Gonzaga's high flying Center Kelly "KO" Olynyk has been named to the Sporting News All-America first team.
The recognition for this years Zag players keeps coming in as we now have two All Americans on the team. First, it was Mike Hart winning Sporting News All-Glue Captain, and now this. I am happy for Kelly as it is a fantastic achievement. But, if this keeps up (he is currently a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award and the Oscar Robertson Trophy) it will almost certainly mean that he will opt to test the NBA waters and not be returning to Gonzaga for his senior season.
Kelly barely saw the floor his first two years at Gonzaga and was asked to do the unthinkable as a junior and red-shirt. That makes this accomplishment even more incredible. Imagine going from a red-shirt on the bench, to an All American in the course of one year!
There were many fans who felt that Kelly wasn't good enough to earn starters minutes. Its been said he was too slow, clumsy, couldn't rebound, was too soft to play in the post, and that all he wanted to do was linger out on the perimeter and shoot threes. There were also his persistent supporters who took fire constantly from his detractors. Today those folks can all say "I told you so."
Here is the list of Sporting News All-Americans:
FIRST TEAM-
Trey Burke, PG, Michigan
Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana
Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown
Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma State
Kelly Olynyk, C, Gonzaga
SECOND TEAM-
Doug McDermott, PF, Creighton
Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA
Deshaun Thomas, SF, Ohio State
Jeff Withey, C, Kansas
Seth Curry, SG, Duke
THIRD TEAM-
Shane Larkin, PG, Miami
Cody Zeller, C, Indiana
Russ Smith, SG, Louisville
Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas
Allen Crabbe, SF, Cal
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR-
Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma State
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM-
Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma State
Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA
Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas
Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky
Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV
CONGRATULATIONS KELLY!!~
4 comments:
"There were many fans who felt that Kelly wasn't good enough to earn starters minutes"...
And I was one of them. I predicted early on that Kelly would be subbing for Dower this season.
There is nothing I like more than to see players excel and prove me wrong. Between Kelly, Hart and Stockton, we now have three players that have exceeded my wildest expectations.
We are now going to be a #1 seed (for sure) since Duke lost in the ACC tourney quarter finals. The stars are lining up for us. Time to seize the moment and run the big tourney.
Let the good times roll!
"we now have three players that have exceeded my wildest expectations."
Include me in that mix as well. I never thought KO would amount to much. As a matter of fact, I figured he'd never start and that he'd get recruited over.
I also figured stocks was simply not D1 worthy, and Hart had some D skills but not enough to make up for his zero offensive skills.
This, is what makes this year so incredible!!
YES....the good times are a rollin!
*I'll definitely be glued to the TV for tomorrow's brackets. Then we'll get a better feel for how long these good times can keep rollin!
And, we had best be rolling a one seed tomorrow....Duke lost again and Georgetown as well, that should seal it.
i told you so.....
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