Morrison All-American
Five players were named to the Associated Press men’s All-America basketball team Monday and two are from Washington state.
Adam Morrison of Gonzaga and Brandon Roy of Washington became the first two players from the Evergreen State to be named All-America the same season. It’s a rare honor for a state not considered a hoops powerhouse.
How rare?
Washington has not had a first-team All-American since Bob Houbregs in 1953. Only Dan Dickau in 2002 preceded Morrison as a first-team All-American for Gonzaga.
“It’s awesome that top players from the state of Washington with a year difference in age are considered top players in the country,” Roy, a Seattle native, said. “That says a lot for the state and how we’ve come along as basketball players.”
Roy, a 6-foot-6 senior swingman, averaged 19.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He shot 51 percent from the field and 81 percent on free throws.
Morrison, a 6-foot-8 junior forward from Spokane, led Division I in scoring with an average of 28.4 points per game. He shot 43.7 percent from 3-point range and averaged 5.0 rebounds a game.
Morrison and J.J. Redick of Duke are the only unanimous selections. Others on the first team are Redick’s teammate, Shelden Williams, and Randy Foye of Villanova.
Morrison was a preseason All-American; Roy was not. Morrison is also a candidate for college player of the year.
Morrison said being an All-American isn’t “something you think about receiving when you start your collegiate career, but to be associated with some of the great names of college basketball is an honor.”
“I guess to be a unanimous pick with J.J. seems only fitting since the two of us have been followed so closely this year,” he added.
Morrison was the only junior on an otherwise all-senior first team, but is expected to declare for the NBA draft. He has not said when he will decide.
Gonzaga post J.P. Batista, a senior from Brazil who averaged 19 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, and Rodney Stuckey of Eastern Washington, who led all freshmen in the nation in scoring with 24 points per game, are on the All-America honorable mention list. Stuckey is from Kent, Wash.
UW coach Lorenzo Romar said the awards show how good high school basketball programs are in the state.
“These guys are products of those,” Romar said. “I like to think this won’t just be something that will be a one year flash … In the future I’d like to think we will see more players of this caliber.”
Gonzaga, a Top 10 team all season before it was eliminated by UCLA in the Sweet 16, and UW, a Top 20 team that lost in overtime to Connecticut in the Sweet 16, both have seven players from Washington on their rosters.
Roy was heavily recruited out of Garfield High School in Seattle and considered declaring for the NBA draft out of high school. He rebounded from an injury-plagued junior year to post his finest college season as a senior.
Romar said Roy won the honor despite a low national profile before the season, and despite always placing the team first.
“He was not on the tongues of the national media,” Romar said. “To see him do it in an unselfish manner the way he did, and be voted first team, is a great, great tribute.”
Morrison was offered a scholarship only by Gonzaga after he broke the Greater Spokane League career scoring record with 1,904 points for Mead High School. He made an immediate impact coming off the bench as a freshman and has been the Zags’ leading scorer the past two seasons.
He was an honorable mention All-American last season
Redick and Morrison each received all 72 first-team votes from members of the national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. The voting took place before the NCAA tournament.