College Basketball: Picking All-Big 12 First, Second and Third Teams

With the regular season officially coming to an end and the dawn of conference tournament season upon us, it is time to reflect on what got us here.

The Big 12 may not be the deepest conference in college basketball, but it was definitely among the the most exciting.

It hold teams with vast differences in style of play, great players at a variety of positions and even housed an unheralded rivalry in Kansas and Missouri that provided arguably the two most entertaining games of the season.

As fun as the Big 12 conference season was, it is a very top heavy league, with an abundance of talent on the top few teams.  There are standout stars from the lower half on the league as well.

As always, this is not the absolute definitive list and all reader feedback is welcome and encouraged. 

Whether you agree or disagree, whether you think someone was left off unjustly, or you think someone was rated too high, say so.  That is really the fun part of sports and these types of lists.  Everyone is different and sees things with their own point of view. 

With that, it's time to select the 2012 All-Big 12 teams.

First Team: Guard, Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas

Tyshawn Taylor had been an underachiever for three seasons, but broke out this season.

Taylor is half of arguably the best one-two punch in college basketball.

He runs the offense, sets up teammates and is a tremendous scorer.  He averaged 17.2 points and 4.9 assists in the regular season, hitting a tremendous 43.1 percent of his threes.

He picked the best time of all to bring his game to another level.  In his final three games of the season, he averaged 24.3 points on 61.5 percent shooting from the field.

Taylor is a dynamic athlete, a tough defender and a smart player who helped Kansas win a conference title.

First Team: Guard, Marcus Denmon, Missouri

Marcus Denmon would be the Big 12 Player of the Year if not for a certain player across the Missouri-Kansas border.

Denmon is a remarkable shooter and scorer in Missouri's machine-like attack.  He scored 18.0 points per game, shooting 41.9 percent from beyond the arc and 88.8 percent from the foul line.

Helping the Tigers even more is his excellent 5.1 rebounds per game, since Missouri plays undersized at all times.

As good as Denmon is, he slumped his way through January.  As soon as they played a rivalry game against Kansas in their first game of February, something clicked.

In the last nine games, Denmon has averaged 19.9 points per game while shooting an outstanding 50.7 percent on threes.

Denmon can also step up and carry his team in the biggest of games.  In two epic matchups with Kansas, Denmon had a 29-point game and a 28-point game.  He averaged 7.0 rebounds in the two games and hit 12-of-19 threes.

First Team: Guard, J'Covan Brown, Texas

J'Covan Brown seems to get lost among the great talent at Kansas, Missouri and Baylor.  All Brown does is lead the conference in scoring at 20.0 points per game.

Brown is a volume scorer, but he also adds 3.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game.  He hits 37.5 percent of his threes and 86.0 percent on free throws.  He leads the Big 12 in free throws made, as well.

He can score from the outside and, at the rim, he can absolutely carry the Longhorn offense.

In six games against the "big-three" in the conference, Brown poured in 26.8 points per game and drilled 44.7 percent of his 47 three-point attempts.

Brown may not be viewed as the league's marquee player, but he is definitely one of the Big 12's best.

First Team: Forward, Royce White, Iowa State

Royce White transferred from Minnesota and immediately transformed Iowa State basketball.

White is a big-bodied, physical presence that has an incredibly well rounded game.

He averages 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks, shooting 52.6 percent from the field.  What is even more impressive than the stat-line itself is the fact that he leads his team in every category.

He can score inside and out, he bangs the boards with anyone and he distributes and defends.  White is also more athletic than his 270-pound frame would suggest.

White has nine double-doubles on the season, as well as a triple-double.  He also led the Cyclones to wins over Kansas and Baylor. 

There are some more hyped post players in the Big 12, but only one is better than Royce White.

First Team: Forward, Thomas Robinson, Kansas

Thomas Robinson is the Big 12 Player of the Year and is in contention for the same award nationally.

There is no more a tenacious rebounder and interior scorer than Robinson.  He is hungry to win and will do whatever it takes.

He is posting great averages of 18.0 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.  He is hitting 53.1 percent of his shots.

Robinson may not be the biggest post player in the nation, but he could be the strongest and most determined. 

In matchups against Anthony Davis, Mason Plumlee, T.J. Robinson, Jared Sullinger and twice against Perry Jones, he has averaged 19.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.

To show just how good of a player he is, in the season's biggest game, last Saturday against Missouri, Robinson scored 28 points and had 12 rebounds.  What makes it even more spectacular is, as a 68 percent free-throw shooter, in a one-point, overtime victory, he hit 8-of-9 from the line.

