Iowa State sophomore guard Lindell Wigginton might not have been named preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, but he’s made a reputation as one of the most feared players in the league.

Wigginton was named preseason First-Team All-Big 12. A season ago, Wigginton averaged 16.7 points per game, making him the top returning scorer in the Big 12.

At Big 12 Media Day in Kansas City, Mo., Big 12 coaches and players raved about Wigginton’s ability.

“We were really hoping he’d go pro,” said Baylor coach Scott Drew with a laugh. “We recruited him. He’s a great young man, works really hard and he’s an excellent player.

“I think his SportsCenter dunk at [Hilton Madness] was second, it should’ve been first.”

Wigginton scored a career-high 30 points against Drew’s Baylor Bears last season in a 75-65 win. The second time around, Wigginton dropped 14 points and a career-high eight assists in a loss in Waco, Texas.

One of Wigginton’s biggest games, and biggest matchups, was against Oklahoma guard Trae Young (now with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks).

Young led college basketball in scoring and assists last season, averaging over 27 points per game.

Wigginton got the best of Young the first time around, winning 88-80 at Hilton Coliseum.

Wigginton dropped 26 points, five rebounds and five assists in the win, while Young was held to 22 points (7-of-21 shooting) and six turnovers.

“He was fantastic,” said Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger. “He’s explosive, can score a lot of different ways, extremely competitive. I was very impressed and certainly expect him to have another great year.”

How do the players in the Big 12 judge Wigginton? It starts with Texas’ Matt Coleman, who played two years at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia with Wigginton.

“He still does what he did back then,” Coleman said. “That’s score the ball, put the ball in the basket.”

Coleman and the Longhorns faced off with Wigginton three times last year, twice in the regular season and once in the Big 12 Tournament. Texas swept Iowa State 3-0.

In the first game, Wigginton was held to four points on 2-of-14 shooting, his worst scoring performance all year. Coleman scored 12 and added nine assists and seven rebounds. Game two was a different story, as Coleman was held scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting, and Wigginton scored 15.

In their finale, Wigginton went for 20 points (8-of-15 shooting) and eight rebounds. Coleman went for eight points and added three steals.

“I love playing against my old high school teammates, definitely a guy like him,” Coleman said. “He’s always been confident. I’ve just seen him grow, like his maturity level.

“We’re both competitive guys. I remember days he would just bust my A-S-S and I remember days I would go at him, it just made us better every day.”