For the first time in 14 years, the Big 12 conference has a new champion(s). Kansas no longer sits at the top of the standings as the season has come to an end. Both Texas Tech and Kansas State claimed a piece of the Big 12 title, the first schools since Oklahoma State not to share it with Kansas. A streak that will almost never be seen again. Both teams did it different ways, Kansas State led by a crop of seniors while the Red Raiders rode on the back of a potential lottery pick in Jarrett Culver.
The same can be said for the all-conference team as well where many stalwart guards we’ve come to see as synonymous with the Big 12 conference departed last season. A new crew of players who have loitered the second team through honorable mention honors. Guys like Barry Brown, Jarrett Culver and many more have blossomed into some of the Big 12’s brightest stars. The conference isn’t as strong as it has been in the past but still has a chance to get seven to eight teams in the tournament this year.
Big 12 Conference Player of the Year
F: Dedric Lawson, Kansas
A case could be made for either Jarrett Culver or Barry Brown here as both players were instrumental in helping their teams end the streak and win a conference title. At the end of the day, Lawson was by far the best and most consistent player all year in the conference. He jumped out to a huge lead in the front half of the season with his play averaging a double-double and just a point away from averaging 20 and 10. With all the injuries and issues Kansas faced this year it’s almost an even bigger reason to give this award to Lawson. It’s an interesting exercise to imagine where this young Jayhawk team would be without Lawson’s play this year. The Jayhawks finished the year 3-6 on the road in the Big 12, a far cry from the usual over .500 record you can count on them to achieve. While Culver and Brown were both worthy of the award but it’s hard not to imagine quite where this young, injury-riddled Kansas team would be without him. It’s a credit to him that they were able to hang in the Big 12 race as long as they did, down to the last week of the season.
Coach of the Year
Chris Beard, Texas Tech
Who else but Chris Beard? His team was expected to finish seventh according the coaches preseason poll. Scott Drew made a good push throughout the season but his middle-to-late season slide pushing the Bears from tied to first to a fourth-place finish kept him from getting the award. Beard has done a remarkable job in his first three years, taking a program that was going nowhere with Tubby Smith and turned them into one of the best programs in the conference. Beard has won everywhere he’s been and has shown the ability to turn programs around quickly. He’s now developed Culver into a potential lottery pick, recruited Zhaire Smith last year into a surprise first rounder, and turned Keenan Evans into one of the best guards in the country last year. Beard is building something interesting down in Lubbock if he chooses to stay much longer.
Freshman of the Year
G: Devon Dotson, Kansas
I feel good in saying that @KUHoops Devon Dotson is best freshman PG in country. Iron man plays 33 minutes with no backup, elite defender on/off the ball, few if any faster. 43% from 3 all year & scores at rim. 18 ppp & 6 apg last 5. Efficient & clutch in pressure situations.
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) February 22, 2019
Dotson may not get the hype of a Tre Jones but he’s been just about everything Jones has been as a freshman for Kansas. Jones is a little more secure with the ball as Dotson is more aggressive and a better shooter. Dotson has been under the radar, one of the best freshman point guards in the entire country on both sides of the ball. In a year where the Big 12 lacked many premier freshmen, Devon Dotson was someone who impressed really from the outset. Jaxson Hayes was impressive, yet inconsistent. Dotson’s running mate Quentin Grimes was the front-runner coming into the year but never quite lived up to his preseason hype. His lack of quality play opened the door for Dotson’s solid 11-3-3 stat line to grab the award.
Newcomer of the Year
F: Dedric Lawson, Kansas
It’s tough to give Marial Shayok this award when you give Lawson the conference Player of the Year award. Shayok more than deserves it here after a great year for Iowa State. He just so happened to have his first year in the conference coincide with the Big 12 Player of the Year’s first season in the conference. Lawson like mentioned above was outstanding night in and night out throughout the year. Even nights his shooting was off he’d somehow manage to put up 18 and 12. He was that solid throughout the year and pulls in his second post-season conference award.
1st Team All-Conference
These five stood out over the rest all year long. Three players were instrumental in helping their teams claim a piece of the conference championship. The team has a bit more balance than last year where guards dominated the 1st team list including four point guards. Wade and Lawson are representing the bigs this year in a year where many expected the bigs to reign supreme in the conference. Two of the league’s best big in Udoka Azubuike and Sagaba Konate missed most of their years with injuries. Culver is the only underclassmen on the team which is no surprise as the Big 12 postseason teams are often dominated by upperclassmen. That’s how the league typically seems to work where few ‘one-and-dones’ enter the conference and very rarely are freshman among its top players. Each of these five will play huge roles for teams that have a great chance to reach the second weekend.
