AUBURN, Ala. – The Associated Press All-America teams were unveiled on Tuesday and Auburn's Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler earned a spot on the second and third teams respectively.
Smith, the SEC Freshman of the Year averaging a team-leading 17.1 points per game, was honored on the second team along with Gonzaga's Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren, Purdue's Jaden Ivey and Arizona's Benedict Mathurin. The John R. Wooden National Player of the Year Award finalist became just the second player in program history to be named to the AP All-America Second Team next to Chris Porter in 1998-99.
Kessler, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award finalist, was named to the third team along with Duke's Paolo Banchero, Villanova's Collin Gillespie, Ohio State's E.J. Liddell, Baylor's James Akinjo and Arkansas' JD Notae.
Smith and Kessler are one of only five Tigers all-time to be honored by the AP next to Wesley Person (Honorable Mention) in 1993-94, Porter and Doc Robinson (Honorable Mention) in 1998-99. They are the second All-American duo in the same season as Porter and Robinson.