Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Edge Kansas as Preseason Big 12 Favorite
June 21, 1999 | Cowboy Basketball
October 26, 1998
DALLAS - Returning four starters from a 1998 NCAA Tournament team has Oklahoma State as the Big 12 men's basketball favorite in a preseason vote of the conference coaches the league office announced today.
Oklahoma State edged two-time Big 12 champion Kansas for top honors gaining seven of the coaches' 12 possible first-place votes. Kansas claimed the other five first-place selections as coaches were not able to vote for their own teams.
The Big 12 coaches also selected a preseason all-conference team, a preseason player-, newcomer-, and freshman of the year. Oklahoma State senior Adrian Peterson was the coaches' choice for preseason player of the year. The North Little Rock, Ark., guard averaged 17.7 points last season for the 22-7 Cowboys. Joining Peterson on the coaches' all-Big 12 team is junior teammate Desmond Mason, Iowa State sophomore Marcus Fizer, Kansas State senior Manny Dies, Nebraska senior Venson Hamilton, Texas senior Kris Clack, and Longhorn sophomore Chris Mihm. There was tie in the coaches' vote for all-Big 12, hence seven players are listed on the all-league team.
Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors go to Oklahoma junior Victor Avila. The 6-10 center from Culiacan, Mexico, was a second-team junior college All-American last year where he averaged 23.7 points, 15.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocked shots for Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College. Preseason freshman of the year honors go to Missouri's Keyon Dooling. The 6-3 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., guard was a Parade All-American at Dillard High School where he averaged 22 points, six assists, and six rebounds as a senior.
The coaches' team rankings show five sets of Big 12 teams that could rank a variety of ways. The first tier in the coaches' vote is Oklahoma State and Kansas. Missouri edged Oklahoma for third and fourth place in the coaches' poll. Texas was followed closely by Kansas State and Nebraska for fifth position. Iowa State edged Texas Tech and Colorado for spots eight through 10, while Baylor and Texas A&M tied for 11th by the league mentors.
Under ninth-year head coach Eddie Sutton, Oklahoma State has finished in the upper half of every league race and he has guided the Cowboys to a first- or second-place finish six of his eight seasons in Stillwater. Last year Sutton was named the 1998 Big 12 Coach of the Year by Associated Press and the league coaches as the Cowboys tied for second with Oklahoma at 11-5 in Big 12 play. Oklahoma State won two Big Eight titles in 1965 and tying Kansas for the 1991 in Sutton's first season at OSU.
Kansas has amassed a 30-2 (.938) two-year Big 12 record with its only losses at Missouri both seasons. The Jayhawks have also won both Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournaments giving head coach Roy Williams' crew a combined 36-2 (.947) record versus Big 12 teams in the two-year existence of the conference. Kansas has won 45 total conference crowns including its last four straight and seven of its last eight dating back to 1991. Only Missouri interrupted Kansas' string by going 14-0 in league competition and winning the 1994 Big Eight crown.
1998-99 Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (first place votes) Points
1. Oklahoma State (7) 117
2. Kansas (5) 115
3. Missouri 91
4. Oklahoma 90
5. Texas 74
6. Kansas State 72
7. Nebraska 69
8. Iowa State 45
9. Texas Tech 42
10. Colorado 38
11. Baylor 17
11. Texas A&M 17
Note: Points were awarded 11 for first, 10 for second, nine for third, etc. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
1998-99 Preseason Coaches All-Big 12 Team(With seven players, there was a tie in the coaches vote. Coaches were not able to vote for their own team.)Name School Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl-Exp Ppg Rpg Hometown (Previous school) Marcus Fizer Iowa State F 6-8 240 So-1L 14.9 6.7 Arcadia, La. Manny Dies Kansas State F 6-9 230 Sr-3L 15.7 7.6 Wichita, Kan. (South HS) Venson Hamilton Nebraska C 6-10 245 Sr-3L 11.2 9.8 Forest City, N.C. (Oak Hill Academy) Desmond Mason Oklahoma State F 6-6 207 Jr-2L 14.6 7.7 Waxahachie, Texas Adrian Peterson Oklahoma State G 6-4 197 Sr-3L 17.7 6.7 North Little Rock, Ark. (Oak Grove HS) Kris Clack Texas G/F 6-5 225 Sr-3L 17.3 6.5 Austin, Texas (HS) Chris Mihm Texas C 7-0 255 So-1L 12.4 8.0 Austin, Texas (HS)
Others receiving two or more votes - Kenny Price, G, Colorado; Eric Chenowith, C, Kansas; Ryan Robertson, G, Kansas; Albert White, G/F, Missouri; Ryan Humphrey, F, Oklahoma; Eduardo Najera, F, Oklahoma
Preseason Player of the Year
Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma State (G, 6-4, Sr-3L, North Little Rock, Ark. [Oak Grove HS])
Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Victor Avila, Oklahoma (C, 6-10, Jr-TR, Culiacan, Mexico, Scottsdale [Ariz.] CC)
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Keyon Dooling, Missouri (G, 6-3, Fr-HS, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Dillard HS)
