Tyshawn Taylor Earns Big 12 Weekly Honors for Second Time in 2011-12

March 4, 2012

IRVING, Texas – Kansas senior Tyshawn Taylor has been chosen as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week, along with Kansas State senior Jamar Samuels, for games of Feb. 27-March 3 in voting by a panel of media covering the conference. Taylor is winning the honor for his second time this season.

Taylor helped Kansas clinch its eighth-straight outright or shared regular-season Big 12 Championship. The Hoboken, N.J., guard began the week with a team-high 27 points, one short of his career-high, on a 10-for-15 performance from the field in a 70-58 victory at Oklahoma State. He followed that performance with 22 points, four assists and four rebounds as KU defeated Texas on Senior Night, 73-63. It marks his third consecutive 20-point outing. Taylor recorded 24.5 points per game as Kansas won at Oklahoma State (70-58) and defeated Texas (73-63). Taylor shot 65.4 percent from the field in the two games, while making 11-of-11 shots from the free-throw line. Taylor finished Big 12 play leading the team in scoring in conference games with 18.6 points per contest.

With Taylor’s accolade, Kansas has won Big 12 Player of the Week eight times in 2011-12 by four different players – Taylor, Thomas Robinson, Travis Releford and Jeff Withey. The eight times is a season best for Kansas surpassing its six selections during the 2001-02 season.

With the regular season now complete, the Jayhawks’ next action will be from Kansas City, Mo., for the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at Sprint Center. As the No. 1 seed, KU will begin play in quarterfinal action on Thursday, March 8 against Oklahoma or Texas A&M. Tip is set for 2 p.m. (CT) and will be televised on ESPN2.