Each week we will make predictions on all the league's conference games. We'll also be joined by a different SB Nation Big 12 blogger to weigh in with their thoughts. Check back throughout the week to see how much (or little?) we all know.

This week we're proud to have TB from K-State's Bring On The Cats

And post your predictions in the comments section. If we like your picks we might ask you to be a guest picker... so take your chance and put your thoughts out for everyone to read. Also keep track of your record to see how you compare with our picks.

Big 12 Basketball Conference Picks
	Joe Loyd @joe_loyd	Nathan Kotisso @natekotisso	Evan Pfaff @EvanPfaff	E. Carnes @E_Carnes	TB @BringOnTheCats
Season Record	22-6	29-10	27-12	29-10	17-5 (All Guest Picks)
Last Week	0-0	8-3	5-6	7-4	0-0
Saturday, January 28
Texas Longhorns at Baylor Bears	Baylor	Baylor	Baylor	Baylor	Baylor
Texas Tech Red Raiders at Missouri Tigers	Mizzou	Mizzou	Mizzou	Mizzou	Mizzou
Kansas Jayhawks at Iowa St. Cyclones	KU	ISU	KU	KU	ISU
Oklahoma St. Cowboys at Texas A&M Aggies	A&M	A&M	A&M	A&M	Ok State
Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas St. Wildcats	K-State	K-State	K-State	K-State	K-State
Monday, January 30
Missouri Tigers at Texas Longhorns	UT	Mizzou	Mizzou	UT	Mizzou
Tuesday, January 31
Oklahoma St. Cowboys at Texas Tech Red Raiders	Tech	Ok State	Ok State	Tech	Ok State
Kansas St. Wildcats at Iowa St. Cyclones	ISU	ISU	ISU	ISU	K-State
Wednesday, February 1
Baylor Bears at Texas A&M Aggies	Baylor	Baylor	Baylor	Baylor	Baylor
Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas Jayhawks	KU	KU	KU	KU	KU
National Game of the Week - Wednesday, February1
Connecticut Huskies at Georgetown Hoyas	Georgetown	G-Town	Georgetown	G-Town	UCONN
What We're Saying
Joe: How many people do you think are going to be in attendance Jan 31st when Oklahoma State visits Texas Tech??
Nathan: As E. has grown weary of writing about how well Jordan Tolbert played in another Tech loss, I, too, am tired about how much Iowa State needs to win their next game. But for lack of a better term, they do need this one at home against Kansas. They need to make that tournament profile look more appealing to the eye.
Evan: I went road team heavy last wek (seven rood teams? What was I thinking?) and learned my lesson with a 5-6 record. This week I "only" picked four. Doomed again, eh?
E. Carnes: Am I crazy for picking Texas over Mizzou? Maybe! But I think this is the Longhorns' best chance for the big upset they almost pulled off over K-State and KU. Either way, it should be an interesting game — Haith used to be on Barnes' staff, so both coaches are familiar with the other's strengths and weaknesses. Also, is this finally the week Texas Tech will win a conference game? I think OK State in Lubbock is their best shot.
TB: Big week for swing games in the conference. Iowa State could give the other contenders a chance by beating KU, Missouri could tumble if it can't beat Texas on the road, and K-State and Iowa State will battle for "best of the rest" (i.e., fourth place) when the two meet in Ames.

See a week-by-week breakdown of how Joe, Nathan, Evan, E. Carnes and the Guest Pickers did after The Jump

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We have reached week 4 of league action and the season has so far gone swimmingly. Maybe too swimmingly. What happened to the upsets or the back-and-forth battles that we've grown accustomed to in Big 12 play? Now that I think about it, that sounds like a question that should be on today's Call. Meh.

We still have a fresh batch of questions for our staff to mull over such as how many B12 teams will make the tournament along with dishing out coach and sixth man of the year honors.

1. The Big 12 Conference is the most top-heavy league in the country with Kansas, Missouri and Baylor all ranked in the top 10. At this point in Big 12 play, who would be your coach of the year?

2. Texas A&M's Khris Middleton recently tweaked the same knee he had surgery on in the fall. With all that's happened in the last four months, is it time to stick a fork in the co-preseason favorite Aggies?

