IRVING, Texas. – Following the best regular season campaign in school history, the Cyclones were rewarded when the Big 12 honors came rolling in on Monday. Iowa State placed a league-high three on the All-Big 12 First Team for the first time in school history with Ashley Joens, Lexi Donarski and Emily Ryan earning nods from the Big 12 coaches. Donarski was also awarded Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Cyclone ever to earn the honor.

Donarski is a force on defense. Her defensive abilities might be Iowa State’s best-kept secret nationally, but to those in the Big 12 it is no secret the best lock-down defender is Donarski. She held opponents she guarded to a mere 9.3 points and 30 percent shooting, as she was often tasked with defending the opposition’s top performer. Donarski also becomes just the third Cyclone to earn a spot on the Big 12’s All-Defensive Team and the first since Chelsea Poppens in 2011.

In addition to her defensive honors, the La Crosse, Wisconsin native, was also awarded a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team for the first time in her career. The sophomore is currently second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.3 points per game, while netting 38.9 percent from the floor. Her 76 3-pointers also ranks third in the Big 12 and in the top-20 nationally.

Joens earned unanimous All-Big 12 First Team honors for the third time in her Iowa State career, joining Bridget Carleton and Stacy Frese as the only other Cyclones to do so. The Iowa City, Iowa native, leads Iowa State with 20.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, while averaging a career best 2.2 assists per game and connecting on a career-best 77 treys. Joens is also shooting at a 41.2 percent clip, the fifth-best mark in the league.   Joens has been a staple for the Cyclones, earning All-America consideration and being named to the Cheryl Miller Award Top 10 yet again.

After leading the Big 12 and ranking in the top-five nationally in assists per game (7.1), Emily Ryan garnered First Team honors for the first time in her career. Ryan has been widely recognized as one of the best floor generals, with 213 dimes on the year, checking in at fourth and counting in the ISU record books. Ryan dished 20 or more dimes to six different Cyclones on the season and recorded five or more assists 20 times this season. A native of Claflin, Kansas, Ryan also averaged 12.6 points per game and has a team-high 53 steals on the season. In league games, Ryan’s stats are even better, averaging 14.6 points and 7.3 dimes per contest.

Iowa State finished the regular season with a school record­ 25 regular-season wins, while also amassing 14 Big 12 wins for the first time. The Cyclones also swept seven Big 12 opponents and won a school record seven Big 12 road games. Iowa State enters the Big 12 Championship as the No. 2 seed with a 25-5 overall record and a 14-4 Big 12 record.

2021-22 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Awards
Coach of the Year: Brandon Schneider, Kansas (Seventh season at Kansas)
Player of the Year: NaLyssa Smith, Baylor, F, 6-4, Sr., Converse, Texas*
Defensive Player of the Year: Lexi Donarski, Iowa State, G, 6-0, So. La Cross, Wis.
Newcomer of the Year: Jordan Lewis, Baylor, G, 5-7, Gr., Windmere, Fla.
Freshman of the Year: Rori Harmon, Texas, G, 5-6, Fr., Houston, Texas
Sixth Player Award: Skylar Vann, Oklahoma, G/F, 5-11, So., Edmond, Okla.

All-Big 12 First Team (honors listed alphabetical by school)

* Unanimous Selection

All-Big 12 Second Team

All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
Ja’Mee Asberry (Baylor), Queen Egbo (Baylor), Zakiyah Franklin (Kansas), Taiyanna Jackson (Kansas), Serena Sundell (Kansas State), Lauren Heard (TCU), Lauren Ebo (Texas), Aliyah Matharu (Texas), K.K. Deans (West Virginia), Kari Niblack (West Virginia), Madisen Smith (West Virginia).

* Unanimous First Team Selection (coaches cannot vote for own players, unanimous denotes voted first team by other nine coaches)

Big 12 All-Defensive Team

Big 12 All-Freshman Team

* Unanimous Selection (coaches cannot vote for own players, unanimous denotes selected for team on other nine ballots)

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa men’s basketball sophomore forward Keegan Murray garnered two awards on Monday, earning first-team All-America accolades by Sporting News and named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week.

Joining Murray on the five-player All-America first team are Kofi Cockburn of Illinois, Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis, Ochai Agbaji of Kansas and Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe. Sporting News is one of four outlets used by the NCAA to determine its consensus All-America teams (Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches, United States Basketball Writers Association, and Sporting News).

The Hawkeyes have had a student-athlete earn All-America honors by Sporting News four of the last seven seasons, including the last three seasons. Former Hawkeye Luka Garza earned first team accolades by the publication in 2020 and 2021, while Jarrod Uthoff was a second team selection in 2016.

Murray (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) ranks first in the country in Player Efficiency Rating (38.4); fourth in points per game (23.3); 29th in field goal percentage (.554); 39th in blocks per contest (2.1); and 46th in double-doubles (9). His 23.3 points per game average is tops among players from a major conference.

Murray is the only player nationally to average 23+ points, 8+ rebounds, and 2+ blocks this season and one of three players from a major conference with those averages over the last decade.

