Oklahoma State University Athletics
Anderson Big 12 Player of the Year
March 07, 2010 | Cowboy Basketball
March 7, 2010
James Anderson, a junior guard on the Oklahoma State men's basketball team, has been named the Big 12 Conference's Player of the Year, it was announced today by the league office. The Junction City, Ark., native was also a unanimous selection for All-Big 12 First Team honors. Senior guard Obi Muonelo was voted All-Big 12 Honorable Mention by the conference head coaches.
“It feels very good that I got picked over a lot of top prospects in the (Big 12) Conference,” Anderson said. “It means a lot, as far as individual achievement, but I have to share the award with my teammates, because they make me a better player.”
Anderson is just the second Cowboy in school history to be named Player of the Year in the Big 12 by the league coaches. Tony Allen received the award in 2004. That same season, John Lucas was named the Player of the Year by the Associated Press.
Anderson led the Big 12 and ranks fifth nationally in scoring, averaging 22.9 points per game. His 686 points this season rank as the sixth most in a single season in OSU history, and his 24.1 scoring average in league-games only ranks fifth in Big 12 history.
Anderson and Damion James of Texas were unanimous selections to the All-Big 12 First Team, and are joined by Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins of Kansas, Kansas State's Jacob Pullen, and Donald Sloan of Texas A&M. Ties in the voting created additional spots for the All-Big 12 First Team.
Muonelo was named an All-Big 12 selection for the first time in his career. He is averaging 13.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game as the lone senior on the squad.
Oklahoma State will face Oklahoma in the first round of the 2010 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on Wednesday, March 10, at 6 p.m. inside the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.
