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Tinsley, Rush head All-Big 12 team
Updated: Monday March 05, 2001 7:03 PM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Jamaal Tinsley of Iowa State, Maurice Baker of Oklahoma State and Missouri swing man Kareem Rush head a guard-dominated Associated Press all-Big 12 basketball team for 2000-2001. Rush, Missouri's remarkably quick and smooth 6-foot-6 sophomore who was leading the Big 12 with almost 22 points a game before being sidelined with a thumb injury, was the only player named on every first-team ballot. Baker and Tinsley were named on every first-team ballot but one. The team announced Monday was selected by reporters who cover Big 12 basketball on a regular basis.
Filling out the first team are 6-5 Baylor senior Terry Black, who came within four steals of leading the Big 12 for the second consecutive year, and Kansas sophomore Drew Gooden. The 6-10 Gooden, who missed eight games with an injury, is averaging almost 16 points and nine rebounds and the only first-teamer to rank in the league's top 10 in both scoring and rebounding. He returned for the last two games of the regular-season and averaged 18 points and seven rebounds as the Jayhawks finished in a three-way tie with Texas and Oklahoma for second place behind Iowa State. "Drew is having a great year," said Kansas coach Roy Williams. "Even though he missed the games with injury, you look and he's led or been close to the league lead in rebounding all year. Plus, his scoring is up this season as well." No single player the past two years, however, has influenced his team or his conference more than Tinsley. The 6-3 ball-handling wizard from the playgrounds of Brooklyn played the key role as Iowa State ousted Kansas as the Big 12's dominant program. Aided by a very capable supporting cast, Tinsley led the Cyclones to their second straight Big 12 title, averaging almost 17 points, seven assists and three steals in conference games. He raised his team to such a level, the Cyclones were able to fool the experts and overcome the loss of Marcus Fizer, last season's Big 12 player of the year. "Tinsley does what all great players will do. He makes people around him better," said Texas coach Rick Barnes. In his two years since transferring from Mt. San Jacinto Community College, the Cyclones never lost a home game. Heading the second team are Kansas sophomores Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison, defensive whiz Cookie Belcher of Nebraska, Iowa State guard Kantrail Horton and Chris Owens of Texas. The third team consists of Kansas senior Kenny Gregory, who scored in double figures in every game he played in the regular season; Oklahoma State's Fredrik Jonzen, Texas' Darren Kelly and Iowa State's Martin Rancik. Rush, the younger of the two Rush brothers who became prep legends in Kansas City, was on his way to a monster season before the thumb injury put him on the bench. Rarely is a player blessed with greater offensive skills. Whether darting inside or pulling up and firing away from the baseline, he is equally dangerous. In Missouri's 75-66 victory over Kansas, he had 27 points and 11 rebounds. "He's so hard to match up with defensively," said Kansas coach Roy Williams. "He can take the ball to the basket. He presents great problems for the opponent and gives them a tremendous emotional lift." Black was always known as a fine player, but he began to blossom this year when coach Dave Bliss moved him from forward to guard. He goes into the Big 12 tournament averaging almost 15 points for the Bears and tied with Belcher for second place in the league in steals, four behind Tinsley. "He has gone through one of the great metamorphoses of college basketball, from being an undersized post man to playing all-conference basketball on the perimeter," said Bliss. "His evolution as an outside player is what's had the most dramatic effect on our improvement. "He's one of the five best people I've ever coached." Baker transferred to Oklahoma State from Dixie College in Utah and, like Tinsley the year before, made an immediate impact. "He's such a competitor, and his work habits are so good," said coach Eddie Sutton. "He never wants to come off the practice floor. I've had some good rebounders who played guard but I've never had anyone like him."
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