Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe left a few raised eyebrows in the wake of his comments about his plan for the conference's spring meetings next week.

I think we need to have a very frank conversation about where we’re going and who’s going to be on the plane when we take off," Beebe told a Kansas City radio station.

But he clarifies his previous statements in his newest interview, an extensive Q&A with the Columbia Tribune.

"I said I want to present to the board the question of how do we get to a place where we determine who’s on the plane and who’s off. I want there to be a time — on our time schedule, not any other conference or entity’s time schedule — where we say, OK, here’s who’s committed to this conference, and we’re going forward and we’re going to continue to prepare for our negotiations with television next spring," Beebe said. "Which looks like it’s going to be a highly profitable situation for us, whether we collaborate with the Pac-10 or do it on our own."

via ESPN.com

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Tobi Oyedeji (O-yee-day-jee), a 6-9 power forward from Houston Bellaire and a Texas A&M basketball signee, has died from injuries suffered from a car accident, Aggie head basketball coach Mark Turgeon said on Sunday.
               
"The world has lost a great kid today," Turgeon said. "Tobi epitomized the term student-athlete. He was a very good student. He worked hard in the classrooms and on the basketball court and he was a terrific basketball player. This is difficult to understand and today is a very sad day. My heart aches for his mom and dad. Tobi was an only child and I would like everyone to pray for Tobi's parents."

Oyedeji had most recently played in the High School Academic All-American Game and was named the American's squad Player of the Game. After his senior season, Oyedeji was named to the All-Greater Houston team as well as a member of the TABC All-State Class 5A basketball team.

from AggiesAthletics.com

Gary Parrish of CBS Sports unveiled his preseason Top 25. Same Big 12 cast of characters as the other Top 25s.

5. Kansas State: Frank Martin's incredible transformation from unknown assistant to marquee Big 12 coach will continue despite the loss of Denis Clemente. The return of Jacob Pullen, Curtis Kelly, Jamar Samuels, Dominique Sutton, Rodney McGruder and Wally Judge means six of KSU's top seven scorers are back, and FIU transfer Freddy Asprilla should make an immediate impact in the frontcourt.

8. Baylor: Ekpe Udoh's early departure will greatly affect Baylor's ability to frustrate opponents with a zone defense. But a duo of LaceDarius Dunn and McDonald's All-American Perry Jones should be electrifying enough to keep the Bears near the top of the Big 12.

12. Kansas: The roster got a boost from the commitment of Josh Selby, a high-flying guard who will be among the nation's most exciting players. Tyshawn Taylor, Tyrel Reed, Brady Morningstar and the Morris Twins will surround the likely one-and-done talent. Together, they'll keep the Jayhawks in the Big 12 hunt.

16. Missouri: Mike Anderson has shown he's capable of doing more with less thanks to a system that's as fun to watch as it is frustrating to play against. He adds a top 10 recruiting class to a core of Kim English, Marcus Denmon and Laurence Bowers. He should add another NCAA tournament appearance next March.

ESPN's Andy Katz unveils his preseason top 25. Four Big 12 schools make the list.

4. Baylor: Putting Baylor this high puts a lot on the shoulders of incoming freshman Perry Jones. Let's see if he lives up to the hype of being not just better than Ekpe Udoh, but the best big man in the country. The Bears also lost Tweety Carter, but return LaceDarius Dunn and can legitimately claim to be the team to beat in the Big 12. I'm sure this pick will get criticized, but let's not forget the Bears were an Elite Eight team that lost to the eventual national champion. This squad hasn't had to deal with being the target, however, so let's see how it handled this kind of prognostication.

5. Kansas State: I really could have flipped Kansas State and Baylor, and maybe I should have with Denis Clemente being the Wildcats' only major loss. Jacob Pullen will need to find a partner on the perimeter as proficient as Clemente, but the role players on the Wildcats like Jamar Samuels, Dominique Sutton and Curtis Kelly continue to improve and the depth will be hard to match. This is certainly a Final Four contender.

14. Missouri: The Tigers return guards Kim English and Marcus Denmon, Justin Safford is back from a knee injury and Mike Anderson has his most-celebrated recruiting class coming on board. Forward Tony Mitchell and point guard Phil Pressey will be impact players as freshmen. Missouri should be able to play even more of Anderson's fastest 40 minutes in basketball and having a healthy Safford will give the Tigers a staple in the post. Anderson got to the Elite Eight two seasons ago, made it back to the NCAAs last season, snubbed Oregon and is now putting a program together that should be near the top of the Big 12.

16. Kansas: The Jayhawks actually might be a bit too low here if they develop the way they should throughout the season. Gone is the leader of this squad in Sherron Collins, the primary post in Cole Aldrich and the X factor on the wing in Xavier Henry. But KU does bring back rising stars in Marcus Morris and Tyshawn Taylor, and Markieff Morris, Brady Morningstar, Tyrel Reed, Thomas Robinson and Elijah Johnson will see their minutes increase as well as their production. Getting top-flight point guard Josh Selby to run this squad was a must. Kansas had to land a marquee player in the spring to maintain relevance at the national level and it did just that. If Selby delivers, the Jayhawks will be in the mix with everyone else in the Big 12.

