Big 12 Hoops: FanPosts

Predicting Big 12 Finish

2011-12-03T05:16:24Z

I am in a game where we predict Big 12 Conference wins/record only, regardless of Division. We only go eight deep. What are your top 8 records of Big 12 men's basketball teams this year? As a side note, what team or teams will not be as good as predicted and what team or teams will be better than predicted? Again, conference games only are included in our game. Thank you very much.

One special Missouri team

2011-11-29T17:38:48Z

The thing I have enjoyed the most this season is to watch the defense this team has been playing. I never really cared for the 40 minutes of hell because over the long term it could not be successful but the way we are playing defense is the exact strategy it is going to take for this team to win the big 12 and make a run in the NCAA tournament. So far this team is averaging over 10 steals a game by just playing solid half-court defense. The thing that sets this team apart is that they play pressure half-court defense for 35 seconds every possession of the game which is a credit to the coaching staff. You do not see this team give up easy baskets like past teams. Another thing I have seen out of this team is the guard's ability to rebound even against teams that are bigger than they are. They are aggressive on the glass and seem to really take pride in rebounding even though they are a smaller team.

As for their offense, if you have watched any of their games you understand how talented they are. It is obvious they can shoot considering they are shooting 43% as a team from 3pt range and 52% overall. The reason I think this team is different from others in recent years is their unselfish attitude. They will pass up open shots to get better open shots and no one has been doing that better than English and Flip Pressey. Their ability to share the ball and make the extra pass is why they will continue to be successful the rest of the year. They have 5 guys averaging double figures in points and Matt Pressey could be there by the end of the year.

The x-factors so far this year are clearly Kim English and Marcus Denmon. Both of these guys are averaging over 18 points per game. Kim English is shooting over 60% from 3 and over 60% overall. That to me sticks out more than anything as far as how hard he has worked in the offseason. He is coming off a down year and so far looks like a completely different player. His shooting form looks much better than last year and he is not trying to force his way to the bucket as he did last year. It seemed very clear he was trying too hard to make plays happen last year, whereas this year he is letting the game come to him. Marcus Denmon is averaging 18.5 PPG, 5.37 RPG, and 1.8 APG. Him and Kim English look like 1st team all big 12 players so far this season.

Other x-factors, they are only turning the ball over an average of 9 times a game. Again you have to credit the coaching staffs here, who is also another X-factor so far this year. The team seems very prepared and disciplined every game no matter who the opponent is. This coaching staff has done a great job bringing this team together after Mike Anderson left and I am very excited where this team could go.

Questions for the future.
Can this team win on the road consistent enough to win the conference?
How will they play against the bigs of Baylor and Kansas?
Will their speed and quickness continue to cancel out their lack of size?
How will their lack of depth affect them by the end of the year?

I have been watching Missouri basketball my whole life and I can honestly say I have not been this impressed with a team since Norm was the coach. This team has experience, is talented and has an unbelievable chemistry on the court. The thing I have enjoyed the most this season is to watch the defense this team has been playing. I never really cared for the 40 minutes of hell because over the long term it could not be successful but the way we are playing defense is the exact strategy it is going to take for this team to win the big 12 and make a run in the NCAA tournament. So far this team is averaging over 10 steals a game by just playing solid half-court defense. The thing that sets this team apart is that they play pressure half-court defense for 35 seconds every possession of the game which is a credit to the coaching staff. You do not see this team give up easy baskets like past teams. Another thing I have seen out of this team is the guard's ability to rebound even against teams that are bigger than they are. They are aggressive on the glass and seem to really take pride in rebounding even though they are a smaller team. As for their offense, if you have watched any of their games you understand how talented they are. It is obvious they can shoot considering they are shooting 43% as a team from 3pt range and 52% overall. The reason I think this team is different from others in recent years is their unselfish attitude. They will pass up open shots to get better open shots and no one has been doing that better than English and Flip Pressey. Their ability to share the ball and make the extra pass is why they will continue to be successful the rest of the year. They have 5 guys averaging double figures in points and Matt Pressey could be there by the end of the year. The x-factors so far this year are clearly Kim English and Marcus Denmon. Both of these guys are averaging over 18 points per game. Kim English is shooting over 60% from 3 and over 60% overall. That to me sticks out more than anything as far as how hard he has worked in the offseason. He is coming off a down year and so far looks like a completely different player. His shooting form looks much better than last year and he is not trying to force his way to the bucket as he did last year. It seemed very clear he was trying too hard to make plays happen last year, whereas this year he is letting the game come to him. Marcus Denmon is averaging 18.5 PPG, 5.37 RPG, and 1.8 APG. Him and Kim English look like 1st team all big 12 players so far this season. Other x-factors, they are only turning the ball over an average of 9 times a game. Again you have to credit the coaching staffs here, who is also another X-factor so far this year. The team seems very prepared and disciplined every game no matter who the opponent is. This coaching staff has done a great job bringing this team together after Mike Anderson left and I am very excited where this team could go. Questions for the future. Can this team win on the road consistent enough to win the conference? How will they play against the bigs of Baylor and Kansas? Will their speed and quickness continue to cancel out their lack of size? How will their lack of depth affect them by the end of the year?

