Texas Tech

Texas Tech 2010 NIT Preview

Joel Welser — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:06:27 -0400

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Big 12 Conference (17-15, 4-12)

Seed: #5

Big Wins: 12/3 Washington (99-92), 1/3 UTEP (86-78), 2/6 Oklahoma State (81-74)

Bad Losses: 12/19 at Wichita State (83-85), 2/27 at Nebraska (79-83), 3/6 at Colorado (90-101)

Coach: Pat Knight

Why They Can Surprise:

Texas Tech has four big time scorers who can explode at any time. Mike Singletary is the best of the bunch, but it is three players on the perimeter who have turned around this team and made them relatively competitive in a tough Big 12 Conference. And the backcourt starts with point guard John Roberson. When Roberson is not setting up his teammates with one of his 5.6 assists per game, he is scoring himself. Roberson knocks down about two three-pointers per game, but he is also a superb scorer around the basket.

Junior college transfer David Tairu has been a pleasant surprise for the Red Raiders. He is shooting 45.8 percent from long range and averages 9.5 points per contest. While his numbers have become much more inconsistent during conference play, Tairu is always a threat to put up points in a hurry and will provide a nice spark off the bench. Nick Okorie is the more consistent option. Okorie spent some time at the same junior college as Tairu, but he played at Texas Tech last year and that year of experience in the system has been very helpful. Both of those players could come off the bench in favor of 6-6 forward Brad Reese who is a versatile athlete.

Why They Can Disappoint:

The reason for starting another forward is to help out on the glass where the Red Raiders are pretty bad. Darko Cohadarevic is the usual starter at the five spot and averages a steady 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. D’Walyn Roberts is a strong rebounder as well and, along with Reese, a decent shot blocker. Theron Jenkins and Robert Lewandowski are both experienced big men who play around ten minutes per game and will do what they can to help out on the glass and play some decent defense. Yet, the Red Raiders cannot afford to get outrebounded as often as they do. They have plenty of depth in the frontcourt and plenty of size on the perimeter with Singletary, but they need to find the toughness to hit the glass and play better defense if they expect to make a tournament run.

Who To Watch:

Singletary is the dominate force on this team. He is the best rebounder and scorer on the roster and he will even block some shots, grab some steals and dish out some assists. Singletary will often score 20 or more points in a game and when he does, Texas Tech usually wins. If Singletary is having an off day, which does happen, his team will make an early exit.

Probable Starters:

John Roberson, Junior, Guard, 14.7 ppg, 5.6 apg

Nick Okorie, Senior, Guard, 11.0 ppg, 1.9 apg

Mike Singletary, Junior, Forward, 14.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.3 apg

D’Walyn Roberts, Junior, Forward, 6.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.3 bpg

Darko Cohadarevic, Senior, Forward, 6.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Theron Jenkins, Junior, Forward, 3.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg

Robert Lewandowski, Sophomore, Forward, 2.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg

Brad Reese, Junior, Forward, 7.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg

David Tairu, Junior, Guard, 9.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 76.4 (38^th in nation, 6^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 76.4 (319, 12)

Field-Goal Percentage: 43.9 (153, 10)

Field-Goal Defense: 43.3 (184, 9)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.6 (231, 12)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.6 (45, 5)

Free-Throw Percentage: 71.6 (83, 5)

Rebound Margin: -2.9 (277, 11)

Assists Per Game: 14.1 (95, 8)

Turnovers Per Game: 13.7 (167, 8)

Joel’s Bracket Says: First Round loss to Seton Hall

Follow Joel Welser's Postseason Capsules & College Basketball Previews on Twitter@Joel_Welser and on his Facebook page. Joel will be back in June for his annual Top 144 Teams in 144 Days preview on CollegeHoops.net

Poll: Who Will Win the Big 12 Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:17:10 -0500

Cheerleader of the Day: Texas Tech

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:23:49 -0500

Each day (just about), CollegeHoops.net features a Cheerleader (or Dancer) of the Day. Today's picture is courtesy of Icon Sports Media. Check out the archive for more

-- TEXAS TECH

More Cheerleaders!
>>		>>		>>			..All

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

- Watch all of CHN's favorite College Basketball Videos!