3. Texas Tech has been competitive in Big 12 games vs Baylor and Oklahoma but are currently 0-6. Will the Red Raiders win a game in conference play?

4. The NCAA released their weekly RPI standings Monday and the Big 12 had five teams (KU, BU, Mizzou, K-State and ISU) ranked in the top 68. Do all these teams make it to the Big Dance or should there be more in the mix?

5. As of now, who gets the sixth man of the year award in the Big 12?

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Last season, the Texas A&M baseball team went 47-22 and and ended their season in the College World Series. They did it with dominant pitching (with each starter sporting an earned run average of 2.29 or less) and four hitters with a .300 batting average or more.

This year, the Aggies return each of their top four hitters, but will have to replace their ace, John Stilson (5-2 1.68 ERA 91.1/92 IP/K) and two of their top relief pitchers, Nick Fieece (1.41 ERA in 36 games) and Joaquin Hinojosa (3.28 ERA in 31 games).

Those are big holes to fill, but the seventh ranked Aggies are going into the 2012 season with one of the most formidable foursome of hitters in college baseball. Junior outfielder Tyler Naquin hit .381 last season and is looking to improve during his draft year. Sophomore outfielder Krey Bratsen finished his freshman year as the most compete player on the team with a .332 batting average and a team leading 31 stolen bases. Senior infielders Jacob House (.301) and Matt Juengel (.308) round out the gang.

Texas A&M still have their two top notch starting pitchers but this could be it for the two flamethrowers. Ross Stripling (14-2 2.29 ERA) will graduate after this season and Micheal Wacha (9-4 2.29) is eligible for the draft this season. They will need to find a Sunday starter and an everyday closer if they are to live up to their ranking.

Expect 2012 to play out like 2011.

Slowly but surrly the Cyclones are closing in on a top 4 spot, while the top two have shown they're there to stay.

Disagree with us? Put your rankings in the comments section.

1. Kansas Jayhawks Overall Record: 17-3 (7-0 conference) Last Week's Record: 2-0 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 1, same What Nathan Says: They nearly lost on the road to the Longhorns on Saturday. It'll be interesting to see how Kansas does away from Allen Fieldhouse against more quality opponents.

2. Missouri Tigers Overall Record: 18-1 (5-1) Last Week's Record: 1-0 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 3, up one spot What Evan Says: Undersized? Short bench? Those can be overcome when you have the experience and coaching that Mizzou has. And yes, this team has made me change my tune on the Frank Haith hire... how could it not?

3. Baylor Bears Overall Record: 17-2 (4-2) Last Week's Record: 0-1 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 2, down one spot What Nathan Says: Giving up points in the paint have killed the Baylor frontcourt this week. Hopefully they can bounce back without the pressure of playing another Top-10 team.

4. Kansas St. Wildcats Overall Record: 14-4 (3-3) Last Week's Record: 2-0 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 4, same What Evan Says: K-State will not keep winning unless they start hitting free throws. 44 of 79 (55.6%) in their two wins this week simply won't cut it.

5. Iowa St. Cyclones Overall Record: 14-5 (4-2) Last Week's Record: 2-0 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 5, same What Nathan Says: Speaking of quality opponents, the Cyclones still lack a "signature win," and what better way to get one than by hosting Kansas at Hilton Saturday.

6. Texas Longhorns Overall Record: 12-7 (2-4) Last Week's Record: 0-2 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 6, same What E. Carnes Says: The Longhorns dropped two heartbreakingly close games to K-State and Kansas. Tuesday's game against Iowa State is a must-win for Texas if they want to keep their tournament hopes alive.

T7. Oklahoma Sooners Overall Record: 12-6 (2-4) Last Week's Record: 1-1 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 7, same What Evan Says: Next three: Baylor, @K-State, @KU. They needed to win that OT game in College Station to have momentum heading into their toughest stretch of the season.

T7. Texas A&M Aggies Overall Record: 11-8 (2-5) Last Week's Record: 1-1 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 8, up one spot What E. Carnes Says: Pro: the Aggies beat Oklahoma in overtime in College Station. Con: Khris Middleton banged up his injured knee and had to sit out during their loss to Kansas.

