Kansas center Hunter Dickinson and guard Kevin McCullar Jr. both earned first-team all-conference honors from the Big 12, the league announced Sunday night, as part of a diverse group of awards given to KU players.
Dickinson, who transferred from Michigan to Kansas in the offseason, was also honored with the title of Big 12 newcomer of the year and a spot on the all-newcomer team. He has established himself as the conference’s leading rebounder and currently averages 10.8 boards per game, three higher than the next closest player.
He is also the second-leading scorer at 18.0 points per game behind teammate McCullar’s 18.3. McCullar decided to return to KU after considering the NBA Draft in the offseason, and when healthy (he has been battling with a bone bruise to his knee) has been a dynamic shot creator and the engine of the Jayhawks’ offense while also averaging six rebounds per game.
Other honors for the Jayhawks, who finished the regular season in sixth place in the Big 12 with a 10-8 league record, included all-conference honorable mentions for KJ Adams, Johnny Furphy and Dajuan Harris Jr., the remaining three members of KU’s starting lineup.
Furphy, who entered the lineup in January, emerged as an important 3-point shooter and rebounder for a team often lacking in those areas. Despite fading in some recent games, he scored in double digits in 11 of KU’s 18 conference matchups and was also named to the league’s all-freshman team.
Harris, an all-defensive selection, averaged 1.5 steals per game while combining with McCullar to lock down many of the league’s best perimeter players. He also tallied 6.4 assists as the Jayhawks’ point guard.
Adams, who was last season’s most improved player in the league, has spent much of the year as the conference’s leader in field goal percentage, converting 60% of his shots while averaging more than 12 points per game.
The conference champion, Houston, racked up many of the league’s marquee honors voted on by its coaches, including player of the year and defensive player of the year selections for point guard Jamal Shead and a coach of the year nod for Kelvin Sampson.
Full list of honors
Player of the year: Jamal Shead, Houston
Defensive player of the year: Jamal Shead, Houston
Newcomer of the year: Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
Freshman of the year, Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
Sixth man award: Jaxson Robinson, BYU
Most improved player: Dylan Disu, Texas
Coach of the year: Kelvin Simpson, Houston
All-Big 12 first team
Jamal Shead, Houston
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas
Dylan Disu, Texas
All-Big 12 second team
RayJ Dennis, Baylor
L.J. Cryer, Houston
Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State
Emanuel Miller, TCU
Max Abmas, Texas
All-Big 12 third team
Jalen Bridges, Baylor
Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
J’Wan Roberts, Houston
Pop Isaacs, Texas Tech
Darrion Williams, Texas Tech
All-Big 12 honorable mention
Langston Love (Baylor), Yves Missi (Baylor), Dallin Hall (BYU), Spencer Johnson (BYU), Jaxson Robinson (BYU), Fousseyni Traore (BYU), Ibrahima Diallo (UCF), Darius Johnson (UCF), Jaylin Sellers (UCF), Aziz Bandaogo (Cincinnati), Dan Skillings Jr. (Cincinnati), Ja’Vier Francis (Houston), Emanuel Sharp (Houston), KJ Adams Jr. (Kansas), Johnny Furphy (Kansas), Dajuan Harris Jr. (Kansas), Arthur Kaluma (K-State), Tylor Perry (K-State), Javian McCollum (Oklahoma), Jalon Moore (Oklahoma), Javon Small (Oklahoma State), Jameer Nelson Jr. (TCU), Micah Peavy (TCU), Joe Toussaint (Texas Tech)
All-defensive team
Yves Missi, Baylor
John Newman III, Cincinnati
Jamal Shead, Houston
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Dajuan Harris Jr., Kansas
All-newcomer team
RayJ Dennis, Baylor
Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
Max Abmas, Texas
Darrion Williams, Texas Tech
All-freshman team
Yves Missi, Baylor
Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
Joseph Tugler, Houston
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Johnny Furphy, Kansas
