WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – In what will likely be the first of many preseason awards, Purdue men's basketball players Jaden Ivey and Trevion Williams have been named a preseason All-American by Athlon Sports.
Purdue joins Gonzaga and UCLA as the only programs to have two players named to Athlon's All-American teams, a total of 15 players on three teams.
Ivey, a 6-foot, 4-inch sophomore guard from South Bend, Indiana, was tabbed to the second team after an outstanding freshman campaign. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team after averaging 11.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. However, over the last six contests a year ago, Ivey averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 37-of-79 (.468) from the field in that span. He scored 26 points against North Texas, the second-most ever by a Big Ten freshman in an NCAA Tournament debut.
Williams, a 6-foot, 10-inch senior forward from Chicago, was named to the third team after being a first-team All-Big Ten selection and being one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award given to the nation's top center after averaging 15.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He owned 11 double-doubles and his six 20-10 games were the third-most nationally for a major-college player. He also became just the ninth Big Ten player in the last 30 years to average at least 15 points, nine rebounds and two assists per game and was one of six players nationally this year to reach those marks.
The Purdue duo was joined by three other Big Ten representatives on the three teams. Kofi Cockburn (Illinois) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) were named to the first team, while Ohio State's E.J. Liddell was a second-team selection.
Purdue joins Gonzaga and UCLA as the only programs to have two players named to Athlon's All-American teams, a total of 15 players on three teams.
Ivey, a 6-foot, 4-inch sophomore guard from South Bend, Indiana, was tabbed to the second team after an outstanding freshman campaign. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team after averaging 11.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. However, over the last six contests a year ago, Ivey averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 37-of-79 (.468) from the field in that span. He scored 26 points against North Texas, the second-most ever by a Big Ten freshman in an NCAA Tournament debut.
Williams, a 6-foot, 10-inch senior forward from Chicago, was named to the third team after being a first-team All-Big Ten selection and being one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award given to the nation's top center after averaging 15.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He owned 11 double-doubles and his six 20-10 games were the third-most nationally for a major-college player. He also became just the ninth Big Ten player in the last 30 years to average at least 15 points, nine rebounds and two assists per game and was one of six players nationally this year to reach those marks.
The Purdue duo was joined by three other Big Ten representatives on the three teams. Kofi Cockburn (Illinois) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) were named to the first team, while Ohio State's E.J. Liddell was a second-team selection.