Murray is also on the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team, Lute Olson National Player of the Year Mid-Season List, and is a Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Finalist. He has been named Big Ten Player of the Week a program-best six times this season (Nov. 22; Dec. 20; Jan. 3; Feb. 14; Feb. 28, March 6).

Murray shares this week’s conference weekly honor with Nebraska’s Alonzo Verge Jr. Last week, Murray averaged a double-double in three games, averaging 23.7 points and 12 rebounds. The All-American also averaged three blocks, 2.7 3-pointers, and 2.3 assists. He shot 53 percent (8-of-15) from 3-point range and 77 percent (17-of-22) from the foul line.

In Iowa’s comfortable 82-61 win over Northwestern on Feb. 28, Murray poured in game bests in points (26) and rebounds (18), while also collecting three assists, two blocks, and two steals. He registered the double-double by halftime and his 18 rebounds are the most by Murray during conference play and most since pulling down 21 against N.C. Central (Nov. 16, 2021).

Murray had another sensational game in Iowa’s 11-point victory (82-71) at Michigan on March 3, totaling 23 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, three assists, and a steal. He shot a blistering 7-of-9 (.778) from the field, including a perfect 4-of-4 from 3-point range.

In Sunday night’s narrow defeat at No. 20 Illinois, Murray posted his team-leading ninth double-double (22 points, 11 rebounds). He also rejected a game-best four shots.

Murray and the 24th-ranked Hawkeyes (22-9, 12-8) return to action on Thursday in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa will face the first-round winner between Northwestern-Nebraska at approximately 1 p.m. (CT) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

2021-22 Rolling Valley All-Conference
Boys Basketball Team

First Teams

Trevor Malone (Boyer Valley, sr.)
Colby Rich (C-A-M, sr.)
Tanner Oswald (Coon Rapids-Bayard, sr.)
Lance Clayburg (Coon Rapids-Bayard, jr.)
Koleson Evans (West Harrison, jr.)
*Sage Evans (West Harrison, jr.)
Mason King (West Harrison, jr.)
Dylan Hoefer (Woodbine, sr.)

Second Team

Cooper Kock (Ar-We-Va, sr.)
Will Ragaller (Ar-We-Va, sr.)
Drew Volkmann (Boyer Valley, jr.)
Lane Spieker (CAM, sr.)
*Gabe Obert (Coon Rapids-Bayard, sr.)
Trey Peterson (Exira/EHK, jr.)
Joe Carey (Paton-Churdan, sr.)
Cory Bantam (Woodbine, sr.)

*Unanimous Selections.

Iowa State women’s coach Bill Fennelly feels good about the Cyclones’ chances to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Ranked 10th in the latest AP top 25 the Cyclones take a 25-5 record into the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City this week.

Fennelly believes the Big 12 could have four teams serve as host on the opening weekend.

The Cyclones open Friday against the winner of Thursday’s game between TCU and West Virginia.

Spring football is underway at Iowa State where several big names have departed that helped the Cyclones produce five straight winning seasons for the first time in school history. Standouts like Brock Purdy, Breece Hall and Mike Rose need to be replaced off last year’s team that finished 7-6 and coach Matt Campbell says that has made this spring more important.

Campbell says it will be a much different Cyclone team next fall.

ISU will have a new starting quarterback for the first time since September of 2018. Former West Sioux standout Hunter Dekkers is the frontrunner.

Dekkers is the leader but the starting spot won’t be determined until fall camp.

2021-2022 HAWKEYE 10 ALL CONFERENCE BOYS BASKETBALL TEAMS

FIRST TEAM
1 Drew Brown Clarinda Sr. F
2 Carson Seuntjens ** Denison-Schleswig Jr. G
3 Caden Johnson Glenwood Jr. G
4 Brad Curren Harlan Jr. G
5 Dawson Gifford Kuemper Jr. G
6 Wyatt Hatcher Lewis Central Sr. F
7 Max DeVries ** Red Oak So. G
8 Aidan Hall Harlan Jr. F

2ND TEAM
1 Colton Rasmussen Atlantic So. F
2 Cole Arnold Lewis Central So. F
3 Grant Jobe Clarinda Sr. C
4 Carter White St. Albert Sr. G
5 Jacob Birch Harlan Jr. F
6 Dayton Templeton Atlantic Sr. G
7 Luke Wiebers Denison-Schleswig So. G
8 Hunter Gilleland Red Oak So. G

HONORABLE MENTION
1 Zach Foster Shenandoah Sr. F
2 Cael Turner Creston So. G
3 Connor Frame Harlan Sr. G
4 Michael Kasperbauer Kuemper So. G
5 DJ Weilage St. Albert Sr. G
6 Dennis Vonnahme Kuemper So. F
7 Zac Kelsey Glenwood Jr. F
8 Kyle Strider Creston Jr. G
9 Ryan Johnson Red Oak Sr. F
10 Colby Souther Lewis Central Jr. C
11 Aiden Schuttinga Denison-Schleswig Sr. G
12 Lance Arkfeld Denison-Schleswig So. F
13 Carter Pellett Atlantic Jr. F

