Kelvin Sampson from Houston has been honored as the Big 12 Coach of the Year by the Associated Press for the second consecutive time. Meanwhile, Houston’s guard LJ Cryer has been named the Big 12 Player of the Year after helping lead the program to another regular-season conference victory, maintaining their position as the second-ranked team.
Cryer has accomplished an average of 15.3 points per game and is distinguished for his impressive precision in long-range shots, hitting 43.1% of his three-pointers. The Texas native has remained a consistent starter for Houston through every game over the past two seasons, following a successful tenure with Baylor that included participation in their 2021 national championship team.
The sophomore standout from Texas Tech, JT Toppin, has been recognized as the Newcomer of the Year and selected unanimously for the AP All-Big 12 first team. Toppin, who transferred from New Mexico, stands out as the only Big 12 athlete achieving top-three rankings in both scoring with 18.1 points per game and rebounding with 9.3 per game.
Alongside Cryer and Toppin, the AP first-team selections feature Kansas graduate center Hunter Dickinson, a towering 7-foot-2 presence, BYU junior Richie Saunders, and West Virginia senior Javon Small.
In its second year in the Big 12, Houston has captured the regular-season title twice since moving from the American Athletic Conference. The Cougars have compiled a remarkable 27-4 season and set new records with 19 conference game victories.
Acknowledging the talent within other teams, the AP named Baylor’s graduate transfer forward Norchad Omier and freshman guard VJ Edgecombe as second-team selections, along with UCF junior Keyshawn Hall, Arizona senior Caleb Love, and Iowa State senior Curtis Jones.
The AP All-Big 12 awards and selections stemmed from votes cast by media members covering the conference intensively.
Here are the honorees:
First Team: u-F JT Toppin from Texas Tech, G LJ Cryer from Houston, C Hunter Dickinson from Kansas, G/F Richie Saunders from BYU, G Javon Small from West Virginia.
Second Team: G VJ Edgecombe from Baylor, G/F Keyshawn Hall from UCF, G Caleb Love from Arizona, G Curtis Jones from Iowa State, G/F Norchad Omier from Baylor.
Notably, the selection of individuals such as Kelvin Sampson as Coach of the Year, LJ Cryer as Player of the Year, and JT Toppin as Newcomer of the Year reflects their significant contributions to their respective teams and the league.
