BON All Big XII 1st Team
PJ Tucker 6'5" 225 Junior Forward Texas 15.0 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.6 spg
PJ Tucker was simply the best player in the conference this season. He scores from all over the floor, rebounds like a center, and is the unabashed leader of the Big 12 champion Longhorns. PJ has the wingspan of a seven footer and uses it effectively. He scores at will around the basket and has the best hands in the conference. This year, PJ added a consistent fifteen foot jumper to his arsenal. He finished second in the conference in rebounds after leading for most of the season. He also finished third in field goal percentage (50%) and a surprising seventh in free throw percentage (75%). Tucker is the biggest match up problem in college basketball. He is too quick on the perimeter for a forward and too strong and too long on the low blocks for a guard. Tucker's only weakness is turnovers.
Lamarcus Aldridge 6'10" 237 Sophomore Center Texas 13.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg
Lamarcus Aldridge was a presence on both ends of the floor during Big 12 play. On offense, he developed a deadly baseline fade away and recently added the sky hook. Both are unstoppable. Aldridge commanded double teams from opponents on ever touch. While his strength is still improving, his shooting touch is unmatched from a big man at the college level. LA was even more influential on the defensive end. He anchored the lane in Texas' stingy 2-3 zone defense. If opponents guards were able to penetrate, Aldridge was there waiting. He finished third in the league in blocked shots and definitely led the league in altered ones. The scariest part is he is getting stronger and quicker and is learning the game better with each outing. He has only scratched the surface of his true potential. The NBA is already salivating. As he gets stronger, he will be able to establish and hold positions closer the basket.
Jarrius Jackson 6'1" 185 Junior Guard Texas Tech 21.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.6 apg
Jackson is an outstanding player on a very bad team. He was the only Red Raider capable of scoring. Opponents knew this and he still led the league in scoring. Jackson is an excellent shooter and scorer. He can kill you from behind the arc, with the pull up jumper, or off the dribble. Jackson shot an impressive 44% from the floor, second best among guards. JJ also ranked fifth in free throw percentage (78%), fourth in three point percentage (43%) and in the top fifteen in steals. Last, Jackson led the Big 12 in minutes played. He averaged a shocking 39.5 minutes per game. Tech finished just 6-10 in the Big 12 but would have been much worse with Jackson. He can improve his range in the off season to be even more deadly next year.
Curtis Stinson 6'3" 215 Junior Guard Iowa St. 19.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 5.9 apg, 2.4 spg
Stinson is the all everything guard and another outstanding player on a disappointing team. He makes up half of the best backcourt in the Big 12 and one of the best in the country. Stinson scores in bunches, rebounds like a forward, and dishes out the assists like a true point guard. Stinson ranked near the top of the league in almost every category: scoring (third), field goal percentage (sixth, best among guards), assists (second), steals (second), assist/turnover (sixth), and minutes played (third). Stinson is the best NBA prospect at guard in the Big 12. He has an NBA body and the playground skills to excel at the next level. Don't be surprised to see him skip his senior season. A jump to the pros will force Stinson to develop a more consistent outside jump shot.
Brandon Rush 6'6" 207 Freshman Small Forward Kansas 15.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.9 apg
This one could have easily gone to Richard Roby from Colorado, but we had to pick one player from the second best team in the conference. Rush is an NBA sized guard with pro potential all over his game. He has a good mid range jumper and can take his man off the dribble. He was eighth in scoring and seventh in rebounding during the Big 12 season. He also shot a high percentage from the floor (48%). Rush's defense is solid and improving as well. He averaged nearly a block per game and ranked fourth in the Big 12 in defensive rebounds behind only fellow first teamers Tucker and Aldridge and Nebraska's Aleks Maric. Even as a freshman, Rush was a stabilizing force for the young Jayhawks and a sizable reason for their 13-3 conference mark. This is likely Rush's only college season. His defense must improve if he is to excel at the next level.
BON All Big XII 2nd Team
Richard Roby, Colorado
Cartier Martin, Kansas State
Joseph Jones, Texas A&M
Taj Gray, Oklahoma
Terrell Everett, Oklahoma
--AW--