Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura named first-team All-America by U.S. Basketball Writers Association

Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura was named first-team All-America by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Mark Few is a finalist for the USBWA’s Coach of the Year Award.

Hachimura, the WCC Player of the Year, is joined by Duke’s Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett, Tennessee’s Grant Williams and Murray State’s Ja Morant.

Hachimura scored in double figures in Gonzaga’s first 32 games. The junior forward from Toyama, Japan, has made 61 percent of his shots and averages 20.1 points and 6.6 rebounds. He has four double-doubles this season.

Hachimura was among 12 candidates last month for the USBWA’s Oscar Robertson Trophy for player of the year, but he didn’t make the final four. The finalists are Williams, Morant, Barrett and Williamson.

Williamson and Barrett are the first freshmen teammates on the USBWA’s first team. The organization’s first All-America team came out in 1957.

USBWA second-team selections were Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver, Purdue’s Carsen Edwards, Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ, Marquette’s Markus Howard and Michigan State’s Cassius Winston.

Campbell’s Chris Clemons, South Dakota State’s Mike Daum, Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter, Kansas’ Dedric Lawson and Kentucky’s PJ Washington were on the third team.

Few is one of seven finalists for the USBWA’s Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award. Few guided Gonzaga to 30 wins for the third straight year and fifth in the last seven seasons.

The Zags have 12 consecutive 25-win campaigns.

Other finalists: Tennessee’s Rick Barnes, Texas Tech’s Chris Beard, Virginia’s Tony Bennett, Purdue’s Matt Painter, Houston’s Kelvin Sampson and Wofford’s Mike Young.