🏀 KuBuckets Archive

The challenge of this type of clustered schedule is that you may overlook an opponent.

KU is going to get TCU's best shot. Why? Well, TCU needs an elite win to push them closer to the right side of the bubble. They haven't done much in conference, and their non-con schedule was soft. A home win at KU is a nice feather in your cap come Selection Sunday. We will get their best effort.

K-State will give KU its best. K-State will not make the tournament unless they do one of two things (maybe need to do both). They either need to win the conference or they need to have 4 wins against the KU, ISU, UT trio. They already have an ISU loss. Even if they hold serve at home, that still means either winning in Austin or Lawrence. We will get their best shot.

Iowa State will give KU its best shot because ISU can't win the conference without a KU sweep thanks to that performance at Tech.

That's 3 games in six days where the opponent will be playing with their season goals hanging in the balance. That's a tough row to hoe.

I often forget about politics and different affiliations when I get on here. I'm glad we have kept it respectful here. I'm glad the team got to meet the President. That's a once in a lifetime thing.

It's sad to see an all time great go out due to injury. Kind of like Bird and his back. Unfortunately, time remains an undefeated foe. You may hold it off for a while, but eventually everyone succumbs to it.

@JayHawkFanToo said:

@wissoxfan83

That was an exaggeration, Coach Self did not break the LCD screen. the pounding simply made a small bottle siting on top of the table fall down. Those LCD screens have a super hard cover on them that will survive players crashing at full speed, a fist pounding by Coach Self is nothing.

Clearly you underestimate the power of the fist of Self.

I worry about WVU because they will be tough at their place. Texas has so much talent that they will make life difficult. Oklahoma State is tough at Gallagher Iba, but I don't know that they will win enough games otherwise. We already have a win on OU, and they have ground to make up anyway.

I would prioritize the games as follows:

1. vs. Iowa State - must win because they already have a win over us
2. at Texas - want to stay above the fray.
3. at West Virginia - could use this win to separate.
4. at Oklahoma - a sweep here could be huge
5. at Kansas State - simply because they have the fewest losses currently
6. at Oklahoma State - we already have the home win on them, so no worries about getting swept.

I don't worry so much about K-State because I see them falling back to the pack. They have had a very favorable schedule so far - both TCU and Tech at home (nobody in conference has gotten both opponents at their place) as well as not having played KU, ISU, Texas or West Virginia - probably the four best teams in the league (everyone else has seen at least one of those teams. They have a good win at OU, but they have a loss at Gallagher Iba and three home wins, including two against the bottom of the league. If they are still up there after their next four, (@ ISU, vs. OSU, vs. WVU, @ KU) I will re-evaluate, but I need to see them defend their home floor against a potential title contender like WVU before I move them into the serious discussion.

First we must ask ourselves - what kind of player should Wayne Selden be?

These are the facts:

1. Wayne Selden looks like an NBA 2 guard. He's 6-5, 220 pounds, and that's not baby fat. He just looks like a basketball player.

2. Wayne Selden is a below average shooter from three point range.

3. Wayne Selden is an above average passer, particularly for a wing player.

4. Wayne Selden is an above average defender that can defend any perimeter spot.

So who should Wayne Selden be?

He's much more than just a defensive player in the vein of Brady or Travis.

He's not a Brandon Rush type of player who can get his offense off other's drives because he's such a good shooter.

He's not a specialist.

He's not such a strong ball handler that you would contemplate a move to the point.

He's not a number 1 scorer.

Wayne Selden is an enigma in that he is all at once much too talented not to play at all, but not quite good enough at any one thing to truly cement a role.

He can score, but he's not a scorer per se.

He can shoot, but he's definitely not a shooter.

He can defend, but I don't think Bill Self looks at him as a stopper, given that recently when guys have started getting it going, Self has turned to Kelly to bring out the cuffs.

Wayne is a jack of all trades, except that he happens to be mired in a horrendous offensive slump.

So how does he get out of it?

Well first, he needs to prioritize the types of shots he wants to take. Priority one shots are the shots he should always take and never pass up. Priority two shots are shots he should take if he's open in the flow of the offense. Priority three shots are shots he should take if he's hot. Priority four shots are ones that he should take only if up against the shot clock.

Priority One - transition layups, dunks and floaters around the rim. Offensive rebound putbacks. If he can get these, take them, and what's more, look for these types of shots to get himself going, especially early on. Wayne needs to get himself some garbage buckets either on the break or on the offensive glass. I haven't seen that from him very much this year.

Priority Two - Kick out threes, one dribble pullups, dribble drive layups, dunks and floaters. These are shots Wayne should want, but shouldn't be forcing. These should happen naturally. Catch a defend in the rotation - can the open three. Have a guy closing out out of control? Blow by him with one hard dribble and nail the 15 footer, or get all the way to the rim for a bucket. All of this should happen organically within the flow of the offense.

Priority Three - Off the dribble threes, one on one drives, post ups. Anything trying to beat a guy one on one is a low priority. Additionally, because Wayne is a natural perimeter player, he shouldn't be trying to expand his game to the block unless his normal options are already clicking.

Priority Four - Contested jumpers of any flavor.

Wayne should make it a goal to get at least 3 Priority One attempts each game. That means hitting the offensive glass and running the floor in transition to get some easy ones for himself.

This slump is starting to morph into something much more difficult. Time to prioritize and get out of it.

@Crimsonorblue22

If I remember correctly from my time spent around coaches, you counter zones with an opposite front - so if they are playing a 2-3 zone, you counter by having one man at the top and two on the wings to disrupt their zone. Conversely, if they show an odd man front - a 1-3-1, 1-2-2 or 3-2 - you counter with an even man front - two men at the top and two on the wings.

The four out approach actually plays well with that, especially given our personnel. We can have Frank up top, with Kelly and Wayne on the wings (or Brannen, or Svi). We can have Jamari or Cliff roaming near the basket and Perry can float along the baseline or flash to the high post, depending on how the zone has shifted. We actually match up well with the Texas zone if we are disciplined in our attack. I too am very interested in how we handle this.

At the beginning of this season, I thought KU would have to play 4 out with only one big man on the floor. However, with the way that Perry has been hitting jumpers, I have realized that we don't have to take Perry off the floor to play 4 out. We can space the floor with our five best players - Kelly, Frank, Perry, Wayne and Cliff - because Perry has grown enough as a jumpshooter that he doesn't just keep you honest. He can hurt you from 17+ feet out. He will hit the uncontested jumper. He can put it on the floor and get to the rim. He still has his assorted post moves.

