🏀 Agbaji Named USBWA All-America First Team, Earning Consensus All-America First Team
INDIANAPOLIS – Kansas senior Ochai Agbaji has been named 2022 United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America First Team, the USBWA announced Thursday. This is the sixth All-America First Team selection for Agbaji as he also earned the accolade with the Associated Press (AP), The Sporting News, Bleacher Report and The Athletic.
Having accomplished All-America First Team honors by the NABC, AP, The Sporting News and USBWA, Agbaji will be named Consensus All-America First Team as those entities that make up the collaboration of the consensus teams recognized by the NCAA. Agbaji is Kansas’ 31st all-time Consensus All-America First Team selection and the first since Devonte’ Graham in 2018.
Joining Agbaji on the 2022 USBWA All-America First Team are Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Johnny Davis (Wisconsin), Keegan Murray (Iowa) and Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky). USBWA teams have been named since 1956-57 and are voted on by its membership which is made up of journalists nationwide whose interest is to cover college basketball.
Agbaji is the 18th USBWA All-America First Team honoree from Kansas. Wilt Chamberlain was the first earning the honor twice in 1957 and 1958, and Udoka Azubuike was the most recent in 2020.
A Naismith Player of the Year semifinalist and on the Wooden Award Ballot, 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 this week, he was named to the NABC All-District 8 First Team.
Agbaji, the 2022 Big 12 Player of the Year, 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 No. 16 seed Texas Southern (19-12). 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
Consensus All-America First Team
USBWA All-America First Team
NABC All-America First Team
The Athletic All-America First Team
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
SI.com All-America Second 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
