SB Nation - Michael Beasley

Big 12 All Decade Team

Evan Pfaff — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

With almost a full year yet to play, Kansas center Cole Aldrich muscled his way onto the Big12Hoops.com First Team All Big 12 Decade Team (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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In the first full calendar decade of the Big 12 conference, one thing was apparent: there were two schools that produced a good majority of the talent. And while the best individual players may not have come from Kansas or Texas, a look at the Big12Hoops.com All Decade team reveals that a majority were either Jayhawks or Longhorns.

Don't see your favorite? The Honorable Mention list is after The Jump

First Team All Big 12

PG – Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa St
SG – Tony Allen, Oklahoma St
SF – Kevin Durant, Texas
PF – Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
C – Cole Aldrich, Kansas

Second Team All Big 12

PG – Kirk Hinrich, Kansas
SG – Acie Law, Texas A&M
SF – Michael Beasely, Kansas St
PF – Marcus Fizer, Iowa St
C – Chris Mihm, Texas

Third Team All Big 12

PG – TJ Ford, Texas
SG – Andre Emmett, Texas Tech
SF – PJ Tucker, Texas
PF – Drew Gooden, Kansas
C – Nick Collison, Kansas

[UPDATE: Lots of good suggestions and opinions in the comments section. Lemme give a little insight into how I compiled this list.

I started with a list of Big 12 Players of the Year. My rationale was that if someone was good enough to be the best in the league, even for one year, he warranted entry into this exclusive club. 9 of the 10 Big 12 Players of the Year made the top three teams. The only one who didn’t was Wayne Simien, and that is because he played a PF position that, if you look at the past decade, was just STACKED. Blake Griffin, Marcus Fizer, Drew Gooden. Really you could put Simien in there, but who gets bumped off?

As for PG, Tinsley over TJ Ford and Kirk Hinirich has also garnered a lot of attention. Tinsley’s place as the 2000-01 POY got him on the first team. But you really cant go wrong with any of them.

Lastly, there is this question on what to do with Durant and Beasley. Each only played one year, but they dominated the league (and the country). Durant was a Naismith winner as the best player in the country and Beasley was a finalist for the award. Both were league POYs. Because they didn’t play a full 4 years, they didn’t accumulate career stats that some others players did, but my list was based on selecting the best players, during their time in the Big 12, at each position.]

All Big 12 - Honorable Mention

Baylor Bears
LaceDarius Dunn
Lawrence Roberts

Colorado Buffaloes
Reggie Roby
David Harrison

Iowa St Cyclones
Craig Brackins

Kansas Jayhawks
Wayne Simien
Aaron Miles

Kansas St. Wildcats
Cartier Martin

Missouri Tigers
DeMarre Carroll
Clarence Gilbert
Arthur Johnson
Kareem Rush

Nebraska Cornhuskers
Aleks Maric

Oklahoma Sooners
Taj Gray
Hollis Price

Oklahoma St Cowboys
Byron Eaton
Joey Graham

Texas Longhorns
DJ Augustine
LaMarcus Aldridge

Texas Tech Red Raiders
Jarrius Jackson

Texas A&M Aggies
Bernard King

Why John Wall could be bad for college basketball

SFBE.NF — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:39:02 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

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When Carmelo Anthony was a freshman at Syracuse, and captivated the nation by single-handedly bringing the 2003 NCAA National Championship to upstate New York, there were no blogs, Billy Edelin was a budding star, and my thoughts on the state of college basketball took a back seat to my careful planning of clandestine meetings replete with hard alcohol to be shared among my high school friends.

But now I am older, blog on an aging laptop, get drunk with my parents, and am realizing that John Wall is severely exposing a sad truth: the overall talent on display in college basketball is unimpressive.

Tonight Wall put up 25 points along with six steals in a fantastic win over UCONN, all part of an electrifying atmosphere at MSG. The problem here is Wall has come in to poop on his peers for one season, all with the intent of peacing to the pros come springtime, forgetting that college basketball even exists. It stinks, but has just become part of the deal for us fans.

Do you remember that incredible class of 2007? Freshman Michael Beasley and Kevin Love were first-team All-Americans, Derrick Rose dominated the second and third weekends of the tournament, and Eric Gordon led the Big 10 in scoring. Just one year before that, Kevin Durant casually averaged 29 points-per-game during conference play and logged 20 games of 30 points or more. Meanwhile, Greg Oden showed up in Columbus for just two-thirds of the season and led the Buckeyes to the title game against Florida. Each one of these players, as you know, came to college for one season with no interest in returning for a second taste. And the whole gig was far too easy for them.

We're relying on 17- and 18-year-old players to generate the majority of excitement and hype for this great sport. You know there was another explosive point guard on the floor tonight? His name was Kemba Walker, a sophomore. Nobody seemed to care. After being ignored by his teammates for the first 25 minutes of the game, Patrick Patterson showed he's one of the country's best big men. But he's a junior, which is so "out" this season. Why aren't we looking to market the players we know are in this relationship for the long run?

If the NCAA bigwigs are watching, I hope they recognize their brand of basketball is in trouble. They need to get on the phone with The League and have a say in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Somehow, someway, we need to ensure that blue chip freshman committing to play college basketball stick around for two seasons. That's all I ask. If they can't summon themselves to do that, then effyou! Go play in Europe, wait to turn 20 and get drafted by the Sacramento Kings, a dismal franchise never seen on national television.

We need help, because Blue Jesus and his disciples will continue to betray fans of the college game.

Harrison Barnes - There's No Place Like Home

Evan Pfaff — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:28:32 -0000

I would like to branch out on a topic I read in Dan Shanoff's Wake Up Call (which if you don't read gives you a great daily snapshot on the day that is in sports).

Shanoff asked why Ames, IA product, and consensus #1 recruit, Harrison Barnes, would shy away from his hometown Iowa State Cyclones and learn towards playing basketball at Duke and North Carolina.

Shanoff asks "given that Barnes is obviously a one-and-done player, why not stay home, be The Guy and try to do something special in-state. At Duke or UNC, he's just another star recruit."

I LOVE THIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT!

Barnes is in an atypical situation, one in where he hails from a college-town that hosts a school in a top flight conference. One where the program hasn't had a winning conference record since Barnes was in 7^th grade.

Now having grown up in a college town myself, I can tell you that all everyone ever talks about in the city is the school. Mothers and grandmothers, who otherwise wouldn't care about sports know the names of the starting QB and PG at the school. Any day you walk the halls of any high school in a college town you will see 50% of the kids wearing gear from the school. The school is the city and the city is the school.

Barnes has the passion for his home school, even though he might not realize it yet. Regardless of where he goes he will come back to visit friends in the future and go to an ISU football or basketball game. In the very least he will follow them in the papers and talk about them in passing to casual acquaintances.