The four out approach also allows Cliff to flourish because it unclogs the paint area. When our guys drive now, Cliff can hang out on the back side of the play and get the easy dunk on the dish off.

The four out approach allows each of our players to capitalize on their best skills. Frank has driving lanes to use his quickness. Kelly and Wayne (along with Brannen and Svi) will get more open looks at threes (as we saw in the first half), and that can open up their drives. Cliff and Jamari both can lurk on the baseline for dunks if their defender goes to help on the drive, as well as pound the offensive glass, something they both do at a very high level.

This team is designed to be a four out team. I just hope we can keep it that way.

I agree with @drgnslayr . The focus has to be on Kelly and Cliff. They just have so much talent that we can't reach the potential of this team without both of them breaking out. The numbers yesterday were encouraging - 13 and 13 from Cliff, 19 and 9 from Kelly.

Those performances allowed Perry to shine in a more complimentary role (16 and 8, as the defense couldn't really double him aggressively without getting burned). It also opens things up for everyone else.

The freshmen have to take over. This is a huge game on Saturday, as KU doesn't want to get pulled into the pack. The Hawks need a big road win to seize an advantage in the conference race.

I don't think paying to play stronger opponents is wrong. That's essentially what happened here. They could have played teams that were basically the equivalent to a solid US high school team, or bring in opponents that could give them a good run.

Honestly, I would suspect that any college team would do the same. They go on these trips to get their team game experience. You can't get that against over matched opponents because for your top freshmen, that's what they saw in uigh school.

West Virginia is the most dangerous of the group.

I see K-State as a non-factor because they will fall back once the schedule toughens a bit. The win against OU is a good one, but their other wins are close victories at Bramlage against TCU and Texas Tech. It's very possible K-State could go from 3-1 to 3-6 by the end of this month because their next five games are vs. Baylor, @ Iowa State, vs. Oklahoma State, vs. West Virginia, @ Kansas. If they win even three of those games, I'm willing to re-evaluate, but my guess is this is where they fall back. I would predict K-State will only win 4 more games the rest of the regular season.

A 2 game lead at this point would be huge for KU, but the bigger issue is getting separation from Iowa State, Texas and West Virginia. Those are the dangerous teams as far as winning the conference is concerned, so those are the ones to worry about. Baylor, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma will all win some games, but I don't think they are going to win the conference (although I think they all go dancing).

@marshhawk

The knife cuts both ways.

We want really talented guys that fulfill their potential, but if they do, they are gone quickly.

Wayne may very well end up being a four year guy, but if he does, that's another two years after this one of people wishing that Wayne was more consistent, and more aggressive, and that he did more, and wondering why he didn't step up in certain games. If Wayne is a four year player, that's great from a "getting to know him" perspective, but it's a downer because that probably means that he didn't ever reach the potential that we all thought he had when he arrived.

Some of the happiest moments I have had as a sports fan and a KU basketball fan in particular have been watching guys reach their potential.

One of the most disappointing players at KU was Eric Chenowith, who actually built a pretty solid career at KU as a part time big man. But most KU fans that you talk to remember Chenowith as a huge bust because he was supposed to be so much more.

To some extent, I would say Kenny Gregory fits into that mold. Billy Thomas, on the other hand, is pretty fondly remembered by most KU fans. Gregory was always the better player, but Thomas is perceived to have reached his potential, and therefore his memory ages better.

Seeing Thomas Robinson grow into what he did in three years was awesome. I wouldn't have wanted him to not grow into the player he did when he did, because it was much more fun to see him develop into a lottery pick and leave after three years.

I want to see guys come, reach their potential and move on into their adult lives, whether that takes one year (Wiggins) or five (Releford).

I'm somewhat sad that it feels like Perry has taken a step back this year. For all of my criticism of him, I think he's a tremendous player and overall person, at least from all of the reports I hear since I don't know him personally. I would much rather see Perry having a season where he's averaging 15 and 8 and is on the short list for the Wooden award. But that's not the case.

I'm happy that Kelly is starting to break out. Does that mean he will probably be gone at the end of this season? Yes, but that's better than seeing a kid with that kind of talent languishing and struggling to put it all together.

That's the thing I want for every player, ultimately. I want to see them put it all together. For a guy like Christian Garrett, that means getting a couple of buckets at the Fieldhouse that he can tell his grandkids about. For Kelly Oubre, that means being a lottery pick. For Perry Ellis, that means being a fourth year star - not starter, STAR.

@wissoxfan83

I like Kaminsky and hope he is healthy and plays well the rest of the year. I like his game. He's a stud. As I have said other places, I am just extremely wary of concussions and just hope he doesn't have any lingering problems.

This team absolutely can win in March. There is Elite Eight/ Final Four talent on this squad. But this team can't win in March in the way that the 2012 team won in March, or the way that the 2008 team won the title.

No, this team can only win in March if they embrace the fact that they must ride the talents of Kelly Oubre, Frank Mason, Wayne Selden, Svi and Brannen Greene much moreso than the talents of Perry Ellis and the inside attack.

Perry is not Darrell Arthur, a future NBA player in the post. He's not Thomas Robinson, or even Jeff Withey. He's a very good basketball player, but its unfair to try to make him into those guys when that is simply not him.

KU found something by letting Perry pop out and become a face up shooter. It would be a shame to let that go because we are playing a team that doesn't have as much size, especially when the identity of this team is more truly realized when the wings are attacking and Perry is getting shots off those attacks than going with Perry posting and hoping the wings get shots off that.

This team is an attacking, slashing, wing oriented team. If that embrace that, they can go deep into March. If they do not, they will lose in the Round of 32 again.

The Wooden award goes to the best player in college basketball.

Now the question - Is Frank Mason the best player in the Big XII?

Not college basketball, just the Big XII. If I am answering that honestly, I say no because I don't even think Mason is the best player on his own team. And that's what hurts Mason for the national award.

Honestly, if Oubre had started the season well, I think he would be on this list. However, he didn't, so it's hard to put him there now, especially since he hasn't had that spotlight game where he dropped 35 points on someone.

If I had to give the Wooden right now, it would come down to Jahlil Okafor from Duke, Delon Wright from Utah and Jerian Grant from Notre Dame. Kaminsky's injury takes him out of the discussion for now, but he could get back in the mix with some strong games. Juwan Staten could really help himself by leading WVU to a strong conference finish.

But honestly, I think it should be either Wright or Grant because they do so much for their team, ahead of Okafor, who is just a monster for Duke.

The conference is not over yet.

