Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin today has been named the Big 12 pre-season basketball player of the year in a vote of the league's coaches.
Griffin led the Sooners in scoring (14.7 points per game), rebounding (9.1) and field goal shooting (57 percent) last season. He had the highest scoring average for an Oklahoma freshman in 24 years.
Texas has two players on the pre-season first team in guard A.J. Abrams and forward Damion James.
Abrams considered a jump to the NBA along with D.J. Augustin but decided to return for his senior season. He has the most 3-pointers in school history (284) and is the top returning scorer in the Big 12 at 16.5 points per game. James is one of six returning Division I players to average a double-double (13.2 points, 10.3 rebounds).
Besides Griffin, the other first-team selections were Baylor guard Curtis Jerrells (15.3 points, 3.8 assists last season) and Kansas guard Sherron Collins.
The pre-season newcomer of the year is Kansas guard Mario Little. The junior college transfer led Chipola College to a 68-5 record the past two years and shot 40 percent from 3-point range last season.
Oklahoma guard Willie Warren is the pre-season freshman of the year. He averaged 24.9 points per game last season and led North Crowley to the Texas Class 5A state title.
