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Turner named AP All-American

Ohio State junior guard Evan Turner saw his season end with a loss to Tennessee on Friday, but he isn't done bringing in awards and recognitions from a stellar year.
Turner was named to the Associated Press All-America team, the AP announced Monday. Turner joins the team with Kentucky freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, Syracuse junior Wes Johnson, and Villanova senior Scottie Reynolds.
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After being an honorable mention last season, Turner decided to forgo the NBA Draft after his sophomore year and return to Ohio State. Turner received all but one first-team vote from the panel, consisting of 65 members of the national media that vote for the AP Top 25 weekly.
"I'm definitely honored to be a part of a team like that and to be recognized. It's really cool," Turner told the AP. "I think I just grew mentally and the maturity of my game is really elevated. I think I've become a way better player. I think I've learned a lot in the extra year I've been here and I'm just really thankful I made the decision."
Turner, who has yet to confirm or deny any plans of leaving for the NBA, is considered to be one of the best players in the nation. The last Buckeye to make the AP All-American team was former center Greg Oden in 2007.
Turner made a speedy recovery from a broken back in December and lifted his Buckeyes to the regular season Big Ten title and the Big Ten Tournament tile once he returned to action. The original time expected he would miss with the injury was eight week, but Turner returned in four.
Following Ohio State's loss to Tennessee that knocked the Buckeyes out of the NCAA Tournament, Turner did not indicate what his future plans would be.
"I can't give a percentage right now," the 6-foot-7 point guard said shortly after the game. "This (loss) is just sticking in my head. I really don't want to go out like this. I just don't know."
Turner averaged 20.3 points per game, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. He was also recognized as the Big Ten Player of the Year and the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Ari Wasserman is a staff writer for BuckeyeGrove.com. He can be reached at Ari@BuckeyeGrove.com.
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