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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2013

2013 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Men’s Awards Announced

IRVING, Texas - Oklahoma State guard has joined an exclusive group of three student-athletes to be named Big 12 Player and Freshman of the Year in the same season, leading the 2013 All-Big 12 Men’s Basketball awards. Jeff Withey of Kansas earned Defensive Player of the Year recognition, while Iowa State had three major award winners - Will Clyburn (Newcomer of the Year), Tyrus McGee (Sixth Man Award) and Melvin Ejim (Scholar-Athlete of the Year). Bruce Weber of Kansas State was chosen as Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Smart becomes the third Cowboy to earn top player honors after leading OSU to an eight-game improvement from a year ago. He is ranked in the top 10 in the Big 12 in several statistical categories, including scoring (sixth), assists (sixth), steals (first) and percentage (fifth). His 89 steals has tied the conference’s single-season thefts record and joins of K-State (2007-08) and of Texas (2006-07) as the only players to win player and rookie accolades in the same year.

Withey is the first player in Big 12 history to win the defensive award outright in back-to-back seasons. He has 124 blocked shots, a total that ranks fourth on the single-season Big 12 chart after he set the record with 140 in 2011-12. Withey became the league’s all-time career leader in rejections this year as well with a current total of 289.

An Iowa State student-athlete has been named Newcomer of the Year for the second season in a row. Clyburn, a transfer from Utah, ranks fifth in the Big 12 in scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 rpg). Senior guard Tyrus McGee is the first Cyclone to win the league’s top sixth man honor. He led the Big 12 in 3-point percentage (.470) and 3-pointers (87) while starting just two games. His shooting percentage from beyond the arc was second nationally in the latest NCAA rankings.

Ejim is the first Big 12 men’s basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. A new award this season across all sports, the junior led the Big 12 in rebounding with 9.3 per game. He boasts a 3.74 GPA in the classroom as a history major and was recently named a Capital One Academic All-District 6 and Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection.

Weber is the second Wildcat mentor to win Big 12 Coach of the Year. In his first year in Manhattan, he guided the Wildcats to a share of the Big 12 regular season title - their first conference crown since 1977. K-State’s 25 overall wins were the most in school history by a first-year head coach and the ‘Cats 14 league wins tied the school record set by the 1958-59 squad (14-0).

The All-Big 12 First, Second, Third and Honorable Mention teams were also announced, while conference coaches also selected All-Defensive and All-Rookie Teams. Withey was a repeat choice on the defensive team, the seventh player in Big 12 history to be a two-time honoree.

The official All-Big 12 awards are selected by the league’s head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players.

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Follow The Big 12 CONFERENCE Big12Sports.com @ Big12Conference Facebook.com/Big12 2012-13 PHILLIPS 66 ALL-BIG 12 MEN’S BASKETBALL AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, G, Fr., 6-4, 225, Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jeff Withey, Kansas, C, Sr., 7-0, 235, San Diego, Calif./Horizon**

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR Will Clyburn, Iowa State, G, Sr., 6-7, 205, Detroit, Mich./Romulus/Marshalltown CC/Utah

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, G, Fr., 6-4, 225, Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus**

SIXTH MAN AWARD Tyrus McGee, Iowa State, G, Sr., 6-2, 205, Stringtown, Okla./Stringtown/Cowley County CC

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Melvin Ejim, Iowa State, F, Jr., 6-6, 220, Toronto, Ontario/Brewster Academy [N.H.]

COACH OF THE YEAR Bruce Weber, Kansas State [Career: 338-161, 15th season; At K-State: 25-6, 1st season]

All-Big 12 First Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/Previous School(s) Ben McLemore, Kansas G 6-5 185 Fr. St. Louis, Mo./Christian Life [Texas] Jeff Withey, Kansas C 7-0 235 Sr. San Diego, Calif./Horizon Rodney McGruder, Kansas State G 6-4 205 Sr. Washington, D.C./Arlington Country Day [Fla.] , Oklahoma F 6-8 232 Meridian, Miss./Mississippi State University Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State G 6-4 225 Fr. Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus

All-Big 12 Second Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/Previous School(s) , Baylor G 5-10 180 Sr. Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Pines/ College of Southern Idaho Will Clyburn, Iowa State G 6-7 205 Sr. Detroit, Mich./Romulus/Marshalltown CC/Utah Travis Releford, Kansas G 6-6 210 Sr. Kansas City, Mo./Bishop Miege Angel Rodriguez, Kansas State G 5-11 180 So. San Juan, Puerto Rico/Krop [Fla.] Markel Brown, Oklahoma State G 6-3 190 Jr. Alexandria, La./Peabody

All-Big 12 Third Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/Previous School(s) Isaiah Austin, Baylor C 7-1 220 Fr. Arlington, Texas/Grace Preparatory Academy Melvin Ejim, Iowa State F 6-6 220 Jr. Toronto, Ontario/Brewster Academy [N.H] Amath M’Baye, Oklahoma F 6-9 208 Jr. Bordeaux, France/University of Wyoming Steven Pledger, Oklahoma G 6-4 219 Sr. Chesapeake, Va./Atlantic Shores Christian School Le’Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State G/F 6-7 230 So. Dallas, Texas/Lincoln

All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Listed alphabetically by school) (Baylor), Korie Lucious (Iowa State), Tyrus McGee (Iowa State), Elijah Johnson (Kansas), Shane Southwell (Kansas State), Michael Cobbins (Oklahoma State), Jaye Crockett (Texas Tech), Eron Harris (West Virginia), Deniz Kilicli (West Virginia)

Big 12 All-Defensive Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/Previous School(s) Chris Babb, Iowa State G 6-5 225 Sr. Arlington, Texas/The Oakridge School/Penn State Travis Releford, Kansas G 6-6 210 Sr. Kansas City, Mo./Bishop Miege Jeff Withey, Kansas** C 7-0 235 Sr. San Diego, Calif./Horizon Angel Rodriguez, Kansas State G 5-11 180 So. San Juan, Puerto Rico/Krop [Fla.] Michael Cobbins, Oklahoma State F 6-8 220 So. Amarillo, Texas/Palo Duro Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State** G 6-4 225 Fr. Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus

Big 12 All-Rookie Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/Previous School(s) Isaiah Austin, Baylor C 7-1 220 Fr. Arlington, Texas/Grace Preparatory Academy Will Clyburn, Iowa State G 6-7 205 Sr. Detroit, Mich./Romulus/Marshalltown CC/Utah , Iowa State F 6-7 235 Fr. Methuen, Mass./The Tilton School Ben McLemore, Kansas** G 6-5 185 Fr. St. Louis, Mo./Christian Life Center [Texas] Amath M’Baye, Oklahoma F 6-9 208 Jr. Bordeaux, France/University of Wyoming Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State** G 6-4 225 Fr. Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus

** - Unanimous Selection Ties in the voting created an additional spot on the All-Defensive and All-Rookie Teams