College Hoops Tuesday Recap: Boilermakers Win in East Lansing

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:33:54 -0500

The wisdom of many (myself included) was that it would be near impossible for Tom Izzo's Spartans to lose a third consecutive game, regardless of whether or not Kalin Lucas was at full strength. Well, Purdue showed just how flawed that thinking was, using a 15-4 first-half run to take the lead for good and surviving a Michigan State rally to win 76-64 at the Breslin Center. E'Twaun Moore led the way with a game-high 25 points, including a crucial three to answer a Chris Allen bucket that cut Purdue's lead to 65-62 with just over four minutes remaining. From their the Boilermakers allowed just two more points in putting the game away, dropping the Spartans into a tie for first place in the Big Ten with Illinois.

"He [Moore] is a very confident player and when he lets the game come to him he can quietly score 25 points," said Purdue head coach Matt Painter after the game. "He made some big plays tonight and some big shots. He has worked on his game and has come a long way, which has put him in a good position (quote courtesy of msuspartans.com)."

JaJuan Johnson added nineteen and Robbie Hummel fifteen in the win, which moved Purdue to within a half-game of the Spartans with the rematch in West Lafayette on February 27th. Getting out to the 47-33 lead at the half was huge for Purdue, who looked more like the team some expected to make a run at the Final Four earlier in the season, because they didn't execute as well while the Spartans made their run. But just as important as having the ability to put together solid margins is to have a player (or players) who can make things happen offensively when the team needs a crucial bucket.

And if Tuesday's finish is a sign of anything it's that Purdue has that man in E'Twaun Moore. "We got it down to three and E'Twaun Moore hit a tough shot behind that ball screen and that's what they do and that's the way he plays and he played well," said Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. As for Michigan State, who next plays at Penn State, they need to find consistent production from Raymar Morgan and Durrell Summers if they're to remain the favorite in the Big Ten as well as make a run in the NCAA Tournament.

Three Key Happenings

1. Go ahead and write Illinois into the NCAA Tournament...in pencil. It's too early to refer to Bruce Weber's team as a lock for the Big Dance but they took one giant leap in that direction, beating Wisconsin in Madison 63-56 to move into a tie for first place. Demetri McCamey (27 points) and Mike Tisdale (19) led the way for an offense that made 53.3% of its shots while defensively limiting Wisconsin to 35.7%. In the second half the Badgers, who were led by 15 points from Jason Bohanon, made just 25.8% of their field goals and whenever they made a run either McCamey or Tisdale would answer. In fact, how well the Illini fair the rest of the season will likely depend on McCamey's play.

"Every time he does something good and you compliment him, he seems to go back to his old ways," remarked Illinois head coach Bruce Weber after the game. "He had a slow start and some turnovers and some bad decisions and then he got clicking and had a great finish to the half. He did some big time things throughout the game; he's really playing like we've wanted to (quote courtesy of uwbadgers.com)." With guard play being such a vital component it should be seen as a sign that Illinois has a realistic chance to win the Big Ten.

2. Texas Tech remains alive on the bubble while likely ending Oklahoma's hopes. Neither team in Norman was going to sew up an NCAA berth with a win but a loss would be devastating to either squad. And after the Red Raiders' 72-71 win in Norman they've kept their hopes alive. Oklahoma was able to cut the lead to three on a couple of occasions but the Red Raiders were able to hold them off, sweeping the regular season and surpassing a team that beat Texas Saturday in the Big 12 pecking order. John Roberson led all scorers with 22 points while Tommy Mason-Griffin scored 16 for the Sooners. But when three of your four starting guards don't shoot well from the field you're going to be punished, as Oklahoma was on this night.

Willie Warren, Mason-Griffin and Cade Davis combined to shoot 11-for-35 from the field, and when you're on a team that lacks consistent bench scoring you need something from all major contributors in order to entertain thoughts of winning games like this as well as remaining a competitive out in games against ranked opponents. This is a lesson the Sooners are likely to remember next season while Texas Tech picked up a crucial road win before taking on a treacherous foursome in Texas A&M, Baylor, Texas and Kansas State.

3. Tennessee's in more trouble than some may think. It's bad enough to lose in Nashville given the Commodores' recent triumphs at Memorial Gym but Bruce Pearl's teams wasn't particularly competitive in their 90-71 loss. Jeffrey Taylor scored a game-high 26 points and Jermaine Beal added twenty as Vandy made 47.1% of their shots on the night. Those numbers simply underline the Volunteers' recent defensive struggles (on the road their defense is similar to what Clemson's press does away from Littlejohn Coliseum) and if they don't correct this area Tennessee is going to be a rather quick out come March.

