BYU’s Richie Saunders is having a season to remember, and Big 12 basketball coaches are taking note.
On Monday, the conference announced that, as a result of his performance this season, Saunders has won two high-profile All-Big 12 awards.
- He was named the Big 12’s most improved player.
- He was also selected for a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team.
In a press release celebrating the awards, BYU noted that Saunders has played a pivotal role in his school’s success this season.
“After averaging 9.6 points per game last season, Saunders went from glue guy to go-to guy as the 6-foot-5 wing scored a team-high 16.0 points per contest during the regular season,” the press release said.
Saunders’ teammate Egor Demin also picked up some notable accolades, including a spot on the All-Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
The freshman Cougar from Moscow, Russia, earned honorable mention all-conference honors, as did Gabe Madsen from Utah.
Here are all the players who have been honored by the Big 12 this year:
2024-25 All-Big 12 Awards
- Player of the Year: JT Toppin, Texas Tech
- Defensive Player of the Year: Joseph Tugler, Houston
- Scholar-Athlete of the Year: LJ Cryer, Houston
- Freshman of the Year: VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
- Newcomer of the Year: JT Toppin, Texas Tech
- Sixth Man Award: Curtis Jones, Iowa State
- Most Improved: Richie Saunders, BYU
- Coach of the Year: Kelvin Sampson, Houston
All-Big 12 First Team
- Caleb Love, Arizona
- Norchad Omier, Baylor
- Richie Saunders, BYU
- LJ Cryer, Houston
- J’Wan Roberts, Houston
- Curtis Jones, Iowa State
- Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
- JT Toppin, Texas Tech
- Darrion Williams, Texas Tech
- Javon Small, West Virginia
All-Big 12 Second Team
- VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
- Keyshawn Hall, UCF
- Milos Uzan, Houston
- Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
- Chance McMillian, Texas Tech
All-Big 12 Third Team
- Joseph Tugler, Houston
- Zeke Mayo, Kansas
- Coleman Hawkins, Kansas State
- Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State
- Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Honorable Mention
- Tobe Awaka, Arizona
- Henri Veesaar, Arizona
- Robert Wright, Baylor
- Egor Demin, BYU
- Darius Johnson, UCF
- Jizzle James, Cincinnati
- Julian Hammond III, Colorado
- Emanuel Sharp, Houston
- Dajuan Harris Jr., Kansas
- David N’Guessan, Kansas State
- Bryce Thompson, Oklahoma State
- Noah Reynolds, TCU,
- Ernest Udeh Jr., TCU
- Gabe Madsen, Utah
All-Defensive Team
- Jayden Quaintance, Arizona State
- J’Wan Roberts, Houston
- Joseph Tugler, Houston
- Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
- Sencire Harris, West Virginia
All-Freshman Team
- Jayden Quaintance, Arizona State
- VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
- Robert Wright, Baylor
- Egor Demin, BYU
- Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
All-Newcomer Team
- Norchad Omier, Baylor
- Keyshawn Hall, UCF
- Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
- Zeke Mayo, Kansas
- JT Toppin, Texas Tech
The All-Big 12 men’s basketball awards are voted on by the league’s head coaches.
The 2024-25 season is Utah basketball’s first and BYU basketball’s second in the Big 12.
Last year, four BYU players earned All-Big 12 honors, as the Deseret News reported at the time.