March 5, 2006
Columbia, Mo. -
The postseason has arrived, meaning postseason awards are on the horizon and Mizzou junior Thomas Gardner received his first accolade for an outstanding 2005-06 campaign when he was named to the five-member "All-Improved Team" by the Big 12 Media on Sunday (March 5) evening.
Gardner finished the regular season second in the Big 12 with 19.9 points per game and led the Conference with 3.44 three-point field goals per contest. Those elevated numbers came on the heels of a sophomore campaign where the Portland, Ore., native averaged 10.6 points on just 27.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc. In addition to his much-improved scoring total, Gardner heightened his three-point accuracy to 40.4 percent this season, which ranked fourth in the Big 12 overall.
Gardner was one of the Big 12's more consistent offensive threats, recording 16 20-point scoring performances throughout the regular season and will have the opportunity to become the first Mizzou player to average 20.0 points or better for a season since Kareem Rush averaged 21.1 points in 2000-01. Gardner's 3.44 three-point field goals per game is also a Missouri school record.
Gardner and the Tigers return to action on Thursday (March 9) when they take on Nebraska in the opening round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament in Dallas, Texas. Game time is slated for 8:20 p.m. on ESPN2.
Big 12 specialty teams
The 10th annual specialty teams are selected by a panel of sportswriters who regularly cover the conference.
All-Freshman (tie in voting)
A.J. Abrams, Texas
Mario Chalmers, Kansas
Curtis Jerrells, Baylor
Brandon Rush, Kansas
Jamel White, Nebraska
Julian Wright, Kansas
All-Newcomer (transfer)
Mario Boggan, Oklahoma State
David Hoskins, Kansas State
Torre Johnson, Oklahoma State
Mike Neal, Oklahoma
Anatanas Kalaliaskas, Texas A&M
All-Defense (tie in voting)
LaMarcus Aldridge, Texas
Mario Chalmers, Kansas
Marcus Dove, Oklahoma State
Daniel Gibson, Texas
Russell Robinson, Kansas
Curtis Stinson, Iowa State
All-Reserve
A.J. Abrams, Texas
Torre Johnson, Oklahoma State
Martane Freeman, Colorado
Michael Neal, Oklahoma
Jamel White, Nebraska
All-Underrated
Brad Buckman, Texas
Rahshon Clark, Iowa State
Dominque Kirk, Texas A&M
Kenton Paulino, Texas
Wes Wilkerson, Nebraska
All-Improved
LaMarcus Aldridge, Texas
Thomas Gardner, Missouri
Aleks Maric, Nebraska
Cartier Martin, Kansas State
David Monds, Oklahoma State