AP Women’s Basketball Top 25
03/07/2022

AP Men’s Basketball Top 25
03/07/2022

1. Gonzaga (52 first-place votes)
2. Arizona (6)
3. Baylor (3)
4. Auburn
5. Kentucky
6. Kansas
7. Duke
8. Villanova
9. Purdue
10. Tennessee
11. Providence
12. Wisconsin
13. UCLA
14. Texas Tech
15. Arkansas
16. Illinois
17. Saint Mary’s
18. Houston
19. Murray State
20. UConn
21. USC
22. Texas
23. Colorado State
24. Iowa
25. North Carolina

Others receiving votes: Boise State 49, South Dakota State 32, Memphis 26, San Diego State 24, LSU 22, Loyola Chicago 16, Ohio State 16, Seton Hall 9, San Francisco 9, Rutgers 8, Alabama 7, Notre Dame 4, Vermont 3, Davidson 1, Longwood 1

Monday, March 7

Class 1A Quarterfinals

Lake Mills 39, Danville 22
-Lake Mills outscored Danville 28-11 in the second half and grabbed the quarterfinal win. Bennett Berger led Lake Mills with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. They improve to 25-1 on the season heading to the semifinals.

Grand View Christian 64, Bellevue 63 (OT)
-Noah John hit a free throw with 1 second left to give top-seeded Grandview Christian the overtime win. It was tied at 54 at the end of regulation. Josh Baucum finished with 14 points for the Thunder. Josh Sanderson had 11 and Daniel Tobiloba had 9 points and 19 rebounds. The Thunder survive to improve to 25-0. Bellevue had two players with double-doubles: Jensen Wedeking with 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Jackson Mueller had 22 points and 14 boards.

North Linn 89, North Mahaska 43
-2nd seeded North Linn had no trouble advancing to the semifinals. The Lynx outscored North Mahaska 29-9 in the first quarter and continued to pour it on the rest of the game. It was 56-16 at halftime. Dylan Kurt led four players in double-figures for the Lynx with 19 points. Tate Haughenbury added 18 points. North Linn improved to 25-1 on the season.

St. Mary’s, Remsen 70, West Harrison, Mondamin 52
Remsen St. Mary’s jumped out on top early 21-3 at the end of the first and rolled to the semifinals. Carter Schorg led the Hawks with 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. Cael Ortmann had 17 points and 5 boards. The Hawks shot 55% for the game and improved to 25-0. Sage Evans led West Harrison with 19 points and 7 rebounds.

Class 2A Quarterfinals

Central Lyon, Rock Rapids 68, Red Oak 34
Central Lyon blitzed their way to a 37-22 lead by halftime and kept extending the lead in the second half. Mason Gerleman had 18 points and 6 rebounds to lead Central Lyon to the semis. They now have a 23-2 record on the season. Red Oak was led by 10 points from Max DeVries and the Tigers finish the season at 18-8.

Pella Christian 69, Roland-Story 62
Pella Christian led by 5 at halftime and held on to the advantage down the stretch. Eric Mulder had a monster game with 18 points, 20 rebounds, and 1 steal. Pella Christian improves to 19-6 on the season. Roland-Story ends the year at 22-3 and they were led by 17 points from Will Bunn.

ROSEMONT, Ill. — The Big Ten Conference announced the bracket for the 2022 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament presented by TIAA that will take place March 9-13 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Illinois (22-8, 15-5 Big Ten) earned the top seed in the field and a double bye into the quarterfinals, which will be played on Friday, March 11. No. 2 Wisconsin (24-6, 15-5), No. 3 Purdue (25-6, 14-6) and No. 4 Rutgers (18-12, 12-8) also claimed double byes and will open postseason action on Friday.

The 25th annual tournament begins on Wednesday, March 9, with a pair of games. No. 12 seed Northwestern (14-15, 7-13) faces No. 13 Nebraska (10-21, 4-16) in the opener at 6 p.m. ET. No. 11 Penn State (12-16, 7-13) plays No. 14 Minnesota (13-16, 4-16) 25 minutes after the conclusion of the Northwestern-Nebraska game.

No. 8 seed Michigan (17-13, 11-9) and No. 9 Indiana (18-12, 9-11) will kick off the second round of the tournament at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 10. No. 5 seed Iowa (22-9, 12-8) will then open its tournament slate against the winner of the first-round game between Northwestern-Nebraska. In Thursday’s second session, No. 7 Michigan State (20-11, 11-9) plays No. 10 seed Maryland (15-16, 7-13) at 6:30 p.m., while No. 6 Ohio State (19-10, 12-8) takes on the Penn State-Minnesota winner 25 minutes after the conclusion of the Michigan State-Maryland game.

The Thursday winners will move on to play the tournament’s top four seeds on Friday in the quarterfinals.

The Big Ten Network (BTN) will televise the tournament’s first 10 games, with coverage spanning the first round of the tournament through the quarterfinals. CBS Sports will once again broadcast the semifinals and final. All BTN on-air games can be streamed via the web, smartphones, tablets, and connected devices through the FOX Sports App, while the CBS Sports broadcasts will also be available to stream live on Paramount+.