KU’s Bill Self is AP Big 12 coach of the year

The Big 12 coaches voted West Virginia’s Bob Huggins as the Big 12 coach of the year on Sunday, rewarding the head of a resurgent program that performed better than expected.

On Monday, the media vote acknowledged conference dominance.

Kansas coach Bill Self was selected Associated Press Big 12 coach of the year after a vote by reporters who cover the league. Self led the Jayhawks to an 11th straight Big 12 championship, guiding Kansas to a 24-7 record and 13-5 mark in Big 12 play. Self also was chosen Big 12 coach of the year by The Kansas City Star on Saturday night.

It was the fourth time that Self has received the AP honor.

“It’s a nice honor,” Self said on Monday, “and for the first time, I actually think the media knows what they’re talking about.”

The top-seeded Jayhawks will open the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday at the Sprint Center. KU will face either TCU or Kansas State in a quarterfinal that will tip off around 2 p.m. The Jayhawks will try to win their first Big 12 tournament since 2012-13.

“I think there were several coaches that would deserve to be named that,” Self said of his honor. “And nobody would have a problem with it, because the league was so good and teams probably played to a higher level than what they were projected to early on.”

Oklahoma junior guard Buddy Hield was selected AP Big 12 player of the year; he also won the same award from the league’s coaches and The Star. Kansas junior forward Perry Ellis, who was also a first-team selection by the league’s coaches and The Star, joined Hield on the first team.

West Virginia’s Juwan Staten, Baylor’s Rico Gathers and Iowa State’s Georges Niang rounded out the AP first team.

AP All-Big 12 team

FIRST TEAM

Perry Ellis, Kansas, Jr., 6-8, 225, Wichita

Rico Gathers, Baylor, Jr., 6-8, 275, LaPlace, La.

Buddy Hield, Oklahoma, Jr., 6-4, 212, Freeport, Bahamas

Georges Niang, Iowa St., Jr., 6-8, 230, Methuen, Mass.

Juwan Staten, West Virginia, Sr., 6-1, 190, Dayton, Ohio

SECOND TEAM

Phil Forte, Oklahoma St., Jr., 5-11, 185, Flower Mound, Texas

Frank Mason III, Kansas, So., 5-11, 185, Petersburg, Va.

Monte Morris, Iowa St., So., 6-2, 170, Flint, Mich.

Le’Bryan Nash, Oklahoma St., Sr., 6-7, 235, Dallas

Taurean Prince, Baylor, Jr., 6-7, 215, San Antonio

▪ HONORABLE MENTION: Kyan Anderson, TCU; Kenny Chery, Baylor; Jameel McKay, Iowa St.; Ryan Spangler, Oklahoma; Isaiah Taylor, Texas; TaShawn Thomas, Oklahoma; Devin Williams, West Virginia; Nino Williams, Kansas St.

▪ COACH OF THE YEAR: Bill Self, Kansas.

▪ PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma.

▪ NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: TaShawn Thomas, Oklahoma.

▪ FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Myles Turner, Texas.

Voters: Tommy Birch, Des Moines Register; Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Chuck Carlton, Dallas Morning News; Mark Cooper, Tulsa World; Rustin Dodd, Kansas City Star; Guerin Emig, Tulsa World; Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News; John Helsley, The Oklahoman; Justin Jackson, The Dominion Post; Tom Keegan, Lawrence Journal-World; Kevin Lyttle, Austin American-Statesman; Carlos Mendez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Randy Peterson, Des Moines Register; Soren Petro, WHB (810 AM); Krista Pirtle, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle; John Shinn, Norman Transcript; Mitch Vingle, Charleston Gazette; John Werner, Waco Tribune-Herald.

This story was originally published March 9, 2015 at 11:01 AM with the headline "KU’s Bill Self is AP Big 12 coach of the year."