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Minnesota sophomore center Daniel Oturu became the first Golden Gopher to earn a spot on a national All-America team in 21 years Wednesday, as Sporting News selected him to its All-America Third Team.
The Woodbury, Minn., native is the first Gopher to be recognized with the honor since Quincy Lewis was selected to the Associated Press and NABC Third Teams in 1999. Kris Humphries earned AP All-America honorable mention in 2004. Oturu is one of four Big Ten players to receive All-America plaudits from Sporting News.
Earlier this week, Oturu was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team by the coaches and media, and also earned an All-District Team honor from the United States Basketball Writers Association.
Oturu put together one of the finest seasons in Minnesota basketball history. The Woodbury, Minn., native averaged 20 points and 11.4 rebounds per game while blocking 2.5 shots per contest, figures which ranked second, first and first in the conference respectively. Oturu's field goal percentage of 56.2 was also tops in the conference, while he was second with 18 double-doubles on the year. He set a new school record with 226 rebounds in Big Ten play, besting Jordan Murphy's year-old mark of 218, and is on pace for the second-best scoring average among Gopher sophomores, behind Mychal Thompson's mark of 25.9 points per game.
He reached double digits in scoring in all but one game, tallying 16 games with 20-plus points and twice eclipsing the 30-point mark. Oturu, who started every game, ranks fourth in the conference and tops among big men in minutes played.
Oturu and the Gophers open postseason play on Wednesday, facing Northwestern in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Tip-off from Bankers Life Fieldhouse is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.
The Woodbury, Minn., native is the first Gopher to be recognized with the honor since Quincy Lewis was selected to the Associated Press and NABC Third Teams in 1999. Kris Humphries earned AP All-America honorable mention in 2004. Oturu is one of four Big Ten players to receive All-America plaudits from Sporting News.
Earlier this week, Oturu was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team by the coaches and media, and also earned an All-District Team honor from the United States Basketball Writers Association.
Oturu put together one of the finest seasons in Minnesota basketball history. The Woodbury, Minn., native averaged 20 points and 11.4 rebounds per game while blocking 2.5 shots per contest, figures which ranked second, first and first in the conference respectively. Oturu's field goal percentage of 56.2 was also tops in the conference, while he was second with 18 double-doubles on the year. He set a new school record with 226 rebounds in Big Ten play, besting Jordan Murphy's year-old mark of 218, and is on pace for the second-best scoring average among Gopher sophomores, behind Mychal Thompson's mark of 25.9 points per game.
He reached double digits in scoring in all but one game, tallying 16 games with 20-plus points and twice eclipsing the 30-point mark. Oturu, who started every game, ranks fourth in the conference and tops among big men in minutes played.
Oturu and the Gophers open postseason play on Wednesday, facing Northwestern in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Tip-off from Bankers Life Fieldhouse is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.