Oklahoma State University Athletics
Smart Headlines Preseason Big 12 Honors
October 03, 2013 | Cowboy Basketball
Oct. 3, 2013
STILLWATER — Marcus Smart has been named the Big 12 Conference 2013-14 Preseason Player of the Year, it was announced today by the league in a vote of the conference head coaches. Smart was a unanimous selection, receiving the nod from every coach in the Big 12, excluding OSU Coach Travis Ford, who could not vote for his own player.
Smart is just the second standout in Big 12 history to return for the next season after being named the Big 12 Player of the Year during the previous campaign (Kansas' Raef LaFrentz in 1997-98). Smart is the top returning scorer in the league with 28 double-figure scoring games and also set a Big 12 freshman record with 99 steals in 2012-13. Chosen as the national freshman of the year by multiple organizations last season, he has been a consensus preseason choice for All-America First Team accolades by various national media outlets this year.
Smart was also the only unanimous selection to the 2013-14 Preseason All-Big 12 Team, and was joined by Cowboy senior Markel Brown. Michael Cobbins and Le'Bryan Nash, both juniors for Oklahoma State, received honorable mention for the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. All four Cowboys were named to one of the All-Big 12 teams a year ago.
Oklahoma State opens the 2013-14 season with an exhibition game against Campbellsville (Ky.) on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 2 pm inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Big 12 Conference Preseason Basketball Honors
Player of the Year — Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, 6-4, 220, So, G, Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus HS **
Newcomer of the Year — Tarik Black, Kansas, 6-9, 260, Sr, Memphis, Tenn./Univ. of Memphis
Freshman of the Year — Andrew Wiggins, Kansas, 6-8, 200, Fr, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada/Huntington [W.Va.] Prep
All-Big 12 Team
Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, 6-4, 220, So, G, Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus HS **
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State, 6-3, 190, Sr, G, Alexandria, La./Peabody HS
Isaiah Austin, Baylor, 7-1, 225, So, C, Arlington, Texas/Grace Prep Academy
Melvin Ejim, Iowa State, 6-6, 230, Sr, F, Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Brewster [N.H.] Academy
Cory Jefferson, Baylor, 6-9, 220, Sr, F, Killeen, Texas/Killeen HS
Andrew Wiggins, Kansas, 6-8, 200, Fr, G, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada/Huntington [W.Va.] Prep
Honorable Mention: Michael Cobbins (Oklahoma State), Le'Bryan Nash (Oklahoma State), Perry Ellis (Kansas), Joel Embiid (Kansas), Eron Harris (West Virginia), Shane Southwell (Kansas State)
A tie in the voting created a six-member preseason team
** unanimous selection
Players Mentioned
G
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F
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G/F
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