However, we can go a very long way to getting a good hold on the race by winning in Ames on Saturday.

Road wins count double.

Iowa State won in Morgantown last week, OU has already won in Austin, but lost to non-contender K-State at home. Texas has two losses already. If KU beats Iowa State in Ames, we have a 1 game lead on everybody, a home game coming with ISU and the biggest contenders all have road games coming up with other contenders.

@Hawk8086

What I meant by strange is that usually there are some midlevel guys that are still out there around this time. That's not the case this year. There are 5 guys outside the top 20 that are not signed right now. Most years, there have been at least 12-15 guys in that range that still hadn't made a commitment. I don't expect the top guys to sign early.

What has surprised me is that the middle guys have adapted and snapped up scholarships quickly so they aren't left standing when the music stops. And because almost everyone has signed an LOI, there won't be the opportunity for late shuffling. There is almost literally no one outside the top 20 that is still available. That's what's strange.

@DoubleDD

Perry actually has pretty good hands.

Bringing up Releford actually brought something to mind, though. Perry came into college as a big time offensive threat. However, this season has seen him struggle offensively and he has had to start adapting his game on the fly. To his credit, I am seeing some progress in that respect on both ends of the floor.

Releford had much the same struggle when he arrived at KU. Many may not know, but Releford was a very good slasher/ scorer in HS. He put up some pretty big numbers at Bishop Miege even though they played a slow down style of game.

At KU, though, he was not looked at as a scorer and molded himself over time into one of the best defenders we have had during the Self era.

Perry seems to be doing much the same now, molding himself into a stronger rebounder and a better defender. Let's hope the progress continues.

@JayHawkFanToo

I'd rather Thon didn't reclassify and came in the Class of 2016 because that's where our frontcourt hole opens up. As @BeddieKU23 said above, we will lose 3 frontcourt guys after next season at a minimum, with the possibility that Bragg and/or Alexander is also gone, meaning we will be very thin up front going into the 2016-2017 season. I'd rather have Maker in that class than in the current one because he's almost certainly an OAD.

Looking around the recruiting landscape right now, the class has kind of filled out strangely. Every player ranked from 17 to 32 on the ESPN 100 is already committed. Of the players ranked 20-50 (the non-OAD high level recruits) only #33 SG Tyler Dorsey and #37 PF Ted Kapita (both of whom KU is recruiting) are not committed. Only 3 players in the 51-100 range are not committed.

However, 9 of the top 16, including 7 of the top 10 remain uncommitted. That means that some recruiting classes could get a whole lot better in a hurry. It also means that whoever doesn't find a recruit in this game is going to be left really scrambling because there just isn't anything close to comparable talent out there.

For example, if you are looking for a PF, there are 2 big time guys on the board in #5 Rabb and #7 Diallo. There's a solid option in #37 Kapita. Miss on those three and you have #93 Shawntrez Davis. And that's it. Four PF prospects in the top 100. Miss on those four and you're looking at juco transfers, degree completed guys and non top 100 guys. If you need a PF that can play major minutes in a major conference next year, you have 3 guys, maybe 4 with Davis, depending on how he transitions. Everything else is a crapshoot.

If you're looking for a PG, you are already out of luck. There's not a single top 100 PG left.

If you need a center, you have options, but again, it's all or nothing. You're either landing an OAD prospect (#6 Diamond Stone, #8 Caleb Swanigan or #10 Stephen Zimmerman), you are grabbing #16 Thomas Bryant, or you are hoping Thon Maker reclassifies because there isn't another ranked center out there.

It seems as though more and more of the middle tier players are signing quickly, knowing that once the big time recruits start committing, they may see their top choices disappear. Of the committed players in the top 100, 80 have already signed.

My quick and dirty roster math for some of the other top schools:

UNC - I have them having at least one scholarship, with the possibility of 2 if Marcus Paige jumps to the NBA. They have signed one, so they hope they are done. If Paige leaves, there's no more PG's out there. It would be an actual disaster for UNC if Paige left at this point.

Duke - They only have 12 players listed on their current roster, so they are already 1 under (Ojeleye transfer). There are two seniors on the roster, and Jahlil Okafor is as OAD as they get. They have signed Chase Jeter to replace Okafor and Luke Kennard at the 2 spot. They have two more scholarships and are in on Brandon Ingram. They aren't listed for anyone else on ESPN right now, but that could change because they have a late scholarship to offer.

Kentucky - The math is a little weird here. They have no seniors on scholarship by my count, but they will probably have some NBA attrition. I am counting Cauley-Stein, Towns and Lyles as departures. Dakari Johnson is a maybe, but I think he stays. There could be a surprise departure here. Kentucky has already landed Skal Labissiere (C), Isaiah Briscoe (PG) and Charles Matthews (SG). That takes care of their allotment, although there could be a transfer situation here as well. They are still in on Brown, Newman, Diallo, Rabb, Swanigan, Zimmerman, Ingram and Bryant. I bet they sign one more, but they don't have room beyond that because everyone else is back.

Arizona - The lone western power right now has 2 seniors on scholarship. I think Brandon Ashley goes pro, along with Stanley Johnson and Kaleb Tarczewski. They have inked SG Allonzo Trier, SF Ray Smith, PG Justin Simon and C Chance Comanche. That leaves them with one spot and they are in on Rabb, Swanigan and Zimmerman. My guess is they land one of that trio.

Michigan St. - Izzo has learned the hard way that he can't just assume he will match up with toughness, that he needs talent too. Two seniors are leaving, but they are adding Eron Harris (transfer from West Virginia). They have signed three guys already, so I think they are done because I don't see any NBA attrition here.

Ohio State - OSU has at least five scholarships going to seniors. They have signed four. They will almost certainly sign at least one more, possibly two.

UCLA - They have at least two spots available, but they have already signed two. They are considering just about everyone, so my gut tells me they will probably sign two more if they can.

Texas - They will have two scholarships available at a minimum, but they have already signed two. They are in on Diallo, though, so they are sniffing around as if they have one more scholarship to offer.

So if you are counting at home, the math (and who may fill it) is as follows:

UNC - 0

Duke - 2 (Ingram and a transfer)

Kentucky - 1 (Brown)

Arizona - 1 (Rabb)

Michigan St. - 0

Ohio St. - 1 (Bryant)

UCLA - 2 (Swanigan and a non top 100 player)

Texas - 1 (Diallo)

Kansas - 2 (Newman and Zimmerman)

Of course, this could all go very wrong for a variety of reasons, and this would in many ways be the dream scenario for KU to land Newman and Zimmerman to add to what we have already and what we will bring back. That's just a monster lineup anyway you slice it.

