Texas Tech’s JT Toppin (player) and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa (newcomer) were voted as Big 12 men’s basketball weekly award winners after leading their teams to a pair of wins.
Toppin scored 31 points with 13 rebounds in the 78-75 overtime win against No. 1 Arizona. It marked the ninth game of 30+ points and 10+ rebounds of his Texas Tech career and only the second 30-10 performance against a No. 1-ranked team in Big 12 history. The junior from Dallas had 16 points with 18 rebounds in Wednesday’s 78-44 win over Colorado. The forward averaged 23.5 points and 15.5 rebounds to procure his fourth Big 12 Player of the Week selection of the season and sixth of his career.
Dybantsa averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists while averaging 41.5 minutes as the Cougars went 2-0. At Baylor, the freshman from Brockton, Massachusetts poured in 36 points and added seven assists as BYU captured a 99-94 win. The forward had 20 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and three steals in the 90-86 overtime win over Colorado. This marks his fifth newcomer of the week selection in the past eight weeks.
Joining Toppin and Dybantsa on the Big 12 Starting Five, which honors strong performances across the league were Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou, BYU’s Rob Wright and Houston’s Emanuel Sharp. Yessoufou averaged 26.5 points against a pair of AP Top 25 opponents, including a 37-point outburst against No. 22 BYU, the most in program history against a ranked opponent. Wright averaged 34.5 points and 4.5 rebounds, while shooting 64.9 percent from the field. Sharp scored at least 23 points in both wins, as Houston moved into sole possession of first place in the league standings.
Big 12 Player of the Week
Nov. 10 – Koa Peat, Arizona & Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Nov. 17 – Kingston Flemings, Houston
Nov. 24 – P.J. Haggerty, K-State
Dec. 1 – Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Dec. 8 – Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Dec. 15 – Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Dec. 22 – Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Dec. 30 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jan. 5 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Jan. 12 – Richie Saunders, BYU
Jan. 19 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Jan. 26 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Feb. 2 – Brayden Burries, Arizona
Feb. 9 – Flory Bidunga, Kansas
Feb. 16 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week
Nov. 10 – Koa Peat, Arizona
Nov. 17 – Kingston Flemings, Houston
Nov. 24 – Koa Peat, Arizona
Dec. 1 – Moe Odum, Arizona State
Dec. 8 – Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
Dec. 15 – Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Dec. 22 – LeJuan Watts, Texas Tech
Dec. 30 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jan. 5 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jan. 12 – Honor Huff, West Virginia
Jan. 19 – Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Jan. 26 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Feb. 2 – Brayden Burries, Arizona
Feb. 9 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Feb. 16 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Big 12 Starting Five:
Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
AJ Dybantsa, BYU (newcomer)
Rob Wright, BYU
Emanuel Sharp, Houston
JT Toppin, Texas Tech (player)