Buddy Hield, Denzel Valentine Headline 2015-16 AP All-America Team

Oklahoma star Buddy Hield and Michigan State phenom Denzel Valentine headlined the Associated Press' 2015-16 All-America team as unanimous selections to the exclusive squad.

Jim O'Connell reported Tuesday on the AP's selections of college basketball's premier players. Kentucky point guard Tyler Ulis, Virginia ACC Player of the Year Malcolm Brogdon and North Carolina forward Brice Johnson rounded out the marquee quintet.

Four seniors are on the prestigious team, which showcases the benefits of college players staying in school to develop their skills. Spartans head coach Tom Izzo explained how much Valentine's extended stay helped his overall game in his brief remarks, per O'Connell: "I don't know many guys that have improved in every aspect of the game like he has."

A triple-double threat every time he stepped onto the court, Valentine wound up with averages of 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game. Even Michigan State's shocking loss to No. 15 seed Middle Tennessee State didn't really detract from Valentine's phenomenal season.

Ulis is the only underclassman on the AP team and hails from a notorious one-and-done factory. He's experienced the benefits of staying in Lexington for his sophomore campaign, though. In addition to averaging 17.3 points, he averaged only two turnovers to seven assists and is a stifling on-ball defender.

Hield has driven the Sooners to the Final Four with his phenomenal play, averaging 25.4 points per game with stunning shooting efficiency at 50.4 percent from the field and 46.5 percent from beyond the arc.

"He has had a fantastic year and has been very consistent," said Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger of Hield, per O'Connell. "He worked hard and has that passion and focus that makes him what he is."

A similarly dynamic two-way player to Ulis but with far greater size, the Cavaliers' Brogdon has emerged as the face of Virginia's program and showed marked improvement on offense this season.

Brogdon boosted his shooting numbers in field-goal percentage and three-point conversion rate from 42.2 and 34.4, respectively, last season to 45.7 and 39.1 this year. He was also named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

The only other player beyond Hield whose team is still alive in the NCAA tournament is Johnson. He's been a paragon of proficiency for the Tar Heels, shooting at a 61.6 percent clip from the field to average 17.1 points while pulling down 10.5 boards per contest.

This 2016 senior class of stars is something special in the modern era, as is Ulis, whose heart and game are far bigger than his 5'9" frame would suggest.

All five of these players decided to stick around when going pro was feasible. They ultimately emerged as some of the most exciting stars to grace the college game in recent memory.