Big 12 Conference Notebook
by Zach Ewing
Sorry for the two-week absence, but that just means we have lots to cover: Iowa State’s meteoric rise, Kansas’ week of close losses and, of course, the bubble watch.
Preparing, hoping and downright praying
The Big 12 can be assured of at least five NCAA Tournament bids this season, with one or even two more a possibility. Let’s take a look at the Big 12 teams, from those worrying about seeding, to longshots who have work to do just to make the NIT. (Records and RPIs as of Feb. 21)
Already In:
- Kansas (20-3, 10-2 Big 12, RPI 1): The Jayhawks are used to this category, and despite their two losses in a combined three overtimes last week, are playing for a No. 1 seed, along with Illinois, North Carolina, Wake Forest and Boston College. Winning out in the regular season and a run to the Big 12 Tournament final should give that seed to Kansas, but potential roadblocks abound, most notably Monday at Oklahoma, Sunday vs. Oklahoma State and at Missouri in a trap game to finish the regular season.
Prediction: No. 1 seed - Oklahoma State (20-3, 10-2 Big 12, RPI 3): For the second straight season, the Cowboys are among the top 10 teams in America and have an outside shot at a No. 1 seed. Eddie Sutton’s boys have come on strong of late, and can get to that No. 1 seed if they run the table from here on out. Of course, that means winning at Kansas and then the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.
Prediction: No. 2 seed - Oklahoma (19-6, 8-4 Big 12, RPI 20): The Sooners have an interesting profile, with big wins against Oklahoma State and Texas, but a stretch where they lost four of five, including games to Iowa State, Missouri and nearly to Kansas State. OU is certainly in the tournament, but the last couple of weeks of the season will tell us exactly where.
Prediction: No. 5 seed - Texas Tech (16-7, 8-4 Big 12, RPI 30): The double-overtime victory against Kansas on Monday secured a somewhat surprising spot in the tourney for the Red Raiders. After losses to TCU, Ohio State and Iowa early in the season, Bob Knight’s team wasn’t predicted to be in this position, but now Tech can worry about its seeding.
Prediction: No. 7 seed
Looking good, but still work to do:
- Texas (18-7, 7-5 Big 12, RPI 32): The numbers in the Longhorns’ profile add up to an easy bid, but Texas can’t continue the slide it was on a short week ago. Wins against Texas A&M and Baylor helped to regain momentum, but Rick Barnes’ team can’t afford replays of its losses against Iowa State and Colorado down the stretch. Take care of business against Missouri and win another game or two, and you’re in.
Prediction: No. 7 seed - Iowa State (15-8, 7-5 Big 12, RPI 50): Wayne Morgan’s team has risen from the dead with seven straight wins, including upsets against Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech and Kansas. But the overall profile isn’t strong enough for the Cyclones to slack off now.
Prediction: No. 10 seed
Needs a miracle, or at least a long winning streak:
- Texas A&M (15-7, 5-7 Big 12, RPI 91): After those top six teams, the number of NCAA-worthy teams in the Big 12, at this point, is nil. But A&M still has games at home versus Iowa State and Texas Tech and at Oklahoma State. If the Aggies could somehow win all of those, and avoid a stumble at Baylor, they might squeeze their way onto the bubble before Championship Week.
Prediction: NIT - Colorado (13-11, 4-8 Big 12, RPI 76): Another team that needs to win out and then have a big conference tournament run even for tournament consideration. The Buffaloes have almost no shot, but their RPI and wins against Iowa State and Texas keep them on this list for now.
Prediction: NIT - Missouri (13-13, 5-7 Big 12, RPI 98): It’s hard to justify the Tigers even being listed as a possible NCAA Tournament team, but picture this: Missouri continues its recent winning streak with four more wins: at home against Colorado, at Texas, at Iowa State and hosting Kansas. Then, armed with a 9-7 Big 12 record, Mizzou makes a run to the Big 12 Championship game and finally loses there. It would be hard to keep out a team that would then be 20-14, 9-7 in the Big 12 and 9-1 in its last 10 games (with wins against Gonzaga, Oklahoma and Kansas). Of course, at this point, that’s a big-time pipe dream.
