Kansas Jayhawks’ Udoka Azubuike wins AP’s Big 12 player of the year award
Kansas Jayhawks center Udoka Azubuike was chosen Big 12 men’s basketball player of the year by The Associated Press.
Azubuike, a 7-foot senior from Delta, Nigeria, also won the Big 12 player of the year award as presented by the league’s coaches Sunday. Azubuike received 10 votes for top player from a panel of journalists who regularly cover the Big 12. KU sophomore point guard Devon Dotson received the other seven votes.
Azubuike and Dotson were unanimous selections for the AP’s all-Big 12 first-team, released Tuesday. They were joined by TCU’s Desmond Bane, Baylor’s Jared Butler and Oklahoma’s Kristian Doolittle. Azubuike and Dotson were the only unanimous choices. The coaches selected the same all-Big 12 first team.
KU junior guard Marcus Garrett was chosen second-team all-league with MaCio Teague and Freddie Gillespie of Baylor, Jahmi’us Ramsey of Texas Tech and Oscar Tshiebwe of West Virginia. The coaches had placed Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton on the second team instead of KU’s Garrett.
Scott Drew of Baylor won AP coach of the year and Ramsey was newcomer of the year.
Azubuike is the only Big 12 player averaging a double-double (13.7 points and 10.5 rebounds a game). He has made 74.8% of his field-goal attempts (181 of 242). Dotson leads the league in scoring at 18.1 points per game.
The AP contributed to this report.
2019-20 AP All-Big 12 team
Coach of the year — Scott Drew, Baylor
Player of the year — Udoka Azubuike, Kansas
Newcomer of the year — Jahmi’us Ramsey, Texas Tech
First team — u-Udoka Azubuike, Kansas, Sr., 7-0, 270, Delta, Nigeria; u-Devon Dotson, Kansas, So., 6-2, 185, Charlotte, North Carolina; Desmond Bane, TCU, Sr., 6-6, 215, Richmond, Indiana; Jared Butler, Baylor, So., 6-3, 190, Reserve, Louisiana; Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma, Sr., 6-7, 232, Edmond, Oklahoma
Second team — Marcus Garrett, Kansas, Jr., 6-5, 195, Dallas; MaCio Teague, Baylor, Jr. 6-3, 195, Cincinnati; Freddie Gillespie, Baylor, Sr., 6-9, 245, St. Paul, Minnesota; Jahmi’us Ramsey, Texas Tech, Fr., 6-4, 195, Arlington, Texas; Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia, Fr., 6-9, 258, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
u-unanimous pick
This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 12:15 PM.