How can Tennessee improve defensively? One solution is to simply get tougher, especially on the boards. The Commodores were a plus-9 in rebounding margin and Coach Pearl alluded to that in his postgame press conference. "They are physical; they did a great job on the boards. They particular did great on the offensive end. They were more physical than us, they were tougher than us (quote courtesy of vucommodores.com)." Outside of Scotty Hopson (8-12 FG) the Volunteers didn't shoot well from the field and finished with just one less turnovers than the Commodores. And things could become worse before they get better with a trip to Lexington next up for the Vols. Finesse is fine but every once in a while a team needs to throw its weight around.

Top Three Games

1. Vermont 76, Boston University 75 The Catamounts needed an Evan Fjeld layup with 9.4 seconds remaining to move into sole possession of second place in America East. John Holland led the Terriers with 29 points and seven rebounds but Vermont's Marqus Blakely was just as important with 21 points, 12 rebounds three assists and two blocks.

2. Texas Tech 72, Oklahoma 71 See above.

3. Houston 74, Western Kentucky 72 Aubrey Coleman led the Cougars to a road win with 29 points and 11 rebounds, but the game was decided on a technical foul called on WKU head coach Ken McDonald after a foul was called with two tenths of a second to go. Kelvin Lewis made both free throws to provide the final margin. Sergio Kerusch led the Hilltoppers with 19 points.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Tommy Freeman (Ohio) Freeman made eleven of fifteen from the field, scoring thirty points in the Bobcats' 90-74 win over Western Michigan.

2. G Aubrey Coleman (Houston) Coleman accounted for another double-double with 29 points and 11 rebounds in the Cougars' 74-72 win over Western Kentucky.

3. Evansville and Tennessee-Martin These two teams get a special nod due to them both picking up their first conference wins of the season. The Aces knocked off Wichita State 65-62 while the Skyhawks beat Southeast Missouri State 73-70.

College Hoops Tuesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:09:44 -0500

Tuesday sets up to be an intriguing evening, complete with some important non-conference games along with conference play in some leagues getting underway. The Big Ten will have its first conference games on Tuesday with title contender Purdue visiting an Iowa team that looks to be the worst in the conference. But Iowa City is a dangerous place to visit so expect Matt Painter's squad to be completely focused on this one instead of looking ahead to their home game against West Virginia on Friday. And speaking of the Moutaineers, they'll be back home in Morgantown looking to move to 2-0 in Big East play against a Marquette squad that can surprise some people this season.

The Missouri Valley also begins league play on Tuesday and there are some very good games on that slate. Illinois State host Wichita State in a game matching two preseason contenders while early-season surprise Indiana State heads to Carbondale to take on Southern Illinois. And Northern Iowa will visit a Creighton squad that hasn't lived up to expectations thus far. But the start of league play can serve as a revival of sorts; the slate is wiped clean at this point and you never know what can happen once the foes become all the more familiar.

As for non-conference games that may have an impact down the line, look no further than Xavier hosting LSU and Texas Tech visiting New Mexico. The Lobos really could use another good non-conference victory before they begin Mountain West play but given the overall start of the conference Steve Alford's crew may not be in serious trouble provided they take care of business within the league. But the Musketeers and Tigers will engage in a game that could me a lot more come March; both teams need a quality win on their resumes but at least Chris Mack's squad has one Top 25 scalp (Cincinnati) to its credit. These kinds of opportunities are the ones that can push over the top on Selection Sunday...or be the losses that you point to after not seeing your name on the TV screen.

TV GAMES

7p ESPN2 Hartford at Kentucky
7p ESPNU LSU at Xavier
7p BTN Purdue at Iowa
9p ESPN2 Penn State at Minnesota
9p ESPNU Belmont at Kansas
9p CBS-College Texas Tech at New Mexico

OTHER GAMES

4p Cornell at La Salle
6p Morgan St at Eastern Kentucky
7p Marquette at West Virginia
7p Long Beach St at Duke
7:30p Air Force at UTEP
8p Pacific at Oklahoma St
8p Louisiana Tech at Houston
8:05p Indiana St at Southern Illinois
8:05p Wichita St at Illinois St
9p Syracuse at Seton Hall

ONE PREDICTION

Xavier over LSU: LSU has a solid trio in Bo Spencer, Tasmin Mitchell and Storm Warren but the Musketeers can counter that with their own solid rotation. Dante Jackson and Jason Love have been solid, and if Jordan Crawford can make plays without forcing the issue Xavier is a tough team to knock off. Look for that team to show up at the Cintas Center, which is one of the toughest places in which to win a road game.