Thomas Robinson is the best player in the Big 12.

Second Team: Guard, Phil Pressey, Missouri

Phil Pressey wasn't necessarily looked at to even be a starter this year in a stacked backcourt.  He became a starter and more this season.

The Tigers run a potent four-guard attack that is led by Pressey at the point.

He doesn't look to score, but is capable when called upon.  He is a true floor general, setting up his sharpshooting teammates for 6.2 assists per game, along with 9.6 points.

He led the Big 12 in assists this season, and he led in steals with 2.1 per game.

Pressey is in control of the Tigers' precision offense, and he is the head of their pesky defense.

Everyone is waiting for Missouri's lack of size to catch up with them, but with tough, explosive guards like Pressey, it likely won't matter.

Second Team: Guard, Pierre Jackson, Baylor

On an over-hyped and disappointing Baylor team, Pierre Jackson has been truly special.

He may look to score too often and turn it over too frequently, but he leads a very limited offense and appears to just do what it takes to win on a nightly basis.

Jackson is now the leading scorer for the Bears, as well as their playmaker.  He is averaging 13.5 points and 5.6 assists per game.  He is a great shooting guard, hitting 47.9 percent from the field—45.3 percent on threes and 82.9 percent from the line.

He is third in the conference in assists and second in steals with 1.7 per game.

Jackson is the most reliable offensive player for Baylor, and if they want to live up to expectations, they probably need him to be even more aggressive.

Second Team: Guard, Rodney McGruder, Kansas State

Rodney McGruder has really stepped up and filled the void following the devastating loss of Jacob Pullen.

McGruder is an explosive scorer who can get it done from the outside, or with his combination of quickness and strength to finish at the rim.

He is scoring 15.5 points and grabbing 5.4 rebounds per game.  His volume of shots has gone up and his efficiency is the same if not better.

He is shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 39.3 percent on threes.  He gets a boost from his 80.4 percent free-throw shooting as well.

McGruder went off for 30 against Baylor and 33 against Texas.  Kansas State has won 4-of-5 and, in the last four games, McGruder has been on fire.

Over that stretch he is averaging 21.8 points and 5.8 rebounds, while hitting 12 of his 19 three-point attempts for a blistering 63.2 percent.  He makes Kansas State a daunting task every night.

Second Team: Perry Jones, III, Baylor

Perry Jones has had an underwhelming sophomore season by any estimation.  He was supposed to be one of the most dominant players in college basketball, but instead, he is just a good player.

Jones is unbelievably talented with all the skills a player could hope for.  What he doesn't seem to have is a desire to get the most out of them.

That said, he is still one of the best players on any court he steps on.

Jones is averaging 13.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game.  He is shooting 52 percent on two-point attempts with a nice mid-range jumper and the ability to score around the basket.

Jones is one of the best Big 12 players, but to make the case that he is underachieving, look at his last eight games.  Heading into the end of the season where you want to get things fine tuned, Jones has done the opposite.

Baylor is 4-4 in this stretch, and Jones is averaging just 9.3 points and 6.5 rebounds and his 34.9 percent shooting is alarming.  Jones is arguably the most gifted player in the conference, but he isn't playing like it.  Most Big 12 players would still trade places with him.

Second Team: Forward, Ricardo Ratliffe, Missouri

Ricardo Ratliffe isn't especially big when you consider that he is the only big man surrounded by a bunch of guards.  But, at 23 years of age and having a lot of maturity and basketball smarts, he is the perfect fit.

He isn't an explosive or long, lean athlete, but he has a smooth style and he just knows how to play.  He gets great position on offense and finishes nearly every time he gets the ball.  He plays fundamental post offense.

Ratliffe averages 13.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.  He shoots an astronomical 70.8 percent from the field.

He plays with a ton of energy and effort, and he competes hard with players more gifted than he is.

Ratliffe mans the inside for one of the smallest teams in college basketball and he does so with great success.

Third Team: Guard, Keiton Page, Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State is most likely going to be done playing basketball sometime in the middle of this week.  That means Keiton Page's NCAA career will come to an end.

If that is the case, Page has decided to go out on his sword.  Page is what college basketball is all about.  He improved and reinvented himself over the course of four years, and he is playing at a whole new level this season.

Page is averaging 16.8 points per game, shooting 38.2 percent on threes.  He has also become incredibly dangerous off the dribble, getting into the lane almost at will.

