Whenever talk of the best college basketball player this season came up so did two names: Denzel Valentine of Michigan State and Buddy Hield of Oklahoma.
They were unanimous selections Tuesday to The Associated Press’ 2015-16 All-America team.
Kansas senior Perry Ellis was named to the second team, while Wichita State senior Fred VanVleet was named honorable mention.
Valentine, the Big Ten player of the year, averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists, while Hield, the player of the year in the Big 12, averaged 25 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
“I don’t know many guys that have improved in every aspect of the game like he has,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said of the 6-foot-5 Valentine, the school’s first All-America since Draymond Green in 2012.