Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Garner Postseason Accolades
March 10, 2013 | Cowboy Basketball
March 10, 2013
Stillwater, Okla. — Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart has joined an exclusive group of three student-athletes to be named Big 12 Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season, leading the 2013 All-Big 12 Men's Basketball awards announced this evening by the league office. The Cowboy was also named to the All-Big 12 First Team, the Big 12 All-Defensive Team and the Big 12 All-Rookie Team.
"I'm thankful to all my teammates, because if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't even be in a situation to earn these awards," Smart said. "There were a lot of decisions that could've been made, and a lot of good players that (the awards) could've gone to. For all the league coaches to choose me, it's remarkable. There are a lot of great players in the Big 12, and it's an honor to be the one they chose for these awards."
Three other Cowboys were also honored by the league coaches. Junior Markel Brown was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team, while sophomore Le'Bryan Nash was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team and sophomore Michael Cobbins was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Cobbins joined Smart on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.
Smart, from Flower Mound, Texas, was a unanimous selection for the Freshman of the Year award as well as the All-Defensive Team and All-Rookie Team.
Joining Smart on the All-Big 12 First Team were: Ben McLemore and Jeff Withey (also the Defensive Player of the Year) of Kansas, Kansas State's Rodney McGruder, and Romero Osby of Oklahoma. Brown was joined on the Second Team by Baylor's Pierre Jackson, Willy Clyburn (also the Newcomer of the Year) of Iowa State, Kansas' Travis Releford and Angel Rodriguez of Kansas State. Nash was joined on the Third Team by Baylor's Isaiah Austin, Melvin Ejim of Iowa State, and Oklahoma's Amath M'Baye and Steven Pledger.
Smart is the third Cowboy to be named the Big 12 Player of the Year by the league coaches, joining Tony Allen (2003-04) and James Anderson (2009-10). He is just the second Cowboy to receive Big 12 Freshman of the Year accolades, joining Nash, who was the co-Freshman of the Year according to the league coaches a year ago.
The 13th-ranked Cowboys (23-7 overall, 13-5 Big 12) travel to Kansas City, Mo., this week to compete in the 2013 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. OSU will face sixth-seed Baylor on Thursday night at 8:30 pm in the quarterfinals at the Sprint Center.
Big 12 Player of the Year — Marcus Smart
Big 12 Freshman of the Year — Marcus Smart
All-Big 12 First Team — Marcus Smart
All-Big 12 Second Team — Markel Brown
All-Big 12 Third Team — Le'Bryan Nash
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention — Michael Cobbins
Big 12 All-Defensive Team — Marcus Smart (unanimous), Michael Cobbins
Big 12 All-Rookie Team — Marcus Smart (unanimous)