A Texas Perspective on the Blame Game

2011-10-07T14:49:59Z

Brace yourselves - it's time for another round of the conference realignment blame game. Some Big 12 fans blame A&M for trading up, or Oklahoma's wandering eye, or Colorado and Nebraska for kicking off this round. But most blame Texas and their $300 million lovechild with ESPN, the Longhorn Network.

As a lifelong Texas fan, I can understand why people feel that way. Texas' Goliath of an athletic department - the wealthiest in the country - doesn't exactly engender a lot of popularity. But blaming the Longhorn Network is blaming a symptom instead of the cause. As long as schools are allowed to determine their own media rights business models, conference stability will be very hard to come by.

This doesn't go back to five years ago, when Texas first announced plans for the Longhorn Network, but almost 30 years ago when the Oklahoma Board of Regents and the NCAA duked it out over television rights in the Supreme Court. Under antitrust laws, the NCAA lost. Making the most of media rights was always in the cards; DeLoss and Co. were just ahead of the pack.

There is no doubt that this is a complicated issue. The Longhorn Network itself has been a mixture of the good (giving a spotlight to UT sports other than football), the bad (the failure to be picked up by major cable providers), and the ugly (going after high school game rights). I do believe that Texas is committed to keeping the Big 12 together - for now. The decision for the Longhorn Network to not cover high school content and Texas agreeing to the tier 1 and 2 six-year rights grant will hopefully help things settle down a bit.

What isn't complicated is how much I've enjoyed Texas being a part of the Big 12 basketball. Over the last couple years, I've bragged to my East Coast friends that my conference is just as tough as the Big East or the ACC. I've cheered other Big 12 teams during March. Playing Kansas is always the game I look forward to the most. If Mizzou does decide to leave, I'll be sorry to see them go.

I'm looking forward to tip off (only five weeks away!), when we can stop talking about media rights and money and start talking about basketball.

Spotlight on...Texas' Sheldon McClellan

2011-10-05T18:36:35Z

At this time last year, the Horns' starting lineup had Gary Johnson, Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, Dogus Balbay, and Jordan Hamilton. Their team defense suffocated the opposition to the tune of 62.2 points per game. They made the Big 12 Conference Championship Game and lost to eventual NCAA #1 seed Kansas (per usual). Coming into 2011-12, Texas doesn't have any starters returning. Production has to come from somewhere.

Luckily, the Horns have six talented freshman coming in and one of them is 6-foot-4 guard Sheldon McClellan. I was fortunate enough to be at his high school's first game of last season. That night, McClellan went off for 56 points and the packed gym hollered every time one of his shots went through the net. After five-star recruit Myck Kabongo, McClellan is arguably Texas' most prized recruit and he will be counted on to be productive while trying to replace NBA rookie Jordan Hamilton.

The expectations are high, no doubt. But he will certainly take his lumps. The entire Texas Longhorns basketball team will take their lumps this year. With their tough non-conference and extended Big 12 schedules, the Horns will be tested on many occasions. Hopefully they can hunker down and make this another NCAA Tournament year, which would be nice for Rick Barnes' consecutive tournament streak.

SMASH! ping pong party coming Tuesday...