9. Oklahoma St. Cowboys Overall Record: 9-10 (2-4) Last Week's Results: 0-2 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 9, same What Evan Says: Early on I might have thought about an upset over Mizzou, but with the way Ok State is playing, even in Stillwater, the Pokes will need to play their best game of the season to keep it close.

10. Texas Tech Red Raiders Overall Record: 7-11 (0-6) Last Week's Record: 0-2 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 10, same What E. Carnes Says: Robert Lewandowski finally showed up against Iowa State, but it wasn't enough for the Red Raiders who are now 0-6 in conference play.

Rankings are based on averages of our individual picks. See how we each voted after The Jump.

Continue reading this post »

Each week we will make predictions on all the league's conference games. Check back throughout the week to see how much (or little?) we all know.

And post your predictions in the comments section. If we like your picks we might ask you to be a guest picker... so take your chance and put your thoughts out for everyone to read. Also keep track of your record to see how you compare with our picks.

Big 12 Basketball Conference Picks
	Joe Loyd @joe_loyd	Nathan Kotisso @natekotisso	Evan Pfaff @EvanPfaff	E. Carnes @E_Carnes
Season Record	22-6	21-7	22-6	22-6
Last Week	10-1	7-4	9-2	9-2
Saturday, January 21
Kansas St. Wildcats at Oklahoma St. Cowboys	On vacation	K-State	Ok State	K-State
Missouri Tigers at Baylor Bears	In Jamaica	Baylor	Baylor	Baylor
Oklahoma Sooners at Texas A&M Aggies	Sippin Red Stripe	A&M	OU	OU
Kansas Jayhawks at Texas Longhorns	On the beach	KU	KU	KU
Iowa St. Cyclones at Texas Tech Red Raiders	(Jealous?)	ISU	ISU	ISU
Monday, January 23
Texas A&M Aggies at Kansas Jayhawks		KU	KU	KU
Tuesday, January 24
Baylor Bears at Oklahoma Sooners		Baylor	Baylor	Baylor
Iowa St. Cyclones at Texas Longhorns		Texas	ISU	Texas
Wednesday, January 25
Missouri Tigers at Oklahoma St. Cowboys		Mizzou	Mizzou	Mizzou
Kansas St. Wildcats at Texas Tech Red Raiders		K-State	K-State	K-State
National Game of the Week - Saturday, January 21
Mississippi St. Bulldogs at Vanderbilt Commodores		Vandy	Vandy	Vandy
What We're Saying
Joe: Jamaica me crazy
Nathan: I'm going with the favorites this time after going against the grain last week. Wonder when the Jayhawks will lose their first Big 12 game.
Evan: SEVEN away teams!?!?!?! What am I thnking? Well, I'm thnking I'm hosed.
E. Carnes: The game I'm most excited to see isn't Mizzou at Baylor. It's the rematch between Iowa State and Texas. This is the time of year when the second-tier teams get really interesting to watch, especially since they might be jockeying for the same tournament berth.

See a week-by-week breakdown of how Joe, Nathan, Evan, E. Carnes and the Guest Pickers did after The Jump

Continue reading this post »

Last season the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Oklahoma Sooners had identical 5-11 conference records, tying them for the second worst record in the Big 12. This season, it appears that one of the teams can catapult up the standings, while the other is looking to be stuck near the bottom again.

I wrote about it yesterday, as I have all season, but OU is my ‘under the radar team to watch' this season, and I can sum up in one word why: Lon.

College basketball is a funny thing, where two things can't be taken for granted. One is home-court advantage and the other is coaching. If you have the advantage in both those categories, my money is on a victory. Take OU's home victory over K-State as a prime example.

Not to discredit Frank Martin, but between him and Lon Kruger, I'd rather have Lon calling my Xs and Os, and that K-State game was in Norman. Result? A nine point victory over the 18^th ranked team in the country.

What Lon has done is to figure out how to maximize the play of the talent he inherited this season. And that is the true mark of a good coach. Anyone with four years under their belt should have a team suited to his style, but to come in to a new team and adapt to what is there is truly outstanding.

