NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Big 12 Forces Its Way Into Nation's Elite

Terrance Harris — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, Big 12, Missouri

It seems like every year the usual suspects are lined up as contenders for the best basketball conference in the country.

Big East. ACC. Pac-10. Big Ten.

But the Big 12 never seems to get much love, despite some impressive numbers that suggest the newest of the major conferences deserve to be part of the conversation. No conference has advanced more teams to Elite Eight (13) and Final Four (six) since 2002. The Kansas Jayhawks even cut down the nets in 2008.

More Previews: ACC | SEC | Big 10 | Big 12 | Pac-10

Also consider that in the last three seasons, it has been the Big 12, and not the Big East or ACC that has produced the top player in the country: Texas forward Kevin Durant (2007), Kansas State forward Michael Beasley (2008) and Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin (2009).

This season, the Big 12 has the preseason No.1 team in the nation and the squad many predict will likely end as the national champion in Kansas. And oh, the Jayhawks could be playing preseason No.3 Texas in this season's Final Four.

All those are reasons why the Big 12 coaches trumpet their league as one of the best, even if no one else will.

"Years ago people used to say -- or ask the question -- is our league ever going to be considered one of the best leagues in the country, or it can't be until you win the national championship," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "Obviously, Kansas having done that, I don't know what other questions people can ask about our league. If we're not the best league in the country, we've got to be in that discussion every year.

"You go back and look at the success year in and year out, I think also in the tournament, obviously in the recruiting, where there's a lot of games won during those months."

But as special as the Big 12 has been in the past, it could be even more exciting this season with a star-studded lineup of premiere players across the league. Several players such as Texas forward Damion James, Iowa State center Craig Brackins and Oklahoma guard Willie Warren gave up the chance to be instant millionaires as potential NBA first round picks to return to school this past spring.

You combine them with proven commodities such as Kansas' two preseason player of the year candidates, point guard Sherron Collins and center Cole Aldrich, along with Oklahoma State guard James Anderson and you have a league that is certain to produce lots of exciting moments this season.

"When you look at some guys that could have been gone to go make some money and make big money, and yet they choose to stay in the league, that's a credit to those coaches and those relationships they've got with those kids," said Kansas State coach Frank Martin. "It's a credit to the league and just how much fun it is.

"It's not fun when it's late January and you get your brains beat in, but it's tremendous basketball. If you've got any hope at being any good, you've got to be excited about being in such a great conference as this."

Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel agrees.

"Like I've said since I've been here, there's some great coach in this league," said Capel, whose Sooners are picked to finish third in the league race. "Because of the talent level that our league has been able to attract, it makes the basketball a very, very high level.

This season, it all starts with the Jayhawks, who return their top nine scorers from last season's 27-8 Big 12 championship squad that advanced to the Sweet 16. Throw in another highly regarded recruiting class, which includes Top 5 recruit Xavier Henry, and it's easy to see many believe the Jayhawks will be the last team standing come April.

Kansas coach Bill Self, however, has joked throughout the preseason that it's hard for him to even think about winning the national championship when he knows how difficult it will be to win the Big 12 title.

"I really like our team," said Self, whose team is the only one of the Big 12 members to win the national title since the league's inception during the 1996-97 season. I think we have a chance to be a special group. We'll have to be very special because I think the league is the best since I've been in it, and I think it's the best it's going to be since the inception of the league.

"We've had success in the league the last few years, and certainly it will be much more difficult to maintain that because of the quality of teams in the league."

Without question Kansas and Texas will be the two premiere teams in the conference and it could be that the Longhorns could actually break through this season. Their frontcourt of Damion James and Dexter Pittman could be the most formidable in the conference and with the nation's top recruit Avery Bradley expected to add scoring pop, Texas could be the team to give the Jayhawks serious trouble. The biggest question mark for the Longhorns will be at point guard, where Justin Mason has slid over to his more natural two guard spot. Florida transfer Jai Lucas is expected to run the Longhorns offense, but he won't be eligible to play until mid-year under NCAA transfer rules.

"People are a year older, a year wiser, and I think they understand that this team will have tremendous balance," said UT coach Rick Barnes. "We want to be a transition team, and we want to get up and down the floor."

After the Jayhawks and Longhorns, the Big 12 boasts teams like Oklahoma, Kansas State, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State that should make some noise throughout the season and could all end up in the NCAA tournament should the league get six bids again.

But consider this a testament to how truly tough the conference may be this season. The Iowa State Cyclones have a unanimous preseason All-Big 12 player in Brackins and the preseason newcomer of the year in Marquis Gilstrap, yet the league coaches still picked them to finish eighth in the preseason poll.

"I think it is a testament to the league. I think you could argue -- and it's an easy argument -- the seven teams that are picked ahead of us are picked ahead of us for a reason," said ISU coach Greg McDermott. "Generally, preseason polls are based on how you did last year and what you return. There's just a lot returning in our league.

