Kansas State, Jerome Tang pile up Big 12 honors: See the All-Big 12 teams, award winners

Kellis Robinett
K-State coach Jerome Tang celebrates with fans after the Wildcats beat Oklahoma 85-69 in Manhattan.

Jerome Tang has won his first Big 12 Coach of the Year award.

The word “first” is a key disclaimer in that sentence, as it may not be his last after guiding the Kansas State men’s basketball team to a surprising 23 victories this season.

After spending 19 seasons as an assistant coach under Scott Drew at Baylor, Tang hit the ground running in his first year as a head coach with the Wildcats. His team was picked to finish last in the Big 12’s preseason poll and ended up finishing third with one of its best years in recent memory.

Tang defied the odds while leading K-State back to the NCAA Tournament, as he replaced all but two players on the roster after taking over as head coach.

K-State players also earned recognition from the Big 12 when it announced its all-conference team on Sunday.

Senior guard Markquis Nowell and senior forward Keyontae Johnson were both named to the All-Big 12 first team. This is the first time that K-State has placed multiple players on the first team since Barry Brown and Dean Wade in 2019.

Nowell averaged 17 points and 7.7 assists this season. Johnson, a transfer from Florida, averaged 17.8 points and 7 rebounds.

All-Big 12 teams and award winners:

First team

  • Marcus Carr, Texas

  • Adam Flagler, Baylor

  • Keyontae Johnson, Kansas State

  • Markquis Nowell, Kansas State

  • Jalen Wilson, Kansas

Second team

  • Damion Baugh, TCU

  • Gradey Dick, Kansas

  • Keyonte George, Baylor

  • Gabe Kalscheur, Iowa State

  • Mike Miles, TCU

Third team

  • Kalib Boone, Oklahoma State

  • LJ Cryer, Baylor

  • Kevin McCullar, Kansas

  • Sir’Jabari Rice, Texas

  • Erik Stevenson, West Virginia

All-Defensive team

  • Moussa Cisse, Oklahoma State

  • Dajuan Harris, Kansas

  • Gabe Kalscheur, Iowa State

  • Kevin McCullar, Kansas

  • Markquis Nowell, Kansas State

All-Newcomer team

  • Gradey Dick, Kansas

  • Keyonte George, Baylor

  • Jaren Holmes, Iowa State

  • Keyontae Johnson, Kansas State

  • Sir’Jabari Rice, Texas

All-Freshman team

  • Gradey Dick, Kansas

  • Keyonte George, Baylor

  • Pop Isaacs, Texas Tech

  • Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State

  • Milos Uzan, Oklahoma

Player of the Year: Jalen Wilson, Kansas (unanimous)

Newcomer of the Year: Keyontae Johnson, Kansas State (unanimous)

Freshman of the Year: Keyonte George, Baylor

Defensive Player of the Year: Dajuan Harris, Kansas

Sixth Man Award: Sir’Jabari Rice, Texas

Most Improved Player: KJ Adams, Kansas

Coach of the Year: Jerome Tang, Kansas State

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