All Conference Hoops

[TheRedSon]

I'll probably start looking into this this week. Right now I was curious who you all think our the most deserving from your own teams and why.

Marcus Smart and Markel Brown are OSU's best candidates.

Smart is the most exciting freshmen at OSU since 1986-87. He's on pace to set the school's record for steals (99). There is nothing he isn't at least average in, and he's well above that in most areas. He knows how to fill a boxscore, and he's doing it at point guard, which he didn't play until he arrived at OSU.

Brown has been OSU's most consistent scorer and leads the team. He plays solid defense, he's shooting about 45% from 3 in conference play, including 7-10 at Kansas and 7-8 at Tech in just the first half. Scored the winning shot in OT against Baylor.

 

[bobhertzel'ssweatpants]

Originally posted by TheRedSon:
I'll probably start looking into this this week. Right now I was curious who you all think our the most deserving from your own teams and why.

Marcus Smart and Markel Brown are OSU's best candidates.

Smart is the most exciting freshmen at OSU since 1986-87. He's on pace to set the school's record for steals (99). There is nothing he isn't at least average in, and he's well above that in most areas. He knows how to fill a boxscore, and he's doing it at point guard, which he didn't play until he arrived at OSU.

Brown has been OSU's most consistent scorer and leads the team. He plays solid defense, he's shooting about 45% from 3 in conference play, including 7-10 at Kansas and 7-8 at Tech in just the first half. Scored the winning shot in OT against Baylor.

We don't have any unfortunately. We do have a freshman that is going to be very good in future years. His name is Eron Harris (#10). He's a 2 guard & is only averaging 8.8 pts. for the season, but he didn't start playing a lot of minutes until half way through the season. In our last 10 games he's averaging around 12 points per game (our leading scorer during that time frame) & he's averaging 37.3% from 3 pt. range in those games, which is pretty good for a true freshman.

He disappeared in our last game against Kansas State because of bad officiating. He was called for a couple of fouls early & had to set the bench for most of the first half. Then he got called for a 3rd foul early in the 2nd half on a great acting job by a Kansas State player. Then we finally put him back in late in the game & another flop by a Kansas State player results in a technical foul & he was disqualified (2 fouls at once because of the technical). So our leading scorer over the past 10 games only got 8 minutes in that game. We had no shot to win because of that (not that we would have won anyway, but that pretty much took away the suspense).

 

[LibertyvilleHawk]

For KU, Withey and McLemore would be among my first team selections, with Releford on the second team. I would also support Kevin Young for honorable mention, as he's been a key contributor to many of our conference wins.

First Team
>Withey
>McLemore
>McGruder(KSU)
>Smart(OSU)
>Osby(OU)

Second Team
>Releford
>Pledger(OU)
>Rodriquez(KSU)
>Brown (OSU)
>Jackson(Baylor)

Honorable Mention
>Young, K
>Southwell (KSU)
>Nash (OSU)
>ISU (pick 2)

Based on my observations, I would not honor any player from Texas, WVU, Tech or TCU. If you think that's incorrect please share your thoughts.

 

[amath13]

Originally posted by LibertyvilleHawk:
Based on my observations, I would not honor any player from Texas, WVU, Tech or TCU. If you think that's incorrect please share your thoughts.

Can't speak for Texas, Tech or TCU, but definitely no one on WVU's roster. We don't have anyone that is averaging in double figures in scoring for the first time since the 40's. And before someone says 'the Big 12 exposed us' that's nonsense. Even if you thought the Big East was overrated, it has at least been as good if not better than the Big 12 in most seasons since we have been playing there. We just have a terrible team this year & we would have been terrible in any league. McLemore is the real deal though. Hope he turns pro after this season.

 

[TheRedSon]

Nobody thinks the Big 12 exposed West Virginia in basketball. I do think it's a much better basketball conference than West Virginia fans seemed to anticipate though. Generally speaking, I think teams that succeed in the Big 12 can and would succeed in any conference. I also think West Virginia will do fine in the future here. There is no reason, long term, they cannot compete on the same level they did in the Big East.

 

[amath13]

Originally posted by TheRedSon:
Nobody thinks the Big 12 exposed West Virginia in basketball. I do think it's a much better basketball conference than West Virginia fans seemed to anticipate though. Generally speaking, I think teams that succeed in the Big 12 can and would succeed in any conference. I also think West Virginia will do fine in the future here. There is no reason, long term, they cannot compete on the same level they did in the Big East.

