MORGANTOWN — West Virginia freshman forward Derek Culver was a unanimous selection Sunday to the all-Freshman team and was also named second-team all-Big 12.
Culver, who is averaging 12.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, was the Mountaineers’ lone representative on any of the all-conference teams.
The Mountaineers (12-19, 4-13 Big 12) will play Oklahoma, at 9 p.m. Wednesday in the first round of the Big 12 tournament.
Culver missed the team’s first 10 games of the season. He sat out the season-opening overtime loss against Buffalo for being late to a practice and then was suspended for the next nine by WVU coach Bob Huggins to help Culver focus on academics.
He didn’t wait long to make an impact. In just his second game, Culver recorded the first of his nine double-doubles, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Lehigh.
In 18 Big 12 games, Culver led the conference in rebounding (10.9 rpg) and averaged 12.5 points.
His nine double-doubles were the second-most in the Big 12, behind Kansas’ Dedric Lawson, who finished with 20.
Big 12 award winners and all-conference teams:
- Player of the Year: Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech
- Coach of the Year: Chris Beard, Texas Tech
- Defensive Player of the Year: Barry Brown, Kansas State
- Newcomer of the Year: Dedric Lawson, Kansas
- Freshman of the Year: Jaxson Hayes, Texas
- Most Improved: Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma
- Sixth Man: Lindell Wigginton, Iowa State
- First Team: Marial Shayok, Iowa State; Dedric Lawson, Kansas; Barry Brown, Kansas State; Dean Wade, Kansas State; Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech
- Second Team: Makai Mason, Baylor; Jaxson Hayes, Texas; Desmond Bane, TCU; Matt Mooney, Texas Tech; Derek Culver, West Virginia
- Third Team: Devon Dotson, Kansas; Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma; Christian James, Oklahoma; Alex Robinson, TCU; Davide Moretti, Texas Tech
- All-Defensive Team: Mark Vital, Baylor; Marcus Garrett, Kansas; Barry Brown, Kansas State; Jaxson Hayes, Texas; Matt Mooney, Texas Tech; Tariq Owens, Texas Tech
- Newcomer Team: Makai Mason, Baylor; Marial Shayok, Iowa State; Dedric Lawson, Kansas; Jaxson Hayes, Texas; Matt Mooney, Texas Tech
All-Freshman Team: Jared Butler, Baylor; Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State; Devon Dotson, Kansas; Jaxson Hayes, Texas; Derek Culver, West Virginia - Honorable Mention: Jared Butler (Baylor), Mario Kegler (Baylor), Mark Vital (Baylor), Talen Horton-Tucker (Iowa State), Nick Weiler-Babb (Iowa State), Lindell Wigginton (Iowa State), Xavier Sneed (Kansas State), Kamau Stokes (Kansas State), Brady Manek (Oklahoma), Cameron McGriff (Oklahoma State), Lindy Waters (Oklahoma State), Kouat Noi (TCU), Matt Coleman III (Texas), Kerwin Roach II (Texas), Tariq Owens (Texas Tech)
