It’s time for Kansas University’s basketball players to start reaping the benefits of a 16-0 conference season.

On Monday, Jayhawk juniors Kirk Hinrich and Drew Gooden opened the 2001-02 postseason awards parade by being named unanimous first-team selections to the Associated Press All-Big 12 team.

The two were joined on the first team by Kareem Rush (Missouri), Andre Emmett (Texas Tech) and Hollis Price (Oklahoma). KU’s Nick Collison made the AP’s second team and Jeff Boschee the third team, while Aaron Miles was a member of the all-freshman squad.

Gooden, the leading Big 12 Player of the Year candidate, has league-best averages of 20.6 points and 11.1 rebounds a game. Hinrich averages 15.7 points, 5.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds.

“I am ecstatic Drew and Kirk are first team and ecstatic they are unanimous choices,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “Drew was sensational, leading the conference in scoring and rebounding. Kirk has done everything a basketball player can be asked to do  offense, defense, passing and rebounding  and done it very well.

“I’m very proud of the fact that Nick made second team and Jeff made third team. If I had a vote myself I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have three of our guys on the first team because I think Nick Collison had a great year as well,” the coach added.

Collison is averaging 15.9 points and 7.8 boards a game.

“Those four guys not only led our team, but also brought three freshmen along with them that were very important to our success, and the leadership that those four guys gave us throughout the entire season is hard to substantiate on an all-star team, but it’s something that was important to our team’s success,” Williams said.

Collison was joined on the second team by T.J. Ford (Texas), Tyray Pearson (Iowa State), Andy Ellis (Tech) and Aaron McGhee (OU). Boschee was joined on the third team by Maurice Baker (Oklahoma State), Clarence Gilbert (MU), Larry Reid (Kansas State) and Lawrence Roberts (Baylor).

The Jayhawks were pleased to hear the results.

“It’s great that I’ve been honored on the Big 12 first team,” said Gooden, who also made the first team last year. “It was one of my goals at the beginning of the season. I knew that if I had good support from my teammates and if we won a lot of games, especially in conference, that I would have a shot. I’m flattered to be put on the list with such a great group of players.”

Hinrich said: “I think being named All-Big 12 is a great individual accomplishment, but it just gives more credit to our team’s success. It’s like coach Williams always tells us  just worry about team success, and then the individual honors will take care of themselves.”

Collison also was second-team AP last year.

“I’m pleased to make the all-conference team again this year,” Collison said. “I think our team is having such a great year that it is only natural for the players to reap some of the benefits. Hopefully we can continue this run, and even more honors may come our way.”

Tech’s Emmett, who finished third behind Gooden and Rush among Big 12 scorers with 19.4 points per game, was named on every first-team ballot but one. Price averaged 16.9 points as Oklahoma rang up an overall record of 24-4 Â the best in Kelvin Sampson’s eight seasons as coach.

Rush, the preseason choice for Big 12 player of the year, averaged 19.8 points for the Tigers.