And forget about how he can help them in his one year, he can help the future of the program as well. He can take the school and put it on the mind of all the AAU and summer camp circuit players he interacts with. If he becomes what they think he might, he can be the greatest recruiting tool the school has ever seen.

Think Michael Beasley and how he put K State on the map. Barnes can do the same thing, but with more credibility because of his local upbringing.

If basketball doesn't pan out, because he will have grown up with everyone in Ames, he will be able to be the poster child for the school, instead of another in a line of "what ifs" If basketball does pan out, then all the more reason why he would want to be the face of a program and school.

And it isn't like he won't get national publicity by staying home. Sure, Dickie V might not scream his name as loud as if he were in the ACC, but Big Monday would pick up an inordinate amount of Cyclones games and he would get his national press when he starts performing.

Now just to clarify, I am not saying that every one and doner should go to a school that has been struggling. I am saying that in Barnes' situation, the clear minded, obvious choice is to remain at home... have some home cooking... hang out with friends for another year... then make the same tens of millions of dollars you would by going to Duke or Carolina.

I don't have any precise stats, but I can't imagine that going to either of the ACC powerhouses increases your draft chances. Last year the first Duke player (Gerald Henderson) went 12^th and the top Tar Heel (Tyler Hansbrough) went 13^th. This was after kids were drafted out of non-powerhouse schools like Arizona State and Davidson.

The year before nobody was drafted from either school and in 2007 a Tar Heel went #8, but Duke didn't have a name called until the 37^th pick... long after NBA commish David Stern had handed over his podium duties.

In that 2007 draft before Josh Roberts' name was called with that 37^th pick, players from school such as Washington, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Eastern Washington, Colorado State, DePaul, Rice, Oregon, Wisconsin, Purdue, Nevada and Alabama were called.

If you are telling me that someone from Eastern Washington could be drafted ahead of the first Blue Devil, I am telling you that your choice of school has zero impact on your draft status.

If Barnes goal was to finish out his degree, that would also be a different story. Duke is one of the top educational institutions in the nation, and Carolina regularly ranks near the top of best public universities, so going to either of those for a degree would make sense. However, from all reports, he wont be there 4 years, and probably wont even make it to his second year, so the educational aspect should have no bearing on his decision.

So, with all that said, I see no reason that Harrison Barnes should attend any university outside of his hometown. Although having him outside of the Big 12 North may give my alma matter, Mizzou, a better chance at 2 more Ws.

Poll

If you were in Harrison Barnes' shoes would you:

Recap of "Five Questions For..."

Evan Pfaff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:15:21 -0000

For the past 12 days we have asked “Five Questions For…” each Big 12 school. In case you missed one, after the jump you can read the questions we have for all the hoops programs in the conference.

Have more questions, or comments on the questions? Leave a comment.

Missouri

1) How can Mizzou replace the loss of DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence?

2) Can Mizzou sustain the momentum that led them to a Big 12 tournament championship and Elite Eight run last season?

3) Now that Coach Mike Anderson has a squad made up entirely of his recruits, can the "Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball" be even better?

4) Who will step up in the frontcourt for Mizzou? Steve Moore, Laurence Bowers, Keith Ramsey, Justin Safford?

5) Will this be the year Mizzou beats Illinois for the first time in 10 years in the "Busch Bragging Rights" game?

Kansas

1) Can the Jayhawks meet preseason expectations of being ranked #1 nationally in a lot of publications?

2) Can Kansas put their offseason troubles behind them?

3) Exactly how good is freshman Xavier Henry?

4) Will Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins both perform at All Big 12 levels?

5) Can anyone tell the Morris twins apart?

Colorado

1) Now that Jeff Bzdelik is in his third year, can he bring a winning season to Boulder?

2) If not, how much longer will the CU AD go on with the Bzdelik experiment?

3) Can Cory Higgins perform up to his 08-09 level, when he placed fifth in the conference in scoring?

4) Who else steps up for the Buffaloes?

5) Will the Buffaloes improve upon last season's 1-15 conference record?

Iowa State

1) Can Craig Brackins get any help, or will it again be a one man show?

2) Can the Cyclones crack the top half of the Big 12 North division?

3) Is there still "Hilton Magic" in Ames?

4) One publication listed Greg McDermott as being on the "hot seat." What does he need to do to get off it?

5) After 4 straight conference seasons with a losing record, can the Cyclones better the .500 mark this year?

Kansas State

1) Frank Martin brings the 20^th ranked recruiting class to Manhattan. How can the 5 freshmen gel with the veterans?

2) Is Denis Clemente the most fun player to watch in the conference?

3) Can 6-10 UConn transfer Curtis Kelly shore up the frontline for the Wildcats?

4) Is K-State a legitimate program again after nearly a decade of meritocracy (sans the Bill Walker, Michael Beasley year)?

5) What can we expect from freshman Wally Judge?

Nebraska

1) Last year NU was the smallest team in college basketball. This year they brought in some size, will that help?

2) Will Doc Sadler's JUCO coaching experience help the three incoming JUCO transfers adjust to division 1 basketball?

3) Nebraska hasn't had a winning record this decade. Will they go 10 for 10 in losing seasons?

4) How will the team cope with two transfers leaving Lincoln?

5) Who wins more conference games, NU football or NU basketball?

Oklahoma

1) How does Oklahoma replace Blake Griffin?

2) Can Willie Warren be "the man"?

3) Can 6-8, 300 lb freshman Tiny Gallon play big in his first year in the Big 12?

4) Does Oklahoma mind being second fiddle in the Big 12 South?

5) Will inexperience in the frontcourt hurt Oklahoma's chances of making a deep run in the NCAA tournament?

Texas

1) Who will play the majority of the year, the Dexter Pittman who dominated the end of last season or the Dexter Pittman who was essentially non-existent for the first half?

2) Is freshman Avery Bradley as good as advertised?

3) Can the team get back to its first Final Four since 2003?

4) Did Damion James make the right move in returning for his senior season?

5) Between Dogus Balbay, Jai Lucas and J'Covan Brown, who will win the battle for starting PG spot?

Oklahoma State

1) Will Travis Ford's first full recruiting class bring a Big 12 championship to Stillwater?

2) With the loss of Byron Eaton, yet 4 of the top 6 scorers returning, can the Cowboys continue to put lots of points on the board?

3) How much better can James Anderson get?

4) Obi Muonelo played out of position last year. Will the right placement on the floor help the senior better his 12.7 ppg average from last year?

5) OK State will be bigger this year... but also slower. Will that hinder their ability to run with some of the Big 12 teams?

Texas Tech

1) Junior guard Mike Singletary lit up Texas A&M for a near conference tournament record 43 points last season. Will he continue to put the ball in the basket this season?

2) Will Pat Knight's second full season be an improvement over his first?

