Alternate headline: Miracle: Complementary player named first team All-America.
The United States Basketball Writers Association has released its All-America teams and UNC senior forward Brice Johnson has been named to the first team.
Here is the first team:
Brice Johnson, UNC
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Ben Simmons, LSU
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
Malcolm Brodgdon, Virginia
Johnson has led UNC in scoring this season at 16.6 ppg while also pulling down 10.6 rebounds per game. He also has 20 double-doubles on the season. Through 34 games Johnson has an offensive rating of 125.0 and an DRB% of 29.3 which is the best ever for a UNC player under Roy Williams
According to UNC, Johnson's inclusion on the USBWA team means his jersey will be honored in rafters at the Dean Smith Center alongside Marcus Paige who was named to second team All-America by the Sporting News during his sophomore season.
For your reference here is the official criteria for a jersey being honored by UNC:
The criteria for honoring a men’s basketball player’s jersey at Carolina includes: first- or second-team All-America (by a team that the NCAA uses to determine consensus All-America honors, currently the Associated Press, NABC, USBWA and the Sporting News); ACC Player of the Year; Most Valuable Player of NCAA Tournament winning team; Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Final Four; or Olympic gold medalist.
Exit question: Bigger accomplishment. Johnson being an All-American or Johnson removing the bad mojo from the #11 left by Larry Drew?
UPDATE: Reaction from Roy Williams and Brice Johnson.
Watch @bjohnson_23 find out the 1st team All-American selection means his jersey will be in Smith Center rafters! https://t.co/WCZJjF1KBS
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) March 14, 2016
