Simien Earns First-Team All-America Honors

March 10, 2005

SAINT LOUIS –

University of Kansas senior forward Wayne Simien has been announced a First-Team All-American by the United States Basketball Writers Association, the organization announced Thursday. The honor marks the first time in his career Simien has earned first-team All-American accolades.

The senior forward leads the Big 12 Conference in scoring (19.4 ppg) and rebounding (11.1 rpg), and is the only player in the league to average a double-double this season.

The Leavenworth, Kan., native, has posted 12 games with 20 points or more this season, including a career-high 32-point effort versus Oklahoma State on Feb. 27, and a career-best 20 rebounds against Kansas State on March 2.

Earlier in the week, Simien was named the 2005 Big 12 Player of the Year by the league’s coaches and the media as well as a member of the Wooden Award Ballot.

Simien’s honor marks the ninth time a KU player has been named first-team All-American in the last 10 years — Jacque Vaughn (1996, `97), Raef LaFrentz (`97, `98), Paul Pierce (`98), Drew Gooden (`02), Nick Collison (`03) and Kirk Hinrich (`03).

2005 USBWA All-America Teams

First Team
Andrew Bogut, Utah
Dee Brown, Illinois
Chris Paul, Wake Forest
J. J. Redick, Duke
Wayne Simien, Kansas

Second Team
Ike Diogu, Arizona State
Luther Head, Illinois
Sean May, North Carolina
Salim Stoudamire, Arizona
Hakim Warrick, Syracuse