Colorado’s Alec Burks wasn’t the most highly recruited or highly regarded of the freshmen in the Big 12 Conference. But he turned out to be the best.
In a vote of the league’s head coaches, Burks was named Big 12 freshman of the year, as announced Sunday by the conference office. The 6-foot-6 guard from Grandview, Mo., near Kansas City, led the league’s freshmen in scoring with 16.8 points per game. He also led all conference players in field-goal shooting (.536).
Not wanting to sound boastful, Burks said he realized with his play at the Maui Invitational in November that he could make an impact as a freshman. Burks averaged 15 points in games against Gonzaga and Arizona at the event.
“I saw the way I was playing in Maui and that it really helped the team out,” Burks recalled on Saturday following a 101-90 victory over Texas Tech. “I just felt like I could contribute on the team.”
CU junior guard Cory Higgins was named for the second straight year to the all-conference third team by the coaches. His 19.0 scoring average ranks third in the conference, behind Oklahoma State’s James Anderson (22.9) and Baylor’s LaceDarius Dunn (19.2). Burks was among those named to the all-conference honorable mention list. He ranks seventh among the league’s scorers.
Coaches could not vote for players on their team.
Also, Higgins was named Sunday as the league’s final Big 12 player of the week, as voted by media that cover the conference. Higgins averaged 24.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in victories over Nebraska and Texas Tech. He combined to shoot 71.4 percent from the field in the two games.
Higgins became only the second CU player to earn a weekly conference award. Junior forward Marcus Relphorde, a junior-college transfer, earned Big 12 rookie-of-the-week honors on Jan. 18. Ironically, Burks never won a weekly newcomer award although he ultimately was named the league’s best freshman.
On Saturday, Burks became the all-time CU freshman scoring leader 448 points, breaking the former mark of 480 set by Richard Roby during the 2004-05 season.
“Alec coupled with Cory, I’ve heard people call them one of the best wing tandems in the nation, and they certainly are,” CU coach Jeff Bzdelik said.
After finishing in last place in the Big 12 standings the previous three years, Colorado showed significant progress this season. The Buffaloes (15-15, 6-10 Big 12) finished eighth and will face No. 9 seed Texas Tech (16-14, 4-12) again on Wednesday morning in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
