Maric named to AP's All-Big 12 first team
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
Being named first-team All-Big 12 Conference didn’t seem to impress Nebraska senior Aleks Maric.
“I’ve told you since I ever got here, I don’t look for that,” Maric said. “I look for team success. That’s what I’m here for.”
Maric, a 6-foot-11 center, was named to the men’s basketball first team by the Associated Press on Monday. He’s only the third Husker to be named first-team All-Big 12, and the first since Venson Hamilton in 1999.
- Texas (26-5, 13-3)
A case could’ve been made for D.J. Augustin challenging Michael Beasley for Big 12 player of the year. The Longhorns don’t win a share of the league title without Augustin’s court leadership.
Next game: Oklahoma State-Texas Tech winner, Friday - Kansas (28-3, 13-3)
The Jayhawks’ share of the conference championship is their eighth in Big 12 play and their 51st conference title in school history.
Next game: Nebraska-Missouri winner, Friday - Baylor (21-9, 9-7)
Heaven forbid a coach comment about the officiating. Scott Drew got a public reprimand from the Big 12 for voicing his thoughts on last week’s Texas A&M game, when Tweety Carter was pummeled on a screen.
Next game: Colorado, Thursday - Oklahoma (21-10, 9-7)
The question looms whether oft-injured freshman standout Blake Griffin will leave for the NBA. A bigger question: Will coach Jeff Capel leave for South Carolina?
Next game: Baylor-Colorado winner, Friday - Kansas State (20-10, 10-6)
The Wildcats finally won a road game - a struggle to hold off 11th-place Iowa State - and now can breathe easier knowing their NCAA Tournament status is firm heading into the Big 12 Tourney.
Next game: Texas A&M-Iowa State winner, Friday - Texas A&M (22-9, 8-8)
Will the Aggies become the first Big 12 team to make the NCAA Tournament with an 8-8 league record? Better win a game or two in Kansas City to be sure.
Next game: Iowa State, Thursday - Nebraska (18-11, 7-9)
Doc Sadler is the first men’s basketball coach in school history to win at least 17 games in each of his first two seasons. Twenty wins is still within reach this season.
Next game: Missouri, Thursday - Oklahoma State (16-14, 7-9)
The Cowboys have won at least one game in the Big 12 Tournament in each of the last four years, and are 15-9 all-time in the tournament, the third-best victory total in the league.
Next game: Texas Tech, Thursday - Texas Tech (16-14, 7-9)
Junior guard Alan Voskuil was held scoreless for the first time this season in Saturday’s home loss to Baylor. Voskuil had scored in double figures in eight of his previous nine games.
Next game: Oklahoma State, Thursday - Missouri (16-15, 6-10)
Junior forward DeMarre Carroll, chosen by league coaches as the Big 12 newcomer of the year, has scored 61 points over his last three games. He’s shot 56.8 percent and collected 20 rebounds in that span.
Next game: Nebraska, Thursday - Iowa State (14-17, 4-12)
For the fourth time this decade, Iowa State went winless on the road in Big 12 play. It was Greg McDermott’s first winless conference road season in his seven seasons as an NCAA Division I coach.
Next game: Texas A&M, Thursday - Colorado (11-19, 3-13)
There was talk before Sunday’s game vs. NU that Colorado wished to have the No. 12 seed because the Buffs felt they matched up better with No. 5 seed Baylor than No. 6 seed Texas A&M. Mission accomplished.
Next game: Baylor, Thursday
- Sherron Collins, Kansas, and Michael Beasley, Kansas State: Collins had 10 assists and averaged 14.7 points in two games last week, and he appears to be playing closer to the level many expected before injuries hampered the Kansas guard. Beasley takes a week off from the rookie award to share the overall player award. It’s his third player honor and 11th overall honor this season, despite the fact he had only 15 points Saturday at Iowa State, his conference-season low.
- LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor: Dunn had a Baylor freshman-record 38 points in Saturday’s victory at Texas Tech. It was the highest individual performance by a Baylor player in 20 years. In two games last week, Dunn was 7-of-12 from three-point range and was 14-of-15 from the free-throw line.
“That’s a credit to his hard work and people understanding what he’s meant to this program,” Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said of Maric. “To do the things that he’s done in this league, there’s not been a lot of guys to ever do it. I’m just happy for him.”
Maric is only the sixth Big 12 player with 1,500 career points and 900 career rebounds. He’s 25 rebounds short of becoming only the second Husker to have 1,000.
The conference coaches voted Maric to their All-Big 12 second team Monday. He was the only Husker recognized among 39 postseason honors by the coaches.
The Associated Press named Nebraska’s junior college transfers Ade Dagunduro and Steve Harley to the all-newcomer team.
Big 12 coaches named Kansas State freshman Michael Beasley as player of the year and Texas’ Rick Barnes as coach of the year.
Maric, who has 11 double-doubles in his last 12 games, leads Nebraska (18-11, 7-9) into Thursday’s first-round Big 12 Tournament game against Missouri at 6 p.m. The game will be televised by KLKN (Lincoln channel 8).
“I think our team is playing as good as it can play right now, on both sides of the court,” Maric said. “We’re going into Kansas City with a lot of confidence and a lot of determination.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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