MBB SELECTED SIXTH IN BIG 12 COACHES POLL

DALLAS - Returning four starters and seven lettermen from its 2003 NCAA Tournament team, Missouri is the men's basketball favorite in a preseason vote of the conference coaches, the league office announced Wednesday.

Missouri received eight possible first-place votes of the league mentors, who were not allowed to vote for their own team. Texas finished second in the poll and received three first-place votes and two-time defending champion Kansas received the other first-place vote. The conference coaches also selected a preseason player, newcomer, and freshman of the year in addition to a preseason All-Big 12 squad.

Colorado was selected sixth among the league coaches, while and senior Michel Morandais and junior David Harrison received honorable mention votes for the conference first team.

Texas Tech senior Andre Emmett is the coaches' Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year. Emmett is the lone first team All-Big 12 performer returning from last season and also garnered first team all-league his sophomore season as well. The Dallas, Texas, guard/forward led the Big 12 in scoring last year with a 21.8 average and has led the conference in league games only scoring the past two seasons at 21.5 in 2002 and 21.8 in 2003. Other conference players receiving votes for preseason player of the year included junior Wayne Simien of Kansas, and seniors Arthur Johnson of Missouri, and James Thomas of Texas.

Emmett was the lone conference player to appear on the 11 ballots of the other coaches for preseason All-Big 12 accolades. Joining Emmett on the team is Johnson and MU teammate Rickey Paulding, Simien, and Thomas. Coaches were allowed to only list five preseason selections and not allowed to vote for student-athletes from his own team. Johnson, Paulding, and Thomas were second team All-Big 12 honorees last year, while Simien was limited to 16 games with a shoulder injury. Thomas led the league in rebounding in 2002-03 with an 11 board average. At 17.4 ppg Paulding is the league's second leading returning scorer behind Emmett. Johnson scored 16.1 points per game as a junior and is behind Thomas in returning rebounding leaders at 9.6 rpg in 2002-03. Simien averaged 14.8 points and 8.2 rebounds for KU before seeing his season cut short.

Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors go to Missouri guard Jason Conley. The 6-5 junior from Silver Springs, Md., is a transfer from Virginia Military Institute who will be eligible to play following the fall semester. Conley averaged a team best 22.2 points and 7.3 rebounds in 10 games for VMI last season before transferring to Missouri in January. Other conference players who received votes for newcomer of the year included Baylor forward Harvey Thomas, Kansas State forward Jeremiah Massey, Missouri guard Randy Pulley, and Oklahoma State forward Tremaine Fuqua.

There was a tie in voting for Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year between Kansas center David Padgett and Oklahoma guard Drew Lavender. Both were McDonald's High School All-Americans last year. Padgett, 6-11 from Reno, Nev., averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds per game as a senior at Reno High School. Lavender, 5-7, averaged 18.4 points, 10.7 assists, and four steals at Brookhaven High School in Columbus, Ohio. Other freshman of the year vote getters included Padgett's teammate and guard J.R. Giddens, Kansas State forward Cartier Martin, and Missouri forward/center Linas Kleiza.

The coaches' poll reflects directly on the six Big 12 squads which advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2003. Missouri lost in the second round of the NCAA tourney last year to Marquette. In 2003 Texas advanced to its first Final Four since 1947 last year and finished second in the preseason coaches' poll. Last year's NCAA runner-up Kansas is third in the poll with Oklahoma fourth, Oklahoma State fifth, and Colorado sixth. The Sooners, Cowboys, and Buffs each advanced to the NCAA tourney as well last year. Texas Tech finished third in the 2003 NIT and finished seventh in the coaches' poll. Kansas State, Texas A&M, Iowa State, Nebraska, and Baylor round out the final five spots in the poll.

This marks the highest Missouri has been picked in the coaches' preseason poll. In 2001-02 the Tigers were selected second. MU does have a high reputation in the poll having never been below fifth selection according to the coaches. The Tigers were fourth in 1997-98, third in 1998-99, fifth in 1999-00, third in 2000-01, second in 2001-02, and fourth last year.

This is the seventh year of the Big 12 men's basketball preseason coaches poll. In 1997-98 the league mentors successfully chose Kansas as its eventual champion. The following year, 1998-99, the league coaches chose Oklahoma State with Texas, a fifth-place preseason pick, winning the title. In 1999-00, the coaches chose Kansas with eventual conference champion Iowa State a No. 6 preseason selection. In 2000-01 Kansas was the selection, and the champion Cyclones were No. 4 in the preseason coaches' poll. The coaches have successfully selected Kansas in each of the last two seasons.

A media preseason poll will be conducted in conjunction with the Big 12 Basketball Media Days Oct. 29 and 30 at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

2003-04 Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll

Team (first place votes) Points

1. Missouri (8) 114

2. Texas (3) 108

3. Kansas (1) 106

4. Oklahoma 92

5. Oklahoma State 81

6. Colorado 71

7. Texas Tech 64

8. Kansas State 48

9. Texas A&M 41

10. Iowa State 33

11. Nebraska 23

12. Baylor 11

Note: Points were awarded 11 for first, 10 for second, nine for third, etc.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

2003-04 Preseason Coaches All-Big 12 Team

(Coaches were not able to vote for their own team.)

Andre Emmett, Texas Tech

Arthur Johnson, Missouri

Rickey Paulding, Missouri

Wayne Simien, Kansas

James Thomas, Texas

Others receiving votes - Tony Allen, Sr., G, Oklahoma State; David Harrison, Jr., C, Colorado; Keith Langford, Jr., G, Kansas; Michel Morandais, Sr., G.F, Colorado; Brandon Mouton, Sr., G, Texas; Antoine Wright, So., F/G, Texas A&M

Preseason Player of the Year - Andre Emmett, Texas Tech

Preseason Newcomer of the Year - Jason Conley, Missouri

Co-Preseason Freshman of the Year - David Padgett, Kansas; Drew Lavender, Missouri

Preseason Big 12 Coaches Poll History

Season Preseason Selection (actual finish) Big 12 Champion (preseason selection)

1996-97 - No coaches poll chosen Kansas

1997-98 - Kansas (1st) Kansas (1st)

1998-99 - Oklahoma State (tie for 5th) Texas (5th)

1999-00 - Kansas (5th) Iowa State (6th)

2000-01 - Kansas (tie for 2nd) Iowa State (4th)

2001-02 - Kansas (1st) Kansas (1st)

2002-03 - Kansas (1st) Kansas (1st)