Simien `Dubbed' Big 12 Player of the Year
March 7, 2005
DALLAS –
University of Kansas senior forward Wayne Simien was unanimously voted the 2005 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year by the league’s coaches, the conference office announced Monday. Simien, a native of Leavenworth, Kan., joins fellow Jayhawk seniors Keith Langford, a second team selection, and Aaron Miles, a third team honoree, in the postseason accolades.
Simien becomes the fourth KU player to earn Big 12 Player of the Year recognition.He led the Big 12 in scoring (19.4 ppg) and rebounding (11.1), and is the only player in the conference to average a double-double.Simien posted 12 games with 20 points or more, including a career-high 32-point effort versus Oklahoma State on Feb. 27, and pulled down a career-best 20 rebounds against Kansas State on March 2.
Simien also had seven different games where he was perfect from the free throw line, finishing the regular season hitting at 82.8 percent from the stripe.
Langford (Ft. Worth, Texas), earns All-Big 12 Second Team honors for the second straight year after averaging 14.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest in his senior season. The 6-4 guard has scored in double figures 21 times this season and 94 times over his career and ranks sixth on the KU all-time scoring list with 1,806 points.
Miles (Portland, Ore.), also a third team selection for the second consecutive season, leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth in the nation with 7.3 assists per game. The 6-1 point guard is the KU and Big 12 all-time assists leader and currently ranks 11th on the NCAA career assists chart. In addition, Miles averages 9.4 points and a team-best 1.7 steals per game.
Also on Monday, Big 12 Specialty Awards were handed out. Voted on by a media panel which covers the league, KU junior Christian Moody was selected to the Big 12 All-Underrated team and Miles was named to the Big 12 All-Defense squad for the second straight season.
2004-05 PHILLIPS 66 ALL-BIG 12 MEN’S BASKETBALL AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Wayne Simien, Kansas**
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Taj Gray, Oklahoma
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Daniel Gibson, Texas
COACH OF THE YEAR: Billy Gillispie, Texas A&M
ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM
Wayne Simien, Kansas**
Taj Gray, Oklahoma
Joey Graham, Oklahoma State**
John Lucas, Oklahoma State
Ronald Ross, Texas Tech
ALL-BIG 12 SECOND TEAM
Curtis Stinson, Iowa State
Keith Langford, Kansas
Jeremiah Massey, Kansas State
Brad Buckman, Texas
Antoine Wright, Texas A&M
ALL-BIG 12 THIRD TEAM
Jared Homan, Iowa State
Aaron Miles, Kansas
Kevin Bookout, Oklahoma
Daniel Gibson, Texas
Jarrius Jackson, Texas Tech
ALL-BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION
Aaron Bruce, Baylor
Richard Roby, Colorado
Linas Kleiza, Missouri
Joe McCray, Nebraska
Terrell Everett, Oklahoma
Ivan McFarlin, Oklahoma State
Joseph Jones, Texas A&M
Acie Law, Texas A&M
** – Unanimous Selection
