UConn's Kemba Walker was announced the winner of Bob Cousy Award, given annually by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the nation’s top point guard.

Walker beat out Jimmer Fredette of BYU and Nolan Smith of Duke among others for the award, which is given out by the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

“I am thrilled that Kemba has been named the winner of the Bob Cousy Award. He is having one of the great seasons ever in college basketball history,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun said in a statement. “Beyond the stats, game-winning shots and accolades, he epitomizes the leadership that a great point guard must have and what he has done to lead our young team to a Big East Championship and to a spot in the Final Four has been unforgettable.”

Walker is averaging 23.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

Parade announced the 2011 All-America Basketball Teams this week.

Austin Rivers (Duke), Bradley Beal (Florida), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Chase Fischer (Wake Forest), Adonis Thomas (Memphis), Rodney Cooper (Alabama), Dantley Walker (UNLV), DJ Gardner (Mississippi State), Trevor Lacey (Undecided) and Wayne Blackshear (Louisville) were named to the First Team.

On the Second Team were D'Angelo Harrison (St. John's), Adam Smith (UNC-Wilmington), Troy Wroten (Washington), Chane Behanan (Louisville), Cody Zeller (Indiana), Trey Burke (Michigan), Kyle Caudill (Boston College), Jahil Carson (Arizona State), LeBryan Nash (Oklahoma State) and Angelo Chol (Arizona).

Receiving Third Team honors were Wesley Saunders (Harvard), Shelby Moats (Vanderbilt), Devonta Abron (Arkansas), Jarvis Threatt (Delaware), Amir Williams (Ohio State), Jordan Baker (Pepperdine), Branden Dawson (Michigan State), P.J. Hairston (North Carolina), James McAdoo (North Carolina) and Xavier Ford (Buffalo).

The Fourth Team was comprised of Julien Lewis (Texas), Jake White (Wichita State), Johnny O'Bryant (LSU), Tanner Wozniak (FIU), Myck Kabongo (Texas), Reese Morgan (Cal Poly), Michael Gilchrist (Kentucky), Colun Gruber (Northern Arizona), Ryan Spangler (Gonzaga) and Marquis Teague (Kentucky).

• Click here for more history of the Parade All-American teams.

Duke guard Kyrie Irving is projected as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft if he decides to leave school early.

This weekend, the 19-year-old Irving will travel home to New Jersey to discuss his options with his family.

But no one should expect a quick answer.

"Right now, we're going to do our due diligence and privately discuss it as a family," Drederick Irving, Kyrie's father, said Wednesday. "It could be a month or it could be a week. It's not going to be quickly."

Irving said after the Arizona game that the decision remained uncertain. On Wednesday, his father echoed those comments, calling this the biggest decision of Kyrie's life.

"Right now," Drederick Irving said, "Kyrie's focus is on being a student and doing well in the classroom."

The projected future stars of college basketball and the NBA will take to the biggest stage of high school hoops tonight in the 31st McDonald’s All-American game.

Scout.com’s Brian Snow was at every practice session and praised the play of future Duke guard Austin Rivers and Kentucky forward Kyle Wiltjer.

“I wouldn’t say there was one moment that wowed everyone but you certainly took notice of Austin Rivers and Kyle Wiltjer,” Snow said. “It seemed like those cats didn’t miss a shot.”

Senior guards Jimmer Fredette of BYU and Nolan Smith of Duke are the leading vote-getters on The Associated Press All-America team.

Freshman Jared Sullinger of Ohio State, junior guard Kemba Walker of Connecticut and senior forward JaJuan Johnson of Purdue also are on the team announced Monday.

Fredette, the nation's leading scorer, received all but one of 65 votes from the national media panel that selects the Top 25. Smith, who led the Blue Devils to a No. 1 ranking for 10 weeks this season, got 61 votes.

Austin Rivers, who led Winter Park to the past two Class 6A state championships, has been chosen as Parade Magazine's Player of the Year. 

Rivers joins a list of Parade top-player honorees that includes Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Love

"It's an honor,'' said Rivers, a Duke signee who averaged 28.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season. "It means a lot, but it just goes to show me that I have to keep working hard. It's a blessing.''

Derrick Williams scored 25 of his career-high 32 points in the first half of Arizona's 93-77 victory Thursday night, helping the Wildcats reach the final eight for the first time since 2005.

It was a balanced effort in the second half as the Wildcats were able to spread out Duke’s defense and drive to the basket almost at will. On the few occasions when the Blue Devils cut off the drive, Arizona players passed back out to wide-open shooters for 3-point shots.

And when those shots missed, the Duke players were so far out of position from chasing the quicker Arizona players that the Wildcats had easy runs to the rim. They rebounded. They dunked.

“They got those loose balls,” Duke guard Nolan Smith said. “We were in position to get the rebounds, and we didn’t come up with them. They were definitely swarming, getting the rebounds and making plays.”

The Wildcats finished with a 35-26 advantage on the glass.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said he’s not interested in the Lakers job, which will become available if Phil Jackson stays true to his promise to retire at season’s end.

"I've never thought of ever leaving Duke for another school but there were three serious times where I almost left to go to the pros," Krzyzewski said. "One was when Dave Gavitt took over the Celtics [in 1990], another was with the Trailblazers [in 1994] and the one that I took to a really far level was the Lakers situation. They were great with me. I just could not give up what I've done and gotten at Duke. It just wasn't worth it."

Krzyzewski, who has won four national titles at Duke, was reportedly offered a five-year, $40 million deal after Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak met with him around the time of the 2004 NBA draft.

Duke star guard Kyrie Irving, in an interview with Dan Patrick, remained uncommitted about entering the NBA draft.

Asked to explain why he might not return for his sophomore season, Irving replied: “Right now there is no reason I wouldn’t come back for my sophomore year.”

He backed off seconds later, though, in response to a follow-up question about his future in Durham.

“Honestly, I’m not sure right now,” Irving said.

Irving, who is averaging 12.5 points on 38.5 percent shooting in two tournament games with the Blue Devils after sitting out most of the season with a right toe injury, said he expects to be a top-5 pick if he declares.

Arizona forward Derrick Williams, a surefire lottery pick in this year’s draft, attempted more free throws than any player in Division I basketball, a fact not lost on the Duke Blue Devils.

"He's one of the most talented players in the country," the 6-10 Kelly said. "He's a guy that not many people have been able to stop. We've been game planning to find ways to defend him well and keep him off the free-throw line."

Williams' penchant for drawing fouls is a key factor in his success, Krzyzewski said, and is an important area of Arizona's overall offense.

"Derrick has got to be a first-team All-American," Krzyzewski said. "He's shot more than 300 free throws. When he is going to the line, he gets his team to the line. He gets his team into the bonus and double-bonus.

"So whatever points he scores, he gets more points that he doesn't get credit for that he gets his teammates."