Mark Allan Peterson
Big12Hoops.com Managing Editor
Editor@Big12Hoops.com
Kansas and Texas lead the pre-season hype in the Big 12, but the bigger story is the depth of a conference that could send as many as 10 teams to the post-season with the current lineup of four post-season tournaments (NCAA, NIT, CollegeInsider.com and College Basketball Invitational).
Atop the conference sit Kansas and Texas, with KU's Sherron Collins as the overwhelming favorite for Big 12 Player of the Year. The 5-10 (depending on Collins' hair length) guard was an under-the-radar key player in the 2008 National Champion Jayhawk team.
Big-man Cole Aldrich and freshman Xavier Henry anchor one of the two deepest teams in the Big 12 (and the country) along with Texas. The Horns are steered by Damion James, a guy who excelled as a role player next to Kevin Durant, excelled as a number-two to D.J. Augustine, and a guy who will no doubt excell as the leader of a team co-acnhored by Dexter Pittman, also a member of that excellent recruiting class.
Willie Warren of Oklahoma and Craig Brackins of Iowa State are both All-American candidates, while Denis Clemente of Kansas State, James Anderson ok Oklahoma State, JT Tiller of Missouri and Donald Sloan of Texas A&M are among the best of the rest in this deep conference.
Check out CBSSports.com Men's Basketball page for Gary Parrish's preview of the Big 12. Here's a look at the pre-season picks according to Big12Hoops.com:
The NCAA Teams
Kansas
Texas
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Missouri
Texas A&M
Kansas State
On to the NIT
Iowa State
Baylor
Texas Tech
Other
None
Big 12 Player of the Year
Sherron Collins, Kansas
Big 12 Newcomer of the Year
Curtis Kelly, Kansas State
Big 12 Freshman of the Year
Avery Bradley, Texas
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
JT Tiller, Missouri
All-Big 12 First Team
Sherron Collins, Kansas
Cole Aldrich, Kansas
Damion James, Texas
Willie Warren, Oklahoma
Craig Brackins, Iowa State
All-Big 12 Second Team
James Anderson, OSU
Denis Clemente, Kansas State
Xavier Henry, Kansas
Avery Bradley, Texas
JT Tiller, Missouri
All-Big Freshman Team
Wally Judge, Kansas State
Xavier Henry, Kansas
Avery Bradley, Texas
Jordan Hamilton, Texas
Nolan Dennis, Baylor
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