Julius Randle Named AP Third Team All-American

Freshman Julius Randle has been honored as a third-team All-America selection by the Associated Press, it was announced on Monday. Randle is one of three freshmen to earn All-America distinction by the AP.

Voting was conducted on Selection Sunday.

Randle is the fifth freshman in the John Calipari era to earn All-America accolades from the AP. He joins DeMarcus Cousins (2010), Anthony Davis (2012), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2012) and John Wall (2010) as other freshmen in the last five seasons to claim the honor.

The Dallas native leads the nation with 24 double-doubles on the season. He’s averaging team-bests in points (15.1) and rebounds (10.7) per game this year. In helping lead his team to the Final Four, he became just the second player in program history to have a double-double in all four NCAA Tournament games. Johnny Cox also achieved the feat in 1958.

Randle’s 24 double-doubles rank as the second most for a freshman in NCAA history. Only Kansas State’s Michael Beasley had more (28) during his freshman campaign in 2007-08.

UK’s freshman forward has earned a bevy of honors thus far. In addition to AP third-team All-America honors he was also a third-team selection to the National Basketball Writers Association and a Lute Olson All-America honoree by College Insider.

Furthermore, he was tabbed a freshman All-America selection by the National Association of Basketball Writers.

Randle hauled in Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Midwest Regional in Indianapolis this week.

He’s also hauled in SEC Freshman of the Year and SEC Newcomer of the Year by the leagues’ coaches and the Associated Press, respectively. Both the coaches and the AP tabbed him as a first-team All-SEC selection. He also earned SEC All-Tournament honors after helping lead UK to the Championship game.

Kentucky returns to action on Saturday, in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in Dallas. UK will face Wisconsin at approximately 8:49 p.m. ET. The game will air on CBS and Jim Nantz, Greg Anthony and Tracy Wolfson will have the call.