Melvin Ejim named second-team All-American by USBWA

Brian Achenbach/Iowa State Daily

Senior forward Melvin Ejim attempts a layup during Iowa State’s 85-76 win over Texas Feb. 18 at Hilton Coliseum. Ejim scored 25 points and had eight rebounds along with two steals in the game.

Alex Halsted

As the ISU men’s basketball team readies for it’s Big 12 Championship quarterfinal game Thursday, the honors for Melvin Ejim keep rolling in.

Already named the Big 12 Player of the Year by both the conference and Associated Press, Ejim was named a second-team All-American on Wednesday by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Ejim is the fourth ISU player to earn All-America honors from the USBWA and the first since Jamaal Tinsley in 2001.

Ejim finished the regular season second in the Big 12 in scoring (18.2 points per game) and tied for second in rebounding (8.6 rebounds per game). After missing Iowa State’s first two games of the season with a hyperextended left knee, Ejim went on to score in double figures in 25 of 28 games.

The 6-foot-6 forward from Toronto, Ontario set a Big 12 record for points scored in a game when he scored 48 against TCU on Feb. 8 at Hilton Coliseum. Ejim finished the regular season 12th all-time in ISU history with 1,547 points and third with 1,007 rebounds.

The Cyclones return to the court at 11:30 a.m. Thursday when they take on Kansas State at the Spring Center in Kansas City.