Prediction: no postseason
Seeing double with super sophs
This week saw two great performances from second-year players, both coming off the bench. Sophomore guard Curtis Stinson of Iowa State had perhaps the best week in the nation, leading his team to a win against Kansas State and nearly single-handedly taking down Kansas in Phog Allen Fieldhouse. In the game against the Jayhawks, Stinson didn’t start because of a hand injury but still came off the bench to score 29, including all seven Cyclone points in the extra session and the game-winning floater with 5.1 seconds left.
Later the same day, another sophomore guard, Drew Lavender, also came off the bench to score 29 and hit the game-winner in a game at Kansas State. Wait a minute: didn’t we just see that two hours before and 75 miles down I-70?
Big 12 Conference Player of the Week
Curtis Stinson, Iowa State – How could it be anyone else? The New York native had 16 points, nine boards and six assists in a win against Kansas State, and then went into Lawrence to score 29, including the aforementioned game-winner.
Big 12 Conference Rookie of the Week
JamesOn Curry, Oklahoma State – In a game that was supposed to be close between OSU and Texas Tech, Curry blew it wide open. He scored 10 points in a 14-2 Cowboy run that made the score 54-32 and effectively ended the game. The freshman finished with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting and had four assists. Oklahoma State is now 6-0 with Curry as a starter.
Big 12 Standings (through games on Feb. 19)
Team Big 12 Overall Oklahoma State 10-2 20-3 Kansas 10-2 20-3 Texas Tech 8-4 16-7 Oklahoma 8-4 19-6 Iowa State 7-5 15-8 Texas 7-5 18-7 Texas A&M 5-7 15-7 Missouri 5-7 13-13 Nebraska 4-8 11-12 Colorado 4-8 13-11 Kansas State 3-9 13-10 Baylor 1-11 9-14
Around the Big 12
Baylor Bears (9-14 overall, 1-11 Big 12)
Aaron Bruce, the Bears’ guard from Australia, has become the highest-scoring freshman in America, averaging nearly 18 points a game. He scored 26, nearly half of Baylor’s points, in the Bears’ 60-53 loss at Missouri on Wednesday, but it wasn’t enough. After an early MU run gave the Tigers a 12-point lead, BU couldn’t get closer than four. Two Bruce free throws made the margin 55-51 with 50 seconds left, but the Tigers hit 5-of-8 free throws down the stretch, just enough to hold on for the win. Besides Bruce, no Baylor player scored more than seven points.
Baylor suffered its ninth loss in a row against Texas on Saturday, 75-60. The Bears got within 54-45 with more than eight minutes left, but the Longhorns scored five points on one possession to put the game back out of reach. Bruce had 19 points and actually got some help this time from Tim Bush, who had 15 points and six rebounds. But Baylor shot just 36 percent from the field and was 8-of-29 from three-point range.
This week: Wednesday at Kansas State, Saturday at Oklahoma
Colorado Buffaloes (13-11, 4-8)
The last non-conference game in the Big 12 until the postseason was a laugher, with the Buffaloes taking care of independent South Dakota State 82-49. An early 10-0 run made it 23-11 CU, the score was 37-20 at the half and a few minutes later, it was 54-28. Andy Osborn scored all 15 of his points on three-pointers and freshman Richard Roby added 14.
Things weren’t so easy for Colorado on Saturday when Texas A&M came into town. After allowing Baylor to get its only Big 12 win of the season earlier this year, the Buffs now have the notoriety of helping the Aggies snap a 20-game conference road losing streak. A&M shot a whopping 71 percent in the first half and used an 18-0 run to go up 35-13. The game was a laugher late when Roby scored 10 straight points to cut the lead to 82-70. But the Aggies scored the next five points and won by a score of 92-77. Roby had 21 points, but his high-school teammate Antoine Wright went for 32. Osborn added 16 points and Marcus Hall had 12.
This week: Tuesday at Missouri, Saturday vs. Kansas State
Iowa State Cyclones (15-8, 7-5)
Curtis Stinson has been getting a lot of the press, and rightfully so, but he’s been good all along. The Cyclones’ monumental turnaround, from 0-5 in the Big 12 to 7-5 with a win at Kansas, has been fueled by defense. Wayne Morgan, who has gone from potentially on the hot seat to a potential Coach of the Year candidate, has his team playing a terrific 2-3 zone. It held Kansas State to its lowest point total since the inception of the Big 12 in a 57-42 beatdown in Ames on Wednesday. Stinson had 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists and Tahsheed Carr had 13 points as Iowa State jumped to a 20-7 lead and never led by less than 10 after that.
