KU’s Black and Wiggins Highlight Preseason All-Big 12 Honors - KOAM TV 7

Press Release University of Kansas: 

Kansas senior Tarik Black and freshman Andrew Wiggins were two offour Jayhawks recognized on the Preseason All-Big 12 Men's Basketball honorsreleased Thursday. The accolades were voted on by the conference coaches whowere not for their own team.

Black, a forward transfer from Memphis, was named the Big 12Preseason Newcomer of the Year, while Wiggins, a guard from Thornhill, Ontario,Canada, was selected the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year as well as amember of the six-member 2013-14 Preseason All-Big 12 Team – a first inconference history that a freshman has appeared on the list. Sophomore forwardPerry Ellis and freshman center Joel Embiid were listed Preseason All-Big 12Honorable Mention by the league's coaches.

"That is a pretty solid first team and it's great to see afreshman get named to the first team in Andrew," Kansas head coach Bill Selfsaid. "It's also good to see Tarik, Perry and Joel recognized but, like allpreseason stuff, we won't take anything from this because it's based onpotential. Now you have to go prove it."

Inthree seasons at Memphis, Black started 60 of 102 games played and averaged 9.3points and 4.9 rebounds. He scored in double digits 41 times, recording 129blocked shots and 71 steals. The Memphis native has 949 career points andranked fourth on his previous school's career field goal percentage list at60.5 percent.

Afive-star player already adorned with a long list of preseason accolades,Wiggins came to Kansas rated the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2013 by everyrecruiting service. He averaged 23.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.5assists for Huntington Prep in West Virginia last season. The 6-8 guard wasvoted the national high school player of the year by numerous organizations,including the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Afterarriving in Lawrence, Wiggins has been touted as a consensus preseason choicefor All-America First Team accolades by various national media outlets thisseason.

"I'mhonored that the Big 12 coaches recognize my potential," Wiggins said. "I'mglad to see Tarik (Black), Perry (Ellis) and Joel (Embiid) also in there. Thereare a lot of great freshmen in the league - and especially here at Kansas. Anyone of my fellow freshmen teammates could have also been on this list."

Ellisis Kansas' leading returner in points (5.8 ppg) and rebounds (3.9 rpg) fromlast season. The Wichita, Kan., forward came on strong toward the end of2012-13, including being named to the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team.Embiid is a five-star player who was ranked No. 6 on the ESPN 100 andclassified as the nation's best incoming center. Last year at The Rock Schoolin Gainesville, Fla., Embiid, from Yaoundé, Cameroon, averaged 13 points, 9.7rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game.

JoiningWiggins on the 2013-14 preseason all-conference team were: Isaiah Austin(Baylor), Cory Jefferson (Baylor), Melvin Ejim (Iowa State), Markel Brown(Oklahoma State) and Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State). Smart was voted the 2013-14Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year.

Kansas went 31-6 in 2012-13 and won itsunprecedented ninth-straight Big 12 and NCAA-leading 56th regular-seasonconference championship. Head coach Bill Self brings back nineletterwinners, but no starters, from the team that advanced to the NCAA Sweet16 last season.

Reloading in a hurry, Self and his staff welcome eight newcomers to the 2013-14roster. KU's class of 2013 comprises the second-ranked recruiting class in thecountry. KU is ranked as high as fifth in the 2013-14 national preseason polls.

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