He is small, with limited athletic ability, but he plays a crafty style with a lot of toughness.

Page is going out in style.  Over the last six games, he is lighting up opponents for 26.3 points per game.  He has topped 20 points in all but one of those games, highlighted by 40 in a win over Texas.

Expect Page to put on a show in the Big 12 Tournament this week.

Third Team: Guard, Kim English, Missouri

Kim English is strictly a shooter.  Luckily for him, he has been one of the best in the country when it comes to shooting.

English is aided by the playmaking of Phil Pressey and is given space due to the presence of Marcus Denmon, but when he is called upon he almost always delivers. 

He is averaging 14.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game  He is shooting 50 percent from the field and a devastating 45.3 percent on threes, a dangerous weapon in the Missouri arsenal.

One overlooked aspect of English's contribution is his size.  At 6'6", he is a very big guard in the college game, which helps to offset the Tigers' lack of size underneath.  He isn't a banger, but at least he offers some defensive resistance.

English isn't carrying the load by any stretch, but his shooting can demoralize the defense of any team in the NCAA Tournament. 

Third Team: Guard, Steven Pledger, Oklahoma

Steven Pledger is truly one bright spot in a very dim season for the Sooners.

He is a big-bodied guard who can flat out shoot the ball.  He is the sixth-leading scorer in the conference at 16.6 points per game.  He is shooting 42.6 percent on threes and 83.0 percent on free-throws.

He also pulls down 4.0 rebounds per game and averages a steal per game on defense.

Pledger is the type of shooter and scorer that is capable of completely taking over a game.  He led Oklahoma to a season sweep of Kansas State, and the highlight of his season was scoring 30 points in the 63-30 win in Manhattan, Kansas.

He also went for 31 points against Houston.  Oklahoma may not be a real threat in the conference tournament, but Pledger can give at least one team a long night. 

Third Team: Forward, Quincy Acy, Baylor

Quincy Acy is a gifted athlete.  He has long arms, he's quick and he can jump out of the gym.  He does not possess all the gifts his teammate Perry Jones does.  What he does possess is the determination that Jones seems to lack.

Acy is a very opportune scorer, averaging 12.1 points and grabbing 7.2 rebounds per game.  He is hitting an outrageous 58.3 percent of his shots and a very respectable 76.6 percent from the line.

He isn't a focal point of the offense, but where he truly shines is on the defensive end.  He is an intimidating defensive presence, blocking 2.0 shots per game and altering countless others.  He also averages a steal per game.

Acy plays with a lot of passion. Perhaps in the coming weeks some of that will rub off on his more talented teammate.  Acy plays with reckless abandon and is a joy to watch.

Third Team: Center, Jeff Withey, Kansas

Jeff Withey is a legitimate center, standing at 7'0" tall.  He provides some level of protection for Thomas Robinson underneath.

He doesn't post breathtaking numbers, but he is highly productive.

Withey is playing 23.8 minutes per game, along with 9.2 points and 6.2 rebounds.  He is shooting 55.0 percent form the field and a very impressive 81.8 percent from the foul line.

Defensively, Withey is a true difference-maker.  He is averaging 3.2 blocks per game, and an incredible 5.4 blocks per 40 minutes.

Withey is capable of being the best player on the floor on given nights.  In a win at Baylor, he dropped 25 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and blocked three shots.  He followed that with 18 points, 20 rebounds and seven blocks against Oklahoma State, and completed his dominant trilogy with 18 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocks at Kansas State.

Withey isn't a big name, but he can be a dominant presence, and he is a valuable piece of Kansas' puzzle. 

Honorable Mention

Inspired by readers, every list will now be accompanied by an honorable mention list.  It seems that the comments center on players that ended up just missing the cut, so it is only fair to include them in some way.

Here are the players who were closest to making the All-Big 12 team:

Myck Kabongo, G	Texas	9.9 PPG	5.3 APG	1.2 STL
Scott Christopherson, G	Iowa State	12.6 PPG	3.1 RPG	.455 3PT%
Elston Turner, G	Texas A&M	14.0 PPG	3.7 RPG	.398 3PT%
Romero Osby, F	Oklahoma	12.7 PPG	7.4 RPG	1.0 BLK
Jamar Samuels, F	Kansas State	10.3 PPG	6.8 RPG	.315 3PT%

Even with five extra players added, I'm sure there are some others who deserve to be recognized.  Now it is your turn to have your voice heard.

I look forward to debating with you all.