Stinson may have made the turn from “future star” to just plain “star” in Saturday’s regionally-broadcast game at Kansas. He was phenomenal, scoring 29 points, mostly on floating jump shots in the lane and with an injured left hand. But the game itself wasn’t all about Stinson. ISU’s defense was again working wonders and gave the Cyclones a 51-43 lead with about two minutes left in regulation. But panicked turnovers and missed free throws, combined with some questionable officiating and good shooting from Kansas let the Jayhawks tie the game at 56. In the overtime, Stinson answered a Jeff Hawkins’ three with four straight points and then added a free throw later to make the score 61-61. With six seconds left, Stinson won it with another of his trademark floaters. Jared Homan had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and the Cyclones are looking good for a Tournament berth.
This week: Tuesday at Texas A&M, Sunday vs. Nebraska
Kansas Jayhawks (20-3, 10-2)
Two shots, one that went in and one that didn’t, change the subject of this week’s Kansas capsule from a 12-0 Jayhawk team to two overtime losses. The first of those shots took place Monday, in Kansas’ first Big 12 loss of the season, 80-79 to Texas Tech in double overtime. It belonged to Darryl Dora. After Keith Langford had tied the game at 69 at the end of regulation and Christian Moody beat the buzzer of the first overtime to tie it at 74, Kansas scored the first five points of the second extra session and looked to be on its way to victory. But with the score 79-77, Aaron Miles rebounded a ball and, as Tech was trying to foul him, was called for traveling with 7.9 seconds left. The Red Raiders inbounded the ball and Dora drained a three from the top of the key to beat the buzzer and the Jayhawks. Hard to place any blame for this loss. Langford had 24 points and eight rebounds, Miles had 11 points, seven rebounds and nine assists and Wayne Simien had his usual great game with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Tech was just a bit better (and luckier) on this night.
With the help of some very questionable officiating, which KU always seems to enjoy in Lawrence, pressure defense and missed free throws, the Jayhawks came back from eight down with two minutes to go against Iowa State on Saturday to send the game to OT. Langford again hit the game-tying shot. But he missed two free throws in the waning seconds of overtime and then J.R. Giddens’ three just before the buzzer, the second of the previously mentioned shots, bounced off the rim and gave Kansas its second loss of the week. Simien had 17 and 11, including 9-of-9 shooting from the free-throw line, but Langford scored only 9 points and was 1-of-5 from the line and Giddens was 3-of-16 from the field, including 1-of-11 from three-point land.
This week: Monday at Oklahoma, Sunday vs. Oklahoma State
Kansas State Wildcats (13-10, 3-9)
After a paltry first half in Wednesday’s 57-42 loss to Iowa State, things got worse for K-State. The Wildcats failed to score a field goal in the first 7:13 of the second, and no player besides Jeremiah Massey or Lance Harris even scored a point in the second half until there was just a minute left. Harris had 16 points and Massey had 14 to go with nine rebounds, but Fred Peete, who had been hot, had two points on 1-of12 shooting and missed all six of his attempts from three-point range.
In its only good half of the week, Kansas State got off to a lightning-fast start against Oklahoma and led 41-28 at the break. Cartier Martin completed a three-point play to start the second for a 16-point lead, but the Sooners answered with a quick 10-0 run and eventually led 60-56. That’s where the real drama starts. KSU was able to come back and tie the game at 67, thanks to some suddenly hot shooting. Then, Clent Stewart stole OU’s inbounds pass with 6.6 seconds left and was fouled on his way to the hoop. He made one free throw with 4.5 left to give the Wildcats an improbable lead. But Drew Lavender would have none of it. He dribbled the entire length of the court in that 4.5 seconds and hit a tough runner that hit the very corner of the backboard before bouncing in. Martin had 22 points to lead the Wildcats, but coach Jim Wooldridge wanted to talk about the last play after the game. He thought OU’s inbounder had stepped on the end line before giving the ball to Lavender, which would have been an automatic turnover. He didn’t get the call, and K-State lost yet another close game at home.
This week: Wednesday vs. Baylor, Saturday at Colorado
Missouri Tigers (13-13, 5-7)
An 18-2 run gave Missouri an early 19-7 advantage against Baylor, but the Tigers had just two points in the final 5:18 of the half to let the Bears back within 30-23. Mizzou never led by more than 12, but managed to keep the lead at no less than four points throughout the 60-53 win. Jason Conley led the Tigers in a sloppy game with 14 points, nine rebounds and four steals. Jason Horton had 15 points and Kevin Young reached a career-high in points and rebounds with 11 and 9. Those performances made up for no-shows by Linas Kleiza, nine points, and Thomas Gardner, one point.
