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By Travis M. Smith | KBEC Sports
KANSAS CITY, MO — Waxahachie alumnus CJ Noland was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team prior to the conference tournament this week.
Noland appeared in 29 games prior to Thursday’s opening round of the Big 12 tournament, which included 16 conference games. The 6-foot-2 true freshman is averaging 4.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per contest.
Noland has made 29 appearances in his first season in the Crimson and Cream. The freshman guard from Waxahachie, Texas, averaged 4.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per contest. Noland appeared in 16 Big 12 contests.
Noland and the Sooners are currently battling it out against some of the nation’s best in the Big 12 Tournament at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
OU defeated No. 3 (26-6) Baylor on Thursday night, 72-67, to move into a showdown against No. 14 (24-8) Texas Tech. In his 30th appearance of the season, Noland scored 3 points while adding two rebounds and five assists to help OU into the conference tournament semifinal game.
Tipoff between the Red Raiders and Sooners was slated for 8:30 p.m. Friday. The game was set to be streamed on ESPN2.
OU is still considered by many to be a “bubble team” for the upcoming NCAA March Madness Tournament. The Sooners entered the Big 12 tournament as the seventh-seed with an overall record of 18-14 and 7-11 mark in conference play.
Noland is a 2021 graduate of Waxahachie. His father, Belvis, is no stranger to the intensity of Big 12 basketball, as he starred at Kansas State. It was there in Manhattan, Kansas, where Belvis met Nicole, CJ’s mother. Oddly enough, Noland recorded season highs in points (10), minutes (24) and field goals made (4) against Kansas State on Jan. 1.
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Travis M. Smith, @Travis5mith
tsmith@kbec.com
