Super-senior Taiyanna Jackson and freshman S’Mya Nichols were named to the All-Big 12 first team Tuesday afternoon, headlining an array of all-league honors for the red-hot Jayhawks ahead of the conference tournament.
Jackson also made the Big 12’s all-defensive team for the third straight year, following a regular season in which she set the Kansas record for career blocked shots despite only playing at KU for three seasons. On the whole, she averaged a double-double with 13.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks, even recording six-, eight- and nine-block games over the course of the year.
Nichols, an Overland Park native and one of the highest-touted recruits in KU women’s basketball history, made an immediate impact as an all-around player upon entering the Jayhawks’ veteran starting lineup, leading the team in scoring with 15.1 points per game while shooting 27-for-68 (39.7%) from beyond the arc, dishing out a team-high 78 assists and snagging 39 steals.
Two of the other members of that experienced KU lineup — super-seniors Zakiyah Franklin (11.4 points per game) and Holly Kersgieter (11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds) — also received honorable mentions from the Big 12 coaches, who voted for the teams.
“We are proud of our players’ accomplishments, and we appreciate the Big 12 coaches for recognizing their contributions,” KU coach Brandon Schneider said in a release. “Prior to last season, our program had never had two players selected to the All-Big 12 First Team in the same year, and now our players have earned such recognition twice. That’s a testament to our players and the impact they’ve had on elevating our program.”
The Jayhawks went on a late-season tear, including home wins over ranked Kansas State and Oklahoma, and secured the No. 7 seed entering the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City. This time around, they will face No. 10 BYU, which they beat twice during the regular season. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. Friday at the T-Mobile Center.
Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World
