Moving past three of the past four seasons, which were won by two freshmen and a sophomore, the Big 12 Player of the Year has typically been an upperclassman.

10. James Anderson, Oklahoma State, 2004

Anderson, a former McDonald's All-American, averaged 22.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game for the Cowboys. The 22.3 points per game was good for third in the entire country.

But Anderson had an extremely rough 3-for-12 outing against Georgia Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

9. Tony Allen, Oklahoma State, 2004

Before he was known as the guy who raps loudly to himself before each game in the locker room and the guy who punched teammate O.J. Mayo, Allen led the Cowboys to the 2004 Final Four.

He scored over 1,000 points in just two seasons after coming to Stillwater as an elite junior college transfer.

8. P.J. Tucker, Texas, 2006

Tucker played three seasons for the Longhorns, averaging 16.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game during his junior season.

Tucker became the 35th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the RAptors, but has mainly played pro basketball overseas.

7. Wayne Simien, Kansas, 2005

Simien won the Big 12 Player of the Year award as a senior, averaging 20.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per game for the Jayhawks.

Kansas was upset in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament, just a few months before he was selected 29th overall by Miami.

6. Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa State, 2001

Similar to Allen, Tinsley was an elite junior college transfer who helped shift the power of balance for Larry Eustachy's Cyclones.

Tinsley was a Second Team All-American during his senior season and was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year during his junior year.

5. Drew Gooden, Kansas, 2002

Gooden helped lead the Jayhawks to the Final Four in 2002, his junior season. He was a First Team All-American and also won the Pete Newell Big Man Award.

He was eventually picked fourth overall by Memphis.

4. Nick Collison, Kansas, 2003

Collison and the Jayhawks returned to the Final Four in 2003, this time losing to Carmelo Anthony and Syracuse in the championship.

He averaged 18.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game as a junior.

3. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma, 2009

After being injured for a good part of his freshman season, Griffin decided to remain at Oklahoma for his sophomore season. It became historical, as he won the Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, the Adolph Rupp Trophy, amongst many other national honors.

He averaged 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds per game for an Oklahoma team that advanced to the Elite 8 before being eliminated by eventual champion North Carolina.

2. Michael Beasley, Kansas State, 2008

Like Griffin, Beasley was a member of the Big 12 incoming class of 2007. His one season at K-State was nothing short of extraordinary, averaging 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds per game.

He was on every First Team All-American list and became the second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

1. Kevin Durant, Texas, 2007

Durant's lone season in Austin is a type of hybrid between the two recognized seasons of Griffin and Beasley.

Durant averaged 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.9 blocks per game for a young, overachieving Texas team.

Durant won the Wooden, Naismith, Rupp and Oscar Robertson awards, amongst many others.