3) Is Pat Knight on the hot seat?

4) Do the Red Raiders have the personnel to match Knight's emphasis on defense this year?

5) Will all the new JUCO players pan out for the Red Raiders?

Texas A&M

1) How can the Aggies replace Josh Carter?

2) Some publications think the Aggies will finish in the top 4 in the conference. Can this team meet those expectations?

3) Mark Turgeon is in his third year in College Station. Now that he has a roster made up of mostly his guys, can the Aggies crack the upper 1/3 of the conference?

4) Will the four freshman have the impact Turgeon is hoping for?

5) The Aggies have made a school record 4 consecutive NCAA tournaments. Will the streak continue this year?

Baylor

1) Can the Bears rebound from the loss of 50% of their scoring and 2/3 of their assists due to graduation?

2) Coach Scott Drew can recruit, but can he coach those guys to a third straight post season tournament?

3) Can Michigan transfer Ekpe Udoh be the defensive force Bears fans are expecting from the 6-10 center?

4) Did highly ranked recruit Nolan Dennis make the right decision in rescinding his verbal from Memphis and commit to Baylor?

5) Who will be the go-to guy this year, LaceDarius Dunn, Tweety Carter or one of the freshman?

Big 12ers on NBA Opening Night Rosters

Evan Pfaff — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:50:33 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

NBA commissioner David Stern has 35 Big 12 alumni in his Association. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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Since our posting about Big 12ers on NBA Training Camp Rosters, a few have made some moves... so with the NBA tipping off tonight, after the Jump is a recap of all Big 12 alumni currently on NBA rosters.

Since the last post the number of Big 12 alumni on NBA rosters has slipped from 40 to 35.

Kansas has put the most people in the Association with 9. Iowa State the least with no current players.

The school by school count: Baylor (1), Colorado (1), Kansas (9), Kansas State (2), Missouri (3), Nebraska (1), Oklahoma (3), Oklahoma State (4), Texas (7), Texas A&M (3), Texas Tech (1).

There are two sets of Big 12 brothers in the league, Blake and Taylor Griffin and Kareem and Brandon Rush.

And the team to watch if you follow Big 12 Hoops? The LA Clippers, who have 4 on their roster.

Feel free to comment if any moves happen.

Atlanta Hawks

Maurice Evans - Texas

Boston Celtics

Tony Allen - Oklahoma State

Paul Pierce - Kansas

Bill Walker - Kansas State

Charlotte Bobcats

DJ Augustin - Texas

Stephen Graham - Oklahoma State

Chicago Bulls

Kirk Hinrich - Kansas

Cleveland Cavs

Daniel Gibson - Texas

Darnell Jackson - Kansas

Dallas Mavericks

Drew Gooden - Kansas

Denver Nuggets

Chauncey Billups - Colorado

Joey Graham - Oklahoma State

Detroit Pistons

NONE

Golden State Warriors

Acie Law - Texas A&M

Mikki Moore - Nebraska

Houston Rockets

NONE

Indiana Pacers

TJ Ford - Texas

Brandon Rush - Kansas

LA Clippers

Blake Griffin - Oklahoma

Kareem Rush - Missouri

DeAndrea Jordan - Texas A&M

Brian Skinner - Baylor

LA Lakers

NONE

Miami Heat

Michael Beasley - Kansas State

Mario Chalmers - Kansas

Memphis Grizzlies

Darrell Arthur - Kansas

DeMarre Carroll - Missouri

Milwaukee Bucks

NONE

Minnesota Timberwolves

NONE

New Jersey Nets

Tony Battie - Texas Tech

Keyon Dooling - Missouri

Eduardo Najera - Oklahoma

New Orleans Hornets

Julian Wright - Kansas

New York Knicks

NONE

Oklahoma City Thunder

Nick Collison - Kansas

Kevin Durant - Texas

Orlando Magic

NONE

Philadelphia 76ers

Royal Ivey - Texas

Phoenix Suns

Taylor Griffin - Oklahoma

Portland Trailblazers

LaMarcus Aldridge - Texas

Sacramento Kings

Desmond Mason - Oklahoma State

San Antonio Spurs

NONE

Toronto Raptors

Antoine Wright - Texas A&M

Utah jazz

NONE

Washington Wizards

NONE

Poll

Which Big 12 rookie are you most excited to see this year?

Blake Griffin - LA Clippers

12 votes

DeMarre Carroll - Memphis Grizzlies

29 votes

41 votes | Poll has closed

Five Questions For... Kansas State basketball

Evan Pfaff — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:15:09 -0000

In a recurring piece leading up to the start of the basketball season, we will examine the top 5 questions surrounding each Big 12 basketball team.

Today, the top 5 questions for the Kansas State Wildcats.

1) Frank Martin brings the 20^th ranked recruiting class to Manhattan. How can the 5 freshmen gel with the veterans?

2) Is Denis Clemente the most fun player to watch in the conference?

3) Can 6-10 UConn transfer Curtis Kelly shore up the frontline for the Wildcats?

4) Is K-State a legitimate program again after nearly a decade of meritocracy (sans the Bill Walker, Michael Beasley year)?

5) What can we expect from freshman Wally Judge?

Check back Monday when we will ask Five Question For... Kansas State basketball.
Also check out Five Questions For... Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Iowa State

Follow Evan on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MizzouHoops

Poll

What is the most pressing question for K-State this year?

KNOW THY ENEMY: Texas Tech Red Raiders

BracketCat — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:00:27 -0000

Are you still pissed off about Saturday night?

Well, have no fear, because the football team shall be avenged on the hardwood.

Click the jump for a preview of a basketball team with some of the laziest-looking media photos you ever will see, and one whose season prospects don't look so hot...

The Coach

Pat Knight
Third Season (sort of*)

18-26 (7-19)

Knight begins his second full season as the Texas Tech head coach and his ninth season on the Red Raider basketball court.

As a collegiate player and nearly nine seasons as an assistant coach, he was on the sidelines as a player or a coach for 308 of Bob Knight's 902 career wins.

*Knight became the head coach following the 20th game of the 2007-2008 season.

The Departures

Starters

Michael Prince (15.6 minutes per game, 3.8 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game)
Alan Voskuil (35.7 minutes per game, 14.1 points per game, 4.1 rebounds per game)

Reserves

Rogdrick Craig (6.7 minutes per game, 2.6 points per game, 0.8 rebound per game)
Tyree Graham (14.3 minutes per game, 3.9 points per game, 1.7 rebounds per game)
Esmir Rizvic (10 minutes per game, 1.3 points per game, 1.6 rebound per game)
Damir Suljagic (8.8 minutes per game, 2.4 points per game, 1.5 rebound per game)

The Veterans

		#4 Corbin Ray Sophomore Forward 6-7 \| 225 Katy, Texas Ray saw his first action as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis, in which he played seven minutes, scored two points and grabbed three rebounds. He played in 17 games during the season, started against Sam Houston State, averaged 5.7 minutes per game and 1.6 points per game for the season, played 14 minutes in the home game against Texas A&M, had a season-high five rebounds over East Central University, and had his best showing in the win over New Mexico, in which he played 10 minutes and scored 10 points, was 4 of 6 from the field, and canned two 3-pointers.

