Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji (player) and Oklahoma’s Tanner Groves (newcomer) picked up the season’s first Big 12 Men’s Basketball Player of the Week awards after leading their teams to a 2-0 start. The honor is the second for Agbaji in his career.
Agbaji opened the season scoring a career-high 29 points in Kansas' 87-74 win against Michigan State in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden. The Kansas City, Missouri, guard answered that scoring 25 points in the home-opening win versus Tarleton State. His 54 points were the most for a Jayhawk in the Bill Self era in the first two games of a season. He surpassed Frank Mason III's 51 points to open the 2016-17 campaign. The two 20-point efforts marked the eighth and ninth 20-point games of Agbaji’s career.
Groves led Oklahoma in scoring in both victories over Northwestern State and UTSA as he was the first Sooner to tally 20-plus points in a game this season. He averaged 18.0 points per contest, which tied for fourth in the Big 12 last week, along with 7.0 defensive rebounds, which rank fourth in the Conference and third among teams that played two games. He finished the week 15-of-25 for a .600 field goal percentage and was one of two Big 12 players to attempt 25 or more shots and have a .600 or higher FG percentage.
Big 12 Player of the Week
Ochai Agbaji, Kansas, G, Sr.
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week
Tanner Groves, Oklahoma, F, Sr.