2011-09-23T19:06:29Z

via a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net

Fellow Denver sports blogger Andrew Feinstein of Denver Stiffs here. THIS Tuesday night (9/27), I'm going to be hosting the biggest ping pong party in the country with SMASH! at the EXDO Event Center, located at 35th and Walnut just a mile-and-a-half northeast of Coors Field. This Tuesday's event will kick off our new Tuesday ping pong night at EXDO. Read more about it below the jump and I hope my friends from Big 12 Hoops can join us...

via a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net

You can play your balls off starting this Tuesday night - the 27th - at 5:00pm, when the EXDO Event Center launches SMASH!, a giant rock-and-roll ping pong party featuring over 20 tables along with Denver's premier sound and light show, cocktail service, VIP bottle service tables, and a glow-in-the-dark beer pong room. For the grand opening event, all attendees get unlimited ping pong and the first 150 guests get a free beer from Great Divide Brewing Company.

For the grand opening only there is a suggested donation of $20, all of which goes to the Denver-based non-profit Invest in Kids. SMASH! will be continued every Tuesday evening after the 27th and will offer unlimited ping pong play for a modest cover charge in addition to having tables rentable by the hour.

For more information visit www.smashexdo.com. I look forward to seeing many of my fellow Coloradans there on Tuesday night!

Why can't this version of the Big 12 suceed?

2011-09-18T14:50:49Z

I am a Big East fan who (just like every freaking big east football fan since 2004) has been shouting to the mountain tops to get rid of the non Division I footballs schools and bring in more football schools. Well it doesn't matter now.

Why can't this version of the Big 12 work?

along with the other Big 12 shcools (I won't include Oklahoma and Oklahoma St, due to the current situation)

Texas, Baylor, Iowa St, Kansas, Kansas St, Texas Tech, Missouri

and add

West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, TCU,

and add

Central Florida, Houston, Marquette, Depaul

How about 2 divisions

Texas/Baylor/TCU/Texas Tech/Central Florida/South Florida/Houston (Marquette)

IowaSt/Kansas/KansasSt/Missouri/WVU/Lousville/Cincinnati (Depaul)

This proposal works because it keeps everything somewhat regional. It keeps a prescence in the Northeast (WVU), the Midwest (Cincinnati, Marquette, Depaul, Louisville, Missouri, Iowa St, Kansas St, Kansas), the State of Texas (Houston, TCU, Texas, Baylor, Texas Tech,) and Florida (Central Florida, South Florida).

Most of these schools are located near major airports. That helps save time travel for the student/athlete and saves travel costs for the school. I only added 14 football schools because that would be 2 less teams that the football schools would have to share their football tv contract with. Since every conference is planning to move up to 16 teams, i adjusted it accordinally.

One thing that most people don't realize is that NBC Sports is looking to have a larger presence in College Sports. Their is a good chance that a Conference like this could cause a bidding war with other networks. If you had a football conference championship, you can give the team with the higher BCS ranking, the home game , it would be a guaranteed sell-out. If you have the Basketball Conference Tournament in Kansas City every year, it would be a guaranteed money-maker.

Could this work? Thoughts

Why can't this version of the Big 12 work?

along with the other Big 12 shcools (I won't include Oklahoma and Oklahoma St, due to the current situation)

Texas, Baylor, Iowa St, Kansas, Kansas St, Texas Tech, Missouri

and add

West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, TCU,

and add

Central Florida, Houston, Marquette, Depaul

How about 2 divisions

Texas/Baylor/TCU/Texas Tech/Central Florida/South Florida/Houston (Marquette)

IowaSt/Kansas/KansasSt/Missouri/WVU/Lousville/Cincinnati (Depaul)

Could this work? Thoughts

Steely Publishing has just put out a new Kindle eBook: "Bar-Fights, Bouncers and Bullshit!"

2011-06-22T17:19:55Z

http://www.amazon.com/B0056C3SCE

Steely Publishing has just put out a new Kindle eBook: "Bar-Fights, Bouncers and Bullshit!"