Fox Sports senior writer Jeff Goodman unveiled his preseason Top 25. Four Big 12 schools made the list.

5. KANSAS STATE

Record: 29-8 (Elite Eight)
Lose: Denis Clemente, Luis Colon, Chris Merriewether
Key Returnees: Jacob Pullen, Curtis Kelly, Jamar Samuels, Dominique Sutton, Rodney McGruder, Wally Judge, Jordan Henriquez-Roberts
Newcomers: Freddy Asprilla, Shane Southwell, Will Spradling

The Wildcats will certainly take a hit with the departure of floor leader Clemente, but Pullen will likely return to the point guard spot and he’ll have some experienced frontcourt guys around him in Kelly and Samuels. Senior wing Sutton is also back, and now sophomores McGruder and Judge both have a year under their belts. But the difference-maker could be Asprilla, the FIU transfer who will give Frank Martin the low-post presence K-State lacked this year.

9. MISSOURI

Record: 23-11 (second round of the NCAA tournament)
Lose: J.T. Tiller, Zaire Taylor, Keith Ramsey, Miguel Paul, Tyler Stone
Key Returnees: Kim English, Marcus Denmon, Laurence Bowers, Justin Safford, Michael Dixon
Newcomers: Phil Pressey, Tony Mitchell, Ricardo Ratliffe, Matt Pressey, Kadeem Green, Richy Kreklow

Mike Anderson’s system is proven, and now he’ll add a big-time class — including the Pressey brothers, Mitchell and Ratliffe. Phil Pressey is the ideal floor leader for the up-tempo style, and Mitchell can be a star in Columbia. The Tigers lose Tiller and Taylor — a pair of underrated stars who really got after it defensively — but still have guys like English, Denmon and Bowers who have proven themselves.

11. KANSAS

Record: 33-3 (lost in second round of NCAA tournament)
Lose: Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich, Xavier Henry
Key Returnees: Tyshawn Taylor, Brady Morningstar, Marcus and Markieff Morris, Tyrel Reed, Thomas Robinson, Jeff Withey, Elijah Johnson
Newcomers: Josh Selby, Royce Woolridge

Collins graduated, Aldrich is leaving a year early for the NBA and Henry departs after just one season in Lawrence. But Bill Self still has solid guards in Taylor, Morningstar, Reed and sophomore Elijah Johnson — and he also added highly touted freshman point guard Josh Selby. The Morris twins are both back, and Withey and Robinson should both receive expanded roles.

17. BAYLOR

Record: 28-8 (Elite Eight)
Lose: Tweety Carter, Ekpe Udoh, Josh Lomers, Givon Crump
Key Returnees: LaceDarius Dunn, Anthony Jones, Quincy Acy, A.J. Walton, Nolan Dennis
Newcomers: Perry Jones, Stargell Love, Bakari Turner

Scott Drew loses three starters — seniors Carter and Lomers — as well as Udoh, who had a terrific season in Waco after transferring from Michigan. The good news is Dunn is back and Jones will arrive on campus. The key could be the progress of guys like Acy, Jones, Walton and Dennis.

The Mayor is returning to Ames.

Iowa State is currently in negotiations with former Cyclone star and Ames native Fred Hoiberg to be its next men’s basketball coach, according to ISU senior associate athletic director Steve Malchow.

Hoiberg, nicknamed "The Mayor" during his playing days because of his homegrown talent, is the vice president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Former coach Greg McDermott accepted an offer Monday to be head coach at Creighton. McDermott was introduced as the Bluejays' coach Tuesday.

AMES, Iowa- Iowa State Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard said Monday that Greg McDermott informed him this afternoon that he has accepted the men’s basketball head coaching position at Creighton.

"I know this was a very difficult decision for Greg and his family," Pollard said. "The contract terms that Creighton offered him and an opportunity to coach his son were significant factors in his decision. We wish Greg the best of luck at Creighton."

Pollard said that his immediate attention is focused on finding a replacement and he would have no further comments at this time.

via www.Cyclones.com

"It's certainly flattering any time another university notices what your program is accomplishing and when I was approached by Oregon, I decided to listen, but it was simply with my family in mind," Anderson said in a statement Saturday night. "All that quick conversation did was reaffirm that Missouri is home to us.

via ESPN.com

Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik has called a team meeting for Sunday afternoon, at which he intends to tell the team he is leaving to be the coach at Wake Forest, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Source: ESPN

Longhorn freshman Avery Bradley has confirmed that he will submit his name for the NBA draft without hiring an agent.

By not hiring an agent, Bradley can remove his name from the draft and return to the Longhorns as long as he meets the NCAA’s May 8 withdrawal deadline.

Bradley said he will continue attending class this semester.

"I will continue to go to class and complete the spring semester here at Texas," Bradley said. "I will schedule workouts with different NBA teams over the next month around my class schedule."

Two NBA scouts have told the American-Statesman that Bradley is a solid first-round draft prospect.

via Austin Statesman