Sherman, Osabuohien and McNeil Earn All-Big 12 Honors
Please see the attached Big 12 release for the complete Big 12 men’s basketball awards. West Virginia’s Taz Sherman was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team. Forward Gabe Osabuohien was named to the All-Defensive Team and one of three Big 12 Defensive Players of the Year. Guard Sean McNeil received Big 12 Honorable Mention Honors.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Joni Lehmann
March 6, 2022 469.524.1022 / joni@Big12Sports.com
Men’s Basketball All-Big 12 Awards Announced
Irving, Texas - Ochai Agbaji was the unanimous selection in earning Kansas’ 11th Big 12 Player of the Year honor while Baylor’s Scott Drew collected his third-consecutive Big 12 Coach of the Year accolade in the 2021-22 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 men’s basketball awards, chosen by the head coaches.
For the first time in Conference history, three players tied for Defensive Player of the Year as Baylor’s Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, Oklahoma State’s Moussa Cisse and West Virginia’s Gabe Osabuohien shared the honor. Iowa State claimed first-year awards as Izaiah Brockington picked up Newcomer of the Year and Tyrese Hunter claimed Freshman of the Year. Kansas State’s Nijel Pack was voted as Most Improved Player while BU’s Jeremy Sochan was recognized with the Sixth Man Award.
The All-Big 12 First Team consisted of Agbaji, Brockington and Pack in addition to the Bears’ James Akinjo and Texas Tech’s Bryson Williams. Agbaji and Williams were unanimous selections.
Agbaji was the league’s leading scorer in overall (19.8 ppg) and conference games (19.65 ppg). He was third in all games in field goal percentage (.477/208-436), second in 3-point field goal percentage (.411/86-209), second in 3-pointers made per game (2.87) and seventh in free throw percentage (.767/92-120). The senior guard averaged more minutes per game (35.2) than any other Big 12 player and led the Conference with 17 20-point games. Agbaji was a four-time Big 12 Player of the Week this season.
Tchamwa Tchatchoua is fifth in the league with 6.8 rebounds per game. He averaged 8.4 points and had nine blocks and 17 steals before suffering a season-ending injury on February 12. Cisse is the Big 12’s top shot-blocker with 54 for an average of 1.86 per game. He is sixth in the Conference with 6.52 rebounds and also averages 7.2 points while connecting on 55.9 percent (80-143) of his field goal attempts. Osabuohien averages 5.0 points and 5.5 rebounds, good for 14th in the Conference. He also has 35 steals and 17 blocks.
In his first season with the Cyclones, Brockington ranks third in the Big 12 in both points (17.55) and rebounds (7.23). He is also fourth in field percentage (.469/207-441), sixth in free throw percentage (.773/99-128) and second in minutes played (34.63). The senior guard earned four Big 12 Player of the Week honors and two as the top Newcomer.
Hunter started all 31 of Iowa State’s games in his rookie campaign. He was second on the team in scoring (10.8 ppg) and led the squad in total assists (155) and steals (59). His 5.0 assist and 1.9 steals averages were third in the Big 12 while his assist/turnover ratio (1.58) was seventh.
Sophomore guard Pack leads the Wildcats in nearly every offensive category, including scoring (17.4 ppg), 30-point games (3), 20-point games (7) double-digit scoring games (27) and 3-point field goals made (92). He currently ranks 14th nationally and first in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals per game (3.29), while he is seventh in the nation and first in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.436/92-211).
True freshman Sochan is a key contributor off the bench for the Bears. Playing 24.4 minutes a game, he averages 8.7 points and 6.1 rebounds with totals of 45 assists, 34 steals and 18 blocks. His rebounding average is 10th in the Conference.
Drew has guided Baylor to a second-consecutive Big 12 regular season title, sharing this year’s crown with Kansas after both finished with 14-4 league records. The Bears are 26-5 overall and ranked No. 3 nationally in the AP Poll heading into the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship. BU is ranked fourth in the NET and its 11 Quad 1 wins are the most in the nation.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ochai Agbaji, Kansas, G, Sr.*
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, Baylor Moussa Cisse, Oklahoma State Gabe Osabuohien, West Virginia
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Izaiah Brockington, Iowa State, G, Sr.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Tyrese Hunter, Iowa State, G
SIXTH MAN AWARD
Jeremy Sochan, Baylor
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Nijel Pack, Kansas State, G, So.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Scott Drew, Baylor
All-Big 12 First Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
Hometown/Previous School(s)
James Akinjo, Baylor
G
6-1
190
Sr.
