Oct. 14, 2008
Irving, Texas - Mizzou Basketball forwards DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons were named honorable mention selections to the Preseason All-Big 12 Conference team announced on Tuesday by the league office.
Players honored in preseason voting were selected by the league head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.
Carroll was named the Big 12's Newcomer of the Year in 2008 after averaging 13.0 points and a team-leading 6.7 rebounds as a junior. A 6-foot-8 forward from Birmingham, Ala., Carroll finished fourth in the Big 12 in field goal percentage last season (.536), ninth in rebounding and among the Top 20 in scoring. Already a graduate of Missouri (Spring 2008), Carroll will be one of the Big 12's top returning post players and ranks fourth among returning rebounders for the 2008-09 campaign.
Lyons finished the 2008-09 season as one of the Big 12's most dominating players. Over his final four regular-season games Lyons averaged 21.5 points and 12.8 rebounds in contests against Oklahoma State, at Baylor, Iowa State and at Oklahoma. He was also named to the Kansas City Star's All-Improved Team after averaging 16.1 points and 8.0 rebounds over his final 16 contests. On the season the Kansas City, Kan., native led the Tigers in scoring at 13.1 points per game and led the Big 12 in field goal percentage (.583). His average of 14.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in Big 12 games ranked among the Top 10 league-wide in both categories.
Oklahoma's Blake Griffin was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year, while Sooner newcomer Willie Warren was the Preseason Freshman of the Year. Kansas' Mario Little was named the Newcomer of the Year, an award won by a Missouri Tiger each of the past two seasons.
Rounding out the Big 12's Preseason All-Conference team was Baylor senior guard Curtis Jerrells, Kansas junior guard Sherron Collins and the Texas Longhorn duo of Damion James and A.J. Abrams.
Other players earning honorable mention consideration were James Anderson and Byron Eaton from Oklahoma State, Connor Atchley from Texas and both Josh Carter and Bryan Davis of Texas A&M.
Practice around the college basketball landscape opens this Friday. Missouri will host its annual Black & Gold Game on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. inside Mizzou Arena. Doors to the event open at 6 p.m. and in addition to a full-scale scrimmage by the 2008-09 Tigers, members of the team will be signing pre-game autographs on the concourse of the Mizzou Arena. Team posters and schedule cards will be available for fans.
Missouri Basketball is partnering with the Central Missouri Food Bank for this year's event and encourages fans to donate two canned food items per person to gain entry to the event.
For more information about Missouri Basketball, please visit our website at mutigers.com.