Bracketology: New Mexico &Texas Tech Jump

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:56:10 -0500

The weekly Bracketology field is based on how the tourney looks "as of this moment." My weekly Bracketology updates are usually released later on Mondays. In late February into March, I release Bracketology updates daily as the season approaches crunch time.

Why should you care what I have to say? Did you know in 2007 & 2008, I was considered to have one of the Top 2 or 3 brackets amongst 53 national experts including Joe Lunardi, Gary Parrish and the like. (Admittedly my 2009 final bracket was rather weak.. not sure what happened. Can't win 'em all.)

Notes:

Arrows indicate movement by seed. Green indicates new to the field this week. Conference champions are not my end of season predictions, but the current RPI leader at the time of the posting (this switches to conference record once all leagues have started.)

ONE

Kansas

Texas

Kentucky**

Purdue**

TWO

Duke**

THREE

Michigan State

FOUR

FIVE

Gonzaga

Ole Miss

New Mexico**

Texas A&M

SIX

Texas Tech

SEVEN

Memphis

Butler**

EIGHT

UNLV

Oklahoma St

Miami

Temple**

NINE

Illinois

Seton Hall

Dayton

Florida State

TEN

Northwestern

Tulsa**

St. John's

Missouri State**

ELEVEN

Baylor

BYU

Charlotte

St. Mary's**

TWELVE

California

Vanderbilt

William & Mary**

Siena**

THIRTEEN

Western Carolina**

Cornell**

Nevada**

Western Kentucky**

FOURTEEN

Eastern Michigan**

Northern Colorado**

Long Beach St**

UTSA**

FIFTEEN

Belmont**

Coastal Carolina**

Oakland**

Austin Peay*

SIXTEEN + ONE

Army**

Morgan St**

Vermont**

Sacred Heart** / Texas Southern**

** = Automatic Bid

League Leaders/Winners (31)

- Leaders throughout the season are merely the first place team in the standings as of the update, and not projected winners. Up until conference play begins, 1st place is given to the highest RPI team. New teams this week in green.

America East - Vermont

A-10 - Temple

ACC - Duke

Atlantic Sun - Belmont

Big 12 - Kansas St

Big East - West Virginia

Big Sky - Northern Colorado

Big South - Coastal Carolina

Big Ten - Purdue

Big West - Long Beach St

CAA - William & Mary

Conference USA - Tulsa

Horizon - Butler

Ivy - Cornell

MAAC - Siena

MAC - Eastern Michigan

MEAC - Morgan St

MVC - Missouri St

MWC - New Mexico

Northeast - Sacred Heart

Ohio Valley - Austin Peay

Pac-10 - Washington

Patriot - Army

SEC - Kentucky

Southern - Western Carolina

Southland - UTSA

SWAC - Texas Southern

Summit - Oakland

Sun Belt - Western Kentucky

WAC - Nevada

WCC - St. Mary's

*** = Locked Up Automatic Bid

Last In: BYU, Charlotte, California, Vanderbilt

Last Out: Minnesota, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Xavier

Further Four: Northern Iowa, Wake Forest, Richmond, Mississippi St

Dropped Out Of Field (at-large): Notre Dame

College Basketball: Top 25 Commentary

Matthew Ryter — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:32:11 -0500

The Story: Kansas and Texas remain in the top two spots as the AP and Coaches’ poll agree on the top 5 teams in the land. Kansas received all 31 first place votes in the Coaches’ poll and landed 62 out of 65 first place votes in the AP poll. Texas (No. 2), Villanova (No. 3), and Syracuse (No.6/7) each received one first place vote in the AP poll. Kentucky is No. 4 in both polls after beating its toughest test, North Carolina, 68-66. The Tarheels fall to No. 10/11 after taking the loss at Rupp Arena. Purdue rounds out the top 5 with wins over Wake Forest and Buffalo this week. Washington (No. 17/16) dropped a few spots this week after losing a thriller in overtime at Texas Tech. Wisconsin (No.20/23) got a huge win and some respect by beating Duke this week in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Joining Wisconsin as newcomers in this week’s AP poll are Texas Tech (No. 23), Georgia Tech (No. 24), and Mississippi (No. 25). Three guards were out as Louisville got blown out at home by Charlotte and drop from both polls this week. Clemson, Florida State, and Portland all fell from the AP poll and California was dropped out of the Coaches’ poll. Previously unranked Vanderbilt is now No. 25 in the Coaches’ poll.

