Big 12 Conference announces women’s basketball preseason awards

From the Big 12:

Brittney Griner (Baylor) was named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year for the third consecutive season in the Conference’s 2012-13 Women’s Basketball preseason awards. Jackie Patterson (Texas Tech) was selected Preseason Newcomer of the Year, while Alexis Prince (Baylor) was tabbed Preseason Freshman of the Year in a vote of the league’s head coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.

Griner is a two-time Big 12 Player of the Year and three-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year recipient as well as a unanimous All-America selection the past two seasons. She was also the consensus National Player of the Year in 2012 after leading Baylor to a 40-0 record and the national championship. The 6-8 senior center has helped the Lady Bears to the last two Big 12 regular season and postseason titles. Griner topped the Big 12 with 23 points, 5.2 blocks and a .609 field goal percentage in 2011-12. She was second with 9.5 rebounds a game. The Houston, Texas, native holds the Big 12 career blocked shots record (599) and is fourth in scoring (2,425 points).

Junior forward Patterson averaged 16.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in her two-year career at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. The Frisco, Texas, native was a two-time NJCAA All-American and led the No. 2 Lady Dragons to a school-best 36-1 record and an appearance in the NJCAA national championship game last season.

Prince was a four-year starter at Edgewater High School in Orlando, Fla. As a senior, she led the Eagles to the Florida Class 6A state title and a 28-4 record while averaging 19.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.6 steals, 3.1 blocks and 2.6 assists. Her honors include Parade Magazine, McDonald’s and WBCA All-American as well as MVP of the McDonald’s All-American game after posting 15 points and nine rebounds.

Griner is joined on the Preseason All-Big 12 team by Odyssey Sims (Baylor), Chelsea Poppens (Iowa State), Angel Goodrich (Kansas) and Aaryn Ellenberg (Oklahoma). Each was honored on the All-Big 12 Teams at the conclusion of 2011-12 with Griner, Sims, Poppens and Ellenberg earning first team honors while Goodrich was a second team selection.

2012-13 Big 12 Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason awards
(coaches not allowed to vote for own players)

Preseason Player of the Year
Brittney Griner, Baylor, C, 6-8, Sr., Houston, Texas/Nimitz

Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Jackie Patterson, Texas Tech, F, 6-1, Jr, Frisco, Texas/Hutchinson Community College

Preseason Freshman of the Year
Alexis Prince, Baylor, G, 6-1, Fr, Orlando, Fla./Edgewater High School

Preseason All-Big 12 Team

Name	School	Pos	Ht	Cl-Exp	PPG	RPG	Hometown/Previous School
Brittney Griner	Baylor	C	6-8	Sr-3L	23.0	9.5	Houston, Texas Nimitz
Odyssey Sims	Baylor	G	5-8	Jr-2L	14.9	3.0	Irving, Texas MacArthur
Chelsea Poppens	Iowa State	F	6-2	Sr-3L	14.2	10.6	Aplington, Iowa Aplington-Parkersburg
Angel Goodrich	Kansas	G	5-4	Sr-3L	14.0	4.1	Tahlequah, Okla. Sequoyah
Aaryn Ellenberg	Oklahoma	G	5-7	Jr-2L	15.5	3.5	Las Vegas, Nev. Bishop Gorman

Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school)
Destiny Williams (Baylor), Carolyn Davis (Kansas), Brittany Chambers (K-State), Whitney Hand (Oklahoma), Chassidy Fussell (Texas), Asya Bussie (West Virginia)