		#5 D'walyn Roberts Junior Forward 6-7 \| 200 Dallas, Texas Roberts started the first 19 games for the Red Raiders; played in each game during the season and had 21 starts; averaged 16.5 minutes per game, four points per game, and 3.6 rebounds per game; played 20+ minutes in 13 contests; played 35 minutes at Lamar, made 7 of 8 field goal attempts, and recorded his season-high of 14 points; scored in double figures in six games; was perfect from the free-throw line six times for a combined 13-for-13; registered a double-double in the win over Stephen F. Austin, with 11 points and 11 rebounds; was second on the squad with 21 blocks for the season; and shot .545 from the field for the season.

		#10 Wally Dunn Junior Guard 6-4 \| 194 Midland, Texas Dunn saw his first action as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis, in which he played eight minutes, had a rebound and scored 5 points. He played in 14 games during the season as a walk-on, played a season high of 12 minutes against East Central University, scored 16 points on 6 of 8 field-goal attempts and 4 of 5 3-pointers, shot .588 from the field and made .500 of his 3-point attempts, and had no turnovers for the season. Dunn graduated from Midland College, where the Chaparrals were the 2007 NJCAA National Champions. He was a redshirt his freshman season. The team garnered conference championship honors in 2007-2008, and he played in 32 games as a sophomore and averaged 4.3 points per game.

		#15 Robert Lewandowski Sophomore Forward 6-10 \| 240 Overland Park, Kan. The freshman from Blue Valley West High Sschool played and scored in the first game of the season against St. Francis. Lewandowski scored two points, made a block, and had three rebounds in his eight minutes on the court. He played in 32 games for the season and started 19 times; averaged over 15 minutes per game and played 20+ minutes in 13 contests; averaged 6.6 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game for the year; shot .581 from the field for the season; scored in double figures 10 times, with 8 of those games during conference play; recorded his season-best of 20 points at Texas A&M, when he made 10 of 15 field-goal attempts and had four rebounds in the game; had a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds) at Oklahoma State; grabbed 5+ rebounds in 10 games; and led the squad with 23 blocks.

		#21 John Roberson Junior Guard 5-11 \| 165 Plano, Texas Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (2009) U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District 7 (2009) Roberson and Alan Voskuil were the only players on the 2008-2009 squad to start each game during the season. He was the leading scorer on the team, with 13.9 points per game, and second on the team with 35 steals for the year. Roberson's 212 assists top the previous single-season mark of 182 assists, set by Jason Martin during the 1995-1996 season. He was the assist leader for the Big 12. His 13 assists at Texas A&M were one shy of Stan Bonewitz's single-game record of 14 assists, set against Fresno State in the 1996-1997 season. Roberson's 6.4 assists per game for the season now are the best among all Red Raiders. His 71 3-pointers rank eighth among all Red Raiders in a single season. His 201 3-point attempts equal Bonewitz's mark in the 1997-1998 season and are fourth on the all-time single-season list. Roberson's 35.2 minutes per game were second on the squad. He played 40 minutes in five games; was second on the squad in free-throw percentage (.829), making 97 of 117 attempts; was perfect from the line in 15 games, totaling 58 for 58; averaged 3.5 rebounds per game and had at least five rebounds in six games; established a career high of eight rebounds at Iowa State; had a double-double performance at Texas A&M, with 13 assists and 20 points; and scored 20+ points in five games. Roberson's 33 points at UTEP were a career-best and made him the 36th Red Raider to score 30 or more points in a game, earning him All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and USBWA All-District 7 honors.

		#23 Nick Okorie Senior Guard 6-1 \| 195 Houston, Texas Okorie started his career as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis. He played 19 minutes and scored 16 points. Okorie played in 29 games during the season and had 19 starting spots. He missed four games due to an ankle injury; averaged more than 25 minutes per game and played 30+ minutes in eight games; played 36 minutes at Texas and at Iowa State; was perfect from the free-throw line in nine games, totaling 40 of 40; was third on the team with 21 steals; averaged 3.1 rebounds per game; and grabbed 5+ boards in nine games. His scoring average of 11.3 points per game was fourth among squad members. Okorie scored 15+ points in nine games, with six of those games against conference opponents; sank 10 of 10 free throws and had 17 points against Kansas; scored 24 points at Oklahoma and at Texas; averaged 16.3 points per game over the last 10 games; and started nine times.

		#24 Trevor Cook Senior Forward 6-9 \| 241 Coppell, Texas Legends Classic All-Tournament (2008) Cook was awarded his undergraduate degree in May 2009. He played in 14 games during the season and had eight starts, but missed 19 games due to a back injury. Cook averaged 14 minutes per game and played 25+ minutes in three games, and was perfect from the free-throw line in four games, totaling 16 for 16. His eight rebounds against East Central University equal his top mark from the previous season. He had 13 blocks in his abbreviated season, averaged 7.6 points per game, scored in double figures six times and had 20 or more points in two games. His 24 points against Pittsburgh mark his best scoring performance as a Red Raider, and he was selected to the Legends Classic All-Tournament Team for his performances against Pittsburgh and Mississippi State.

		#31 Darko Cohadarevic Senior Forward 6-9 \| 242 Belgrade, Serbia Cohadarevic played his first game as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis. He played 12 minutes, grabbed two rebounds and scored four points. Cohadarevic played in 26 games and started twice; averaged nearly 11 minutes per game and had five games in which he played 15+ minutes; was perfect from the free-throw line in four games; averaged 2.2 rebounds per game and had at least five rebounds in five games; scored double figures in three contests; had 12 points against East Central University and against Stephen F. Austin; and scored 10 points and had six rebounds in the win over Texas A&M in the opening round of conference championship play.