This book is filled with ideas, concepts and strategies to help you better handle yourself when you're out and about in "Guy World." Using these simple, effective techniques can go a long way towards keeping you safer, happier and – let's face it – healthier. I hope you'll remember these concepts when faced with danger, and that you will learn how to avoid problems so consistently that you'll wonder why you ever felt any fear, ever.

http://www.amazon.com/B0056C3SCE

Steely Publishing has just put out a new Kindle eBook: "Bar-Fights, Bouncers and Bullshit!"

OU's New Coach

2011-03-18T18:29:31Z

Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl

Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pear

Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl

If anyone is listening BRUCE PEARL will be the next coach at the greatest university in America!!!!

BOOMER F'in SOONER THE Only BIG RED

Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl

Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pear

Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl Bruce Pearl

If anyone is listening BRUCE PEARL will be the next coach at the greatest university in America!!!!

BOOMER F'in SOONER THE Only BIG RED

Simply Unacceptable NCAA Tourney Bids for Big 12

2011-03-15T05:32:35Z

Simply Unacceptable NCAA Tourney Bids for Big 12

I am not talking about the whole committee, what is unacceptable is that the commissioner of the Big 12 seat on that room and let it happen, he is one of the members of the selection committee. We all understand the politics of television, pressure from the NCAA, the big conferences, the mid majors crying about respect, that is all well. But when the commissioner of the league doesn't stand up for one of his teams there is a problem. I think Mr, Beebe has to go he almost single handed dismantled the big 12 and now this. I know Colorado is leaving for the PAC 10 but that shouldn't have matter for Mr Beebe. How is he going to attract other teams to the league?, what message he send to the teams that stay in the league? that he doesn't have the fortitude to defend a member of the league. When is all said and done he has to go, maybe join one of those mid majorleagues. There is no way Colorado should have been left out and I dont like the team but what is wrong is wrong.

Simply Unacceptable NCAA Tourney Bids for Big 12

why is ou not playing these players answer please

2011-02-11T20:53:36Z

ok ou has some very good players that are unknown that capel says are good players and here they are

Kyle Hardrick, Romero Osby, T.J. Franklin ,Ryan Randolph, Nick Thompson,Abdi Ahmed

ok ou has some very good players that are unknown that capel says are good players and here they are

Kyle Hardrick, Romero Osby, T.J. Franklin ,Ryan Randolph, Nick Thompson,Abdi Ahmed

kyle is a decent 3 point shooter at 6-8 and romeo is just a big boy just like the person capel said is a great player but has not played him yet Abdi Ahmed seems like he will be good if coach would play him t.j. and ryan are both guards ok capel you know right now are guards are struggling play t.j. and ryan let them get a chance and we all no nick thompson can hit threes and be a good down low player he was good in the arkansas game why doesnt he play anymore if anyone on sbnation know why capel is not playing these people please email me messeage me blog me or what ever i just want to know

Poll

if ou's cameron clark starts averaging 24 points a game and steven pledger averages 28 points per game and cade davis averages 15 points per game and andrew averages 13 points per games and blair averages 10 points per game do you think ou can make a run

i think it is very possible if that happens but that is very unlikely

1 votes

i think it is very possible if that happens and i do think that will happen

1 votes

yes ou will make a run in the big twelve championship

0 votes

no ou will have no run in the big twelve championship

0 votes

ou will make it to the nit

0 votes

ou has no chance at all this season

6 votes

8 votes | Poll has closed

Predicting Big 12 Standings

2010-11-25T05:14:02Z

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!

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!

Set Your DVRs: Big 12 College Basketball Preview on ESPNU

2010-11-08T23:32:28Z

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.

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.

Who is the best returning duo in the Big 12?

2010-09-28T17:17:24Z

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).

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%

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%

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%

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%

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%

6) Kim English and Laurence Bowers, Missouri

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

Poll

Who is the best returning duo?

Pullen and Kelly, KSU

23 votes

Burks and Higgins, Colorado

7 votes

Dunn and Acy, Baylor

5 votes

Morris and Taylor, Kansas

15 votes

Singletary and Roberson, Texas Tech

0 votes

English and Bowers, Missouri

8 votes

58 votes | Poll has closed

My early predictions

2010-08-23T20:18:24Z

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.

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.

From I Am The 12th Man: Big 12 Expansion Talk Treasure Trove

2010-08-13T22:09:32Z

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.

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.