 6-11, forward,
18.5.15 points, 9.3 rebounds.
Antwyn Jamison, North Carolina, junior, 6-9,
forward, 67, 19.1 points, 9.4 rebounds.
Mike Bibby, Arizona, sophomore, 6-1, guard,
59, 13.5 points, 5.2 assists.
Paul Pierce, Kansas, junior, 6.7, forward, 28,
16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds.
*Miles Simon, Arizona, senior, 6-5, guard, 32,
18.4 points, 4.2 assists*
Others receiving votes (in alphabetical order):
Chad Austin, Purdue; Toby Bailey, UCLA; Earl Boykins, Eastern Michigan; Greg Buckner, Clemson; Cory Carr, Texas Tech; Anthony Carter, Hawaii; Keon Clark, UNIV; Jason Collier, Indiana; Michael Dickerson, Arizona; Pat Garrity, Notre Dame; Matt Harpring, Georgia Tech; J.R. Henderson, UCLA; Sam Jacobson, Minnesota; DeMarco Johnson, North Carolina Charlotte; Charles Jones, Long Island University; Alexander Koul, George Washington; Trajan Langdon, Duke BJ McKie, South Carolina; Andrea Patterson, Indiana; Ansu Sesay, Mississippi; Brian Skinner, Baylor; Kenny Thomas, New Mexico; Robert Traylor, Michigan; Tim Young, Stanford.
Source: The Associated Press
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