The roster math is a bit complicated, but I think we will sign four this Spring.

13 available scholarships

PG (2): Mason, Graham - no changes here. May add another player, but if so, it's likely to be a combo player.

SG/SF (3): Selden, Svi, Greene - I consider Oubre gone. I think Selden is back unless he absolutely goes berserk over the next couple of months. If so, I am okay with him leaving because there's a good chance that means we have added another title to the trophy case.

PF/C (6): Alexander, Ellis, Lucas, Mickelson, Traylor, Bragg - Lots of players here. For that reason, I think the attention to add players shifts to the perimeter. Unless Alexander is also jumping to the NBA (less than 50% chance right now), there's really not a spot for another guy.

That's 11, as @JayHawkFanToo pointed out.

That gives us 2 more scholarships for sure, but as pointed out above, we may have some flexibility with Lucas and Mickelson as far as their scholarship situation and class situation. That's where I think we may add a fourth guy.

As I said when I reviewed Tyler Dorsey, I like him significantly more as a combo guard than as a shooting guard. If he can slide over and play some point, I am much higher on him. He's just not big enough or athletic enough to really be an impact 2 guard. I worry that he ends up being more like Royce Woolridge and transfers if he tries to stay at the 2.

The big question surrounds Brown and Newman. We are chasing both. We need to get one to solidify the perimeter scoring. Brown is the better overall player, but Newman may be a more dynamic scorer. The other plus with Newman is that you might get lucky and have him return as a sophomore because at 6-3, he's not really an NBA 2 guard. He would need to slide over and play at least some PG to be effective in the NBA. That could mean 2 collegiate seasons with an amazing overall talent. Newman has a lot of similarities to fellow Mississippian Monta Ellis as far as body size, ability to score, etc. Ellis was a bit more reliant on speed, whereas Newman is more explosive athletically, but there is the potential that Newman is a difference maker in college because he won't be undersized on the wing.

If I had to pick a guy in the current recruiting class that could score 40 in a game if he had to, Newman would be the first pick, with Zimmerman second, Brown third and Simmons fourth. Not saying that any of these guys are ball hogs, but they have the talent to get it going and shoot something like 12-17 from the floor with 10-12 points from the line type of game. Throw in a few threes and you've got close to 40. That's a special type of talent.

I like how KU used Perry in this game. Stepping him out away from the basket not only helps him because he isn't worried about getting his shot blocked, but it also opens up the driving lanes for our guards. I think that really opened the offense up because we essentially always were kicking the ball out to a shooter, whether it was Perry for a face up jumper (or a three), or one of our bigger wings. Long live the drive and kick.

Post ups are actually one of the least efficient offensive options. Unless you have an amazingly dominant post scorer (think in his prime Shaq) throwing into the post isn't all that efficient. The very best post scorer will shoot 65% from the field on post ups (i.e. not including pick and rolls, lobs, etc.). They may net other scoring opportunities on kick outs to shooters off double teams. However, because many post players aren't great passers, those kick out opportunities don't necessarily lead to assists. And of course, if a post player isn't a good FT shooter, they can always be fouled.

Drive and kick is much more efficient. The driver is usually a guard, and that leads to generally better FT shooting. Most drivers are also better passers, leading to more pinpoint passing leading to open shots. And of course, if you collapse the defense, there's always an interior player hanging around the basket for an easy dump off for a dunk.

It looks like KU is starting to embrace this efficiency, especially since they have enough shooters and drivers to really make things interesting.

@cragarhawk and @Crimsonorblue22

I think most every D1 player plays hard every night, or at least tries to. I think the difference comes in the ability to be productive every night. There just aren't many guys that can produce at a high level every single night, particularly at the collegiate level. Many of the most talented guys struggle with consistency, while many of the more consistent players aren't as talented and can be shut down.

Stanford was the perfect matchup for both Tarik and Conner in many ways. Since Stanford did not have a PG on their roster, Conner wasn't a defensive liability against them. That freed him up to do what he does best - shoot the basketball without worrying about a quicker player on the other end.

Stanford had a lot of skilled bigs, but not really any burly bangers to match with Tarik. Since the NCAA tournament is much more of a let them play atmosphere than the regular season, that's right up Tarik's alley, especially when none of the opponents can match him physically.

I think the guys played hard, but didn't necessarily play smartly against Stanford. To some extent, that goes for the coaching staff as well for not exposing the fact that Stanford didn't have a point guard by pressing them until they crumbled.

I say recruit the talent and let the minutes sort themselves out. As someone pointed out on another thread, if we stop pursuing a guy, there's a chance that could come back to haunt us if that guy ends up at Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa State or even another national school like UK, UNC, Duke, etc.

All of this doesn't happen in a vacuum. Basically every top notch player will be playing somewhere in college next year. Only two top players in the OAD era have ever played overseas, and only three or four others have had eligibility issues that kept them from playing at all. Everyone else suited up somewhere, so if we back off a guy, chances are we will see him somewhere else for the tournament, and potentially somewhere else in our own conference.

@KansasComet

I think players can still develop. The question is whether or not they will develop. Every class has 5-7 three star recruits that turn into all conference type players at the major conference level. Thing is, there are hundreds of three star recruits going to all sorts of different schools. Steph Curry was a 3 star recruit. I think Doug McDermott was as well. But there were lots of guys that graded out just as well as Curry and McDermott coming out of HS that played like 3 star recruits once they made it to college.

Some guys will develop. Some will even become college stars/NBA stars. Most won't be anything more than a college role player. You're more likely to get a Jamari Traylor from a 3 star recruit than you are to get a Doug McDermott.

@twocoach

I agree. There is always the risk that you will be recruited over at an elite school like KU. KU could potentially bring in freshmen that, because they have NBA talent, are better than any of the returning players. We are seeing that this year with Oubre's emergence and could also see Alexander do that this year. If Cliff stays next year, there's a possibility that either Cliff or Perry could be pushed to the bench in favor of a new player, depending on how talented that guy is.

Selden is in the same boat. If he does not step up, there's no guarantee that he won't get passed up by a newcomer, or by someone like Brannen Greene if he improves defensively.

@JayHawkFanToo

Only Marcus Lee has fallen out of the UK rotation. With Poythress hurt, the UK rotation has tightened to 9 anyway. And Lee could easily be back in the rotation very quickly if someone turns an ankle.