This Week's Polls: AP & Coaches

Ryter’s Block: Where’s the love for Texas Tech in the Coaches’ poll? The Red Raiders have the most votes out of any unranked team in the Coaches’ poll, but I thought after that win against Washington that they would have cracked the rankings in both polls. No one expected this team to start the season off 8-0; they should be rewarded for that. UNLV, who last week were ranked for the first time in December since 1992, picked up a huge road double overtime victory over Arizona. If they can beat Kansas State at home this Saturday, they will continue to climb in both polls. Another team in the Mountain West that should not be overlooked is New Mexico. The Lobos beat California and if they beat Texas A&M this week, should be ranked in next week’s polls. Florida and Duke should switch rankings in the AP poll. I realize that Duke lost on the road to a tough Wisconsin team; however Florida is 8-0 and has beaten Michigan State this year. At the very least, Florida should be ranked ahead of North Carolina in the Coaches’ Poll.

Can Ohio State win with Evan Turner out? Here are some game’s to look out for this week…

Tuesday, December 8

#22 Butler vs. #15 Georgetown

Wednesday, December 9

#4 Kentucky vs. #14 Connecticut

Thursday, December 10

#7 Syracuse vs. #10 Florida

Saturday, December 12

#15 Georgetown at #16 Washington

#13 Ohio State at #22 Butler

Who will come out on top this week? How do you think the Buckeyes will perform without Evan Turner?

Texas Tech Announces Three Signings

Press Release — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:42:02 -0500

Just after winning three games in three days, the Texas Tech men's basketball program has signed three players to National Letters of Intent. The new Red Raiders hail from Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. Two will enter Texas Tech as freshmen and one will be a Red Raider junior for the 2010-2011 season.

Jamel Outler, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard from Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas, will enter Texas Tech next season as a freshman. He was Coach Knight's first commitment in the 2010 recruiting class. As a Cardinal junior, Jamel averaged over 14 points per game. Last season, Scout.com ranked him as a two-star recruit. Jamel commented, "Coach Knight knows what we go through as players and was honest and straightforward with me about playing for him."

The second high school signee, Javarez Willis, originally committed to Texas Tech last spring but did not meet NCAA academic requirements in time to enroll in the 2009 freshman class. Instead, he elected to pursue a postgraduate year at Christian Life Center Academy. He will arrive on the Tech campus as a freshman with four years of eligibility. As a senior at Dallas Pinkston High School, Javarez averaged 14.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

After his visit to Lubbock, Javarez said, "I felt like Texas Tech was home." Paul Cooper, a 6-foot-8, 280-pound forward from Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Florida is the third Red Raider signee. As a freshman, the Auburndale, Florida native played a reserve role and averaged 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 58 percent from the field. This season, the Commodores are 4-0 and look to improve on their 24-9 record last season with Paul seeing much more time on the court.

To be successful as a Red Raider, Paul commented, "I have to do what I always do, rebound, play physical, and block shots."

-- http://www.texastech.com

Big 12 Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:38:45 -0500
While Kansas may be too much for the rest of the Big 12 too handle, no league features as many intriguing individual stars (young & old) on a nightly basis. Arguably the best conference in the country.

Conference Rank: 2nd

10 year average: 5th

Big 12 Page

All-BIG 12 Team

Pos.

Player

Team

Yr.

G

Sherron Collins

Kansas

Sr

G

Willie Warren

Oklahoma

So

G

James Anderson

Oklahoma St

Jr

F

Craig Brackins

Iowa State

Jr

C

Cole Aldrich

Kansas

Jr

Second Team

G

Denis Clemente

Kansas St

Sr

G

Avery Bradley

Texas

Fr

G

Xavier Henry

Kansas

Fr

F

Damion James

Texas

Sr

C

Bryan Davis

Texas A&M

Sr

Player of the Year - Sherron Collins

Freshman of the Year - Avery Bradley

CHN Award Winners
Returning Leaders

CHN All-Americans

Cole Aldrich (1st Team)

Sherron Collins (1st)

Willie Warren (3rd)

James Anderson (4th)

Craig Brackins (4th)

Avery Bradley

Denis Clemente

Damion James

All-Freshman Team

Avery Bradley (1st)

Xavier Henry (1st)

Keith Gallon (2nd)

Jordan Hamilton (3rd)

Tommy Mason-Griffin (3rd)

Wally Judge

Points:

Craig Brackins 20.2

Rebounds:

Cole Aldrich 11.1

Assists:

John Roberson 6.4

Team:

