Pullen Leads Preseason All-Big 12 Men’s Basketball Accolades

Courtesy: Big12Sports.com           Release: 10/14/2010

Guard Jacob Pullen (Kansas State) has been named as the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, it was announced. It marks the first time in KSU history that the school has had the conference’s preseason Player of the Year. Forward Ricardo Ratliffe (Missouri) is the Preseason Newcomer of the Year, while guard Josh Selby (Kansas) was tabbed Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year. Players honored in preseason voting were selected by the league head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.

Pullen is the lone All-Big 12 First Team choice back from 2009-10 after leading K-State in scoring with a 19.3-point average. He has scored 20 points or more 25 times in his career, including 30 points or more on three occasions. The senior ranks in the top 10 in 12 different career categories at K-State and is just the third player in school history to top 1,500 points in his first three seasons.

Ratliffe is the third student-athlete from Missouri to be recognized in the preseason as the top newcomer. He is one of just 13 players to earn back-to-back NJCAA All-America First Team honors in the history of junior college basketball. The Hampton, Va.-native set a school career scoring record at Central Florida Community College with 1,653 points.

Selby was rated as the No. 1 recruit in the nation by Rivals.com. He averaged 32 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals during his senior campaign to earn All-Metro Player of the Year honors from The Baltimore Sun. He also participated in the McDonald’s All-America Game, winning the slam dunk contest. He is the fourth Jayhawk to be named preseason Freshman of the Year.

The Preseason All-Big 12 team was also announced. In addition to Pullen, LaceDarius Dunn (Baylor), Cory Higgins (Colorado), Marcus Morris (Kansas) and Curtis Kelly (Kansas State) were also selected. It marked just the second time that Colorado (Richard Roby, 2006-07) and Kansas State (Manny Dies, 1998-99) have had student-athletes on the preseason squad.

Preseason Player of the Year
Jacob Pullen, Kansas State, G, 6-0, 200, Sr., Maywood, Ill./Proviso East

Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Ricardo Ratliffe, Missouri, F, 6-9, 240, Jr., Hampton, Va./Kecoughtan/Central Florida CC

Preseason Freshman of the Year
Josh Selby, Kansas, G, 6-2, 183, Fr., Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton

2010-11 Preseason All-Big 12 Team

Name, School	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Hometown/Previous School(s)
LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor**	G	6-4	205	Sr.	Monroe, La./Excelsior Christian School
Cory Higgins, Colorado	G	6-5	190	Sr.	Danville, Calif./Monte Vista/The Pendleton School [Fla.]
Marcus Morris, Kansas	F	6-9	235	Jr.	Philadelphia, Pa./Prep Charter/APEX Academy [N.J.]
Curtis Kelly, Kansas State	F	6-8	239	Sr.	Bronx, N.Y./Rice/University of Connecticut
Jacob Pullen, Kansas State**	G	6-0	200	Sr.	Maywood, Ill./Proviso East

Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school):
Alec Burks, Colorado; Josh Selby & Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas; Jamar Samuels, Kansas State; Kim English, Missouri; Jordan Hamilton, Gary Johnson & Cory Joseph, Texas; David Loubeau, Texas A&M; John Roberson & Mike Singletary, Texas Tech

** - Unanimous Selection