@twocoach

@HighEliteMajor, @drgnslayr and I were having a very interesting conversation about a month ago about improvement curves. The improvement curve is not continuous. This is the frustration with Ellis. He came in with so much polish and ability, many people looked at his skill level and assumed that he would continue to improve each year at a sustained rate, making him into a dominant four year player.

However, improvement curves don't work that way. There is a ceiling for each player. Part of that has to do with where their basketball skills are. The other part has to do with athleticism.

Think about Andrew Wiggins. He's a spectacular athlete, probably the best pure athlete to pass through college basketball in the last decade. That athleticism means that he can be (or develop into) the best defensive player in the NBA. It also means that he can be a high value offensive player. His athleticism effectively uncaps his potential.

Looking at a guy like Jabari Parker, there's more of a limit. He's a good athlete, no doubt, but not on the Wiggins level. He's also much further advanced from a skill perspective. That means that he will be more consistent at this point in his career, but that Wiggins could, in three years, be the far superior player because of athleticism. Parker's skill level is higher (right now) but Wiggins' potential is higher because you can learn skills - you can't learn to jump like Wiggins.

So getting back to Perry. He's a good athlete. But watch him and compare him to Carlton Bragg. Bragg explodes off the floor. Perry doesn't have that same level of explosiveness. Perry was much more polished as far as ball handling, shot fakes, etc., but his athleticism actually made him much more of a finished product when he entered college, as opposed to Carlton Bragg, who has quite a bit of growth that he can experience as a basketball player, and can realize that growth because of how good an athlete he is. He is an unfinished product, but a very athletic one, so his ceiling is very high.

I think that's why I was so excited about him. If there is a guy that could vault into the top 5 of players in this class, it's Bragg. He's so athletic that if he just refines some parts of his game, he's a nightmare on the floor even as a freshman.

Conference road wins count double.

A home win doesn't mean much because if you lose on the road in a round robin, you're no better off than you started.

But if you win on the road, it counts double because now the other guys have to come to your place to get a split. KU has won all these conference titles because they can win on the road, but very few can come to AFH and win.

I will start by saying that I did not think we could win a game like this. Offensively, none of our best weapons showed up. No Oubre (offensively, anyway. I will get to his D in a minute). No Selden until right when we had to have him. No Perry. Frank didn't even have a very good game, honestly. Alexander didn't do much.

I did not think we could win a game when all of that happened, especially on the road and especially against a ranked opponent. I need to re-evaluate what I thought about this team's toughness.

This is now two consecutive games where Oubre's shot has been absent, which is worrisome, but where he has contributed in very large and very tangible ways. Tied for the team lead in rebounds with 5 (by the way, why is the rebound leader only grabbing 5 boards!) and led the team with 4 steals, besides making the two biggest defensive plays of the night. Kelly is showing more and more each game why he is the best player on this team and why he will be a top 10 pick in the draft this summer. He plays hard, so even when his offense isn't happening, he's making plays.

Cliff Alexander is 6-8, 240 pounds and learned the game on the courts of the Chicago Public League. How a guy like that gets only 1 rebound in 20 minutes of action in a game in which neither team shot 50% from the field is beyond me. If someone else has an idea of how this happens, and more importantly, how this can be prevented from ever happening again, please let me know.

I thought maybe the refs were hurting us last night, but I have come down on the side of them being just bad overall. Right at the beginning of the second half Jamari got an and one on a bang bang call (likely correct because the defenders heal appeared to be in the restricted area). However, in the first half, the refs waved off a dunk to call a charge on a Baylor player on a similar play (although Jamari appeared to be above the restricted area on that play). However, if someone jumps over you and dunks in your grill you cannot draw a charge. Obviously you weren't in that great of a defensive position if someone dunked all over your head.

The game was physical, but the fouls were pretty even (17 on KU, 14 on Baylor). It wasn't a game I would say was well officiated, but it wasn't skewed one way or the other. Ultimately we survived a tough game on the road in conference. That's an enormous outcome for us.

Texas Tech is by far the weakest team in the Big 12. We should handle them (and hopefully see our offense get right) before we have to deal with Oklahoma State and Iowa State next week.

@wissoxfan83

I thought the Badgers could have knocked off UK last year in the Final Four. I actually thought they should have beaten them then. I don't like the matchup for them as much this year because Cauley-Stein matches up with Kaminsky better than anyone else in the country from a size and quickness standpoint. I don't think Cauley-Stein can shut him down because Kaminsky is a great player, but I do think he could force Kaminsky into an inefficient night, which I think would hurt Wisconsin.

The Badgers are equipped with the talent, but I don't like the matchup for them this season as much as I did in last year's Final Four.

@joeloveshawks

I could see UK being upset in similar fashion this year by a top team like Duke, Arizona or even KU. In that Duke-UNLV game, Laettner went for 28 and UNLV missed a bunch of FTs (I think four) to blow a 5 point lead with a couple minutes left to play. UNLV also had a chance to tie or win at the end, but missed a three as time wound down. Many have wondered why UNLV didn't send Johnson into the post against Laettner, but UNLV opted to go for the win.

In a single game like that, UK could tighten up, but game's like last night help UK get ready for that. That UNLV team played exactly 0 close games. They beat Arkansas (ranked #2 at the time) by 7 at Arkansas and beat Georgetown by 8 in the second round of the tournament. Most every other game was a 20+ point beat down, with several games being decided by 30 or more. Simply put, that UNLV team hadn't played a game that was in doubt down the stretch since a two point win against Ball State more than a year earlier in the Sweet 16. Add to that the fact that they had mauled Duke the previous year, and you have a situation where that team may have taken the Blue Devils a little too lightly given their talent (three NBA talents in Laettner, Hurley and freshman Grant Hill).

Additionally, UK's veterans have been on the other side of the coin. A year ago today, they were being shredded for being underachievers. They have been through that fire in a way that most teams with this much talent never experience. This UK team is truly unique in that they are so talented, but they have also endured so much criticism that if it didn't sink them last year, they should be able to handle the glare of the spotlight this year.

@DanR

It's not just about numbers - it's also about talent.

For example, Phil Forte is the leading scorer in the Big 12 right now. He is decidedly not an NBA prospect because of his small size and limited defensive ability. He's playing great, but he could not hold up as a PG in the NBA because he couldn't defend either a 1 or a 2 (he's a below average college defender, which would make him downright tragic at the NBA level) and his best skill (shooting) would be minimized at the NBA level because there are better scorers than him in the NBA.

In fact, if you look at the top 20 scorers in the Big 12 right now, the only ones that are actual NBA prospects are Myles Turner (who is 20th in scoring), and perhaps Juwan Staten (3rd in scoring). Everyone else is basically a very good college player.

