My 2013-2014 All Big 12 Teams

Preseason All Big 12

Using my system from last year, here is my preseason all big 12.  This is more how I think the season will finish, but it works for preseason too.  Note, I followed last year’s example and included two freshmen on the first team, a transfer on the second and another freshman on the third.  The big 12 will continue to be impacted by one and done caliber freshmen and this season will be no different.  I slotted them based on the recruiting grades from ESPN.  Unfortunately, all are attending KU this year.  The transfer should once again come from ISU as Kane will fill up the stat sheet.  

Surprises

The big surprises are Marcus Smart and Isaiah Austin sticking around since they would have been top 5-10 draft picks last year.  Also affecting my list is the transfer of KSU guard Angel Rodriguez, a huge blow to their team, and would probably have been preseason all big 12 first team.  Farther down the list (not shown) were all the departures from UT.  Their program continues to get hit hard by players transferring out. 

Snubs

The lack of love for Kyan Anderson must be because he plays for the worst team in the conference.  TCU played hard for Trent Johnson last year, and should be improved this season.  This should help raise Anderson’s stature.

Breakouts

I’ve only been doing this for a year, so I’m not sure how many non-freshman, non-transfers break into the top 20 or so players in the Big XII.  Since my list was 50 people long at the end of last season, and only three of them aren’t represented above, they’d really have to come out of nowhere.  One such candidate would be Perry Ellis, listed as honorable mention preseason by the coaches.  I think Self hid him on the bench last year to keep him around (half joking) but with Kansas’ team, there’s a lot of hands and only one ball.  We’ll see who ends up with the stats at the end of the year. 

“Official” preseason All Big XII

Of the 12 players listed above, my top 6 matched 5 of theirs, and my top 12 had 10 of the same guys.  The ones I missed were Ellis (talked about above) and Elon Harris of WVU.  Don’t get that selection at all.  I guess he’s the best player on what might be the sixth best team in the Big 12?  He’s the inevitable preseason selection that disappoints come postseason awards.  The two that I had were Kyan Anderson (again, above) and DeAndre Kane.  To ISU fans, this was an obvious omission.  Kane put up big numbers in all three years at Marshall and should be the front runner for Newcomer of the Year this season.

For ISU

Last year, the Cyclones had four players make the All Big 12 teams, which is pretty impressive since only six were in serious rotation.  I’ve got three from ISU with postseason honors this year, however JUCO Hogue and freshmen Thomas and Morris are wildcards (as discussed in Breakouts) and should get enough minutes to find themselves on my big year end list.  If the team plays well enough to contend for the third spot, a fourth making the coaches’ All Big 12 squad again is likely.