The Big 12 coaches have tapped Kansas University’s men’s basketball team the squad to beat in the league again this season.
The Jayhawks received seven first-place votes and a total of 126 points, outdistancing runner-up Missouri (111 points) and Oklahoma State (100).
It’s the third straight year KU has been tapped No. 1.
“I’m somewhat surprised that we’ve been picked to win the league,” KU coach Roy Williams said Thursday. “I have so much respect for some of the other teams in the league. I think you could throw a blanket over four or five teams and find everybody that close. I think Oklahoma State and Missouri both really have a chance to be sensational, and there are a couple more teams that I think could win it as well. But, we’re definitely happy to be considered.”
The league coaches also tapped KU’s Drew Gooden and Nick Collison all-league with MU’s Kareem Rush, OSU’s Maurice Baker and Texas’ Chris Owens.
“Nick finished all-conference by the coaches last year and Drew finished all-conference by the media, so I would hope that their goal is to at least do that again this year,” Williams said. “They’ve both gotten off to a very good start in preseason practices.”
League coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Kansas also was the preseason coaches’ choice in 1999 and 2000, but the Jayhawks finished fifth in ’99 and tied for second last year. Iowa State won the title both years.
Rush was the coaches’ choice for Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year honors went to Oklahoma guard Ebi Ere. The 6-foot-5 junior from Tulsa, Okla., was a second-team All-America selection while at Barton County (Kan.) CC last season, averaging 25.5 points and 7.6 rebounds a game.
Freshman of the Year was a split vote between Colorado center David Harrison and Texas guard T.J. Ford. Each received six votes.
Harrison, 7-0, averaged 28.5 points, 13.1 rebounds and 5.6 blocked shots at Brentwood Academy in Nashville, Tenn. Ford averaged 10 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists last year at Sugar Land Willowridge High in near Houston.
Oklahoma was fourth in the poll followed by Texas, Iowa State, Colorado, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Nebraska.
A media preseason poll will be conducted in conjunction with the Big 12 Basketball Media Days from Oct. 24-25 in Irving, Texas.
Should the media agree with the coaches, Kansas would be its conference preseason pick for the seventh time since the 1992-93 season. The Jayhawks were the Big Eight Conference preseason media choice in 1992-93, 1994-95, and 1995-96 and the Big 12 selection in 1996-97 (by media only), 1997-98, and 2000-01.