Oakland, Calif./Georgetown/Arizona
Izaiah Brockington, Iowa State
G
6-4
196
Sr.
Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan
Ochai Agbaji, Kansas*
G
6-5
215
Sr.
Kansas City, Mo./Oak Park
Nijel Pack, Kansas State
G
6-0
180
So.
Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central
Bryson Williams, Texas Tech*
F
6-8
240
Gr.
Fresno, Calif./UTEP
All-Big 12 Second Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
Hometown/Previous School(s)
Adam Flagler, Baylor
G
6-3
180
Jr.
Duluth, Ga./Duluth/Presbyterian
Christian Braun, Kansas
G
6-7
218
Jr.
Burlington, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest
Mike Miles Jr., TCU
G
6-2
195
So.
Highland Hills, Texas/Lancaster
Timmy Allen, Texas
F
6-6
210
Sr.
Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain
Taz Sherman, West Virginia
G
6-4
190
Sr.
Missouri City, Texas/Thurgood Marshall/Collin College
All-Big 12 Third Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
Hometown/Previous School(s)
David McCormack, Kansas
F
6-10
250
Sr.
Norfolk, Va./Oak Hill Academy
Jalen Wilson, Kansas
F
6-8
225
So.
Denton, Texas/John H. Guyer
Mark Smith, Kansas State
G
6-4
225
Sr.
Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville
Avery Anderson III, Oklahoma State
G
6-3
170
Jr.
Justin, Texas/Northwest
Marcus Carr, Texas
G
6-2
190
Sr.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Montverde Academy (Fla.)
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Listed alphabetically by school)
Matthew Mayer (Baylor), Jeremy Sochan (Baylor), Dajuan Harris Jr. (Kansas), Markquis Nowell (K-State), Umoja Gibson (Oklahoma), Jordan Goldwire (Oklahoma), Tanner Groves (Oklahoma), Elijah Harkless (Oklahoma), Damion Baugh (TCU), Emanuel Miller (TCU), Christian Bishop (Texas), Andrew Jones (Texas), Courtney Ramey (Texas), Adonis Arms (Texas Tech), Kevin McCullar (Texas Tech), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech), Marcus Santos-Silva (Texas Tech), Sean McNeil (West Virginia)
Big 12 All-Defensive Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
Hometown/Previous School(s)
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, Baylor
F
6-8
245
Jr.
Douala, Cameroon/NBA Global Academy (Australia)/UNLV
Dajuan Harris Jr., Kansas
G
6-1
170
So.
Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge
Markquis Nowell, Kansas State
G
5-8
160
Jr.
Harlem, N.Y./St. Patrick
Moussa Cisse, Oklahoma State
F
7-0
225
So
Conakry, Guinea/Memphis
Gabe Osabuohien, West Virginia
F
6-7
240
Sr.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada/SW Christian Academy/Arkansas
Big 12 All-Newcomer Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
Hometown/Previous School(s)
James Akinjo, Baylor
G
6-1
190
Sr.
Oakland, Calif./Georgetown/Arizona
Izaiah Brockington, Iowa State
G
6-4
196
Sr.
Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan
Mark Smith, Kansas State
G
6-4
225
Sr.
Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville
Timmy Allen, Texas
F
6-6
210
Sr.
Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain
Bryson Williams, Texas Tech*
F
6-8
240
Gr.
Fresno, Calif./UTEP
Big 12 All-Freshman Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Hometown/Previous School(s)
Jeremy Sochan, Baylor*
F
6-9
230
Milton Keynes, England/Orange Academy
Kendall Brown, Baylor*
G/F
6-8
205
Cottage Grove, Minn./Sunrise Christian
KJ Adams Jr., Kansas
F
6-7
225
Austin, Texas/Westlake
Tyrese Hunter, Iowa State*
G
6-0
178
Racine, Wis./St. Catherines
C.J. Noland, Oklahoma
G
6-2
229
Waxahachie, Texas/Waxahachie
* Denotes unanimous selection.
