Kansas forward Thomas Robinson has even more in common with Blake Griffin now. Not everything, though.
Robinson, who played through personal tragedy as a sophomore reserve, capped his junior season by being a unanimous selection to The Associated Press All-America team Monday, a day after leading the Jayhawks to the Final Four .
The 6-foot-10 Robinson averaged 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds this season and he was a first-team pick by all 65 members of the national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25.
The last unanimous pick was Griffin in 2009.
It s a blessing to be named even in the same category as Blake Griffin, Robinson said. For that to happen, I m glad all the hard work is paying off.
Robinson did find some similarities between them besides being Big 12 Player of the Year.
That man jumps out the gym. He looks like a superhero when he takes off, Robinson said. But we both try to be aggressive. He knows what he does well. I feel the same way. I know what I do well.
Joining Robinson on the first team were Jared Sullinger of Ohio State , the first repeat All-America in three years, freshman Anthony Davis of Kentucky , Draymond Green of Michigan State and Doug McDermott of .
Davis received 63 first-team votes while Green, the lone senior on the team, got 53. Sullinger had 30, one more than McDermott. The voting was done before the NCAA tournament.
Robinson received nationwide support as a sophomore when he lost his mother, grandmother and grandfather in a three-week period. He not only became a starter this season, he became a star.
It s an unbelievable honor for a kid that came as a semi-highly recruited guy, played seven minutes as a freshman, 10 minutes as a sophomore, endured the tragedies he s had and then somehow made so many sacrifices, not only for the betterment of himself but the betterment of all of us., Kansas coach Bill Self said. To be unanimous, it s just something that blows me away.
Robinson is Kansas first All-America since Wayne Simien in 2005.
The 6-9 Sullinger, who was selected East Regional as he led the Buckeyes to the Final Four , is the first repeat All-America since North Carolina s Tyler Hansbrough in 2009.
It means a lot when your name is with Tyler Hansbrough, Psycho T. He was a great basketball player, Sullinger said with a big smile as he used Hansbrough s nickname. It means a lot. I think it s a credit to my teammates.
Sullinger, the first player to repeat as a freshman and sophomore since Chris Jackson of LSU in 1989 and 1990, averaged 17.6 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 53.9 percent from the field. He is the fourth Ohio State player to repeat joining Jerry Lucas, Robin Freeman and Garry Bradds. Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said it s no surprise Sullinger has already sealed a place in the history of the program.
I think that s one of what was important to us when Jared came here, Matta said. We knew he was going to be a special player. And to see him get these accolades he has received and won at the level he s won at speaks volumes to the player he is and that select category and only being a sophomore let s you know what a great player he is.
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