No, I warned other WVU fans about that coming into the season. I think they believed just because we played in the Big East (where it would usually go 8-10 deep into the NCAA tourney), it would be easier in the Big 12. It doesn't work like that. First of all, there is just as much talent at the top teams in the Big 12 as there is in the Big East. Secondly you have to play everyone twice home/away in the Big 12, while in the Big East you would get matched up with 3 opponents home & away & everyone else you just played once. So it actually evened out in terms of how many games we played against teams in the top 50/60 during conference play. There really isn't all that much difference imo. We just sucked really bad this year. If we were still in the Big East, we would likely be playing today as one of the bottom 4 teams that have to open up on the first day. As it is, we are one of the bottom 4 teams in the Big 12 that has to open up on the first day. I will say this - I never thought a Bob Huggins coached team would be this bad. NEVER. Guess that goes to show you that even the best coaches can screw it up sometimes.
This post was edited on 3/12 5:00 PM by amath13

 

[TheRedSon]

First Team

Ben McLemore - G - Kansas
Jeff Withey - C - Kansas
Rodney McGruder - G - Kansas State
Romero Osby - F - Oklahoma
Marcus Smart - G - Oklahoma State

McLemore, Withey, Osby and Smart were all easy selections. Each is the best player at his position in the conference. McGruder surprised me a bit. I don't feel like he seperated himself any from Will Clyburn or Markel Brown, and his inclusion here means the conference leader in both points and assists is left out. Personally, I thought B12 POY was a four man race between McLemore, Withey, Smart and Pierre Jackson. Jackson getting left out is surprising to me.

 

[TheRedSon]

Second Team

Pierre Jackson - G - Baylor
Will Clyburn - G - Iowa State
Travis Releford - G - Kansas
Angel Rodriguez - G - Kansas State
Markel Brown - G - Oklahoma State

This one annoys me. Jackson, Clyburn and Brown could have all been first team selections without anyone taking issue (unless you're a K-State fan I guess). Why include two more guards in the second team though? Is this just strictly based on votes? I would rather have seen Melvin Ejim and Corey Jefferson here and it actually look like a real roster. I mean no disrespect to Releford or Rodriguez when I say that. I think this has as much to do with them being the next best player on the two best teams as anything though.

 

[TheRedSon]

Third Team

Isaiah Austin - C - Baylor
Melvin Ejim - F - Iowa State
Amath M'baye - F - Oklahoma
Steven Pledger - G - Oklahoma
Le'Bryan Nash - F/G - Oklahoma State

Ejim should have been on the second team. He's the third best big in the conference.

Pledger is fine here, although I'd rather see that spot given to Releford and have a balanced second and third team.

I think it's hilarious that the Big 12 listed Nash as a F/G. It's like they realize how screwed up these selections are so they needed another guard on the third team. Nash never played the 1 or 2 positions this year. Whenever we played a 3 guard lineup he moved to the 4. He's an F, period. Further, I don't think he belongs on this list over Cory Jefferson (who would be the second best player on it) and is no more deserving than Georges Niang.

I could repeat that last sentence for M'Baye and Austin both. All three are fairly inefficient offensive players. Nash probably the best on offense, but the worst on defense.

Also, I think it would have been nice for Tyrus McGee to get a nod here. He is, probably, the 7th or 8th best guard in the conference. Arguably better than Releford, Rodriguez and Pledger. He lead the conference in points/40 I think. He just happened to play the same position on the same team as one of the three/four best at his position (Clyburn).

 

[TheRedSon]

Honorable Mention

Cory Jefferson - F - Baylor
Korie Lucious - G - Iowa State
Tyrus McGee - G - Iowa State
Elijah Johnson - G - Kansas
Shane Southwell - G - Kansas State
Michael Cobbins - F - Oklahoma State
Jaye Crockett - something - Texas Tech
Eron Harris - West Virginia
Deniz Kilicli - West Virginia

I liked watching Kilicli play this year. I really don't have much else to say about the last three names on that list though. I guess?

Jefferson - I'd have put him on the second team, so yeah. He belongs.

Lucious - If you don't count Kobongo, and we obviously didn't, he's the fourth best PG, so solid selection.

McGee - Solid selection. Would have been fine with him on the third team.

Johnson - Blah. He had some good games, but honestly, trade him out for Lucious and Kansas probably doesn't lose a game in conference. I like Grooms better too. I think we did a pretty good job of avoiding of the proverbial nod to Kansas if he was all the way down at honorable mention though. Young would have been more deserving.

Shane Southwell - OK. Third best player on the second best team... Bigger counting numbers than Babb or Walton... It's a decent selection.

Mihael Cobbins - This is the one that surprised me in a good way. Cobbins doesn't produce big numbers at all except in blocks. His rebounding is fine, but unspectacular. What he does best is defense, and I think he does it well enough to warrant a shout out. I'd have said too high had they named him third team though. I do think George's Niang deserves to be here just as much, but it's nice to see Cobbins get the nod over an equal player that might have sexier stats on the surface.

Left out - Niang, Babb, Walton, Young and I guess we just didn't know what to do with Kobongo so we did nothing.

Fine either way - Jurick (lead Big 12 in rebounds/40), Grooms/Hield, Gathers, Clark, Fitzgerald, Tharpe.

Jurick provides quite a bit as a starter in limited minutes.

I thought at least one OU PG should get a mention. Pick whichever.

The last names there are just the best bench players in the conference. Clearly not as good as McGee, but better than a lot of starters.

Surprised but glad he didn't make it - Forte - 11 points a game nearly, but just not very good most of conference play.