IRVING, Texas – Baylor men’s basketball’s Keyonte George was named the Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Adam Flagler was selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, announced Wednesday by the conference office.
Additionally, George and junior guard LJ Cryer were All-Big 12 honorable mention selections.
Preseason All-Big 12 teams are voted on by the league's head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own players. The Preseason All-Big 12 Team is typically five players, but a tie in voting created the sixth spot for 2022-23.
George follows Kendall Brown, who was last year's Preseason Freshman of the Year, and BU is now just the third program in Big 12 history to have back-to-back winners.
The fifth McDonalds All-American in program history, George is the highest-ranked recruit in BU history. Last season at IMG Academy, he averaged 17.8 points per game while shooting .410 from beyond the arc. The freshman from Lewisville, Texas, was named MVP of the 2021 3x3 U18 World Cup while playing for USA Basketball. This past summer, he averaged 22.8 points to lead the Bears to the GLOBL JAM championship game in Canada.
Flagler, one of three unanimous selections to the Preseason All-Big 12 squad, enters the season coming off a stellar junior campaign that saw him top the double-digit scoring mark a team-leading 23 times, played an integral role in the Bears’ second-consecutive Big 12 Championship. The senior from Duluth, Ga., was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team by the coaches and the Associated Press last season, in addition to being selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 8 Second Team.
Cryer is coming off a career year despite missing 15 games with injury. The Katy, Texas, native shot .468 from three-point range, which led the Big 12 Conference, and was third nationally until he fell below the minimum games-played threshold. The junior burst onto the scene last year as a sophomore, scoring 256 points in 19 games, which was more than triple his previous season’s total of 67 in 20 games. In his injury-shortened season, he led the team in scoring eight different times and topped the 12-point mark in 13 games.
Baylor opens the 2022-23 season on Monday, Nov. 7, with a home game against Incarnate Word. Tipoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT on ESPN+ as a part of BU’s annual “Future Bears Day.”
Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at BaylorBears.com. Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for additional updates.
2022-23 PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 TEAM
Adam Flagler, Baylor*
Jalen Wilson, Kansas*
Avery Anderson III, Oklahoma State
Mike Miles Jr., TCU*
Timmy Allen, Texas
Marcus Carr, Texas
Note: A tie resulted in an extra position on the team.
Honorable mention: LJ Cryer (Baylor), Keyonte George (Baylor), Kevin McCullar (Kansas), Tanner Groves (Oklahoma), Moussa Cisse (Oklahoma State), Emmanuel Miller (TCU), Tyrese Hunter (Texas), Fardaws Aimaq (Texas Tech), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech).
Preseason Player of the Year: Mike Miles Jr., TCU
Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Grant Sherfield, Oklahoma
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Keyonte George, Baylor
BAYLOR'S PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 SELECTIONS (since 2002-03)
2007-08 – Curtis Jerrells, G
2008-09 – Curtis Jerrells, G
2010-11 – LaceDarius Dunn, G
2011-12 – Perry Jones III, F
2012-13 – Pierre Jackson, G
2013-14 – Isaiah Austin, C
2013-14 – Cory Jefferson, F
2015-16 – Rico Gathers, F
2016-17 – Johnathan Motley, F
2019-20 – Tristan Clark, F
2020-21 – Jared Butler, G
2021-22 – Matthew Mayer, G/F
2022-23 – Adam Flagler, G
Additionally, George and junior guard LJ Cryer were All-Big 12 honorable mention selections.
Preseason All-Big 12 teams are voted on by the league's head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own players. The Preseason All-Big 12 Team is typically five players, but a tie in voting created the sixth spot for 2022-23.
George follows Kendall Brown, who was last year's Preseason Freshman of the Year, and BU is now just the third program in Big 12 history to have back-to-back winners.
The fifth McDonalds All-American in program history, George is the highest-ranked recruit in BU history. Last season at IMG Academy, he averaged 17.8 points per game while shooting .410 from beyond the arc. The freshman from Lewisville, Texas, was named MVP of the 2021 3x3 U18 World Cup while playing for USA Basketball. This past summer, he averaged 22.8 points to lead the Bears to the GLOBL JAM championship game in Canada.
Flagler, one of three unanimous selections to the Preseason All-Big 12 squad, enters the season coming off a stellar junior campaign that saw him top the double-digit scoring mark a team-leading 23 times, played an integral role in the Bears’ second-consecutive Big 12 Championship. The senior from Duluth, Ga., was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team by the coaches and the Associated Press last season, in addition to being selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 8 Second Team.
Cryer is coming off a career year despite missing 15 games with injury. The Katy, Texas, native shot .468 from three-point range, which led the Big 12 Conference, and was third nationally until he fell below the minimum games-played threshold. The junior burst onto the scene last year as a sophomore, scoring 256 points in 19 games, which was more than triple his previous season’s total of 67 in 20 games. In his injury-shortened season, he led the team in scoring eight different times and topped the 12-point mark in 13 games.
Baylor opens the 2022-23 season on Monday, Nov. 7, with a home game against Incarnate Word. Tipoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT on ESPN+ as a part of BU’s annual “Future Bears Day.”
Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at BaylorBears.com. Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for additional updates.
2022-23 PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 TEAM
Adam Flagler, Baylor*
Jalen Wilson, Kansas*
Avery Anderson III, Oklahoma State
Mike Miles Jr., TCU*
Timmy Allen, Texas
Marcus Carr, Texas
Note: A tie resulted in an extra position on the team.
Honorable mention: LJ Cryer (Baylor), Keyonte George (Baylor), Kevin McCullar (Kansas), Tanner Groves (Oklahoma), Moussa Cisse (Oklahoma State), Emmanuel Miller (TCU), Tyrese Hunter (Texas), Fardaws Aimaq (Texas Tech), Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech).
Preseason Player of the Year: Mike Miles Jr., TCU
Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Grant Sherfield, Oklahoma
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Keyonte George, Baylor
BAYLOR'S PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 SELECTIONS (since 2002-03)
2007-08 – Curtis Jerrells, G
2008-09 – Curtis Jerrells, G
2010-11 – LaceDarius Dunn, G
2011-12 – Perry Jones III, F
2012-13 – Pierre Jackson, G
2013-14 – Isaiah Austin, C
2013-14 – Cory Jefferson, F
2015-16 – Rico Gathers, F
2016-17 – Johnathan Motley, F
2019-20 – Tristan Clark, F
2020-21 – Jared Butler, G
2021-22 – Matthew Mayer, G/F
2022-23 – Adam Flagler, G