Please see the attached Big 12 release for the complete Big 12 men’s basketball awards. West Virginia’s Taz Sherman was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team. Forward Gabe Osabuohien was named to the All-Defensive Team and one of three Big 12 Defensive Players of the Year. Guard Sean McNeil received Big 12 Honorable Mention Honors.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Joni Lehmann
March 6, 2022 469.524.1022 / joni@Big12Sports.com
Men’s Basketball All-Big 12 Awards Announced
Irving, Texas - Ochai Agbaji was the unanimous selection in earning Kansas’ 11th Big 12 Player of the Year honor while Baylor’s Scott Drew collected his third-consecutive Big 12 Coach of the Year accolade in the 2021-22 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 men’s basketball awards, chosen by the head coaches.
For the first time in Conference history, three players tied for Defensive Player of the Year as Baylor’s Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, Oklahoma State’s Moussa Cisse and West Virginia’s Gabe Osabuohien shared the honor. Iowa State claimed first-year awards as Izaiah Brockington picked up Newcomer of the Year and Tyrese Hunter claimed Freshman of the Year. Kansas State’s Nijel Pack was voted as Most Improved Player while BU’s Jeremy Sochan was recognized with the Sixth Man Award.
The All-Big 12 First Team consisted of Agbaji, Brockington and Pack in addition to the Bears’ James Akinjo and Texas Tech’s Bryson Williams. Agbaji and Williams were unanimous selections.
Agbaji was the league’s leading scorer in overall (19.8 ppg) and conference games (19.65 ppg). He was third in all games in field goal percentage (.477/208-436), second in 3-point field goal percentage (.411/86-209), second in 3-pointers made per game (2.87) and seventh in free throw percentage (.767/92-120). The senior guard averaged more minutes per game (35.2) than any other Big 12 player and led the Conference with 17 20-point games. Agbaji was a four-time Big 12 Player of the Week this season.
Tchamwa Tchatchoua is fifth in the league with 6.8 rebounds per game. He averaged 8.4 points and had nine blocks and 17 steals before suffering a season-ending injury on February 12. Cisse is the Big 12’s top shot-blocker with 54 for an average of 1.86 per game. He is sixth in the Conference with 6.52 rebounds and also averages 7.2 points while connecting on 55.9 percent (80-143) of his field goal attempts. Osabuohien averages 5.0 points and 5.5 rebounds, good for 14th in the Conference. He also has 35 steals and 17 blocks.
In his first season with the Cyclones, Brockington ranks third in the Big 12 in both points (17.55) and rebounds (7.23). He is also fourth in field percentage (.469/207-441), sixth in free throw percentage (.773/99-128) and second in minutes played (34.63). The senior guard earned four Big 12 Player of the Week honors and two as the top Newcomer.
Hunter started all 31 of Iowa State’s games in his rookie campaign. He was second on the team in scoring (10.8 ppg) and led the squad in total assists (155) and steals (59). His 5.0 assist and 1.9 steals averages were third in the Big 12 while his assist/turnover ratio (1.58) was seventh.
Sophomore guard Pack leads the Wildcats in nearly every offensive category, including scoring (17.4 ppg), 30-point games (3), 20-point games (7) double-digit scoring games (27) and 3-point field goals made (92). He currently ranks 14th nationally and first in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals per game (3.29), while he is seventh in the nation and first in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.436/92-211).
True freshman Sochan is a key contributor off the bench for the Bears. Playing 24.4 minutes a game, he averages 8.7 points and 6.1 rebounds with totals of 45 assists, 34 steals and 18 blocks. His rebounding average is 10th in the Conference.
Drew has guided Baylor to a second-consecutive Big 12 regular season title, sharing this year’s crown with Kansas after both finished with 14-4 league records. The Bears are 26-5 overall and ranked No. 3 nationally in the AP Poll heading into the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship. BU is ranked fourth in the NET and its 11 Quad 1 wins are the most in the nation.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ochai Agbaji, Kansas, G, Sr.*
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, Baylor Moussa Cisse, Oklahoma State Gabe Osabuohien, West Virginia
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Izaiah Brockington, Iowa State, G, Sr.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Tyrese Hunter, Iowa State, G
SIXTH MAN AWARD
Jeremy Sochan, Baylor
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Nijel Pack, Kansas State, G, So.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Scott Drew, Baylor
All-Big 12 First Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
Hometown/Previous School(s)
James Akinjo, Baylor
G
6-1
190
Sr.