The Tigers’ 56-53 win at Nebraska on Saturday night was significant for several reasons: it was their third win in a row, their first away from Columbia all season and most important, it kept their ever-so-slim postseason hopes alive. In another game that was close throughout, Mizzou trailed by as many as nine early in the second half and didn’t lead by more than five even after regaining the lead. The turning point came on a 9-2 run early in the second half for a 42-37 lead. Freshman Marshall Brown hit two threes in the run. Young scored with 1:15 left to make the score 54-51 and Kleiza hit two free throws for a 56-53 lead with 35 seconds left. Horton missed a freebie with nine ticks to go, but NU’s Marcus Neal air-balled a three-pointer at the buzzer and MU survived. Kleiza had 15 points and seven boards and Gardner scored 10.
This week: Tuesday vs. Colorado, Saturday at Texas
Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-12, 4-8)
The Huskers probably played their worst game of the conference season Wednesday at Oklahoma. They committed 26 turnovers, which led to 37 OU points in an 83-60 romp. Nebraska was within 18-15 early, but the Sooners’ 14-2 run led to a 40-20 halftime score. Joe McCray continued a good freshman season, scoring 21 points and pulling down seven rebounds, but he didn’t have enough help.
After Missouri turned a six-point NU lead into a five-point deficit midway through the second half Saturday, the Huskers tried their best to play catch up. Twice, McCray hit a three that cut the lead to one: once at 45-44 and again at 52-51 with two minutes to play. But he missed the front end of a one-and-one chance 30 seconds later that could have given Nebraska the lead. Instead, the Huskers needed a three in the last 30 seconds to tie the game: McCray missed two, and after a missed MU free throw, Marcus Neal missed another. Aleks Maric and Jason Dourisseau, who missed Wednesday’s game with a sprained ankle, led the Huskers with 13 points each.
This week: Tuesday vs. Oklahoma State, Sunday at Iowa State
Oklahoma Sooners (19-6, 8-4)
Kelvin Sampson’s team had lost four of five games before beating a couple of North Division patsies this week, and even that wasn’t too easy. Well, at least not on Saturday. Wednesday’s 83-60 shellacking of Nebraska didn’t appear terribly difficult. The Sooners made 17 steals, led by 20 at halftime and increased the lead to 59-32 shortly thereafter. Four players scored in double figures, led by Terrell Everett’s 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Drew Lavender didn’t start for the first time in his 54-game career because Sampson was unhappy with his play, and Lavender got the message. He had 10 points and made four steals in the first half.
Lavender started the game on the bench again on Saturday but didn’t stay there for long. He ended the 69-68 win with 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting. OU fought back from down 16 in the second half to take a 60-56 lead, but let Kansas State come back to tie the game on a bucket by Cartier Martin with 31 seconds left. After an off-the-ball foul with 6.6 seconds to go, David Godbold threw the ball into the backcourt on the inbounds play, where Clent Stewart stole it and made one of two free throws with 4.5 seconds to go. Lavender’s 4.5-second sprint down the court won the game; his shot hit the corner of the backboard, bounced around on the rim, avoided tip-in tries from Taj Gray and Kevin Bookout and went home as the buzzer sounded.
This week: Monday vs. Kansas, Saturday vs. Baylor
Oklahoma State Cowboys (20-3, 10-2)
The boys from Stillwater jumped on Texas Tech early Saturday, getting leads of 14-6 and 24-14, before playing the Red Raiders even to go into halftime with a nine-point lead. Then the Cowboys really turned it on. With the score 40-30, JamesOn Curry scored 10 points in a 14-2 run that blew the game open, and moments later, John Lucas hit a three-pointer that bounced in to make it 67-40. The surprisingly easy 85-56 victory gave Oklahoma State its 28th consecutive victory at home and made it 6-0 with Curry in the starting line-up. The Big 12’s biggest game of the year comes up this week in Lawrence.