Think of it this way - Oubre can play either wing spot in the NBA because he's a legit 6-6 or 6-7. Georges Niang can't play SF in the NBA because he's not quick enough. He can't play PF because he's not big enough or athletic enough. At 6-8 playing below the rim, Niang can be a great college player because he can shoot set shot threes, handle the ball, and use his size to bang with other 6-7 and 6-8 post players. In the NBA, he's trying to either beat a SF off the dribble or banging inside with a 6-10 PF. Doubtful either of those things works in his favor, so while he's a tremendous college player and will probably help ISU win a ton of games the next couple years, he doesn't have much of an NBA future.

@joeloveshawks

UK is unbeatable if they play well because no one else can match their top gear. However, if they do not play well, the formula presented last night is the one that works. Shoot threes (9-17), match them on the boards (UK only +2) and make FTs (19-22). Ole Miss basically played the perfect game to beat UK.

Except they still lost.

That's the thing with this UK team. Can they go undefeated? Yes. Will they - probably not, because there will be 2 or 3 more games like last night where they don't play all that well, and they will lose one or two of those games.

But come tournament time they will be tough to beat because they won't overlook anyone. It's not like they are going to come out flat in the NCAA tournament. Plus, last night's game helped UK more than anything because it showed that they need to shore up their perimeter D. If UK defends the three point line well, I'm not really sure how you can score on them. And if you aren't perfect from the line like Ole Miss was, that game doesn't make it to OT (Mississippi was a perfect 15-15 from the line in regulation before going 4-7 in OT).

Most of UK's weaknesses were on display last night against a team that was playing for a win that may or may not have made them an NCAA team. Remember, because the SEC is down this year, a win over UK for most everyone other than Arkansas, Georgia and maybe Alabama might be enough to get a team into the dance.

Take LSU for example. They played an okay non-con schedule (140 overall). They're 11-2. They currently rank 38 in the RPI, which is about where things start to break away because of automatic bids, etc. LSU is probably sitting around the bubble as things stand now. Give them a win over UK and they probably get in over just about anyone else. Same for every other SEC team, particularly in the east since only Georgia (24) and Kentucky (1) are in the RPI top 60. That means for Tennessee, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Missouri and Florida, their whole season could come down to two cracks at UK. Win one of those games and throw some window dressing around it (over .500 in conference play, first round conference tournament win, top 50 RPI) and they probably get into the dance.

This whole conference season for UK is going to be about taking everyone's best shot because for 10 of the teams in the SEC, that's probably their only shot at making the tournament.

@drgnslayr

I rated OU and Iowa State both down a little bit because I figure that since they both shoot lots of threes, they won't shoot it well at least a couple times and get beat because of that. I may have to reconsider that OU ranking after last night, although this makes me believe even more that the Big 12 has five of the best 14-15 teams in the country with KU, Texas, OU, Iowa State and West Virginia (yes, I am very high on the Mountaineers).

@drgnslayr

Texas should be pounding the ball inside with their size. Taking lots of threes is playing right into the hands of their opponents. I hope they take that many threes against KU because every three taken is a post opportunity missed for a team that has two very talented post players.

1. Kansas
2. Texas
3. West Virginia
4. Iowa State
5. Oklahoma
6. Baylor
7. Oklahoma State
8. TCU
9. Kansas State
10. Texas Tech

@DanR

Oddly enough, I am most scared of West Virginia. Their home court will probably be the toughest to win on outside of AFH. They can win on the road because a Bob Huggins team will always pack their defense. They aren't very likely to give away a random game. And they could give KU problems in the Fieldhouse. That translates to 10 or 11 wins, with the possibility if they play above their head once or twice on the road to be in the 12 or 13 range. With 14 as the goal, that makes it very interesting.

This was a huge step forward for Kelly. He didn't shoot it well, but he played well. For a lot of young players, they struggle to cross that bridge. They only play well when they shoot well. Kelly gave a nice game yesterday even though his shot was absent.

Frank is developing more and more into a big time PG. I am worried about his health and the pounding he is taking right now with all the minutes. I hope this doesn't come back to bite us in March, but right now, there really isn't an alternative. Just hope Devonte is ready soon because Frank can't keep playing 33+ minutes (his season average, with 38 yesterday) on a bad ankle and banged up knee if he's going to have anything left at the end of the year. Self really didn't have much choice yesterday because we didn't really pull away until pretty late in the game (lead didn't hit double figures for good until the 5 minute mark, didn't get to 15 until the 3 minute mark).

Perry put together a solid game yesterday. I think this more and more shows how effective he can be when he is not the primary option, but more like the third or even fourth option. Ellis ended up taking the second most shots on the team, but Selden, Oubre and Mason all had 10+ shot attempts. I don't mind Ellis getting shots up if they are coming in the extended post (where he is less likely to get shots blocked) off quick hitters and our perimeter guys are all getting their shots as well. That's the ideal formula. Let Ellis get his 12-16 points while the pressure is on the defense to stop our perimeter scorers. That's Perry's ideal role and it was worked to near perfection yesterday.

First team to 14 wins the league, probably wins it outright.

Just too many difficult games on the slate to really think anyone is losing fewer than 3 games in conference. The following teams will likely be above .500 at home - Kansas, Texas, Iowa State, Oklahoma, West Virginia. Baylor and Oklahoma State will also be tough at home. The more I watch K-State, the more I think they could be headed for a six win conference season. Weber has just done a horrible job there. He's dropped them from title contention to possibly fighting to stay out of the cellar.

If I told you right now that KU went unbeaten at home but lost on the road in Austin, Morgantown, Stillwater and Ames I don't think anyone would be completely shocked by that because those are all tough places to play. As @JayHawkFanToo said, "every team can beat any other team at any time, particularly at home."

If you survive with just 4 losses, you're winning this conference outright.

The big thing to watch will be small injuries. The injuries that keep guys out for a game or two could be what decides the league. Let's say Holmes rolls an ankle right before Texas plays at Iowa State, or Spangler from OU bangs his knee in practice before Bedlam at OSU. May not keep those guys from playing, but could be just enough to shift the game in favor of the home team. Or alternatively, let's say somebody for KU goes down with Texas or Oklahoma coming into Lawrence. That could be just enough to allow one of them to steal a game in Lawrence.

The margin isn't very big this year in conference. Literally a handful of plays could determine the Big 12 title.

I don't think Marshall would leave for KSU. At KSU, he's at the sixth or seventh best program in the conference. He has to compete with KU every year even though he can't draw recruits much better than he can currently at WSU. That's as sideways a move as you can make.

