🏀 Agbaji Named Associated Press All-America First Team
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas senior Ochai Agbaji has been named 2022 Associated Press All-America First Team, the AP announced Tuesday. This is the third All-America First Team selection for Agbaji as he also earned the accolade with The Sporting News and Bleacher Report.
The AP and The Sporting News are two of the four that make up the collaboration of Consensus All-America teams with Agbaji garnering first-team honors for both. Kansas’ last AP All-America First Team selection was Devonte’ Graham in 2018 who went on to be Consensus All-America First Team. In the Bill Self era at Kansas, Agbaji is the fifth player named to the Associated Press All-America First Team joining Graham, Frank Mason III (2017), Thomas Robinson (2012) and Wayne Simien (2005). KU has had a player named AP All-America first, second or third team 19 times in the Self era.
Joining Agbaji on the 2022 AP All-America First Team are Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky), Johnny Davis (Wisconsin) and Keegan Murray (Iowa). The AP team is selected on by the 60 members who vote on the weekly AP men’s basketball poll.
A Naismith Player of the Year semifinalist, Agbaji is coming off Big 12 Championship All-Tournament selection in guiding Kansas to the tourney title last weekend. Agbaji was named the 2022 Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player. Earlier today, he was named to the NABC All-District 8 First Team.
Agbaji, the 2022 Big 12 Player of the Year and on most all All-America First Teams, leads the Big 12 and is 25th nationally, in scoring at 19.7 points per game. The Kansas City, Missouri, guard is second in the league in three-point field goal percentage (40.5%, 31st nationally) and in three-point field goals made per game (2.8, 42nd nationally).
A four-year starter for KU, Agbaji has etched his name into the Kansas records book. He holds the record for consecutive games of three-point field goals made at 53. He also ranks 18th on the KU career scoring list with 1,570 points, fourth on the three-point field goals made (239) and fourth on three-point field goals attempted (645).
Ranked No. 3 in both national polls, Kansas (28-6) is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region of the 2022 NCAA Championship. On Thursday, March 17, KU will face the winner of the March 15 play-in game between 16 seeds Texas Southern and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The contest will be played at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, and will be televised TruTV with an 8:57 p.m. CST tip.
Ochai Agbaji 2021-22 Honors
Associated Press All-America First Team
NABC All-District 8 First Team
Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player
Big 12 Championship All-Tournament
Naismith Player of the Year Semifinalist (1 of 10)
Bleacher Report All-America First Team
The Sporting News All-America First Team
Big 12 Player of the Year (Big 12 and AP)
All-Big 12 First Team (Big 12 and AP)
Wooden Award Final Ballot (1 of 15)
Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Finalist (1 of 5)
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
co-Big 12 Player of the Week (2.21.22)
Naismith Player of the Year Midseason Team (1 of 30)
Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Watch List (top 10)
Big 12 Player of the Week (1.24.22)
The Sporting News Midseason All-American Second Team
Big 12 Player of the Week (1.17.22)
Big 12 Player of the Week (11.15.21)
Big 12 Player of the Week (11.15.21)
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50
Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List (1 of 50)
NABC Player of the Year Watch List (1 of 20)
Preseason All-Big 12
