Simien, Graham get unanimous approval for All-Big 12 team

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Ask Kansas' Wayne Simien for his choice as the best player in the Big 12, and the first of two unanimous selections to The Associated Press' All-Big 12 basketball team will give you the other: Oklahoma State's Joey Graham.

"There are a lot of really good players in the Big 12," Simien said. "But for all-around skills, I'd have to say Joey Graham."

The pair of forwards headline this year's All-Big 12 team, selected by a panel of 24 media representatives who cover the Big 12 full time. Also named to the team Monday: Oklahoma State point guard John Lucas, last season's Big 12 player of the year, and Texas Tech's Ronald Ross, the former walk-on who earned the respect of a coach who is notoriously hard to please.

But while the top four first-teamers were easy decisions, picking Texas A&M's Antoine Wright as the fifth, in a year when the conference is crowded with talent, was tough.

Curtis Stinson of Iowa State, Jeremiah Massey of Kansas State, Aaron Miles of Kansas, Taj Gray of Oklahoma and Wright were all named on at least five first-team ballots.

Wright emerged with eight first-team votes and 16 votes for placement on the second team. The 6-foot-7 junior, the Big 12's freshman of the year in 2003, played a key role in one of the biggest one-season turnarounds in Big 12 history. He averaged 17.6 points and 6.2 rebounds as the Aggies, in coach Billy Gillispie's first year, finished 8-8 one season after going 0-16 in the league.

The 6-9 Simien led the conference in both scoring and rebounding and seems certain to receive consideration for national player of the year. The Leavenworth, Kan., native was the only Big 12 player to average a double-double, with 19.4 points and 11.1 rebounds.

"He is difficult to guard because he goes every play. He is relentless," said Colorado forward Andy Osborn. "Offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, shooting jump shots -- he is multifaceted. You can't really stop him in one single area."

An excellent free throw shooter, Simien set a Kansas record this year by hitting 34 in a row. That was still five short of the Big 12 record, set by the 6-7 Graham, the twin brother of the Cowboys' Stephen Graham.

"He's big enough and strong enough to play (inside)," Simien said of Joey Graham. "But he also has perimeter skills that are so sharp, he causes a lot of matchup problems for big guys out there trying to guard him."

Like Simien, Lucas is a repeat choice on the first team. Last season, the 5-11 point guard helped lead the Cowboys to the regular-season title and an appearance in the Final Four after transferring from Baylor. And he's been no less effective as a senior, averaging 18.3 points and almost five assists per game.

No point guard in the conference can match his assists-to-turnover ratio of 2.88. No player at any position bettered his total of 85 3-point baskets.

"Scoring to me comes natural," Lucas said. "I've been a scorer my whole entire life. My coach always pushed me that you've got to score this, you've got to score that. But now that I'm around a whole bunch of players who can score, and I'm a point guard, I get my teammates involved first before I even look to take a shot."

The 6-2 Ross arrived at Texas Tech as an unheralded walk-on from Hobbs, N. M. But he turned himself into one of the league's top players whose scoring average of 16.6 points tells only part of his story. He tops the Big 12 with 66 steals.

"He has worked hard, both in the mental and physical aspects of his play," said Texas Tech coach Bob Knight. "I'm not sure I've ever known a kid that should be more respected, or who has done more with an opportunity than Ronald has done with his opportunity here.

"He's a kid I have as much respect for as any player I've coached in all the years I've coached."

Rounding out the second team are Miles, Gray, Massey, Stinson and Keith Langford, the second-leading scorer for Kansas.

Freshmen Aaron Bruce of Baylor and Daniel Gibson of Texas head the third team, which also includes Missouri's Linas Kleiza, Oklahoma's Kevin Bookout and Brad Buckman of Texas.