Oklahoma basketball: Austin Reaves named Preseason All-Big 12
By Chip Rouse
Oklahoma basketball guard Austin Reaves has been named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
The senior from Newark, Arkansas, was the Sooners’ second leading scorer last season, averaging 14.7 points a game. He also contributed 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Reaves was Oklahoma’s best free-throw shooter a year ago in his first season at Oklahoma, making 85 percent of his free-throw attempts.
Reaves transferred to Oklahoma from Wichita State after the 2017-18 season. He played his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Shockers.
The Wichita State transfer capped off a strong 2019-20 season with a spectacular game on the road at TCU on the final weekend of the regular season.
Reaves led a furious Sooner second-half comeback at TCU, scoring 25 of his game-high 41 points in the final 20 minutes as Oklahoma overcame an 18-point halftime deficit. He scored the game-winning field goal with 0.5 seconds left on the game clock, giving the Sooners an improbable 76-74 victory. The 41-point performance was the most by an OU player since Trae Young in 2017-18.
The win allowed OU to even its Big 12 record at 9-9 in what would be the final game of the season for the Sooners. The season was cancelled the following week because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Reaves is joined on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team by Jared Butler of Baylor, Marcus Gilbert of Kansas, Cade Cunningham of Oklahoma State, Matt Coleman III of Texas and West Virginia’s Oscar Tshiebwe.
In addition, Butler was named Preseason Player of the Year, Cunningham, Freshman of the Year, and Marcus Santos-Silva of Texas Tech, Newcomer of the Year.
Oklahoma returns over 70 percent of its scoring production in 2020-21 behind Reeves and senior Brady Manek (14.4 points per game in 2019-20).
Oklahoma opens the 2020-21 season at home on Nov. 25 against the University of Texas-San Antonio, coached by former OU assistant Steve Henson.