Missouri 81.5

Big 12 Standings

Nat'l

Team

League

Tourney

1 Kansas Big 12 1 NCAA

5 Texas Big 12 2 NCAA

25 Kansas State Big 12 3 NCAA

29 Texas A&M Big 12 4 NCAA

35 Oklahoma State Big 12 5 NCAA

37 Oklahoma Big 12 6 NCAA

49 Missouri Big 12 7 NCAA

58 Baylor Big 12 8 NIT

77 Iowa State Big 12 9 NIT

107 Nebraska Big 12 10 CBI/CIT

130 Texas Tech Big 12 11

170 Colorado Big 12 12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Big 12?

Other Big 12 Content

Big 12 Fantasy Stats Preview

Big 12: Top 25 Players

Big 12: Five Year Ranking l

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Big 12 Basketball: Top 25 Players

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:42:19 -0500

Ranking players is more art then science. How do you compare the potential of freshmen with seniors who have already peaked? How much does physical talent come into play versus intangibles and experience? How big a role do numbers play?

In some situations, the bigger challenge is deciding what position to list a player. College basketball is filled with combo guards, wings who can play from the 2 to 4, centers who are really power forwards, and so on.

All of these questions make lists like this fun and debatable.. if you disagree with CHN's rankings, post what you think below.

BIG 12

PG
1. Sherron Collins - Kansas
2. Denis Clemente - Kansas State
3. Tommy Mason-Griffin - Oklahoma
4. Donald Sloan - Texas A&M
5. John Roberson - Texas Tech

SG
1. James Anderson - Oklahoma State
2. Willie Warren - Oklahoma
3. LaceDarius Dunn - Baylor
4. Cory Higgins - Colorado
5. Avery Bradley - Texas

- This is a talented set of guards overall. Warren might be the best pro prospect of the bunch, but he's still improving. Collins is one of the front-runners for national Player of the Year. Higgins is an underrated performer for Colorado.

SF
1. Damion James - Texas
2. Mike Singletary - Texas Tech
3. Obi Muonelo - Oklahoma State
4. Kim English - Missouri
5. Marqus Gilstrap - Iowa State

PF
1. Craig Brackins - Iowa State
2. Marcus Morris - Kansas
3. Gary Johnson - Texas
4. Keith Gallon - OKlahoma
5. Jamar Samuels - Kansas State

C
1. Cole Aldrich - Kansas
2. Dexter Pittman - Texas
3. Bryan Davis - Texas A&M
4. Ekpe Udoh - Baylor
5. Christopher Niemann - Nebraska

- Compared to some other leagues, the Big 12's big man crop is impressive, though the wing position isn't quite as strong. Freshman Jordan Hamilton of Texas might have more pure talent then any other SF in the league, but it might take him time to become a top-level performer.

-- SEC Top 25 Players

-- Pac-10 Top 25 Players

-- Big Ten Top 25 Players

-- Big East Top 25 Players

G	Sherron Collins	Kansas	Sr
G	Willie Warren	Oklahoma	So
G	James Anderson	Oklahoma St	Jr
F	Craig Brackins	Iowa State	Jr
C	Cole Aldrich	Kansas	Jr
Second Team
G	Denis Clemente	Kansas St	Sr
G	Avery Bradley	Texas	Fr
G	Xavier Henry	Kansas	Fr
F	Damion James	Texas	Sr
C	Bryan Davis	Texas A&M	Sr

Player of the Year - Sherron Collins Freshman of the Year - Avery Bradley
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Cole Aldrich (1st Team) Sherron Collins (1st) Willie Warren (3rd) James Anderson (4th) Craig Brackins (4th) Avery Bradley Denis Clemente Damion James All-Freshman Team Avery Bradley (1st) Xavier Henry (1st) Keith Gallon (2nd) Jordan Hamilton (3rd) Tommy Mason-Griffin (3rd) Wally Judge		Points: Craig Brackins 20.2 Rebounds: Cole Aldrich 11.1 Assists: John Roberson 6.4 Team: Missouri 81.5

1	Kansas	Big 12	1	NCAA
5	Texas	Big 12	2	NCAA
25	Kansas State	Big 12	3	NCAA
29	Texas A&M	Big 12	4	NCAA
35	Oklahoma State	Big 12	5	NCAA
37	Oklahoma	Big 12	6	NCAA
49	Missouri	Big 12	7	NCAA
58	Baylor	Big 12	8	NIT
77	Iowa State	Big 12	9	NIT
107	Nebraska	Big 12	10	CBI/CIT
130	Texas Tech	Big 12	11
170	Colorado	Big 12	12