Josh Jackson earns yet another weekly Big 12 honor

By Matt Tait Feb 13, 2017

Nick Krug

Kansas guard Josh Jackson (11) drives against Texas Tech forward Justin Gray (5) during the first half, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.

Josh Jackson has done it again, though this one probably surprised nobody.

Two days after exploding for a career-high 31 points in an 80-79, road victory over Texas Tech, Jackson was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week, as voted by a media panel that covers the conference.

It marks the second time this season that Jackson earned the player of the week nod and seventh time he had been given a weekly award. Jackson also has been named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week five times this season.

It wasn’t just the Tech game that earned Jackson the honor. In two road wins by the Jayhawks — Kansas State and Texas Tech — Jackson averaged 24.5 points per game and shot 70.4 percent from the field. He scored 18 points, including 2-of-2 shooting from 3-point range, against the Wildcats in last Monday’s 74-71 victory in Manhattan.

He shot 80 percent from the floor against the Red Raiders in scoring his career-high, which included 18 points in the second half and the last seven Jayhawk points to seal the victory.

Jackson’s 31 points in Lubbock, Texas, were the most by a KU freshman since Andrew Wiggins scored 41 points at West Virginia on March 8, 2014.

Historically, Jackson’s seven weekly Big 12 honors in one season are the most ever by a Jayhawk and have tied KU’s career mark set by Nick Collison, who was newcomer of the week twice and player of the week five times during his KU career from 1999-2000 to 2002-03.

Here’s a look at Josh Jackson’s honors to this point in his freshman season:

• Wooden Award Late Season Top 20

• Naismith Trophy Top 30

• Wayman Tisdale Award Midseason watch list (1 of 12)

• Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Watch List Finalist (1 of 10)

• USBWA Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week (Jan. 17)

• Big 12 Player of the Week (Dec. 27, Feb. 13)

• Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Nov. 21, Nov. 28, Jan. 9, Jan. 16, Jan. 30)

• CBE Hall of Fame Classic MVP & All-Tournament Team

• Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year

• Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention

Jackson and the Jayhawks return to the court tonight at 8 p.m. for a Big Monday showdown with West Virginia at Allen Fieldhouse.

K-State coach Bill Snyder diagnosed with throat cancer

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.