Notre Dame star Jerian Grant, after leading Notre Dame to its first trip to the Elite 8 since 1979,  has been named a first team All-American by the Associated Press.

Grant is joined on the first team by Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky, Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, Kentucky junior Willie Cauley-Stein and Ohio State freshman D’Angelo Russell.

At Notre Dame, Grant’s career was in jeopardy last season when he was suspended for the second semester for what he called an academic mistake. The son of former NBA star Harvey Grant returned for his senior season and averaged 16.8 points and 6.6 assists while playing 36.6 minutes per game.

“I can’t think of a better comeback story in college basketball the last couple years than Jerian,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. “When I told him you need to come back because we have unfinished business, I didn’t know it would be this good and I am thrilled that it is this good because I was nervous it wouldn’t be this good. He came back for all the right reasons.”

Grant, who received 53 first-team votes and is Notre Dame’s first All-America since Troy Murphy repeated in 2001, said receiving an honor like this makes his decision to return that much sweeter.

“It’s great, especially with where I was last year,” he said. “The work I’ve put in, the guys having so much confidence in me to welcome me back like that.”

Cauley-Stein and his teammates defeated Grant and the Irish in Saturday’s Elite 8 and are now chasing history with an undefeated season just two wins away.

Utah senior Delon Wright led the second team and was joined by Kentucky freshman Karl-Anthony Towns, Northern Iowa senior Sean Tuttle, Arkansas sophomore Bobby Portis and Virginia junior Malcolm Brogdon.

The third team was Gonzaga teammates Kyle Wiltjer and Kevin Pangos, Oklahoma junior Buddy Hield, Syracuse senior Rakeem Christmas and Iowa State junior Georges Niang.

The voting, by the same 65-member media panel that selects the weekly Top 25, was done before the NCAA Tournament.