Sooners Picked Second In Big 12 Men's Basketball Coaches Poll

Oct. 18, 2000

NORMAN, Okla. - The University of Oklahoma men's basketball team was picked to finish second in the Big 12 Conference this season in a poll of the league's basketball coaches, it was announced today. The Sooners received 102 points, 19 fewer than preseason favorite Kansas and two more than third-place Missouri. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

The Jayhawks, Sooners and Tigers were followed by Iowa State, Texas, Oklahoma State, Colorado, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor and Kansas State.

No Sooners made the five-player preseason All-Big 12 Team, but senior Nolan Johnson, junior J.R. Raymond and sophomore Hollis Price all received votes. The preseason all-league team includes Iowa State guard Jamaal Tinsley, Kansas forwards Nick Collison and Drew Gooden, Missouri forward Kareem Rush and Nebraska center Kimani Ffriend.

Oklahoma's Aaron McGhee, a junior college transfer, finished second in preseason newcomer-of-the-year voting behind Texas guard/forward Maurice Evans, a transfer from Wichita State. McGhee, a 6-8 forward, averaged 26.5 points and 9.0 rebounds last year at Vincennes (Ind.) University to earn first-team junior college All-America honors. He was also the national junior college tournament's MVP last March.

Iowa State point guard Jamaal Tinsley was named Preseason Player of the Year while Texas A&M's Nick Anderson was voted Preseason Freshman of the Year.

Oklahoma will hold "Late Night with the Sooners," its first public practice, on Friday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center. OU will play its first exhibition game on Saturday, Nov. 4, and will face Alcorn State in its regular season opener on Friday, Nov. 17, both at Lloyd Noble Center.

2000-01 Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
(First-place votes)

Team             Points

1. Kansas (11)     121

2. Oklahoma     102

3. Missouri     100

4. Iowa State     93

5. Texas     82

6. Oklahoma State    78

7. Colorado     57

8. Nebraska     45

9. Texas Tech     39

10. Texas A&M     28

11. Baylor     28

12. Kansas State     13

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Picked Second In Big 12 Men's Basketball Coaches Poll

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