Smith named All-American

For the first time in five years, a Blue Devil was named to the AP All-American first team.

Senior Nolan Smith received 61 of 65 votes from a panel of national media after a stellar campaign that saw him win the ACC Player of the Year award, ACC Tournament MVP and be named to the ACC All-Defense Team. He averaged 21.3 points, 5.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game and assumed primary ball-handling duties while freshman point guard Kyrie Irving was sidelined for 26 games.

Smith, who is also a finalist for the Naismith Award given annually to the top college basketball player, finished second in voting only to Brigham Young guard Jimmer Fredette. Fredette received 64 of 65 votes from the panel after leading his team to a 30-4 record and a trip to the Sweet 16, and is one of the three other finalists for the Naismith Award.

The two other finalists for the Naismith—Ohio State freshman phenom Jared Sullinger and Connecticut junior Kemba Walker—also earned All-America honors. Sullinger, the Big 10 tournament player of the year, averaged a double-double this season and shot over 58 percent from the field for the Buckeyes, who earned the No. 1 overall seed in the Tournament.

Walker burst onto the national stage with an MVP performance at the Maui Invitational in November and recaptured the nation’s hearts as his Huskies won five games in five days in the Big East tournament. Walker is averaging 23.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists and is the only All-American to still be playing in the NCAA Tournament. He and Fredette figure to be Smith’s primary competitors for the Naismith Award.

Senior JaJuan Johnson of Purdue was the final member of the All-American team. The senior was the Big 10 Player of Year after averaging 20.5 points and 8.2 points per game and carrying the Boilermakers in the absence of Robbie Hummel, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in preseason. Johnson and Fredette were both named to the AP preseason All-America team.