Kansas forward Thomas Robinson has even more in common with Blake Griffin now. Not everything, though.
Robinson, who played through personal tragedy as a sophomore reserve, capped his junior season by being a unanimous selection to the Associated Press’ All-America team Monday, a day after leading the Jayhawks to the Final Four.
The 6-foot-10 Robinson, a D.C. native, averaged 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds this season and he was a first-team pick by all 65 members of the national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25.
The last unanimous pick was Griffin in 2009.
“It’s a blessing to be named even in the same category as Blake Griffin,” Robinson said. “For that to happen, I’m glad all the hard work is paying off.”
Robinson did find some similarities between them besides being Big 12 Player of the Year.
“That man jumps out the gym. He looks like a superhero when he takes off,” Robinson said. “But we both try to be aggressive. He knows what he does well. I feel the same way. I know what I do well.”
Joining Robinson on the first team were Jared Sullinger of Ohio State, the first repeat All-American in three years, freshman Anthony Davis of Kentucky, Draymond Green of Michigan State and Doug McDermott of Creighton.
Davis received 63 first-team votes while Green, the lone senior on the team, got 53. Sullinger had 30, one more than McDermott. The voting was conducted before the NCAA tournament.
Robinson received nationwide support as a sophomore when he lost his mother, grandmother and grandfather in a three-week period. He not only became a starter this season, he became a star.
“It’s an unbelievable honor for a kid that came as a semi-highly recruited guy, played seven minutes as a freshman, 10 minutes as a sophomore, endured the tragedies he’s had and then somehow made so many sacrifices, not only for the betterment of himself but the betterment of all of us,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “To be unanimous, it’s just something that blows me away.”
Robinson is Kansas’ first All-American since Wayne Simien in 2005.
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