Baylor’s Butler and Mitchell Named Sporting News All-Americans

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WACO, Texas – Baylor junior guards Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell have been named to Sporting News All-America teams, the publication announced Tuesday.

Butler is the first player in program history to earn All-America First Team recognition from Sporting News, while Mitchell was selected to the Sporting News All-America Third Team. This is the first time in program history the Bears have had two players named to All-America teams in the same season.

The Sporting News All-America teams are among four the NCAA uses to determine consensus All-Americans, along with Associated Press, USBWA and NABC. Butler could become the first consensus First Team All-American in program history.

A Reserve, La., native, Butler is the second player in program history to earn All-America First Team recognition, joining Hubert Kirkpatrick, who was named to the Helms Foundation All-America First Team in 1938.

Butler was a Sporting News All-America Third Team honoree last season, and with this year’s First Team honor he became Baylor’s first two-time All-American since Micheal Williams in 1987-88. Williams was an All-America honorable mention from Sporting News in 1987 and the Associated press in 1988.

A Reserve, La., native, Butler leads the Big 12 in steals (2.1/game), 3-point percentage (.444), and 3-pointers made (2.73/game). He ranks second in the conference in assists (5.0/game), third in scoring (17.1/game), third in field goal percentage (.493) and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.76). Butler’s 3-point percentage (.444) ranks sixth nationally, while he’s 25thnationally in steals (2.1/game) and 49th in assists (5.0/game).

Mitchell leads the Big 12 in assists (5.7/game) and field goal percentage (.516), ranks second in steals (1.9/game), second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.27), fifth in 3-pointers made (2.3/game), 12th in scoring (13.8/game) and 15th in minutes played (32.5/game). His numbers were even better in Big 12 Conference play, where he led the league in 3-point percentage (.449), ranked third in 3-pointers made (2.5/game), fifth in minutes played (34.8/game) and ninth in scoring (15.4/game).

BU finished the regular season ranked No. 2 nationally with a 21-1 record and a 13-1 mark in conference play. The Bears won more games than any other team in the league despite having four games canceled, while TCU with two cancellations was the only other program to not play at least 17 league games.

No. 1 seed Baylor returns to action at 1:30 p.m. CT Thursday on ESPN2 in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals against the winner of the first-round game between No. 8 seed TCU and No. 9 seed Kansas State. The winner of that game will then face the winner of No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State at 5:30 p.m. CT Friday.

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2021 SPORTING NEWS ALL-AMERICANS

FIRST TEAM

Jared Butler, Baylor

Luka Garza, Iowa

Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois

Corey Kispert, Gonzaga

Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State

SECOND TEAM

Drew Timme, Gonzaga

Evan Mobley, USC

Hunter Dickinson, Michigan

Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga

Kofi Cockburn, Illinois

THIRD TEAM

Davion Mitchell, Baylor

Quentin Grimes, Houston

Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana

Herbert Jones, Alabama

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova