Iowa State’s Keshon Gilbert (co-player) plus West Virginia’s Javon Small (co-player) and Tucker DeVries (newcomer) were picked as Big 12 men’s basketball weekly award winners after all-tournament performances in the islands.
Gilbert was named to the Maui Invitational All-Tournament Team after averaging 20.7 points per game at the Lahaina Civic Center. The St. Louis, Missouri native had 23 points in the opening game against No. 4 Auburn, coming within a basket of knocking off the Tigers. The senior guard followed up with a game-high 24 points against Dayton, then a 15-point, six-assist game against Colorado to leave the islands with a 2-1 record. The sociology major was one of three players in the country to average at least 20.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals this week, and the only one of the three to do it in fewer than 90 minutes of action. It is his third Big 12 weekly award nod, but his first Player of the Week selection after a pair of newcomer nods a year ago.
Small was the tournament’s leading scorer with 23.7 points per game at the Battle 4 Atlantis, helping West Virginia to a pair of ranked wins in The Bahamas. The senior guard had 31 points in the win against No. 3 Gonzaga, including a team-leading five in overtime. The South Bend, Indiana native had 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the loss against Louisville, then had a 14-point, eight-assist performance against No. 24 Arizona, once again leading the Mountaineers in scoring during overtime to secure a victory. It is his first career Big 12 weekly honor.
DeVries averaged 16.7 points and shot 54.5% on 3-pointers on the way to a Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament Team selection. Against No. 3 Gonzaga, the swingman from Waukee, Iowa went on a personal 5-0 run in the last 25 seconds to send the game to overtime, part of a 16-point performance that helped WVU to its first top three win away from Morgantown since 2019-20. Following an eight-point game against Louisville, the Drake transfer set a tournament record with eight 3-pointers in the third-place game against No. 24 Arizona, scoring 26 points with six assists for his first Big 12 weekly honor.
Big 12 Player of the Week
Nov. 11: Hunter Dickinson, Kansas, C, Gr.
Nov. 18: Hunter Dickinson, Kansas, C, Gr.
Nov. 25: Norchad Omier, Baylor, F, 5th
Dec. 2: Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State, G, Sr. & Javon Small, West Virginia, G, Sr.
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week
Nov. 11: Egor Demin, BYU, G, Fr. & Zeke Mayo, Kansas, G, Sr.
Nov. 18: Egor Demin, BYU, G, Fr. & Joson Sanon, Arizona State, G, Fr.
Nov. 25: JT Toppin, Texas Tech, F, So.
Dec. 2: Tucker DeVries, West Virginia, G/F, Sr.
Press Release Courtesy of The Big 12 Conference.
