IRVING, Texas — Iowa State forward Melvin Ejim was selected Big 12 player of the year by coaches and Andrew Wiggins chosen as the top freshman, turning the unveiling of league awards into Canada Day.
Without a FOIA request, or at least a look at the scratch pad inside league headquarters, we’ll never know how close West Virginia’s Juwan Staten came to winning top-player honors in the coaches vote. But let’s work under the assumption he was second or third, and definitely No. 1 on the made-in-the-USA list. He leads the Big 12 in scoring (18.4), assists (5.94) and minutes (37.5), ranks second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.88), fifth in field-goal shooting (49.2 percent) and eighth in steals (1.19).
Staten was selected to the All-Big 12 first team—which, in a nod to legitimacy, contains precisely the five members any basketball all-league team should. He also landed a spot on the All-Defensive squad. (Remember that under gentlemen’s rules, coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own team, lest we have a 10-way tie for every award every year.)
My knee-jerk reactions to Sunday’s list of the lauded:
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Melvin Ejim, Iowa State
Good guy and a really good player who piled up a league-record 48 points against TCU but wouldn’t have even earned honorable mention based on his two clunkers against West Virginia. Seriously, the Mountaineers had his number: 1-of-9 for six points in Morgantown and 3-of-7 for seven points in Ames. Still, he was second in scoring (18.2) and rebounds (8.6), third in field-goal percentage (51.3 percent) and 10th in steals. (Taylor’s pick: After much internal debate, I like Ejim by a whisker over Juwan Staten. Statistically insignificant differences, but Ejim did it for a team with six more wins against a tougher schedule. … Sentimental write-in: Ejim’s teammate Georges Niang, an icon to savvy, slick-passing rec-league players everywhere.)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Rick Barnes, Texas
Six months ago, he was Mack Brown without the national championship, and UT hoops fans—all 4,500 of them—were pushing for a change. Now Barnes has taken a freshman- and sophomore-dominated team back to the NCAA tournament. Longhorns were picked eighth in the Big 12 in preseason and finished third. (Taylor’s pick: Lon Kruger, who won more games and beat Texas twice despite heavy roster turnover. … Sentimental write-in: Travis Ford, because that’s as close to this award as he’s going to come.)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Joel Embiid, Kansas
The Hakeem Olajuwon comparisons rained down like confetti for the 7-footer from Cameron, who projects to be among the top three NBA draft picks this summer. Baylor’s Isaiah Austin is a better shot-blocker, but probably lost some votes because he’s not as active on the defensive boards. (Taylor’s runner-up: Austin. … Sentimental write-in: Kevin Noreen who was essentially legislated out of the game when the block/charge call became block/block.)
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Andrew Wiggins, Kansas
An easy choice, even before Saturday’s 41-point game in Morgantown. Let’s be real, Wiggins could have accepted this award from the moment he committed to Kansas out of Huntington Prep. (Taylor’s runner-up: Joel Embiid. … Sentimental write-in: Chase Connor for three fantastic minutes against TCU.)
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
DeAndre Kane, Iowa State
Why does this category exist? Aren’t freshman newcomers? I suppose the rationale lies with the fact that roughly 98 percent of four-year Division I players are expected to transfer during their careers. Such was the case with Kane who made a sage move by leaving behind a C-USA bottom-feeder at Marshall. (Taylor’s runner-up: Kenny Chery of Baylor. … Sentimental write-in: Doing away with this category completely.)
All-Big 12 First Team |
Melvin Ejim, Iowa State** |
F |
6-6 |
220 |
Sr. |
Toronto, Ontario |
DeAndre Kane, Iowa State |
G |
6-4 |
200 |
Sr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa./Marshall |
Andrew Wiggins, Kansas** |
G |
6-8 |
200 |
Fr. |
Vaughan, Ontario |
Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State |
G |
6-4 |
220 |
So. |
Flower Mound, Texas |
Juwan Staten, West Virginia |
G |
6-1 |
190 |
Jr. |
Dayton, Ohio |
All-Big 12 Second Team |
|||||
Joel Embiid, Kansas |
C |
7-0 |
250 |
Fr. |
Yaounde, Cameroon |
Marcus Foster, Kansas State |
G |
6-2 |
200 |
Fr. |
Wichita Fallas, Texas |
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma |
G |
6-4 |
208 |
So. |
Freeport, Bahamas |
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State |
G |
6-3 |
190 |
Sr. |
Alexandria, La. |
Jonathan Holmes, Texas |
F |
6-8 |
240 |
Jr. |
San Antonio, Texas |
All-Big 12 Third Team |
|||||
Cory Jefferson, Baylor |
F |
6-9 |
220 |
Sr. |
Killeen, Texas |
Georges Niang, Iowa State |
F |
6-7 |
240 |
So. |
Methuen, Mass. |
Perry Ellis, Kansas |
F |
6-8 |
225 |
So. |
Wichita, Kan. |
Cameron Clark, Oklahoma |
F |
6-7 |
211 |
Sr. |
Sherman, Texas |
Jaye Crockett, Texas Tech |
F |
6-7 |
210 |
Sr. |
Clovis, N.M. |
Big 12 All-Defensive Team |
|||||
Isaiah Austin, Baylor |
C |
7-1 |
225 |
So. |
Arlington, Texas |
Joel Embiid, Kansas** |
C |
7-0 |
250 |
Fr. |
Yaounde, Cameroon |
Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State** |
G |
6-4 |
220 |
So. |
Flower Mound, Texas |
Demarcus Holland, Texas |
G |
6-2 |
185 |
So. |
Garland, Texas |
Cameron Ridley, Texas |
C |
6-9 |
285 |
So. |
Richmond, Texas |
Juwan Staten, West Virginia |
G |
6-1 |
190 |
Jr. |
Dayton, Ohio |
Big 12 All-Newcomer Team |
|||||
DeAndre Kane, Iowa State |
G |
6-4 |
200 |
Sr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa./Marshall |
Joel Embiid, Kansas** |
C |
7-0 |
250 |
Fr. |
Yaounde, Cameroon/ |
Andrew Wiggins, Kansas** |
G |
6-8 |
200 |
Fr. |
Vaughan, Ontario |
Marcus Foster, Kansas State |
G |
6-2 |
200 |
Fr. |
Wichita Fallas, Texas |
Isaiah Taylor, Texas |
G |
6-1 |
170 |
Fr. |
Hayward, Calif. |