And don't let the Sooners 1-3 conference record fool you. If you dive into their schedule you'll see a road game at Mizzou followed by a home loss to Kansas followed by a road loss at Ok State. Of the three, the Bedlam game was the only one I think OU will look back and kick themselves for, but again, that was on the road.

So tonight's game pits two great coaches, and for the purpose of this argument I'll equalize Billy Gillispie and Lon, so then you have my other factor, HCA. And that sits squarely in OU's lap.

Admittedly there are other factors that play into a team winning and losing, and in this case OU has a vastly superior team to Tech. Steven Pledger third in the conference in scoring at 17.3 ppg. Romero Osby is equlayy third in rebounding at 8.3 rpg and contributing 11.3 ppg.

Not to discredit Tech's rookie sensation Jordan Tolbert, and his 13.5 ppg, while placing second in the conference at 59.6% FG%, but outside of Tolbert, no other Red Raider averages double-figures. Ty Nurse is close at 9.3 ppg, but he's been held scoreless in his past two games, going a combined 0-8 against Teas A&M and Kansas.

So if you do the math OU should win this one, and that is why Vegas has them as a 12.5 pt favorite. You can catch tonight's only Big 12 game on ESPN3 at 7pm CST.

After last night's huge conference game, we have a new top team in our Power Rankings. Though outside of that, no other movement.

Disagree with us? Put your rankings in the comments section.

1. Kansas Jayhawks Overall Record: 15-3 (5-0 conference) Last Week's Record: 3-0 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 2, up one spot What Nathan Says: KU's body of work > Mizzou's body of work

2. Baylor Bears Overall Record: 17-1 (4-1) Last Week's Record: 2-1 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 1, down one spot What Nathan Says: They'll look to bounce back against another top-10 team on Saturday: vs Missouri

3. Missouri Tigers Overall Record: 17-1 (4-1) Last Week's Record: 3-0 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 3, same What Evan Says: Mizzou's problem is that they hit a dry spell each game. They tend to get up by 15+ then can't hit a shot. See the start of the second half vs A&M and midway through the second vs Texas.

4. Kansas St. Wildcats Overall Record: 12-4 (1-3) Last Week's Record: 0-2 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 4, same What Evan Says: Better than their conference records leads you to believe, but still a 1-3 start means they'll need to start a winning streak soon if they dream of an NCAA tourney.

5. Iowa St. Cyclones Overall Record: 12-5 (2-2) Last Week's Record: 0-2 Last Week's Ranking/Movement:v 5, same What Nathan Says: They stayed with Kansas for awhile at Allen Fieldhouse Saturday. Next three games are all winnable.

6. Texas Longhorns Overall Record: 12-5 (2-2) Last Week's Record: 1-1 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 6, same What E. Carnes Says: After being outshot by Mizzou, the Longhorns' brutal stretch of schedule continues. Next up is K-State and KU.

7. Oklahoma Sooners Overall Record: 11-5 (1-3) Last Week's Record: 1-0 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 7, same What Evan Says: HUGE win for the Sooners against K-State with two winable games in the near future.

8. Texas A&M Aggies Overall Record: 10-7 (1-4) Last Week's Record: 1-2 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 8, same What E. Carnes Says: The good news is that the Aggies beat Tech, which I wasn't sure they could do. The bad news is... pretty much everything else.

9. Oklahoma St. Cowboys Overall Record: 9-8 (2-2) Last Week's Results: 0-1 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 9, same What Evan Says: No shame in this team losing to Baylor, and Le'Bryan Nash is finally stepping up on the defensive end. I'd like to see them win a road game or two in order to truly believe they have upset potential in their blood.

10. Texas Tech Red Raiders Overall Record: 7-9 (0-4) Last Week's Record: 0-2 Last Week's Ranking/Movement: 10, same What E. Carnes Says: Same old, same old for the Red Raiders this week, although it's worth noting that Jaye Crockett had 19 points and 8 rebounds off the bench in Tech's loss to A&M.

Rankings are based on averages of our individual picks. See how we each voted after The Jump.

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