KANSAS CITY--Kansas' perfect conference season has reaped rewards as junior
Drew Gooden and head coach Roy Williams headline the 2001-02 Men's Basketball
Coaches' All-Big 12 Team the league office announced Wednesday.
Gooden is the 2001-02 Big 12 Player of the Year by the league coaches. The
Richmond, Calif., forward leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.6 points per game
and in rebounding in at 11.1. Gooden has posted a league-leading 20 double
doubles which ranks tied for second on Big 12 single season list and is one
shy of the 21 set by KU's Raef LaFrentz in 1996-97. He was named Phillips 66
Big 12 Player of the Week four times this season.
Williams is the coaches choice for Big 12 Coach of the Year after guiding KU
to the first perfect conference season at 16-0. Williams has guided the
Jayhawks to 80 Big 12 conference regular season wins which is more than any
other Big 12 coach. Williams is a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of
the Year Award and is the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second time. He
also won the honor in 1996-97.
There was a tie among the coaches in the selection of the All-Big 12 first
team hence six are being honored. Joining Gooden is junior teammate Kirk
Hinrich, Missouri junior Kareem Rush, the Oklahoma duo of Aaron McGhee and
Hollis Price, and Texas Tech sophomore Andre Emmett. Coaches were not allowed
to vote for his own players in the voting. There were 30 players included on
the All-Big 12 first-, second-, third-, and honorable mention squads.
Oklahoma junior Ebi Ere is the coaches' choice for Big 12 Newcomer of the
Year. The Tulsa, Okla., guard is 16th in the Big 12 in scoring with a 14.5
average. Ere averages 5.6 rebounds per game and ranks among the conference
leaders in free throw percentage, seventh at 82.2 as well.
Big 12 Freshman of the Year honor goes to point guard T.J. Ford of Texas. The
Houston, Texas, native leads the nation in assists at 8.7 per game and is
vying to become the first freshman to lead the NCAA Division I in assist
average. Ford averages 10.5 points a game and has 14 games with 10 or more
assists this season.
2001-02 Coaches' All-Big 12 Team(s)
First Team (tie in voting)
Drew Gooden, Kansas F 6-10 Jr. Richmond, Calif.
Kirk Hinrich, Kansas G 6-3 Jr. Sioux City, Iowa
Kareem Rush, Missouri F 6-6 Jr. Kansas City, Mo.
Aaron McGhee, Oklahoma F 6-8 Sr. Aurora, Ill.
Hollis Price, Oklahoma G 6-1 Jr. New Orleans, La.
Andre Emmett, Texas Tech G 6-5 So. Dallas, Texas
Second Team
Tyray Pearson, Iowa State F 6-7 Sr. Hammond, Ind.
Nick Collison, Kansas F 6-9 Jr. Iowa Falls, Iowa
Larry Reid, Kansas State G 6-0 Jr. Midwest City, Okla.
T.J. Ford, Texas G 5-11 Fr. Houston, Texas
Andy Ellis, Texas Tech C 6-11 Sr. Lamesa, Texas
Third Team
Stephane Pelle, Colorado F 6-9 Jr. Burtonsville, Md.
Jake Sullivan, Iowa State G 6-1 So. Oakdale, Minn.
Clarence Gilbert, Missouri G 6-2 Sr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Fredrik Jonzen, Oklahoma State F 6-10 Sr. Uppsala, Sweden
James Thomas, Texas C 6-8 So. Schenectady, N.Y.
Honorable Mention
Lawrence Roberts, F, Baylor; David Harrison, C, Colorado; Shane Power, F,
Iowa State; Jeff Boschee, G, Kansas; Arthur Johnson, C, Missouri; Cary
Cochran, G, Nebraska; John Robinson, G, Nebraska; Ebi Ere, G, Oklahoma;
Maurice Baker, G, Oklahoma State; Ivan McFarlin, F, Oklahoma State; Victor
Williams, G, Oklahoma State; Brandon Mouton, G/F, Texas; Bernard King, G,
Texas A&M; Kasib Powell, F, Texas Tech
Player of the Year: Drew Gooden, Kansas
Newcomer of the Year: Ebi Ere, Oklahoma
Freshman of the Year: T.J. Ford, Texas
Coach of the Year: Roy Williams, Kansas