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POSTED: March 10, 2025 -- 3:40 p.m. CT

Texas Tech's JT Toppin was named Big 12 Player and Newcomer of the Year to highlight the 2024-25 All-Big 12 men's basketball awards, voted on by the league's head coaches. Houston's Joseph Tugler (defensive player), LJ Cryer (Scholar-Athlete) and Kelvin Sampson (coach) earned league superlatives after a 19-1 regular season. Baylor's VJ Edgecombe (freshman), BYU's Richie Saunders (most improved) and Iowa State's Curtis Jones (sixth man) completed the Conference's superlatives.

The Conference's first team was comprised of Cryer, Jones, Saunders, Toppin, plus Caleb Love (Arizona), Norchad Omier (Baylor), J'Wan Roberts (Houston), Hunter Dickinson (Kansas), Darrion Williams (Texas Tech) and Javon Small (West Virginia).

Toppin becomes the second Texas Tech player to win Player of the Year, joining Jarrett Culver (2019). The sophomore is the only player who ranks in the Big 12's top three in both scoring (18.1) and rebounding (9.3). The Dallas native, who is the second Red Raider to earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, joining Mac McClung (2021), has 14 double-doubles on the season. Toppin is the first Big 12 player to win Player and Newcomer of the Year in the same season.

Tugler is the second consecutive Houston player to win Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 12, joining Jamal Shead. The Monroe, Louisiana, product has anchored a Cougar defense that holds opponents to a nation-leading 58.1 points per game, while contributing 2.0 blocks per game.

Cryer is the first Scholar-Athlete of the Year from Houston in the Coogs' two-year tenure in the Big 12. On the court, Cryer won his fourth Big 12 championship in five seasons across two schools, while scoring 15.3 points per game for the Cougars. In the classroom, Cryer has a 3.73 GPA while doing post-baccalaureate work in health.

Edgecombe led Conference freshmen with 15.0 points per game, en route to becoming the third consecutive Baylor rookie to be named the league's best. The Bahamian national team guard averaged 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, both of which ranked third among Big 12 freshmen.

Jones becomes the third Iowa State player to win the Big 12's Sixth Man Award, and the first since Lindell Wigginton in 2019. The nation's leading bench scorer, Jones averages 17.0 points per game, along with 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals per contest.

Saunders is the second BYU player to win a superlative in the school's two seasons in the Big 12, joining Jaxson Robinson who won the Sixth Man Award last season. The Riverton, Utah native increased his scoring average from 9.6 to 16.0, while improving his percentage from 36.4% to 43.7%.

Sampson won his 10th conference coach of the year award across five conferences and his second consecutive in the Big 12. Sampson led the Cougars to their second Big 12 regular season title in two years, becoming the first program in over 100 years to join a major conference and win back-to-back regular season titles. Houston won a Big 12-record 19 games and joins Duke as the first major conference teams to win 19 league games in a single season.

Big 12 teams will begin postseason play in the Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship March 11-15 in Kansas City's T-Mobile Center. Visit Big12Sports.com for Championship information.

2024-25 All-Big 12 Awards

Player of the Year: JT Toppin, Texas Tech

Defensive Player of the Year: Joseph Tugler, Houston

Scholar-Athlete of the Year: LJ Cryer, Houston

Freshman of the Year: VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

Newcomer of the Year: JT Toppin, Texas Tech

Sixth Man Award: Curtis Jones, Iowa State

Most Improved: Richie Saunders, BYU

Coach of the Year: Kelvin Sampson, Houston

All-Big 12 First Team

Caleb Love, Arizona

Norchad Omier, Baylor

Richie Saunders, BYU

LJ Cryer, Houston

J'Wan Roberts, Houston

Curtis Jones, Iowa State

Hunter Dickinson, Kansas

JT Toppin, Texas Tech*

Darrion Williams, Texas Tech

Javon Small, West Virginia

All-Big 12 Second Team

VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

Keyshawn Hall, UCF

Milos Uzan, Houston

Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State

Chance McMillian, Texas Tech

All-Big 12 Third Team

Joseph Tugler, Houston

Zeke Mayo, Kansas

Coleman Hawkins, Kansas State

Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State

Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State

Honorable Mention: Arizona: Tobe Awaka, Henri Veesaar; Baylor: Robert Wright; BYU: Egor Demin; UCF: Darius Johnson; Cincinnati: Jizzle James; Colorado: Julian Hammond III; Houston: Emanuel Sharp; Kansas: Dajuan Harris Jr.; Kansas State: David N'Guessan; Oklahoma State: Bryce Thompson; TCU: Noah Reynolds, Ernest Udeh Jr.; Utah: Gabe Madsen

All-Defensive Team

Jayden Quaintance, Arizona State

J'Wan Roberts, Houston

Joseph Tugler, Houston

Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State

Sencire Harris, West Virginia

All-Freshman Team

Jayden Quaintance, Arizona State

VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

Robert Wright, Baylor

Egor Demin, BYU

Christian Anderson, Texas Tech

All-Newcomer Team

Norchad Omier, Baylor

Keyshawn Hall, UCF

Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State

Zeke Mayo, Kansas

JT Toppin, Texas Tech

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