IRVING, Texas - Sun Devil Men's Basketball's Paulius Murauskas was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year ahead of the upcoming 2026-27 season.
The award, which is voted on by the other coaches in the league, shows the respect Murauskas has garnered after a fantastic 2025-26 campaign. This is the first time a Sun Devil Men's Basketball player has been named Preseason Newcomer (or Freshman) of the Year in any league.
Not only was Murauskas tabbed as the conference's top newcomer, he also landed on the Big 12 Preseason All-Conference First Team. He is one of 10 individuals to earn the accolade and he becomes the first Sun Devil to achieve the feat since the program transitioned to the Big 12. Here is a breakdown at the Big 12 Preseason Awards/Honors:
2026-27 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Preseason Honors
Preseason Player of the Year: Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Paulius Murauskas, Arizona State
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Tyran Stokes, Kansas
2026-27 All-Big 12 Preseason Team
Paulius Murauskas, Arizona State
Ivan Kharchenkov, Arizona
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Robert Wright III, BYU*
Dedan Thomas Jr., Houston
Joseph Tugler, Houston
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Tyran Stokes, Kansas
Xavier Edmonds, TCU
JT Toppin, Texas Tech*
*Indicates unanimous selection
Paulius Murauskas named Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year
One of the nation's premier transfer prospects has earned the respect of the league's fellow coaches.
Murauskas poses for photos at Sun Devil Men's Basketball media day.
Paulius Murauskas
Kaunas, Lithuania /// Saint Mary's
I chose Arizona State because of Coach Randy Bennett and the strength of our relationship. I also have a lot of respect for the other coaches coming from Saint Mary's, EJ Rowland, Joe Rahon. We are all like family. After not playing my first year, they helped me get through that and I trust them to keep making me a better player.
Paulius MurauskasPaulius Murauskas photoshoot 2026Paulius Murauskas shooting during practice, 2026Paulius Murauskas photoshoot, 2026Paulius Murauskas goes up for a layup in practice, 2026Paulius Murauskas photoshoot, 2026Paulius Murauskas with the ball at practice, 2026Paulius Murauskas photoshoot, 2026Paulius Murauskas loads for a jump shot, 2026Paulius Murauskas with Assistant Coach EJ Rowland, 2026Paulius Murauskas 2025-26 season stats at Saint Mary's
Paulius Murauskas 2025-26 season highlights
Paulius is one of the most talented players that I have ever coached. We are thrilled that he decided to join us at Arizona State. He has a unique skill set and is an extremely hard worker. Our staff identified him as one of our main targets when first getting the job and securing his commitment also helped our program attract other players that wanted to join him as a Sun Devil. He is excited for the challenge of the Big 12 Conference and the chance to compete at the highest level.
Randy BennettFollow Paulius on social media
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