		#32 Mike Singletary Junior Forward 6-6 \| 217 Humble, Texas Second Team Academic All-Big 12 (2009) Big 12 Championship All-Tournament (2009) Singletary was one of four players to play in each game during the season. He had four starts and averaged 23.1 minutes per game; played 30+ minutes against six opponents; was perfect from the free-throw line in four games; attempted more free throws than all other teammates (187) and made more free throws than all other teammates (136); had three games in which he made 34 of 40 free-throw attempts; was the leading rebounder on the team, with 5.8 boards per game; had three games (Centenary, Kansas and at Iowa State) of 10+ rebounds and 12 games with at least seven rebounds; and had double-double performances against New Mexico, Kansas and at Iowa State. His 12.2 points per game were third on the squad and he scored at least 15 points in 13 games, averaged 18.2 points per game over the final nine games of the season, was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team, and gained Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team honors after scoring 60 points in two games (Texas A&M and Missouri). Singletary made 21 of 33 attempts during those two games. He set a Big 12 Championship scoring record with 43 points in the opening round game against Texas A&M (the previous record was 38 points by Marcus Fizer of Iowa State vs. Baylor in 2000). His 43-point game equals Dub Malaise's 1966 performance against TCU as the fourth-highest scoring output in Texas Tech history. Singletary led the biggest rally in Big 12 championship history, erasing the Red Raiders' 21-point, second-half deficit and taking Texas Tech to an 88-83 win over Texas A&M (the previous record was 20 points by Texas two seasons ago). He scored 29 consecutive points for the Red Raiders, with no other Tech player scoring, to become the NCAA's No. 2 consecutive-points scorer, behind Temple's Bill Mlkvy's 54 consecutive points against Wilkes on March 3, 1951.

My thanks to the Texas Tech sports information department for the photos and most of the information for the bios.

The Newcomers

#1 Brad Reese
Junior Forward
6-6 | 189
Laurel Hill, Fla.

Reese played two seasons for Jay Powell at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Fla. He started all 30 games in his first season with the Commodores, played 30 minutes per game, and averaged 16.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on the 18-12 squad.

Reese was named the Panhandle Conference Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore, Reese was named NJCAA Player of the Week (Jan. 7) as he powered GCCC to three wins, which included a pair of 30-point performances. He started 32 of 33 games as a sophomore, and averaged 16.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game on the 24-9 squad, which earned him All-Panhandle Conference First Team honors in his second season.

#2 Mike Davis
Freshman Guard
6-2 | 185
Houston, Texas

Davis played for Willie Patrick III as a senior at Phillis Wheatley High School, but previously played at St. Pius X, where the Panthers were in the TAPPS 6A Final Four in his junior year.

As a senior, Davis averaged 24 points per game over four games to lead the Wheatley Wildcats to the Whataburger Tournament title in Fort Worth from Dec. 29-31. He also earned MVP honors at the tournament.

The Wheatley Wildcats were 32-5 in Davis' final season and he was selected Co-MVP for District 22-4A. He averaged 23.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and five assists per game as a senior, and was selected to the TABC All-Region (3) Team, the TABC 2009 All-Star Team and the TABC Class 4-A All-State Team.

#13 David Tairu
Junior Guard
6-3 | 180
Temple Hills, Md.

Tairu played two seasons for Steve Green at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. The Texans (30-5) claimed the NJCAA National Championship in 2007-2008 in Hutchinson, Kan. He was named All-Conference in 2007-2008, averaged 14.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in his freshman season, scored in double figures 29 times, led the 2008-2009 squad with 17.5 points per game and a 27-4 season, was named to the National Junior College third-team All-American squad, was voted the Most Valuable Player in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference and also named to the Region 5 team, and was selected to the 2009 NJCAA Men's All-Star team.

#20 Theron Jenkins
Junior Forward
6-6 | 211
Flowood, Miss.

Jenkins played two seasons for Marty Cooper at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Miss. In his two seasons, the Indians were 49-13. As a freshman, he played in all 34 games and averaged 7.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. ICC captured the division, state and regional championships in its 30-4 season.

Jenkins averaged 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and played in all 28 games in his second season. The ICC Indians were 19-9 and won their third-straight north division title for the first time since 1974.

#30 Jaye Crockett
Freshman Forward
6-6 | 186
Clovis, N.M.

Crockett played for J. D. Isler at Clovis High School. The Wildcats were 29-2 in his junior season. The Purple and White completed the season as the Class 5A State Runner-up.

Crockett averaged 20.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game as a junior, and was the only junior named to New Mexico's first-team all-state squad. Clovis won the 2008-2009 district championship on the road at Hobbs.

As a senior, Crockett scored 31 points in his final game to become the second-leading scorer in Clovis High School history. He averaged 29 points and 12 rebounds, and earned all-state first-team honors, as a senior.

The Analysis

Although Texas Tech returns several starters and even more returners, I'm not sure this is a team that many teams in the conference should fear. The chief reason for that is the departure of Alan Voskuil, the sharpshooter who fueled the upset win over Kansas with his many treys.

Now that Voskuil has graduated, it will fall to Mike Singletary to provide most of the Red Raiders' scoring. His ridiculous 43-point outburst against Texas A&M in the Big 12 Tournament singlehandedly won the game and nearly broke Michael Beasley's/Denis Clemente's Big 12 single-game record.

That game was a freakish deviation from the mean, though, as Singletary only averaged 12.2 points per game and hasn't yet shown that he is capable of being a 25- to 30-point scorer night in and night out. But he will have help in trying, in the form of honorable-mention All-Big 12 point guard John Roberson. Roberson has established himself as one of the best point guards in the league and should provide the Red Raiders with the leadership presence they need in the backcourt to challenge most Big 12 teams.

Guard Nick Okorie and forward Trevor Cook both were banged up at various times last season, but now both are healthy and look to secure starting spots in the Tech lineup. I predict that Robert Lewandowski, an Overland Park native, will step up in the post as the fifth starter, after Tech lost a slew of Eastern European big men to graduation last year.

Predicting the reserves is trickier, and that's one of the reasons I think Tech will struggle in 2009-2010. D'wayln Roberts started several games last season before being demoted, and he seems like a sure bet to net some serious playing time. David Tairu is a highly touted juco prospect who probably will have a big impact, too. But it drops off after that.

Corbin Ray started one or two games, but is not a particularly impressive player. Nor is Darko Cohadarevic, the only remaining Serbian on the roster after the Eastern bloc exodus of 2009, who is Tech's only other sizable, experienced option in the paint.

Tech is so thin that I have penciled in true freshman Mike Davis as the backup point guard, if that tells you anything. Brad Reese, like Tairu, is a juco player who probably will factor in somewhere, but he doesn't really project strongly to a certain position right now. Other players who probably won't be a factor, unless injuries pile up, are Wally Dunn, a walk-on guard of little consequence; Theron Jenkins, and incoming juco forward; and Jaye Crockett, a raw forward fresh out of high school.

Projected Starting Lineup


John Roberson	Nick Okorie	Mike Singletary	Trevor Cook	Robert Lewandowski
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Reserves


Mike Davis	David Tairu	D'walyn Roberts	Corbin Ray	Darko Cohadarevic
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

When your team looks as though it only can field a serious lineup of 7-8 players, in terms of functional, athletic depth, and you play in the Big 12 South, a good season probably is not in your near future. That seems to be the case for Texas Tech. Yes, they showed some drastic improvement at the end of last year — upsetting Kansas at home (a game I greatly enjoyed watching), mounting the frenzied comeback against Texas A&M and nearly knocking off Texas in Austin — but how much of that simply was due to the hot hands of Voskuil and Singletary?

