Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball: Melvin Ejim makes AP All-American second team

Melvin Ejim, who won the Big 12 player of the year award, has received another honor as the college basketball season wraps up. The Associated Press released their All-American teams, and the Iowa State star made the second squad.

Mar 23, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Melvin Ejim (3) drives against North Carolina Tar Heels forward Kennedy Meeks (3) in the second half of a men

Ejim joined Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins, Arizona’s Nick Johnson, Michigan’s Nik Stauskas, and North Carolina State’s T.J. Warren on the second team. In the war between star freshmen entering into the season, Wiggins falls short to Duke’s Jabari Parker, who made it on the first team.

Also making the first team is Ames native Doug McDermott, who received all first-team votes in the AP and led the field with 325 points. Passing up a trip to the NBA Draft after last season, McDermott stayed with his dad and former Iowa State coach, Greg, at Creighton in their first year of Big East play. McDermott has only increased his stock after making it to the conference championship game and losing in the third round of the NCAA tournament to Baylor.

Ejim had eight first-team votes and 127 total points, one point behind Stauskas and 17 points ahead of Warren.

The other players that made the first team are Louisville’s Russ Smith, Connecticut’s Shabazz Napier, and Cincinnati’s Sean Kilpatrick.

DeAndre Kane made an honorable mention, and also had received one first-team vote. In comparison, Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart had one first-team vote Kansas’ Joel Embiid did not receive one.