"Some of the newcomers that are entering our league come from very successful backgrounds in high school or junior college, and I think they're going to have quite an impact right away. So we're picked probably about where we should be picked, but I'll be disappointed if that's where it ends up at the end of the day."

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The Team That Will Surprise: Iowa State

With the 6-foot-10 Brackins in the post and junior college swing man Marquis Gilstrap, the Cyclones could easily break into the top five of the conference this season and challenge for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The Team on Decline: Missouri

After Mike Anderson's squad stormed into the Elite Eight last season with its version of 40 minutes of hell, look for the Tigers to take a step back to recover from the loss of leading scorer DeMarre Carroll and Leon Lyons along with Matt Lawrence.

Player of the Year: Sherron Collins

The senior Kansas guard will indeed prove this season he is the best point guard in the nation and the most valuable player to his team.

Best Chance to Win it All: Kansas

The Jayhawks have the experience, depth and explosiveness to win the Final Four. The biggest question coming into the season is which of the five returning starters will come off the bench once Xavier Henry is inserted into the starting lineup?

Big 12 Forces Its Way Into Nation's Elite originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kansas Is Pick to Win Big 12

Terrance Harris — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:18:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, Big 12, Missouri

The Kansas Jayhawks are the No.1 choice almost every preseason basketball publication, now they are also the unanimous pick to win the Big 12 championship by the league coaches, according to the poll released Wednesday.

The Jayhawks, who return all five starters and pretty much all of their scoring from a season ago, received all 11 possible first-place votes by the Big 12 coaches (head coaches can not vote for their own team). In addition to the retuning starters, which include All-Big 12 First Team selections Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, Kansas also brings aboard one of the top recruiting classes in the nation.Collins and Aldrich have also been selected the preseason co-Players of the Year.

Texas, which obviously received KU coach Bill Self's first-place, was picked second in the poll and has the lone remaining first place vote. The Longhorns return four starters from last season have been largely regarded as a top five team nationally by most basketball experts.

Following the Jayhawks and Longhorns are Oklahoma (third), Kansas State (fourth) and Texas A&M (fifth).

Team (First place votes) Points
1. Kansas (11)* 121
2. Texas (1) 111
3. Oklahoma 95
4. Kansas State 92
5. Texas A&M 74
6. Oklahoma State 69
7. Missouri 66
8. Iowa State 57
9. Texas Tech 34
10. Baylor 33
11. Nebraska 27
12. Colorado 13

Preseason Co-Players of the Year
Cole Aldrich, Kansas, C, 6-11, 245, Jr., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson
Sherron Collins, Kansas, G, 5-11, 205, Sr., Chicago, Ill./Crane

Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Marquis Gilstrap, Iowa State, F, 6-7, 215, Sr., Covington, Ga./East Side/Gulf Coast CC [Fla.]

Preseason Freshman of the Year
Avery Bradley, Texas, G, 6-2, 180, Fr., Tacoma, Wash./Findlay Prep [Nev.]

2009-10 Preseason All-Big 12 Team

Name School Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/Previous school(s)

Craig Brackins, Iowa State** F 6-10 230 Jr. Palmdale, Calif./Brewster Academy [N.H.]
Cole Aldrich, Kansas C 6-11 245 Jr. Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson
Sherron Collins, Kansas** G 5-11 205 Sr. Chicago, Ill./Crane
Willie Warren, Oklahoma G 6-4 199 So. Fort Worth, Texas/North Crowley
James Anderson, OSU G/F 6-6 205 Jr. Junction City, Ark./Junction City
Damion James, Texas G/F 6-7 225 Sr. Nacogdoches, Texas/Nacogdoches

** - Unanimous Selection.
A tie in the voting created six spots on the preseason squad

Kansas Is Pick to Win Big 12 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas, Kansas Claim Big Presence on ESPN's Big Monday Schedule

Terrance Harris — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:23:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas, Big 12, Media Watch, Missouri

Kansas and Texas should be the class of the Big 12 next basketball season and ESPN is certainly banking on as much.

The Big 12 and ESPN released its Big Monday package for the 2010 campaign and both the Jayhawks and Longhorns will appear four times each in the eight-game package, which includes an anticipated February 8th showdown between the two power teams. Kansas will likely enter the season as the nation's No.1 ranked team while Texas is bringing in an influx of young talent that should make the Longhorns a Top 10 team.

The Big 12 kicks off its longstanding relationship with ESPN's Big Monday platform when rivals Oklahoma and Oklahoma State meet on January 11. Here is the full slate of Big 12 Big Monday games:

Date Game Time (CT)
January 11 Oklahoma State at Oklahoma 8 p.m.
January 18 Texas at Kansas State 8 p.m.
January 25 Missouri at Kansas 8 p.m.
February 1 Texas at Oklahoma State 8 p.m.
February 8 Kansas at Texas 8 p.m.
February 15 Kansas at Texas A&M 8 p.m.
February 22 Oklahoma at Kansas 8 p.m.
March 1 Oklahoma at Texas 8 p.m.

