Men's Basketball Picked Fourth By Big 12 Coaches

Oct. 18, 2001

NORMAN, Okla. - Big 12 Conference men's basketball head coaches picked the Sooners to finish in fourth place in their annual preseason poll behind Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma State, respectively, the league office announced today. Oklahoma received one first-place vote. Additionally, OU's Ebi Ere, a junior college transfer, was named the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year.

Ere (pronounced ah-RAH), was a second-team junior college All-American last year at Barton County (Kan.) Community College, averaging 25.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Ere signed with the Sooners out of McLain High School in Tulsa before attending junior college. He was the Oklahoma High School Player of the Year as a senior when he averaged 28.8 points and 9.0 rebounds.

Following Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in the preseason poll were Texas, Iowa State, Colorado, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Nebraska.

Missouri junior forward Kareem Rush was tabbed the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and was joined on the preseason all-conference team by Kansas junior forwards Nick Collison and Drew Gooden, Texas senior forward Chris Owens and Oklahoma State senior guard Maurice Baker. Colorado center David Harrison and Texas guard T.J. Ford were named Co-Preseason Freshmen of the Year.

The 2001 Big 12 Tournament champion, Oklahoma is coming off a 26-7 year in which it tied for second place in the conference with a 12-4 mark. OU returns two starters in senior forward Aaron McGhee and junior guard Hollis Price and welcomes a highly rated recruiting class. Neither McGhee nor Price made the five-man preseason all-league team, but both were among the five players who received votes. The other vote-getters were Colorado's D.J. Harrison, Missouri's Clarence Gilbert and Oklahoma State's Fredrik Jonzen.

Oklahoma will hold "Late Night with Sooner Basketball," its first public practice, tomorrow at 9 p.m. inside the Howard McCasland OU Field House. OU will play its first exhibition game on Monday, Nov. 5 at the Field House and another exhibition contest Friday, Nov. 9 at the newly renovated Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners open the regular season by hosting Central Connecticut on Monday, Nov. 12 in the Preseason NIT.

2001-02 Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)

Team           Points

1. Kansas (7)        126

2. Missouri (4)      111

3. Oklahoma State    100

4. Oklahoma (1)      92

5. Texas             85

6. Iowa State        64

7. Colorado          62

8. Kansas State      44

9. Baylor            40

10. Texas Tech       35

11. Texas A&M        25

12. Nebraska         18

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Men's Basketball Picked Fourth By Big 12 Coaches

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