If Marshall were to leave, it would be for a program with some recruiting power that is located in the midwest or back on the east coast since he's from there. The programs that would probably interest him most would be Virginia, Maryland, possibly NC State, Indiana (good call @Blown ). He also may have interest in a school like Louisville once Pitino retires if that happens in the next 4-5 years or UNC if Roy leaves in that same time frame. At those schools, he could recruit well, has some tradition to build from and would be back closer to home.

@konkeyDong

I don't think Bragg is a 2-3 year player. Just watching his video, he's such a good athlete that I can see him absolutely rocketing up the prospect charts from an NBA perspective. He is more explosive than everybody in the class except Jaylen Brown (best athlete in the group) and Malik Newman. Bragg isn't as polished as Ben Simmons, but he's every bit the athlete that Simmons is.

The interesting thing is how any of these guys fits into the roster.

Ivan Rabb is the highest rated PF prospect considering KU. He's the tallest and most refined on the offensive end. He's a true PF. He matches well with anyone on the current roster because he could comfortably play center with his size (6-10) and skills around the basket. That would allow Ellis to step away from the basket and be a stretch 4. He could also pair with Cliff or Jamari because he can step away and hit from 15.

Diallo would be nice to pair with Ellis because he's a true rim protector, but the spacing with him and Alexander would be a mess because neither is a primary jump shooter. That pairing would be nice defensively because Diallo is probably the best shot blocker of the group. Watching his highlights it's pretty clear that the rim is a no fly zone with him in there.

Bragg though can play either forward spot. He could spot some minutes at the 3 because of his athleticism and ball handling ability. He can step out and shoot. He's not the shot blocker that either Diallo or Rabb is, but he's athletic enough to be a plus defender in college at the 3, 4 or 5. That also allows him to pair with any grouping on the current roster or any other potential recruits.

Bragg may be the best fit on the roster to start the class out because he can be one of several pieces. A class of Bragg, Rabb and Newman would be incredible, and it actually works from a hoops perspective. I think that's why UK is still hot on Bragg as well. They've already signed Skal Labissiere, but they could play Bragg with him and any of the current bigs on their roster without a problem. In that respect, he's a bit like Poythress

If I knew we were only getting one of these guys, I would want Rabb because he's easily the most talented and he makes the team better next year than any of these others can on their own. However, if I knew that this was just a piece of a 3 man class, I would absolutely want Bragg as a part of that because of his athleticism and potential versatility.

@BeddieKU23

I think they may matchup some because McCaw, Cornish and Vaughn are all of similar size (roughly 6-6). Since UNLV isn't very deep, I could see Kelly and Rashad ending up on each other for some of the game, although Selden probably draws the majority of that assignment.

@BeddieKU23

Oubre and Vaughn played together at Findlay Prep last year. Should be a good matchup between the two of them.

I am worried about any athletic frontline we face. Honestly, the only elite athlete we have at the 4 or 5 is Cliff. Perry is a good athlete, Mickelson is roughly average and Landen is probably below average for a D1 player (still above average for society overall). Jamari is a good athlete, but undersized and very unrefined skillwise. Athletic bigs are this team's kryptonite.

@jaybate-1.0

The key to making late night take the next step is to incorporate the things the students like with the traditions.

Kansas is special because of the tradition. It gives AFH it's mystique and makes it special. Students and players appreciate that. But the history doesn't make it cool. The history just makes it special.

You have to be both cool and special to come out on top these days. Special is history and mystique. Cool is hip, current, and modern.

We need to make the program hip, current and modern. I like the gray uniforms because it is something different. Maybe for late night KU wears special "late night only" jerseys rather than just the regular practice digs. The skits are fun for the players and students, but adding a special guest would be awesome to make things really pop.

When people think of Kansas, they think of a flat state in the middle of nowhere. That doesn't attract recruits. When they think Kansas basketball, they think of the history and tradition and winning. That attracts recruits, but only so much. We have to add the cool element to really succeed.

@Crimsonorblue22

Studies are suggesting that early concussions (particularly those before the age of 16) are most dangerous. Some doctors suggest that if a high school student has a concussion, they should sit out an entire year (12 full months, not a season) to recover properly.

There have been some studies, though not large enough to be scientifically verified, suggesting that trauma before the age of 13 can be absolutely devastating, as the brain may be damaged to the point of non-development in certain areas. There is a possibility that early brain trauma may cause permanent, irreversible damage to the brain.

After the age of 18, the dangers begin to lessen because the brain is much more developed and brain mapping demonstrates that certain functions in the brain can or will re-route if damage occurs. With younger brains, the initial routes haven't been fully established, so this re-routing may not be occurring.

As I have stated in other places, I had a concussion when I was in high school (about 2 weeks before my 18th birthday, for what it's worth), so I have spent quite a bit of time researching and following concussion studies and the long term consequences. I got through college and graduate school just fine, so I think I am okay, but I do worry that my own brain has a ticking timebomb buried inside it that may just go off one day. As a result, I spend quite a bit of time doing logic puzzles, crosswords, sudoku and other brain games to see if I can stave off potential problems. I guess you could say I am trying to build some new roads for myself just in case.

@ParisHawk and @jaybate-1.0

I think the key to that question lies in the emphasis that @JayHawkFanToo pointed out. Hudy is focused on developing strength and power. Her methods for developing more strength and power can be seen in a lot of the research and writings that she has been involved with (very good work, I might add).

However, at the pro level, the emphasis isn't so much on developing strength as it is on the conditioning/ health side of things. The season is long and hard. Pro strength and conditioning coaches have to make sure their guys (or girls) stay healthy moreso than developing more strength.

I believe this is the difference. Hudy is developing power/strength to assist in athletic development to potentially move an athlete from good to elite.. Pro coaches are developing endurance/stamina/ muscle tolerance to help an athlete stay elite.

Last night's win troubles me more than any win should. A win should reveal strengths, not confirm flaws.

Last night's win did both.

Oubre has made it clear that he is the best player on this team, period. No one else did squat for the first six or seven minutes of the game and Oubre basically kept us in it by himself. He should have gone for 30 or 35 last night. He was playing hard on both ends, rebounding and was probably our best perimeter defender for most of the night.

Selden has not been aggressive enough looking for his offense, and that continued last night. Selden is not a shooter. He is a slasher. He needs to drive to open up his long range game, but he is not driving to score. He is driving to pass, which is screwing up his whole offensive game. Just a mess right now, in every appreciable way.

