Tar Heels, Sullinger are USBWA favorites; Davis, Rivers split freshman vote

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North Carolina is the nation's preseason No. 1 team, according to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's board of directors, though it's a tight race at the top along with No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Kentucky.

The Buckeyes' Jared Sullinger was a runaway favorite to win the Oscar Robertson Trophy, given to the nation's best player.

Duke's Austin Rivers and Kentucky's Anthony Davis finished in a tie as frontrunners for the Wayman Tisdale Award, given to the natoin's top freshman.

Sullinger took 11 of 15 votes as the favorite for the Oscar Robertson Trophy. The Tar Heels' Harrison Barnes received three votes and Xavier's Tu Holloway had one.

Sullinger also was the only unanimous selection for the USBWA's preseason All-America team. Barnes received 14 votes, and Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor received 13. Kentucky's Terrence Jones received eight votes, and Holloway and Connecticutt's Jeremy Lamb tied for the final spot on the team with four votes apiece.

Others who received votes: John Henson, North Carolina 3; John Jenkins, Vanderbilt 3; Perry Jones, Baylor 3; Anthony Davis, Kentucky 1; Marcus Denmon, Missouri 1, Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh; Drew Gordon, New Mexico 1; Scoop Jardine, Syracuse 1; Darius Johnson-Odum, Marquette 1; Kris Joseph, Syracuse 1; Thomas Robinson, Kansas; Tyler Zeller, North Carolina 1.

Davis and Rivers received four votes apiece in the preseason voting for the Wayman Tisdale Award. Andre Drummond of UConn received three voties, and Davis' Kentucky teammates Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague received one apiece.

Other freshmen named to the Wayman Tisdale Preseason Watch List: Bradley Beal, Florida; Chane Behanan, Louisville; Khem Birch, Pittsburgh; LeBryan Nash, Oklahoma State; Adonis Thomas, Memphis; Josiah Turner, Arizona; Cody Zeller, Indiana.

USBWA Board of Directors' Top 25
1. North Carolina (11) 394
2. Ohio State (3) 376
3. Kentucky (2) 374
4. Connecticut 336
5. Syracuse 329
6. Duke 322
7. Vanderbilt 283
8. Louisville 278
9. Florida 249
10. Memphis 242
11. Pittsburgh 220
12. Xavier 179
13. Baylor 176
14. Kansas 170
t15. Arizona 162
t15. Wisconsin 162
17. Alabama 107
18. Texas A&M 88
19. UCLA 87
20. Marquette 85
21. Michigan 80
22. Cincinnati 71
23. Gonzaga 65
24. Michigan State 62
25. Missouri 60

Others receiving votes: Florida State 52, Temple 44, California 34, Washington 27, Texas 15, New Mexico 14, Belmont 13, Villanova 13, Butler 12, Creighton 8, BYU 6, Purdue 6, West Virginia 5, UNLV 3, Mississippi State 3, Virginia Commonwealth 2, Wichita State 2, George Mason 1, Utah State 1, Washington State 1.