Nijel Pack was voted to the Big 12 first team by the league coaches this week, a well-deserved honor. He is the sixth K-State player to be voted to the team since the inception of the league and he is the only K-State sophomore to make it. Only Michael Beasley was younger when he was voted to the All-Big 12 team in 2008, his freshman year. Here is the list of honorees:

Kansas State All-Big 12 first-team selections

2022 – Nijel Pack

2019 – Dean Wade and Barry Brown

2018 – Dean Wade

2013 – Rodney McGruder

2011 – Jacob Pullen

2010 – Jacob Pullen

2008 – Michael Beasley

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a piece about Pack’s success thus far and his place, both currently and potentially in the future, in the K-State record books. Let’s take a look at how his 2021-22 season stacked up with the other five K-State players who have been named to the All-Big 12 first team. Ranked from sixth to first.

6.) Barry Brown

Brown was voted to the All-Big 12 first team in 2019, joining teammate Dean Wade. His numbers may have been better if they hadn’t shared the stat lines, but I can only go off the numbers he put up.

Barry Brown stats in 2019

Points: 14.6

Rebounds: 4.1

Assists: 2.8

Steals: 1.9

5) Rodney McGruder

McGruder was voted to the All-Big 12 first team in 2013. He averaged a little bit more points and rebounds than Barry Brown, so I put him in front of Barry. Also, as a side note, did you realize that McGruder is still playing in the NBA for the Detroit Pistons? This is his seventh year playing in the league.

Rodney McGruder Stats in 2013

Points: 15.6

Rebounds: 5.4

Assists: 2.0

Steals: 1.3

4) Nijel Pack

The numbers that Pack put up this season are comparable to Brown and McGruder, but his scoring average of 17.4 points per game is roughly two points per game better than McGruder and three points per game better than Brown, so I slotted him here.

Nijel Pack 2022 Stats

Points: 17.4

Rebounds: 3.7

Assists: 2.3

Steals: 1.4

3) Jacob Pullen

Pullen was the first K-Stater to be named to the All-Big 12 first team twice, in 2010 and 2011. Number two and three on my list are interchangeable as far as I’m concerned, but I slotted Pullen here because the overall numbers put up by Dean Wade are better.

Jacob Pullen Stats 2009-10

Points: 19.3

Rebounds: 2.6

Assists: 3.4

Steals: 1.8

Jacob Pullen Stats 2010-11

Points: 20.2

Rebounds: 2.9

Assists: 3.7

Steals: 1.6

2) Dean Wade

Wade was the second of only two K-State players to make the all-Big 12 team twice, in 2018 and 2019. He didn’t score quite as much as Pullen did, but he was pulling down a lot of rebounds and was close to averaging a double-double in 2019. That’s why I slotted him at number two. He also had almost identical assist numbers to Pullen. That’s impressive for a forward.

Dean Wade 2018 Stats

Points: 19,7

Rebounds: 7.5

Assists: 3.3

Steals: 1.9

Dean Wade 2019 Stats

Points: 17.0

Rebounds: 8.1

Assists: 3.7

Steals: 1.1

1) Michael Beasley

I probably won’t get any arguments about slotting Beasley at number one. He was dominant during his one year in Manhattan and was the number two pick overall in the NBA draft.

Beasley Stats 2007-2008

Points: 26.2

Rebounds: 12.4

Assists: 1.2

Steals: 1.3

Can Pack become the first K-State player to be voted first-team All-Big 12 three times? There’s some uncertainty with the status of his head coach, so there are no guarantees, but there’s no doubt that he has the talent to do it. No pressure, Nijel!