The first 15 minutes of the game was a microcosm of the weaknesses in Perry's game. Because he's not an explosive athlete, Perry has to use pristine footwork to create space because he doesn't just explode up and dunk on people. But matched up with a long armed athlete like Jimmy Hall, he struggled to find those spaces. There is no way Perry should be getting outplayed for that long of a period by a good but not great mid major player if he is truly going to be the "go-to" guy on a national title contender. Last night confirmed for me that Perry needs to be the second or third option on this team if we are going to have a chance to compete for a title. Perry was much better as the game wore on, but as @BeddieKU23 said, he could have been yanked early in the first half and it would have been entirely justified.

Alexander must be more banged up than we know because last night was the kind of game he should have gotten more minutes in, and he barely played. This is something to watch.

Svi and Brannen are lost at sea for no apparent reason. Neither played that well last night. I figured one of the two would find a way to contribute on a regular basis, but that is turning out to not be the case. This is probably the second biggest concern I have going forward.

Self is running a real risk of grinding Mason into the ground. Devonte needs to get healthy fast because Mason played 35 minutes last night and he got banged up a couple different times. If Self is going to ride him that much in games, I hope he is giving him reps off in practice to recover. This is something that merits monitoring as well.

My greatest concern going forward is that Kelly Oubre was having a night last night and Self didn't let him just go off. Oubre was lining things up for a 30-35 point explosion. He was red hot in the first half. I bet he could have gone for 25 the way he was shooting in the first half if we had just kept feeding him. Instead, we force fed the post even though Perry was struggling. With about 9 minutes left in the first half Kelly was 5-5 with four made threes and 14 points overall. Perry was 2-6.

On each of the next two possessions, KU got Kelly Oubre looks at jumpers, which he nailed because he was red hot.

Wait, that's not what happened.

On each of the next two possessions, KU got jumpers for Perry Ellis, who was struggling. He missed both. The second miss did result in Perry eventually scoring after Landen grabbed an offensive rebound.

Kelly didn't get another shot until around the five minute mark. Nailed it. 6-6, 16 points. Flames are engulfing his left hand and smoke is rising from the tips of his hair. Surely KU will ride Oubre through the rest of the half.

It should bother you that Kelly did not take another shot the rest of the half. I will grant that KU did get Perry going at the end of the half, as he scored six points in the final five minutes of the half, but look at what I just wrote above. I'll write it again down here.

With about 9 minutes left in the first half Kelly was 5-5 with four made threes and 14 points overall. Kelly didn't get another shot until around the five minute mark. Nailed it. 6-6, 16 points.

That paragraph summarizes my frustration. Kelly Oubre was ready to go crazy last night, but the constraints of our system wouldn't let him because the system says we have to throw the ball into the post even though the most talented player on the team is red hot and ready to go for 40 if we need him to so we can get this win.

It worked last night because last night we were dealing with Kent State. That won't work against Texas. They're too good. That won't work against Iowa State. That probably won't even work against Oklahoma. It won't work against Kentucky, Louisville or Duke. Probably won't fly against Wisconsin or Villanova. Won't work against Arizona or Virginia. May not work against Gonzaga. Got us into trouble against Utah. We're talking about the difference between possibly getting to the Elite Eight or Final Four and getting knocked out in or before the Sweet Sixteen here.

This is a huge problem and it has not gone away. I am watching this very carefully.

@drgnslayr

The road to a Big 12 title will be tough because, for the first time in a while, there is another national level contender in the conference, perhaps even two. Texas and maybe even Iowa State are both threats to be top 3 seeds and have designs on going to a Final Four themselves. Even though the conference was deep last year, it didn't have a lot of power at the top. This league is deep and tough.

I think OU has underachieved so far. I expected them to be stronger than they are, but they have the talent to turn it on at any time.

Iowa State can beat anybody anywhere if they are hitting from three. They could also lose by 25 to anybody if they go cold. Scary team to play because of that.

Texas could win the national title. They have played UK the toughest out of everyone other than Louisville, and they did that without their best perimeter player.

KU is KU. Nuff said!

Really, the only truly bad teams in the conference are Tech and maybe K-State. For me, this cements Weber as the worst coach in the conference. Every other coach is at least passable. Tubby Smith's best years are behind him at this point, but he is still better than Weber. Kruger is top notch on his X's and O's. Hoiberg is a very good coach that understands matchups. Ford and Drew seem to find ways to get talent, and to get a lot out of that talent. Johnson is probably the most accomplished coach at TCU other than Billy Tubbs.

I think the depth of coaching talent in the Big 12 really showed up in the non-con. Every team other than K-State that was an NCAA tournament type team in the pre-season is still very much in that discussion. TCU is much further along than I realized, but probably only an NIT team. Tech is bad. K-State may be pretty bad as well, although I think they have enough talent to finish .500 in the conference if Weber doesn't totally sink them.

@BeddieKU23

I agree. Before the season started, I would have put the Big 12 race as follows:

1. Kansas
2. Texas
3. Iowa State
4. Oklahoma
5. Baylor
6. Kansas State
7. West Virginia
8. Oklahoma State
9. Texas Tech
10. TCU

Now that non-con is about over, I'd revise it to this:

1. Kansas
2. Texas
3. Iowa State
4. Oklahoma
5. West Virginia
6. Baylor
7. Oklahoma State
8. TCU
9. Kansas State
10. Texas Tech

West Virginia and TCU are much better than I thought they would be. K-State is worse. Texas is better than I had anticipated, but I still think KU wins the conference because they probably won't lose at home, while everyone else will probably drop a couple home games in conference.

@drgnslayr

She was involved in the study regarding stress and athletic performance. That was a very interesting read. I think they are supposed to do a follow up for that.

@BeddieKU23

TCU is much better than they have been. They aren't a pushover any more. They will still finish in the bottom half of the conference, but they aren't terrible like they were a couple years ago. They have played the sixth weakest schedule in the conference, so they will no doubt take some beatings in conference, but they are much improved. A few years ago they would have had a couple losses even to this type of schedule.

It is very possible that every Big 12 team finishes with an RPI above 100. Right now, K-State is last in RPI at 176, but they should rise during conference play. The Big 12 RPI will be very high as right now it sits as follows:

Kansas - 2
West Virginia - 13
Texas - 29
Baylor - 30
Iowa State - 32
Oklahoma - 40
Oklahoma State - 51
TCU - 96
Texas Tech - 127
K-State - 176

Should make for a very wild conference race. There's a possibility that the Big 12 gets 7 or 8 teams into the tournament.