If that's all that it was, Tech will struggle in a deep Big 12 and Pat Knight's seat will be plenty toasty by the end of the season. But if Tech added some underrated pieces and the rest of the team continues to improve, it potentially could move up the pecking order a few notches. I don't see it happening, though. To me, the Red Raiders look like a less talented version of Baylor: a team that is dangerous if it is knocking down the threes, but otherwise is somewhat toothless.

Predicted finish: 10th

Best-case scenario: 8th

Previously on KNOW THY ENEMY...

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Iowa State
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Analysis: No Bright Lines in College Basketball Recruiting

Truzenzuzex — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:13:02 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

9 months ago: Kentucky president Lee Todd answers a question during a news conference to announce the release of basketball coach Billy Gillispie in Lexington, Ky., Friday, March 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Today, we have an interesting article from the Washington Post describing how "street agents" and hangers-on are no longer just for the elite recruits like O.J. Mayo and Michael Beasley. Nowadays, any player with even mid-major talent can attract flies, and some of those flies can be more than just a distraction to college coaches -- they can cause coaches to flirt with NCAA recruiting violations, even unknowingly.

The story is about a guy named Joe Davis, who through connections with his family, wound up looking after the interests of Mychal Parker, a 2010 Rivals.com 4-star who is interested in Kentucky, among many other schools. Parker is a talented player, but by no means elite, or even particularly likely to ever play in the NBA.

The gist of the story is that Davis, who apparently runs one of those increasingly popular Internet scouting services where colleges can subscribe to his website and obtain scouting information on recruits, was allegedly beginning to control access to Parker by asking for favors and even employment. The Post article contains a bunch of unattributed quotes implicating Davis in schemes to sell access to Parker for various perks or employment opportunities, but has nothing there that would constitute actual proof of such things. Still, there is quite a bit of thick, gray smoke raised by this piece.

So what's the connection to Kentucky? Read on after the jump.

We know that Kentucky is at least somewhat interested in Parker, although Rivals does not list UK among those offering a scholarship. Still, this gives me a tiny bit of pause:

One reason commonly cited for the proliferation of third-party recruiting is the way the NCAA limits contact between college coaches and recruits. On the first Monday of July, the walls throughout Cincinnati's Fifth Third Arena were adorned with signs explicitly stating that college coaches could have no contact with any player, any player's AAU coach or anyone affiliated with a player. NCAA bylaws designate July as an evaluation period for college coaches, who may observe but not interact with prospective recruits. The NCAA dispatched enforcement officials to many AAU events this summer, in part to monitor coaches' actions.

...

Virginia assistant Ron Sanchez conversed with Davis throughout the second half. Maryland Coach Gary Williams and assistant Rob Ehsan chatted with Davis after the game finished.

Before OBC's second contest a few hours later, Davis spoke separately with Kentucky assistant Orlando Antigua and Virginia Tech assistant Bill Courtney. [emphasis mine]

Okay, so what does this mean? Well, probably nothing, but it is troubling because if the NCAA were to somehow see Davis as representing Mychal's interests (i.e. "affiliated" with him), I suppose the coaches involved could possibly run afoul of the rule mentioned in the first paragraph. That seems to be only one of the dangers in associating with these guys, and the inability of almost anyone to talk on the record just shows that the NCAA rule is making it even harder to really figure out who's on first.

Frankly, I can only see this getting worse, and I don't really know that there is anything that can be done by the NCAA that won't threaten their antitrust status. I suppose the best we can hope for is some kind of clear guidance from them about what constitutes an off-limits person during the evaluation period. For all I know, such bright-line guidance already exists, but I'm not really aware of it if it does.

Anyway, this is just another illustration of the many potential "gotchas" just waiting to jump up and bite college coaches in the nether regions. There is no way compliance directors get paid enough money to monitor all this amorphous crap -- they must just do it for the love of parsing minutiae.

Kentucky Basketball: What do Urban Meyer and John Calipari Have in Common?

Truzenzuzex — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:42:39 -0000

More photos » by Butch Dill - AP

No, I didn't invent the spread option. But as far as college football is concerned, I perfected it.

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The answer to the lede is, "An offensive system which recruits for itself," namely, the Spread Option and the Dribble Drive Motion offense.

If you think about it, it's amazing how much the Dribble Drive Motion offense has in common with the Spread Option offense in football. Of course, comparing two different sports is always dangerous because ... well, they're different sports. But I think a comparison between the DDM and Spread Option is interesting for the number of things that they would appear to have in common, if only very, very generally. To wit:

Both offenses isolate players in space, giving the advantage to teams with superior athletic skills -- the idea of the Spread Option is to get the ball to fast, dynamic offensive players with a "bubble" of room around them to elude tacklers. The more athletic the offensive player and the bigger the bubble, the more yardage the play is likely to gain.

That's similar to the philosophy of the DDM. The DDM spreads the floor to force defenders far enough apart to create driving lanes, (space) to allow the more athletic player to use his athletic skill to take the defender off the dribble. This provides the same isolation benefits as the Spread Option attack.
Both offenses are option offenses -- in the Spread, the quarterback has several options in most sets, and reads the defense to determine which option to employ -- the QB keeper, the pitch-out, the shuffle-pass, or a regular pass.

The DDM is similar. The initiator's first and most desirable option is to take the ball to the hole for a layup. After that, the second most desirable option is to dump the ball inside to an uncovered big man stationed on the weak side. The third option is a pass or skip-pass to an uncovered player beyond the 3-point arc for an open shot. Finally, if none of the above are available, the offense is reset and run again.
Both offenses draw the best recruits from high school like flies to honey -- Offensive players moving from high school to college love the Spread Option offense, as it allows them to showcase their offensive skills and exploit their athletic advantage over the defense. The only exception to this is sometimes the quarterbacks, and that is largely due to the fact that very few NFL teams utilize the spread option to any degree, and unless you are an exceptional talent like Tim Tebow, it can get you labeled as a "system" player and hurt your draft chances.

The DDM is very similar to the kind of offense that elite high school players run in the AAU, and coming from AAU ball to a DDM offense is very comfortable for most players, particularly guards. On the other hand, power players will not like the DDM as well, as it requires less of the power game and more ballhandling, something that bigger players are neither used to, nor will see much at the next level. So just as with the spread, the "sell" to bigger players can be a bit more difficult than to a guard or wing player.

But when it comes to moving to the next level, the "one on one" aspect of the DDM is one of the better systems for preparing a player for the NBA.

More after the jump.

