Jahlil Okafor Headlines 2014-15 AP Preseason All-America Team

For the second straight season, a freshman was named to The Associated Press' preseason All-America team. Now it's up to Jahlil Okafor to follow in Andrew Wiggins' footsteps and establish himself as the best NBA prospect in college basketball.   

Okafor, a highly touted center, is the only underclassman in the veteran-laden group of five, announced Monday by John Marshall of The Associated Press. The 6'11" big man is joined by North Carolina's Marcus Paige, Wichita State's Fred VanVleet, Louisville's Montrezl Harrell and Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky.

Player	Position	School	Year
Marcus Paige	G	North Carolina	Junior
Fred VanVleet	G	Wichita State	Junior
Montrezl Harrell	F	Louisville	Junior
Frank Kaminsky	F	Wisconsin	Senior
Jahlil Okafor	C	Duke	Freshman

Okafor was the nation's No. 1 recruit in the class of 2014, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He joins Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow and Grayson Allen to form perhaps the highest-touted group of freshmen in Mike Krzyzewski's tenure at Duke. 

Paige, a junior, received the most votes, with 58 of a possible 65 votes. The diminutive point guard averaged 17.5 points and 4.2 assists per game last season. At times, he single-handedly carried an inconsistent Tar Heels outfit, especially down the stretch of games. Folks on campus took to calling Paige "Second Half Marcus" for his late-game heroics.

"Obviously, my teammates know I need to be more aggressive and assertive this year, and it kind of starts with me," Paige said, per Marshall. "So I'm really worried about what I need to do team-wise and I feel the individual stuff that comes with it will take care of itself if I do that."

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Harrell, a junior, finished second behind Paige with 56 votes. The 6'8" forward averaged 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in 2013-14 and will likely be an NBA lottery pick if he declares for the draft.

Also on the NBA draft's first-round cusp is Kaminsky, who became a breakout star during last season's NCAA tournament. The sweet-shooting seven-footer helped lead Wisconsin to a Final Four berth with a 28-point, 11-rebound performance in the Badgers' 64-63 overtime win over Arizona. 

Kaminsky's experience ran in direct contrast to VanVleet, a regular-season star who shot 2-of-11 in Wichita State's two tourney games. The heady guard averaged 11.6 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game, leading the Shockers to college basketball's first undefeated regular season in more than two decades.

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