A few quick thoughts. Kansas always represents better on my list in the conference season than in the non-conference. They won't get three people on the first team. Kelly Oubre is finally getting the minutes he should, and he's been playing well. But Frank Mason is their top scorer. It'll be a tight race between those two for the second KU player on the first team.
Monte might be a surprise, but he's leading the conference in assists, fourth in steals and leading the conference in minutes for a first place team. If he'd been on any all Big 12 team last year, I'd feel better about it.
The pre-season all Big 12 player Juwan Staten isn't found on my lists. He wasn't my preseason pick for underwhelmer of the year (Le'Bryan Nash was) but he'll have to step up his game to get in the post-season award conversation.
The freshmen have finally made an impact. Oubre is on my first team and Turner is on my second team. Neither of these guys made preseason teams. Both will make the first or second team at the end of the year.
My guess for underrated player is Rico Gathers. That kid is a beast. He'll continue to tear up teams.
Bryce Dejean-Jones is contributing in rebounds and steals. If he plays enough minutes, he should be able to contribute in points and assists, getting him at least to the second team. Right now, he's well behind TaShawn Thomas (an article for another day) for the newcomer of the year award.
Finally, Georges. At this point in the season, I've actually got him slightly better than he was at the end of last season, unfortunately, there are a lot of people bunched up between the second and third teams. Georges has picked up his scoring, as he needed to, and he's in the top 20 for rebounds. His assists have slipped, and that would get him close to the second team. In this league, you really need to make an impact in four, if not five, of the statistical categories of points, rebounds, steals, blocks and minutes, to get into the first team. Georges is currently only in the top of three. This conference, like all college basketball, is really built for guards to dominate. If he can step up his rebounding or assists, I see him as a second team all-Big 12 player.
This is interesting. I figured BDJ would drop and Morris would rise. I think Niang will get up on the 1st or 2nd team in name alone. It is voted on after all. I think if ISU wins the Big 12 Morris and Niang end up on the 1st team. Also, Thomas probably will get Newcomer of the Year in my opinion, but look out for McKay to make a push if he continues his ways. Its too bad he wasn't eligible right away.
ReplyDelete