A bunch of buddies and I get together every year and play a game to predict the Big 12 final standings, assuming one big division.  We take eight teams only and use conference records only.  Here are my predictions, in order.  Please weigh in if I am off my rocker:

Kansas State, Kansas, Mizzou, Baylor, Texas, Tex AM, Colorado, Oklahoma

Thanks.  looking for some help!  This should be a fun year in Big 12 hoops!

Not sure if this is a rerun, but there is a 30-minute Big 12 basketball preview on ESPNU TONIGHT, Monday, November 8 at 10:30 CT (11:30 ET, 9:30 MT, 8:30 PT) -- Check your local listings --

... or you can just follow us at Big 12 Hoops all season.

Everyone always wants to talk about the freshmen in the preseason. They are the hyped players, the unknowns with high potential or the saviors of the program. However, as Kentucky showed last year, freshmen don't necessarily win championships. You need those returning players who have been the before, who know the rigors of conference play and are battle tested.

That is why we are going to look at the top returning duos in the Big 12.

1) Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly, Kansas State

Pullen: 19.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 26.3% possessions used, 118.7 offensive rating, 59.9% TS%

Kelly: 11.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 23.5% possessions used, 105.6 offensive rating, 59.8% TS%

This duo gets my vote as the top duo because I think they have the best combination of inside and outside players returning. Pullen is a candidate for Big 12 player of the year and Kelly provides muscle inside to take advantage of the attention given to Pullen.

I think Pullen will incease his stats across the board as he will have his hands on the ball on almost every possession while Kelly will continue to be a rock inside. I like KSU to win the Big 12 regular season this year and this duo is a big reason for that prediction.

2) Alec Burks and Cory Higgins, Colorado

Burks: 17.1 points, 5 rebounds, 26.8% possessions used, 116.4 Offensive rating, 61.4% TS%

Higgins: 18.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 26.8% possessions used, 112.5 offensive rating, 62.2% TS%

Burks and Higgins make up the most prolific scoring returning duo in the Big 12. It will be interesting to see what new style Tad Boyle brings to the table, although Northern Colorado did have a similar number of possessions as Colorado last year (around 68 per game) so they will likely not see a fluctuation in their stats due to a change in pace.

What I wonder about is how they will coexist with both of them gunning for draft position. Will they sacrifice their stats for the good of the team, will they be able to get their stats within the flow of the game, will they force shots and disrupt the offense and how will they coexist with the NBA Draft a legitimate possibility for both of them in 2011.

This may become a non-issue but it is something I am curious about for the beginning of the season. Colorado has a chance to be competitive in the Big 12 but it will require Burks and Higgins to play within the offense and be about the team, not themselves.

3) LaceDarius Dunn and Quincy Acy, Baylor

Dunn: 19.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 26.6% possessions used, 116.6 offensive rating, 60.4 TS%

Acy: 9.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 16.7% possessions used, 125 offensive rating, 70.7% TS%

Acy will need to step up his production for the short term at least as he attempts to replace Ekpe Udoh. Help is on the way as Perry Jones becomes acclimated to college basketball but Acy will be key in bringing him along and mentoring him.

My reason for putting the Baylor duo at #3 is the lack of defensive effort from Dunn. Baylor's defense as a whole was strong last season but that success can be credited more to Ekpe Udoh than Dunn. Maybe Dunn knew he had a strong shotblocker anchoring the defense and did not think he had to be strong on defense. He could ratchet up the defense this year and show more effort but until he does, I have concerns about him on defense.

4) Marcus Morris and Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas

Morris: 12.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 22.9% possessions used, 120.7 offensive rating, 61.2% TS%

Taylor: 7.2 points, 3.4 assists, 18.9% possessions used, 106.8 Offensive rating, 53.1% TS%

Taylor is the X-factor here. If Josh Selby is eligible, Taylor could become dispensable or relegated to the bench once again. However, if Selby does not play, Taylor will have to play a large role for Kansas. Question is, can he stay on Bill Self's good side?

5) Mike Singletary and John Roberson, Texas Tech

Singletary: 15.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 22.8% possessions, 100.5 offensive rating, 58.9% TS%

Roberson: 14.5 points, 5.4 assists, 20.8% possessions, 110.4 offensive rating, 58.9% TS%

This duo might be underrated on this list, as Singletary and Roberson share the scoring load, while Singletary grabs 16.7% of defensive rebounds while Roberson hands out assists at a rate of 28.7%. Texas Tech looks to build on a NIT appearance last season and these two have the ability to lead the team further in 2010-2011.

6) Kim English and Laurence Bowers, Missouri

English: 14 points, 3.4 rebounds, 28.8% possessions, 98.8 offensive rating, 51.7% TS%

Bowers: 10.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 20.6% possessions, 118.9 offensive rating, 59% TS%

What jumps out at me is English's poor offensive rating. Missouri's offensive efficiencywas 111.3, 12.5 points higher than English's. English played in 59.7% of the total available minutes, could it be that Missouri is better with English off the court?

Bowers looks to improve over a solid sophomore campaign and be a force in the paint. With 1.5 blocks last season, he should help Missouri stay strong on defense despite the loss of JT Tiller and Zaire Taylor (13th in efficiency in the nation last season).

A slow day today, so I decided to throw out my early and quick predictions for the upcoming season.

1) Kansas State: Jacob Pullen is a great scorer and he should have enough help with the role players.

2) Baylor: Perry Jones is the freshman I am most interested in seeing and the inside out combo of him and Dunn will be deadly.

3). Kansas: Tyshawn Taylor is the x-factor and could be a solid player if he matures and plays within himself and the system. Add in Josh Selby and Marcus Morris and you have a nice team.

4) Missouri: I think Mike Anderson is a coach that does not get enough love. If he puts together a good season here, he could some bigger offers than in the past (Oregon)

5) Colorado: Bzdelik is gone but Higgins and Burks are good players to build around.

6) Texas

7) Oklahoma State: I think this is the cut off for possible tournament teams. I am not sold on OSU making it but I don't see any other teams below them making it this year.

8) Texas A&M: They lost too much last season and I do not expect much from them.

9) Oklahoma

10) Texas Tech

11) Nebraska

12) Iowa State: Hoiberg is just biding his time until 2011/2012.

Thoughts? Again, these are early and quick. Let me know if you have any glaring arguments.

Not sure where or how Coach Beergut over at Texas A&M's SB Nation blog I Am The 12th Man found this, but it is an amazing read.

This is a Google Docs link, and it contains several emails and messages exchanged between Dan Beebe and the presidents and athletic directors of the Big 12 member schools.

Read all the docs here.

I saw yesterday that the Memphis Grizzlies signed former Texas A&M standout Acie Law. I knew they had a few Big 12ers on the team, but when I took a look, I was simply amazed.

For your enjoyment, the Big 12 alumni on the Memphis Grizzlies (according to nba.com/grizzlies:

Acie Law - Texas A&M Aggies
Tony Allen - Oklahoma St Sooners
Darrell Arthur - Kansas Jayhawks
DeMarree Carroll - Missouri Tigers
Xavier Henry - Kansas
Jamaal Tinsley - Iowa St Cyclones

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.