Big 12 Weekly Update

Per Big 12 Release:

(Photo: Big 12 Sports)

TCU’s Sedona Prince (player) and BYU’s Kailey Woolston (freshman) were tabbed for Big 12 women’s basketball weekly awards for the third week of the season, after leading their respective teams to a pair of wins each.
 
Prince was named the MVP of the St. Pete Showcase after leading the Horned Frogs to wins over UTEP and Nebraska, averaging 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game. The center from Liberty Hill, Texas recorded her Division I-leading fifth double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds in an 88-81 victory over Nebraska, going 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the final 37 seconds to seal the victory. In the tournament opener against UTEP, the senior liberal arts major had 19 points, seven rebounds and five blocks to lead the Horned Frogs to an 85-56 win. It is the first Big 12 weekly honor for Prince, and the second for TCU this season, who has matched the program’s best start at 7-0.
 
Woolston averaged 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists to nab her second consecutive Freshman of the Week honor, as the Cougars added two wins to advance their record to 6-0. The Highland, Utah native scored 19 points, going 5-of-7 on 3-pointers, in BYU’s 87-66 win over Saint Louis. The guard added 18 points against Loyola Marymount, making four of her five shots from beyond the arc and corralling six rebounds.

(Photo: Big 12 Sports)

Kansas’ Kevin McCullar Jr., Baylor’s RayJ Dennis and UCF’s Jaylin Sellers picked up Big 12 men’s basketball awards as McCullar nabbed the second-consecutive Player of the Week honor for the Jayhawks while Dennis and Sellers shared Newcomer of the Week.

McCullar averaged 20.0 points and 8.3 rebounds during Kansas’ appearance at the Maui Invitational, which included games against two top-7 teams. The graduate senior recorded his second straight triple-double (22 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast) in the game against Chaminade to become the first Big 12 student-athlete and the seventh overall in NCAA history to accomplish the feat. During the Jayhawks’ loss to then-No. 4 ranked Marquette, McCullar shot 64.3% (9-14) from the field for 24 points before he closed the week with 14 points and a team high-tying eight rebounds against Tennessee.

Dennis earned the NIT Season Tip-off MVP honor after a season-high 24-point and an eight-assist performance to lead Baylor to the tournament title. Facing Florida in the championship game, the senior scored 22 points in the second half where his last three baskets extended BU’s lead to two possessions. Against Oregon State, he registered a team-high six assists. During the week, Dennis averaged 16 points, 7.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals.

Sellers went 12-of-16 against Stetson for a career-high 34 points en route to the Knights’ first Big 12 MBB weekly award. His 34 points were the most registered by any Big 12 men’s basketball student-athlete in a single contest this season. Sellers opened the week with 19 points and six rebounds during UCF’s 74-71 win against Charlotte. In two games, the junior averaged 26.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

(Photo: Big 12 Sports )

Iowa State’s Abu Sama III (offensive and newcomer), Oklahoma State’s Trey Rucker (defensive) and Baylor’s Richard Reese (special teams) picked up the season’s final Big 12 football weekly awards. Sama was honored for the second week in the last three while Reese was recognized for the third time in his career.
 
Making his first career start, Sama finished with 276 yards on 16 carries for a 17.2-yard average in Iowa State’s 42-35 win over K-State played in a snowstorm. The true freshman running back had a 71-yard rushing touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and added scoring runs of 77 and 60 yards later in the game. His 276 rushing yard total was the fourth-most in school history, most in a road game in school history and the most by a Cyclone freshman. Sama was the second FBS player since 1996 with three or more rushing touchdowns of 60 yards against a ranked opponent and the first player in the Big 12 to have two 70-plus yard rushing touchdowns in a game since Adrian Peterson in 2005. His 276 yards were the fourth-most in a single game in the FBS this season. Sama also had one reception for 11 yards as ISU improved from one Big 12 win in 2022 to six conference wins this season, the biggest improvement by a zero or one-win team in league history.
 
Rucker recorded both of OSU's forced turnovers in the Cowboys' 40-34 double-overtime win over BYU to reach the Big 12 Championship. He made the game-clinching play on the final snap of the game when he wrestled down a 6-6, 255-pound tight end while ripping out the ball to force a fumble right before the ball carrier was down. Rucker then immediately recovered the ball while still on the ground to end the game and send the Cowboys to Arlington. Earlier in the game, the university studies major recovered a fumble at the BYU 19-yard line that led to OSU's second score of the game. The senior safety finished with six total tackles, including five solo stops and a third-down solo stop in the fourth quarter that forced a punt and led to an OSU touchdown on the following drive.
 
Reese returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in Baylor’s game against West Virginia. Trailing 10-0, Reese raced 96 yards to get the Bears on the board. On the very next WVU kickoff, Reese took another one back 93 yards to pull BU back within three again at 17-14. The sophomore communication major became just the second Baylor player in program history with two kick return TDs in the same game, and the first to do so on consecutive kicks. He finished the game with 247 return yards on five attempts.