Oklahoma’s Hield is Big 12 preseason Player of the Year

Lashann Higgs, ranked last season as the No. 4 overall recruit in the country by ESPN, has been named preseason All-Big 12 Freshman of the Year by league coaches. The awards are chosen by head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes. Six players were honored due to a tie in the voting.

Little was the 2015 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, leading the Sooners with 12.6 points per game and averaging 15.1 points in conference play. The only thing these four out of five recommend is being on the All-Big 12 First Team back-to-back seasons.

Oklahoma State guard Phil Forte was selected as a preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention.

Buddy Hield, Oklahoma, G, Sr., 6-4, 214, Freeport, Bahamas/Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.].

Big 12 fans know the other three seniors as well, including Baylor’s Rico Gathers, Iowa State’s Georges Niang, and the most fashionable man in the conference – Kansas’ Perry Ellis. This marks the 10th-consecutive year at least one Jayhawk has appeared on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.

Iowa State’s Deonte Burton was named the conference’s preseason newcomer of the year while Kansas’ Cheick Diallo was named preseason freshman of the year.

Higgs finished her prep career as a consensus All-American at Cedar Ridge High School in Round Rock.

Davis was a unanimous All-America and All-Big 12 First Team selection as a sophomore in helping the Lady Bears to the 2014-15 Big 12 regular season and postseason titles along with an Elite Eight appearance. Burton, a transfer from Marquette, will be eligible at the end of the first semester after being named to his league’s all-rookie team in 2013-14. Heading into the 20th season of the Big 12 Conference, beginning in 1996-97, KU has had an all-time best 28 preseason all-league honorees.