🏀 Kansas Well Represented on All-Big 12 Teams
IRVING, Texas – Highlighted by the 2021 Big 12 Most Improved Player David McCormack, Kansas was well represented on the men’s basketball 2020-21 All-Big 12 Team selected by the conference coaches, the league announced Monday.
McCormack also earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors, along with senior Marcus Garrett. KU’s Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun were honorable mention all-league selections. Garrett was a unanimous selection for the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, while redshirt-freshman Jalen Wilson was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer and Big 12 All-Freshman teams. Wilson was a unanimous choice of the league coaches for the all-freshman squad. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.
After averaging 6.9 points and 4.1 rebounds in 18 starts last year, McCormack has improved his numbers to 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds this season while starting all 27 games for the Jayhawks. The Norfolk, Virginia, junior’s 53.6 field goal percentage in league games led the conference, while he is second in all games with a 51.1 field goal percentage. McCormack ranks third in the Big 12 with six double-doubles and has 17 games with double digit scoring, including 11 of the last 12. This is the second year of the Big 12 Most Improved Player award.
Garrett is on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team for the third consecutive season and an all-league selection for the second-straight year. The Dallas guard is fifth in the Big 12 in steals at 1.6, sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.79) and 11th in assists (3.7). Garrett has 16 steals in his last seven games and averages 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per outing. On Feb. 25, he was named one of 10 to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalists, an honor he won in 2020.
Agbaji is an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection for the second-straight season. The Kansas City, Missouri, junior guard is second the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made 2.6 and is second in 3-point field goal percentage at 38.3%. He drained five three pointers at Texas (2/23) and has made three or more threes in two of his last three games and 14 times this season. Agbaji’s 13.7 scoring average is 13th in the conference.
Braun is an All-Big 12 selection for the first time this season and was a member of the 2020 Big 12 All-Freshman Team. The Burlington, Kansas, sophomore guard is second on the team with 33 steals and second on the squad with 49 3-pointers made. Braun averages 10.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per outing and is 13th in the Big 12 in three-point field goals made at 1.8.
Wilson has posted six double-doubles in his last nine games, including a KU freshman record four consecutive. The Denton, Texas, forward leads Kansas in rebounds and his 8.2 boards per game are second in the Big 12 and tops among league freshmen. Wilson averages 12.2 ppg and has made 39 3-pointers. His nine double-doubles this season second in the league.
In the history of the Big 12, Kansas leads the Big 12 with an all-time high 133 student-athletes named to All-Big 12 Teams. Texas is second with 106, while Baylor is third with 93 selections.
Kansas (19-8, 12-6) will be the No. 2 Seed for the 2021 Big 12 Championship, March 10-13, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. KU will play the winner of No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 10 Iowa State in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 11, at 5:30 p.m. (Central). Oklahoma and Iowa State will play Wednesday, March 10, at 8:30 p.m.
Kansas has won 15 postseason tournament titles, including 11 in the Big 12 era, which began in 1996-97. KU’s last title was in 2018 and the Jayhawks went on to advance to the 2018 Final Four in San Antonio.
2020-21 All-Big 12 Team
(As selected conference coaches; **unanimous selection)
Player of the Year – Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State (Fr., G)
Defensive Player of the Year – Davion Mitchell, Baylor (Jr., G)
Newcomer of the Year – Mac McClung, Texas Tech (Jr, G)**
Freshman of the Year – Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State (Fr., G)**
Sixth Man Award – Kai Jones, Texas (So., F)
Most Improved Player – DAVID MCCORMACK, KANSAS (JR., F)
Coach of the Year – Scott Drew, Baylor
All-Big 12 First Team
Jared Butler, Baylor (Jr., G)**
Davion Mitchell, Baylor (Jr, G)
Austin Reaves, Oklahoma (Sr., G)
Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State (Fr., G)**
Derek Culver, West Virginia (Jr., F)
All-Big 12 Second Team
MARCUS GARRETT, KANSAS (SR., G)
DAVID MCCORMACK, KANSAS (JR., F)
Andrew Jones, Texas (Jr., G)
Mac McClung, Texas Tech (Jr, G)
Miles McBride, West Virginia, (So., G)
All-Big 12 Third Team (tie in voting)
MaCio Teague, Baylor (Sr., G)
Rasir Bolton, Iowa State (Jr, G)
RJ Nembhard, TCU (Jr., G)
Matt Coleman III, Texas (Sr., G)
Courtney Ramey, Texas (Jr., G)
Terrence Shannon Jr., Texas Tech (So., G)
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Listed alphabetically by school)
Mark Vital (Baylor), Jalen Coleman-Lands (Iowa State), OCHAI AGBAJI (KANSAS), CHRISTIAN BRAUN (KANSAS), Mike McGuirl (Kansas State), De’Vion Harmon (Oklahoma), Isaac Likekele (Oklahoma State), Mike Miles (TCU), Greg Brown (Texas), Kai Jones (Texas), Jericho Sims (Texas), Kevin McCullar (Texas Tech), Sean McNeil (West Virginia), Taz Sherman (West Virginia)
Big 12 All-Defensive Team
Jared Butler, Baylor (Jr., G)
Davion Mitchell, Baylor (Jr., G)**
Mark Vital, Baylor (Sr., G/F)**
MARCUS GARRETT, KANSAS (SR., G)**
Gabe Osabuohien, West Virginia (Sr., F)
Big 12 All-Newcomer Team
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, Baylor (So., F)
JALEN WILSON, KANSAS (R-FR, F)
Greg Brown, Texas (Fr., F)
Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State (Fr, G)**
Mac McClung, Texas Tech (Jr., G)**
Big 12 All-Freshman Team
JALEN WILSON, KANSAS (F)**
Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State (G)**
Mike Miles, TCU (G)
Greg Brown, Texas (F)**
Jalen Bridges, West Virginia (F)
