March 10, 2008

IRVING, Texas - Kansas sophomore Sherron Collins headlines a solid KU contingent on the 2007-08 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Men's Basketball Awards announced Monday. Collins earned the Big 12's Sixth Man Award as voted on by the conference coaches while junior guard Brandon Rush and sophomore forward Darrell Arthur each earned All-Big 12 First Team honors.

KU junior Mario Chalmers was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and senior Darnell Jackson to the conference's third team. Additionally, Chalmers and senior Russell Robinson were each selected to the league's all-defense team for the third straight season.

Rush becomes just the second player in Big 12 history to be a three-time All-Big 12 First Team choice (Andre Emmett, Texas Tech, 2002-04). Chalmers is making his third appearance on the all-conference team, as he was a third-team member last season and an honorable mention selection in 2005-06. Arthur was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention last season and Jackson is making his debut on an all-league squad.

Rush and Arthur's selections mark the second straight and fourth time in the 12-year history of the Big 12 that two Jayhawks have appeared on the All-Big 12 First Team. Last year, Julian Wright joined Rush on the first team. In 1998, Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce were first team selections, while in 2002 Drew Gooden and Kirk Hinrich and in 2003 Nick Collison and Hinrich also shared the first team honors by the conference coaches.

Freshman Michael Beasley (Kansas State) has been named the 2008 Big 12 Player and Freshman of the Year, the second consecutive year a standout freshman has won both accolades from the Big 12. The two honors highlight the 2007-08 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Men's Basketball Awards. The Defensive Player of the Year award was won by Marcus Dove (Oklahoma State), who shared the award last season with Kansas' Chalmers. Junior DeMarre Carroll was named the Newcomer of the Year, the second straight season a Missouri player has won that trophy. Collins (Kansas) captures the Sixth Man Award, while Rick Barnes (Texas) is the Big 12 Coach of the Year.

The official All-Big 12 awards are selected by the league's head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players.

2007-08 PHILLIPS 66 ALL-BIG 12 MEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Michael Beasley, Kansas State (F, Fr., 6-10, 235, Washington, D.C./Notre Dame Prep [Mass.])

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Marcus Dove, Oklahoma State (G/F, Sr., 6-9, 215, Long Beach, Calif./Millikan)

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

DeMarre Carroll, Missouri (F, Jr., 6-8, 225, Birmingham, Ala./John Carroll/Vanderbilt)

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Michael Beasley, Kansas State (F, Fr., 6-10, 235, Washington, D.C./Notre Dame Prep [Mass.])

SIXTH MAN AWARD

Sherron Collins, Kansas (G, So., 5-11, 200, Chicago, Ill./Crane)

COACH OF THE YEAR

Rick Barnes, Texas (Career: 444-225, 21st season; At UT: 242-91, 10th season)

All-Big 12 First Team

Curtis Jerrells, Baylor (G, 6-1, 200, Jr., Austin, Texas/Del Valle)

Darrell Arthur, Kansas (F, 6-9, 230, So., Dallas, Texas/South Oak Cliff)

Brandon Rush, Kansas (G, 6-6, 210, Jr., Kansas City, Mo./Mt. Zion Academy [N.C.])

Michael Beasley, Kansas State** (F, 6-10, 235, Fr., Washington, D.C./Notre Dame Prep [Mass.])

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma (F, 6-10, 243, Fr., Oklahoma City, Okla./Oklahoma Christian School)

D.J. Augustin, Texas** (G, 6-0, 180, So., New Orleans, La./Brother Martin)

All-Big 12 Second Team

Mario Chalmers, Kansas (G, 6-1, 195, Jr., Anchorage, Alaska/Bartlett)

Aleks Maric, Nebraska (C, 6-11, 275, Sr., Sydney, Australia/Australian Institute for Sport/Life Center [N.J.])

A.J. Abrams, Texas (G, 5-11, 155, Jr., Round Rock, Texas/McNeil)

Damion James, Texas (F, 6-7, 230, So., Nacogdoches, Texas/Nacogdoches)

Martin Zeno, Texas Tech (G, 6-5, 208, Sr., Sulphur, La./Sulphur)

All-Big 12 Third Team

Richard Roby, Colorado (G, 6-6, 200, Sr., San Bernardino, Calif./Lawrence Academy [Mass.])

Jiri Hubalek, Iowa State (C, 6-11, 240, Sr., Prague, Czech Republic/Marshalltown CC)

Darnell Jackson, Kansas (F, 6-8, 250, Sr., Oklahoma City, Okla./Midwest City)

Bill Walker, Kansas State (F, 6-6, 220, Fr., Huntington, W. Va./North College Hill [Ohio])

Byron Eaton, Oklahoma State (G, 5-11, 215, Jr., Dallas, Texas/Lincoln)

All-Big 12 Honorable Mention

Henry Dugat (Baylor), Kevin Rogers (Baylor), Wesley Johnson (Iowa State), DeMarre Carroll (Missouri), James Anderson (Oklahoma State), Marcus Dove (Oklahoma State), Josh Carter (Texas A&M), Joseph Jones (Texas A&M)

Big 12 All-Defensive Team

Rahshon Clark, Iowa State (F, 6-6, 210, Sr., Queens, N.Y./Beach Channel/Bridgton Academy [Maine])

Mario Chalmers, Kansas (G, 6-1, 195, Jr., Anchorage, Alaska/Bartlett)

Russell Robinson, Kansas (G, 6-1, 200, Sr., New York, N.Y./Rice)

Marcus Dove, Oklahoma State** (G/F, 6-9, 215, Sr., Long Beach, Calif./Millikan)

Justin Mason, Texas (G, 6-2, 198, So., Amarillo, Texas/Palo Duro)

Big 12 All-Rookie Team                    

Michael Beasley, Kansas State** (F, 6-10, 235, Fr., Washington, D.C./Notre Dame Prep [Mass.])

Bill Walker, Kansas State (F, 6-6, 220, Fr., Huntington, W. Va./North College Hill [Ohio])

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma (F, 6-10, 243, Fr., Oklahoma City, Okla./Oklahoma Christian School)

James Anderson, Oklahoma State (G/F, 6-6, 195, Fr., Junction City, Ark./Junction City)

DeAndre Jordan, Texas A&M (F, 7-0, 255, Fr., Houston, Texas/Christian Life Center)

** - Unanimous Selection                           Ties in the voting created an additional spot on the first team