Kansas center Udoka Azubuike is The Associated Press Big 12 player of the year, with the 7-foot senior averaging a double-double for the regular season conference champion and top-ranked Jayhawks.
Azubuike and Kansas sophomore guard Devon Dotson were the only unanimous picks for the AP All-Big 12 first team released Tuesday, and split all the votes for player of the year. Azubuike got 10 votes for top player from a panel of journalists who regularly cover the Big 12 in the league’s five states, and Dotson got the other seven.
Baylor sophomore guard Jared Butler, TCU senior guard Desmond Bane and forward Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma’s only senior, were the other first-team selections.
Baylor’s Scott Drew was picked as coach of the year. Before dropping three of their last five games, the No. 5 Bears had set a Big 12 record by winning 23 games in a row. The Big 12 runner-ups were the nation’s No. 1 team for five weeks in a row before a home loss to Kansas on Feb. 22 ended their winning streak.
Azubuike is the only Big 12 player averaging a double-double at 13.7 points and 10.5 rebounds a game, and is the national leader making 74.8% of his field goal attempts (181 of 242). Dotson is the league’s top scorer at 18.1 points a game.
Bane, the league’s top 3-point shooter with 2.9 a game while making 44.1% of his attempts, is second in the Big 12 with 16.6 points a game. Butler is the third-leading scorer at 16.0 points a game, including 2.6 made 3-pointers a game. Doolittle, a 6-7 forward, averages 15.8 points and 8.9 rebounds a game.
Texas Tech freshman guard Jahmi’us Ramsey (15.0 ppg) was the AP newcomer of the year, and among the second-team selections with Kansas junior guard Marcus Garrett, West Virginia freshman forward Oscar Tshiebwe and Baylor teammates Freddie Gillespie and MaCio Teague.
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The 2020 AP All-Big 12 team, with players listed with school, classification, height, weight, class and hometown (“u-” denotes unanimous selections):
FIRST TEAM
u-Udoka Azubuike, Kansas, Sr., 7-0, 270, Delta, Nigeria.
u-Devon Dotson, Kansas, So., 6-2, 185, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Desmond Bane, TCU, Sr., 6-6, 215, Richmond, Indiana.
Jared Butler, Baylor, So., 6-3, 190, Reserve, Louisiana.
Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma, Sr., 6-7, 232, Edmond, Oklahoma.
SECOND TEAM
Marcus Garrett, Kansas, Jr., 6-5, 195, Dallas.
MaCio Teague, Baylor, Jr. 6-3, 195, Cincinnati.
Freddie Gillespie, Baylor, Sr., 6-9, 245, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Jahmi’us Ramsey, Texas Tech, Fr., 6-4, 195, Arlington, Texas.
Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia, Fr., 6-9, 258, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Coach of the year - Scott Drew, Baylor.
Player of the year - Udoka Azubuike, Kansas.
Newcomer of the year - Jahmi’us Ramsey, Texas Tech.
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AP All-Big 12 Voting Panel: Eric Bailey, Tulsa World; Abby Bitterman, The Oklahoman; Frank Bonner, Tulsa World; Tom Bragg, Charleston Gazette-Mail; Chuck Carlton, Dallas Morning News; Paul Catalina, ESPN Central Texas; Brian Davis, Austin American-Statesman; Drew Davison, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Matt Galloway, Topeka Capital-Journal; Jimmy Gillispie, Stillwater News Press; Justin Jackson, The Dominion Post; Randy Peterson, Des Moines Register; Soren Petro, Sports Radio 810; Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle; Carlos Silva Jr., Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; Matt Tait, Lawrence Journal-World; John Werner, Waco Tribune-Herald.
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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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