Kansas Jayhawks basketball picks up two top individual honors from Big 12 coaches
The Kansas men’s basketball team — after pulling away for the Big 12 regular season title — took two of the major awards handed out by the league’s coaches Sunday.
KU center Udoka Azubuike was voted Big 12 player of the year, while guard Marcus Garrett was honored as defensive player of the year.
In addition, point guard Devon Dotson joined Azubuike as unanimous all-Big 12 first-team selections.
“Doke getting player of the year is very well deserved and I actually thought we have another player, Devon, that it would not have surprised me if he was selected because I thought he was also deserving,” KU coach Bill Self said in a release. “To me, the way Doke performed down the stretch put him in a position to win the award. I can’t express enough how proud we are of him and the progress that he has made. For somebody that has gone through as much adversity as him — health-wise — since he’s been here, to see it all be worth it, to fight through it, I think speaks volumes to his work ethic and character.”
Azubuike — averaging 13.7 points and 10.5 rebounds — is KU’s ninth conference player of the year in the Big 12 era, which began in 1996-97. Most recently, guard Devonté Graham took the honor in 2018.
Garrett became the first Jayhawk to win the league’s defensive player of the year award since Joel Embiid in 2014. Azubuike also joined him on the Big 12’s all-defensive team.
“This league plays great defense, but Marcus was the premier defender in the conference and I am very happy for him getting defensive player of the year,” Self said. “Hopefully this will propel him into some national defensive awards. The reason Doke was the most outstanding player and the reason Marcus won defensive player was because they are both terrific defenders and both being on the all-defensive team was deserving as well.”
Garrett also made third-team all-conference, while KU guard Christian Braun was chosen to the all-freshman team.
KU guard Ochai Agbaji and Kansas State’s Xavier Sneed received honorable mention.
League coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players.
2019-20 coaches All-Big 12 team
Player of the Year – Udoka Azubuike, Kansas (Sr., C)
Defensive Player of the Year – Marcus Garrett, Kansas (Jr., G)
Newcomer of the Year – Davion Mitchell, Baylor (So., G)
Freshman of the Year – Jahmi’us Ramsey, Texas Tech (G)
Sixth Man Award – Devonte Bandoo, Baylor (Sr., G)
Most Improved Player – Freddie Gillespie, Baylor (Sr., F)
Coach of the Year – Scott Drew, Baylor
All-Big 12 First Team – **Jared Butler, Baylor (So., G); **Udoka Azubuike, Kansas (Sr., C); ** Devon Dotson, Kansas (So., G); Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma (Sr., F); Desmond Bane,TCU (Sr., G)
All-Big 12 Second Team – MaCio Teague, Baylor (Jr., G); Freddie Gillespie, Baylor (Sr., F); Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State (So., G); Jahmi’us Ramsey, Texas Tech (Fr., G); Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia (Fr., F)
All-Big 12 Third Team – Davion Mitchell, Baylor (So., G); Mark Vital, Baylor (Jr., G/F); Marcus Garrett, Kansas (Jr., G); Brady Manek, Oklahoma (Jr., F); Matt Coleman III, Texas (Jr., G)
Honorable mention (Listed alphabetically by school) – Rasir Bolton (Iowa State), Ochai Agbaji (Kansas), Xavier Sneed (Kansas State), Austin Reaves (Oklahoma), Isaac Likekele (Oklahoma State), Cameron McGriff (Oklahoma State), Andrew Jones (Texas), Courtney Ramey (Texas), Jericho Sims (Texas), Davide Moretti (Texas Tech), Derek Culver (West Virginia)
Big 12 All-Defensive Team – Freddie Gillespie, Baylor (Sr., F); Davion Mitchell, Baylor (So., G); **Mark Vital, Baylor (Jr., G/F); Udoka Azubuike, Kansas (Sr., C); **Marcus Garrett, Kansas (Jr., G)
Big 12 All-Newcomer Team – **Davion Mitchell, Baylor (So., G); **MaCio Teague, Baylor (Jr., G); Austin Reaves, Oklahoma (Jr., G); Jahmi’us Ramsey, Texas Tech (Fr., G); Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia (Fr., F)
Big 12 All-Freshman Team – Christian Braun, Kansas (G); **Jahmi’us Ramsey, Texas Tech (G); Terrence Shannon Jr., Texas Tech (G); Miles McBride, West Virginia (F); **Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia (F)
**unanimous selection
