Texas G Max Abmas named Preseason All-Big 12

On Thursday, the Big 12 announced the conference’s preseason awards and teams chosen by the league’s coaches with Texas Longhorns graduate Max Abmas named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Graduate forward Dylan Disu, junior guard Tyrese Hunter, and sophomore forward Dillon Mitchell all received honorable mention.

A transfer from Oral Roberts, Abmas is the NCAA career scoring leader (2,562) and career scoring average leader (20.8 ppg) following his four seasons with the Golden Eagles in addition to hitting at 38.8-percent from three and 88.1 percent at the free-throw line. In 2020-21, Abmas led Oral Roberts to the Sweet 16 as a sophomore while leading the nation in scoring (24.5 ppg) and ranking second nationally in three-point field goals made per game (3.6).

Disu, an Austin native who started his career at Vanderbilt, is still working his way back from the foot injury that ended a standout postseason run. In five postseason games, Disu averaged a team-best 17.8 ppg and a team-high 9.0 rpg while shooting 72.2-percent from the floor and 84.6-percent from the free-throw line, a stretch that included him being named the Most Outstanding Player in the Big 12 Championship.

Like Abmas and Disu, Hunter is a transfer who is now in his second season on the Forty Acres after leaving Iowa State. Last season, the athletic guard ranked second on the team in minutes (30.3 mpg), third in assists (96), fourth in scoring (10.3 ppg), and fifth in steals (31).

After going through the pre-draft process and considering a jump to the NBA, Mitchell is back for his sophomore season after leading the team in field-goal percentage (.636) and ranking third on the team in rebounding (3.9 rpg), second in offensive rebounds (52), and fifth in blocks (12).

The conference will release the Big 12 preseason poll on Friday before Texas officially launches its own preseason with the Orange-White scrimmage next Tuesday at 6 p.m. Central at Gregory Gym. On the following Monday, Texas hosts St. Edward’s at the Moody Center at 7 p.m. Central on Longhorn Network in an exhibition game. The season opener is on Nov. 6 against Incarnate Word at the Moody Center with the tip at 7 p.m. Central on Longhorn Network.