Deshaun Thomas named to college basketball's Preseason All-American team

Ohio State junior forward Deshaun Thomas was one of six players named to the Associated Press preseason All-American team on Monday.

Thomas was named on 26 of the 65 ballots, the fourth-most of any player selected. He was joined on the team by Indiana's Cody Zeller, Creighton's Doug McDermott, Murray State's Isaiah Canaan, Michigan's Trey Burke and Lehigh's C.J. McCollum.

Thomas is coming off an impressive sophomore season in which he averaged 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds during the regular season. He was even better during the NCAA Tournament, averaging 19.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

With the departures of Jared Sullinger and William Buford, Thomas is expected to step into an even larger role for the Buckeyes this season. After a strong sophomore season, Thomas wasn't a lock to return for his junior season, but said he thought one more year would be good for his development. He said he came back for the chance to play for a Big Ten and national title.