If you look at the big Spread Option coaches, like Urban Meyer and Rich Rodriguez, you will see that these guys are able to recruit the cream of the crop of athletic talent every year for their scheme. Of course, it isn't just the offense, it is also the success these guys have had running it, the number of players they have put into the NFL, and the overall excellence of the program that attracts recruits. Still, a large part of it is a system that is friendly to the player and fits the way they want to play the game.

The very same is true of the DDM. Most AAU players, particularly guards and wings, that play in the elite levels of the AAU will find the DDM to be very friendly to their eye and game as it exists today. Of course, that doesn't mean that AAU players can just come right in and land a starting spot. They still have to learn to play defense, as defense is something that the AAU simply doesn't teach at any level, and it shows. This Wall Street Journal article of about a month back clearly illustrates, with quotes from such AAU luminaries as Michael Beasley and Brandon Jennings, exactly why AAU ball is very poor preparation for the well-rounded player.

Of course in football, there is no direct analogue to the defensive aspect of the game. Offensive players play offense, and defensive players play defense. The days of iron-man football have long since passed into history, and what we are left with is a highly specialized game where only a very few special players can actually play multiple positions effectively. Basketball still requires that the five guys on the floor at any one time both put the ball in the basket and stop the other team from doing so.

In summary, the DDM and Spread Option look very similar in many aspects, not the least of which (and perhaps, the most important of which) are the ease with which the coaches who successfully implement them can repeatedly sign the most athletically skilled players available. For Meyer, Calipari and Rodriguez, their style is what drives their recruiting success, more so even than the schools that they serve. And of course, the better your players, the better your team. That is a truism that will simply never be otherwise.

Kenner League Recap: Day 2

CasualHoya — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:36:31 -0000

Here's an excellent Day 2 Recap of Kenner, from HoyaTalk's HoyaPhatty34:

I saw most of the 1st game and all of the 2nd, so below are my thoughts. I'd like to caveat everything by saying that I realize this is Kenner and not necessarily indicative of how well our kids will play, so I'm expressing my opinions with this in mind.

First, pretty cool that Michael Beasley played. I gotta say that he looked skinner than I thought he was - I forget that he was in Austin's class. He went through the motions most of the time he played, but went hard at the end of the games and when someone else scored on him.

But now on to the important guys:

1st game : Clydes (Jason Clark, Henry Sims) vs. We are one (Hollis Thompson, Beasley)

Jason Clark: My first time seeing him this summer - to me, he was the best player on the floor in terms of effort. Beyond that, he was fearless and had the highlight of the game. He drove and took it right at Beasley, elevated and posterized him - the place went nuts! The whole game Jason found ways to drive to the whole and many times scored or got fouled. He was the primary ball handler and looked improved in terms of his ball handling skills. I was very impressed.

Henry Sims: He showed some signs today, but overall, I must say he doesn't looked that improved from last year. While he did finish some nice plays, like one alley-oop over Beasley, he did not go out there and grab offensive or defensive boards. He had one nice post-up on Beasley, but I didn't see too much else besides wide open finishes. I hope he puts on some more muscle and becomes more aggressive before the season starts.

Hollis Thompson: He didn't show me much today. I missed the beginning of the game, so maybe he exploded out the gates again, but he kinda got lost in the shuffle, especially once Beasley started playing. He also was in foul trouble which may have screwed up his flow. Positives for him include rebounding - he's always active on the defensive and offensive boards. In fact, he got an offensive board in the final minute to put We are One up for good.

2nd game: Tombs (Austin Freeman, Vee Sanford, Jerrelle Benimon, Beasley, Bobby Maze(TN) vs. Beyond Belief (James Gist (MD), Jeff Allen (Tech), Isaiah Swann (FSU), a couple other college guys)

Overall this game was very entertaining with so many college guys and Beasley playing. However, Beasley got tired by the 2nd half and also messed up the Tombs flow by taking long range threes much of the game. I kinda wish he didn't play this game. Anyhow, on to the players:

Austin Freeman: Another workman-like performance - very few highlight reel plays but scored almost whenever he put his mind to it. You forget that Freeman and Beasley played AAU together, but you could tell on the court - they were very comfortable together. Towards the end of the game, Beasley really trusted Austin and fed him the ball play after play. And Austin continually found ways to score. It was refreshing seeing him play against college talent because he pretty much scored or drew a foul whenever he drove the ball. He also was active on the glass despite being one of the shorter players.

Vee Sanford: While he didn't score as much it seemed, he did show me how good a passer he was. The highlight of the game for him was getting a rebound and then throwing a baseball pass outlet to an open man running down the court - right on the money for an assist. He also had other impressive passes through traffic - I like his vision. He also has the speed and handles to get to the hole mostly when he wants to, but missed a number of layups. No signs of an outside shot still. However, overall, his performance confirmed what I thought yesterday - that he will get playing time this year and be productive as a reserve.

Jerrelle Benimon: I hope that's how you spell his last name because the announcer prounounced in "Beniyon". Anyhow, he again was very active on the glass and got several offensive and defensive boards it seemed like. However, I think he was a little slower than Allen and Gist in the paint and got into foul trouble. He did show signs of an offensive game though and scored in traffic on a few occasions. This was the first time I saw him shoot free throws and he has decent form and swished 3 of them. Other than that I don't remember him shooting jumpers at all. I don't think Benimon will make a huge impact this year, but he definitely isn't a stiff. He will be a good energy guy when we need a 5-10 minute burst, but right now he doesn't have the athleticism to play big minutes in the Big East.

Casual Hoya will be live blogging/tweeting from Saturday's action, which features the debuts of Chris Wright and Greg Monroe.

Casually.

		#4 Corbin Ray Sophomore Forward 6-7 \| 225 Katy, Texas Ray saw his first action as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis, in which he played seven minutes, scored two points and grabbed three rebounds. He played in 17 games during the season, started against Sam Houston State, averaged 5.7 minutes per game and 1.6 points per game for the season, played 14 minutes in the home game against Texas A&M, had a season-high five rebounds over East Central University, and had his best showing in the win over New Mexico, in which he played 10 minutes and scored 10 points, was 4 of 6 from the field, and canned two 3-pointers.

		#5 D'walyn Roberts Junior Forward 6-7 \| 200 Dallas, Texas Roberts started the first 19 games for the Red Raiders; played in each game during the season and had 21 starts; averaged 16.5 minutes per game, four points per game, and 3.6 rebounds per game; played 20+ minutes in 13 contests; played 35 minutes at Lamar, made 7 of 8 field goal attempts, and recorded his season-high of 14 points; scored in double figures in six games; was perfect from the free-throw line six times for a combined 13-for-13; registered a double-double in the win over Stephen F. Austin, with 11 points and 11 rebounds; was second on the squad with 21 blocks for the season; and shot .545 from the field for the season.