This week: Tuesday at Nebraska, Sunday at Kansas
Texas Longhorns (18-7, 7-5)
With P.J. Tucker gone for the season, it has been left to Brad Buckman and Daniel Gibson to lead Texas. After a two-week hiccup, the Longhorns appear back on track. Wednesday, they took down Texas A&M 75-40 to avenge an earlier loss in College Station. Buckman had 18 points and 13 rebounds and Gibson scored 13 with six boards in an easy win. Texas started the game 5-of-6 from the field to build a 14-6 lead and kept coming, leading 37-16 by the half. A 9-2 run near the start of the second prevented any thoughts of an A&M comeback, as UT then held a commanding 48-19 lead. Kenny Taylor had 15 points and Sydmill Harris added 14.
The Longhorns had trailed throughout the early-going against Baylor until Gibson splashed a three-pointer for a 15-14 lead Saturday night. That started a 15-0 Texas run that ended with the Longhorns up 27-14. Gibson made 3-of-4 three-pointers on the night and scored 13. Buckman added 19 points and nine rebounds, and Taylor had 14 points and seven assists against his old school. The Bears cut the lead to 54-45 with eight and a half to play, but UT repulsed that run in a hurry. Gibson hit a three on the next possession, and while the ball was in the air, Tommy Swanson fouled Jason Klotz, who made both free throws for a five-point possession that made the lead 14. Texas led by no less than 10 for the rest of the game.
This week: Tuesday at Texas Tech, Saturday vs. Missouri
Texas A&M Aggies (15-7, 5-7)
There isn’t much to say about the Aggies’ dismal performance in a 75-40 loss at Texas on Wednesday. No player scored in double figures – Acie Law, who had 24 in a 74-63 upset of the Longhorns a month ago, led the team with nine points on 2-of-9 shooting – and freshman Joseph Jones fouled out with 10 minutes to play having scored only six points. The Aggies shot 13-of-50 from the floor and lost their 20th straight Big 12 road game.
That streak came to an end with a terrific performance in a 92-77 win at Colorado three days later. In a huge turnaround, A&M shot 71 percent in the first half and 60 percent for the game. Antoine Wright had 32 points and seven rebiounds on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor and 11-of-11 from the free-throw line. An 18-0 first-half run and a 14-2 spurt after the break gave the Aggies control. When CU cut the lead to eight late, A&M scored five straight points to put the game away. Jones had 16 points and eight boards, and Bobby Leach finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
This week: Tuesday vs. Iowa State, Saturday vs. Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders (16-7, 8-4)
In a Big Monday matchup with Kansas, the Red Raiders were out-rebounded 48-28 but managed to stay with the Jayhawks behind 24 points from freshman Martin Zeno, 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists from Ronald Ross and Jarrius Jackson’s 19 points. After letting KU tie the game in regulation and come back from five points down in the first overtime to tie again, Texas Tech made a comeback of its own in the second OT. The Raiders scored the game’s last six points, the final three coming on a Darryl Dora game-winner. Just 3.6 seconds later, fans were storming the court at United Spirit Arena.
Earning a split in two games against Kansas and Oklahoma State isn’t bad at all, but an 85-56 drubbing on Saturday surely isn’t what Bobby Knight had in mind. After a slew of Cowboy runs made the score 67-40 OSU in the second half, Tech attempted to make its comeback. Jackson banked a three-pointer home to cut the lead to 76-55, but Oklahoma State scored the next seven points to ice the game. Zeno had 19 points and eight rebounds, but Texas Tech, which averages 82.3 points per game, was held below 60 for the second time this season.
This week: Tuesday vs. Texas, Saturday at Texas A&M
Five games to watch this week
5. Missouri at Texas, Saturday: Mizzou can have a way of making teams play down to its level, and sorely needs the win. Texas needs to win games like this to hold on for a Tournament berth.
4. Texas Tech at Texas A&M, Saturday: A&M needs to beat Iowa State for this game to mean anything as far as the Big Dance is concerned, but would like to avenge an earlier loss anyway. Trap game for Texas Tech.
3. Iowa State at Texas A&M, Tuesday: Big bubble game for both teams. If ISU keeps winning, it’s in for sure; the Aggies need a lot, starting with a win here.
2. Texas at Texas Tech, Tuesday: A Longhorn win means both teams are securely in the tournament, but Texas had trouble with the Red Raiders in Austin even with 14-of-21 shooting from three-point land.
1. Oklahoma State at Kansas, Sunday: If you’re not watching this game, you better have a really good excuse. Pending Monday’s game at Oklahoma, Kansas could be trying to snap a three-game losing streak. Regardless, the conference title is on the line.
