Tyler Hansbrough Tops AP All-America Team for Third Straight Year

North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough was selected for the 2008-09 preseason AP All-America Team on Tuesday.

For the third straight year, Hansbrough was the team's top vote-getter, but this is the first time he has been an unanimous selection. His Tar Heels team was also selected as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation in the AP Top 25, becoming the first unanimous team ever.

Hansbrough is joined by UCLA guard Darren Collison, also a repeat from last year's preseason team, Davidson guard Stephen Curry, Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody and Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin.

Hansbrough was placed on all 72 ballots by the same media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Hansbrough missed being a unanimous pick last season by one vote, and he fell seven votes short as a sophomore.

The preseason team was first selected before the 1986-87 season. The last unanimous pick was Duke guard Jason Williams in 2001-02, and the last repeat selection was Michigan State guard Mateen Cleaves in 1999-00.

Hansbrough averaged 22.6 points and 10.6 rebounds in leading the Tar Heels to a school-record 36 wins and the Final Four last season. He will miss about two weeks of practice after being diagnosed last week with a stress reaction in his right shin.

Curry, the Southern Conference Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, received 66 first-place votes. He led Davidson to a 20-0 conference record and took them to the Elite Eight, while averaging 32 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. Curry averaged 25.9 points, 2.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game last season, while setting an NCAA record for most three-pointers in a single-season with 162.

Collison, a third-team All-America selection, received 46 first-place votes after he helped to lead the Bruins to its third consecutive Final Four. He averaged 14.5 points, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game last season, while shooting an amazing 52.5 percent (53-of-101) from 3-point range.

Griffin, who received 45 votes, led the Sooners in scoring (14.7 ppg), rebounding (9.1 rpg) and field-goal percentage (56.8) last season as a freshman. All three statistics ranked him in the top 10 in the Big 12, helping to earn him All-Big 12 honors.

Harangody, the Big East Player of the Year, got 58 votes after averaging 20.4 points and 10.6 rebounds last season. He one of just four players in the Big Six conferences to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds last season. He helped to lead Notre Dame to a 25-8 record, its best in years.