Kansas’ Flory Bidunga (player) and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa (newcomer) received Big 12 men’s basketball weekly awards for games ending February 8.
Bidunga led the Jayhawks to a pair of wins, including a 64-61 Big Monday thriller at No. 13 Texas Tech. Against the Red Raiders, the forward from the Democratic Republic of Congo scored 14 points with nine rebounds and two blocks, including a key dunk with 2:12 remaining that brought the Jayhawks within a possession. In the 71-59 win over Utah, the sophomore forward had 17 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high-tying seven blocked shots. His seven blocks tie for the most in a Conference game this season, as he picks up his first career Big 12 Player of the Week award.
Dybantsa averaged 32.0 points as he was named the Conference’s top newcomer for the fourth time in seven weeks. At Oklahoma State, the Brockton, Massachusetts native poured in 36 points, including five made 3-pointers, while adding seven rebounds and four assists. Against Houston, the freshman forward scored 28 points while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out four assists. For the week, he shot 64.7% from the field and 66.7% while making eight 3-pointers.
Baylor’s Cameron Carr, Houston’s Kingston Flemings and TCU’s Xavier Edmonds joined Bidunga and Dybantsa on the Big 12 Starting Five, which honors strong performances across the league. Carr averaged 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists, while playing all but four minutes across the Bears’ two games, which included an 86-67 win over Colorado. Flemings led the Cougars to a pair of double-digit wins over UCF and BYU, averaging 18.5 points and 5.5 assists. Edmonds had 26 points and 10 rebounds against K-State, scoring six of the final seven points as the Horned Frogs erased an 18-point deficit to win 84-82.
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
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
Big 12 Starting Five:
Cameron Carr, Baylor
AJ Dybantsa, BYU (newcomer)
Flory Bidunga, Kansas (player)
Kingston Flemings, Houston
Xavier Edmonds, TCU