		#10 Wally Dunn Junior Guard 6-4 \| 194 Midland, Texas Dunn saw his first action as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis, in which he played eight minutes, had a rebound and scored 5 points. He played in 14 games during the season as a walk-on, played a season high of 12 minutes against East Central University, scored 16 points on 6 of 8 field-goal attempts and 4 of 5 3-pointers, shot .588 from the field and made .500 of his 3-point attempts, and had no turnovers for the season. Dunn graduated from Midland College, where the Chaparrals were the 2007 NJCAA National Champions. He was a redshirt his freshman season. The team garnered conference championship honors in 2007-2008, and he played in 32 games as a sophomore and averaged 4.3 points per game.

		#15 Robert Lewandowski Sophomore Forward 6-10 \| 240 Overland Park, Kan. The freshman from Blue Valley West High Sschool played and scored in the first game of the season against St. Francis. Lewandowski scored two points, made a block, and had three rebounds in his eight minutes on the court. He played in 32 games for the season and started 19 times; averaged over 15 minutes per game and played 20+ minutes in 13 contests; averaged 6.6 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game for the year; shot .581 from the field for the season; scored in double figures 10 times, with 8 of those games during conference play; recorded his season-best of 20 points at Texas A&M, when he made 10 of 15 field-goal attempts and had four rebounds in the game; had a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds) at Oklahoma State; grabbed 5+ rebounds in 10 games; and led the squad with 23 blocks.

		#21 John Roberson Junior Guard 5-11 \| 165 Plano, Texas Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (2009) U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District 7 (2009) Roberson and Alan Voskuil were the only players on the 2008-2009 squad to start each game during the season. He was the leading scorer on the team, with 13.9 points per game, and second on the team with 35 steals for the year. Roberson's 212 assists top the previous single-season mark of 182 assists, set by Jason Martin during the 1995-1996 season. He was the assist leader for the Big 12. His 13 assists at Texas A&M were one shy of Stan Bonewitz's single-game record of 14 assists, set against Fresno State in the 1996-1997 season. Roberson's 6.4 assists per game for the season now are the best among all Red Raiders. His 71 3-pointers rank eighth among all Red Raiders in a single season. His 201 3-point attempts equal Bonewitz's mark in the 1997-1998 season and are fourth on the all-time single-season list. Roberson's 35.2 minutes per game were second on the squad. He played 40 minutes in five games; was second on the squad in free-throw percentage (.829), making 97 of 117 attempts; was perfect from the line in 15 games, totaling 58 for 58; averaged 3.5 rebounds per game and had at least five rebounds in six games; established a career high of eight rebounds at Iowa State; had a double-double performance at Texas A&M, with 13 assists and 20 points; and scored 20+ points in five games. Roberson's 33 points at UTEP were a career-best and made him the 36th Red Raider to score 30 or more points in a game, earning him All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and USBWA All-District 7 honors.

		#23 Nick Okorie Senior Guard 6-1 \| 195 Houston, Texas Okorie started his career as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis. He played 19 minutes and scored 16 points. Okorie played in 29 games during the season and had 19 starting spots. He missed four games due to an ankle injury; averaged more than 25 minutes per game and played 30+ minutes in eight games; played 36 minutes at Texas and at Iowa State; was perfect from the free-throw line in nine games, totaling 40 of 40; was third on the team with 21 steals; averaged 3.1 rebounds per game; and grabbed 5+ boards in nine games. His scoring average of 11.3 points per game was fourth among squad members. Okorie scored 15+ points in nine games, with six of those games against conference opponents; sank 10 of 10 free throws and had 17 points against Kansas; scored 24 points at Oklahoma and at Texas; averaged 16.3 points per game over the last 10 games; and started nine times.

		#24 Trevor Cook Senior Forward 6-9 \| 241 Coppell, Texas Legends Classic All-Tournament (2008) Cook was awarded his undergraduate degree in May 2009. He played in 14 games during the season and had eight starts, but missed 19 games due to a back injury. Cook averaged 14 minutes per game and played 25+ minutes in three games, and was perfect from the free-throw line in four games, totaling 16 for 16. His eight rebounds against East Central University equal his top mark from the previous season. He had 13 blocks in his abbreviated season, averaged 7.6 points per game, scored in double figures six times and had 20 or more points in two games. His 24 points against Pittsburgh mark his best scoring performance as a Red Raider, and he was selected to the Legends Classic All-Tournament Team for his performances against Pittsburgh and Mississippi State.

		#31 Darko Cohadarevic Senior Forward 6-9 \| 242 Belgrade, Serbia Cohadarevic played his first game as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis. He played 12 minutes, grabbed two rebounds and scored four points. Cohadarevic played in 26 games and started twice; averaged nearly 11 minutes per game and had five games in which he played 15+ minutes; was perfect from the free-throw line in four games; averaged 2.2 rebounds per game and had at least five rebounds in five games; scored double figures in three contests; had 12 points against East Central University and against Stephen F. Austin; and scored 10 points and had six rebounds in the win over Texas A&M in the opening round of conference championship play.

		#32 Mike Singletary Junior Forward 6-6 \| 217 Humble, Texas Second Team Academic All-Big 12 (2009) Big 12 Championship All-Tournament (2009) Singletary was one of four players to play in each game during the season. He had four starts and averaged 23.1 minutes per game; played 30+ minutes against six opponents; was perfect from the free-throw line in four games; attempted more free throws than all other teammates (187) and made more free throws than all other teammates (136); had three games in which he made 34 of 40 free-throw attempts; was the leading rebounder on the team, with 5.8 boards per game; had three games (Centenary, Kansas and at Iowa State) of 10+ rebounds and 12 games with at least seven rebounds; and had double-double performances against New Mexico, Kansas and at Iowa State. His 12.2 points per game were third on the squad and he scored at least 15 points in 13 games, averaged 18.2 points per game over the final nine games of the season, was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team, and gained Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team honors after scoring 60 points in two games (Texas A&M and Missouri). Singletary made 21 of 33 attempts during those two games. He set a Big 12 Championship scoring record with 43 points in the opening round game against Texas A&M (the previous record was 38 points by Marcus Fizer of Iowa State vs. Baylor in 2000). His 43-point game equals Dub Malaise's 1966 performance against TCU as the fourth-highest scoring output in Texas Tech history. Singletary led the biggest rally in Big 12 championship history, erasing the Red Raiders' 21-point, second-half deficit and taking Texas Tech to an 88-83 win over Texas A&M (the previous record was 20 points by Texas two seasons ago). He scored 29 consecutive points for the Red Raiders, with no other Tech player scoring, to become the NCAA's No. 2 consecutive-points scorer, behind Temple's Bill Mlkvy's 54 consecutive points against Wilkes on March 3, 1951.