Oakland, Calif./Georgetown/Arizona
Izaiah Brockington, Iowa State
G
6-4
196
Sr.
Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan
Ochai Agbaji, Kansas*
G
6-5
215
Sr.
Kansas City, Mo./Oak Park
Nijel Pack, Kansas State
G
6-0
180
So.
Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central
Bryson Williams, Texas Tech*
F
6-8
240
Gr.
Fresno, Calif./UTEP
All-Big 12 Second Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
Hometown/Previous School(s)
Adam Flagler, Baylor
G
6-3
180
Jr.
Duluth, Ga./Duluth/Presbyterian
Christian Braun, Kansas
G
6-7
218
Jr.
Burlington, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest
Mike Miles Jr., TCU
G
6-2
195
So.
Highland Hills, Texas/Lancaster
Timmy Allen, Texas
F
6-6
210
Sr.
Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain
Taz Sherman, West Virginia
G
6-4
190
Sr.
Missouri City, Texas/Thurgood Marshall/Collin College
All-Big 12 Third Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
Hometown/Previous School(s)
David McCormack, Kansas
F
6-10
250
Sr.
Norfolk, Va./Oak Hill Academy
Jalen Wilson, Kansas
F
6-8
225
So.
Denton, Texas/John H. Guyer
Mark Smith, Kansas State
G
6-4
225
Sr.
Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville
Avery Anderson III, Oklahoma State
G
6-3
170
Jr.
Justin, Texas/Northwest
Marcus Carr, Texas
G
6-2
190
Sr.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Montverde Academy (Fla.)
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Listed alphabetically by school)
Matthew Mayer (Baylor), Jeremy Sochan (Baylor), Dajuan Harris Jr. (Kansas), Markquis Nowell (K-State), Umoja Gibson (Oklahoma), Jordan Goldwire (Oklahoma), Tanner Groves (Oklahoma), Elijah Harkless (Oklahoma), Damion Baugh (TCU), Emanuel Miller (TCU), Christian Bishop (Texas), Andrew Jones (Texas), Courtney Ramey (Texas), Adonis Arms (Texas Tech), Kevin McCullar (Texas Tech), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech), Marcus Santos-Silva (Texas Tech), Sean McNeil (West Virginia)
Big 12 All-Defensive Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
Hometown/Previous School(s)
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, Baylor
F
6-8
245
Jr.
Douala, Cameroon/NBA Global Academy (Australia)/UNLV
Dajuan Harris Jr., Kansas
G
6-1
170
So.
Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge
Markquis Nowell, Kansas State
G
5-8
160
Jr.
Harlem, N.Y./St. Patrick
Moussa Cisse, Oklahoma State
F
7-0
225
So
Conakry, Guinea/Memphis
Gabe Osabuohien, West Virginia
F
6-7
240
Sr.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada/SW Christian Academy/Arkansas
Big 12 All-Newcomer Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
Hometown/Previous School(s)
James Akinjo, Baylor
G
6-1
190
Sr.
Oakland, Calif./Georgetown/Arizona
Izaiah Brockington, Iowa State
G
6-4
196
Sr.
Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan
Mark Smith, Kansas State
G
6-4
225
Sr.
Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville
Timmy Allen, Texas
F
6-6
210
Sr.
Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain
Bryson Williams, Texas Tech*
F
6-8
240
Gr.
Fresno, Calif./UTEP
Big 12 All-Freshman Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Hometown/Previous School(s)
Jeremy Sochan, Baylor*
F
6-9
230
Milton Keynes, England/Orange Academy
Kendall Brown, Baylor*
G/F
6-8
205
Cottage Grove, Minn./Sunrise Christian
KJ Adams Jr., Kansas
F
6-7
225
Austin, Texas/Westlake
Tyrese Hunter, Iowa State*
G
6-0
178
Racine, Wis./St. Catherines
C.J. Noland, Oklahoma
G
6-2
229
Waxahachie, Texas/Waxahachie
* Denotes unanimous selection.