Texas, Kansas Claim Big Presence on ESPN's Big Monday Schedule originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big 12 Hoops Coaches Say League Will Be Best Next Season

Terrance Harris — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, Big 12, Missouri

The debate about which conference is the best basketball league usually heats up in December.

But the Big 12 coaches set fire to the debate early by staking claim as the best basketball conference Tuesday, some five months before the 2009-10 season begins. So the Big East, ACC, Pac-10 and SEC will have to just lineup for second best.

"I do think it's going to be the best with what we have retuning and the things that we've done in the last few years," Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon said during the Big 12 summer teleconference call Tuesday. "I've talked to some so-called experts out there and they think we are going to be the best league, too.

"As far as talk goes this season, we'll be No.1 and I think rightfully so. We have some really good teams at the top and we have some good depth so as a coach it's going to be a challenge but it's going to be exciting, You're going to be getting a lot of publicity throughout the year. "

Such bravado is fueled by the league's recent success in the NCAA tournament combined with the uncharacteristic return of NBA-quality talent for next season. Texas' Damion James, Kansas' Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, Oklahoma State's James Anderson and Oklahoma's Willie Warren all defied the recent trend of early entries into the NBA to remain in school.

During last season's NCAA tournament, the league went 6-0 in the first round, had three teams advance to the Sweet 16, two to the Elite Eight and even Baylor made it to the NIT championship. But the Big 12 coaches insist the proof is in the players next season where they several frontline guys and arguably the best depth of any of the major conferences.

"With those people returning for their junior and senior years for the most part, probably made this league unfortunately for coaches probably the best league that's going to be in the country this next year," said Nebraska coach Doc Sadler. "If the guys from Kansas would have left or James Anderson would have left or Damion James would have left, all of those guys are obviously very very good players that can make a difference in your league and probably some day will be playing in the NBA.

"All that does is add to the depth that everybody in the league wants you to have. It's going to be an interesting year. The league is going to be really fun to watch."

Kansas, which is a year removed from winning the national title and lost a hard-fought Sweet 16 contest with eventual national runner-up Michigan State this past season, returns all five starters and its top nine scorers to go along with a top five recruiting class. Can you say preseason No.1 lock?

But most believe Texas will be in the national contending conversation before the season is out with big man Dexter Pittman and James combining with what most are trumpeting as the best recruiting class in the country.

The loss of national player of the year Blake Griffin and several key players from last year's 30-6 Elite Eight team won't prevent Jeff Capel's Oklahoma Sooners from making some noise next season. OU is bringing in a stellar recruiting class that includes Keith Gallon to combine with Warren.

The Sooners, along with Texas A&M, Kansas State and Missouri could bring Big East-like competition to the Big 12 next season.

"Kansas and Texas are going to be very good, the rich get richer," said Texas Tech coach Pat Knight. "But with those two programs, I think you will see some teams that were struggling last year that are going to be better because they had young players and some teams did a good job recruiting.

"I just think this league is always going to be tough."

But Knight says the key to the national knowing how tough the league is is through exposure. The ACC and Big East seem to be the media favorites, while attention certainly seems destined to return to Kentucky next season with the arrival of John Calipari and a big-time recruiting class.

Not being afraid to say how good your league is, no matter how early, might be the first step in the big 12 getting the recognition it believes it deserves as the best basketball conference next season.

"We were talking about that in the coaches meetings, we have to get better exposure for this league because we really feel, if not the top basketball league it's going to be top two," Knight said. "We just have to do a better of promoting it from a conference standpoint and a coaches standpoint."

Big 12 Hoops Coaches Say League Will Be Best Next Season originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kansas Spots Archrivals 16 Points, Still Reclaims Control of Manhattan

Chris Burke — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:10:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas, Kansas State, Big 12

When you talk about being able to weather a storm in the state of Kansas, what Bill Self's Jayhawks did on Saturday ranks right up there with Dorothy dodging that tornado.

No. 16 Kansas endured an absolutely abysmal start on the road against a Kansas State squad needing an NCAA tournament resume-booting win. The Wildcats spurted out to a 30-14 lead just 12 minutes into the game -- a run almost as baffling as the fact that Kansas melted that 16-point cushion down to 43-42 at the break. KU then took the lead a little more than five minutes into the second half, and poured it on for an 85-74 victory.

Kansas State was trying to win two straight home games against its arch-rival for the first time since the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons -- the Wildcats broke a 25-year home drought versus Kansas last season. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, it was not meant to be.

Saturday's game was the virtual opposite of the Jayhawks' last outing, a 62-60 loss at Missouri. In that contest, Kansas built a 30-16 halftime lead before the host Tigers rallied and won.

Unlike in that loss, though -- when Kansas unraveled after halftime -- the Jayhawks rapidly regrouped in Manhattan, using a barrage of three-pointers and some nifty inside play from Cole Aldrich to chip away at Kansas State's edge. In fact, it was Kansas State that suffered from a brief loss of composure in a chippy game. With the Jayhawks leading 53-51, K-State's Denis Clemente was called for an offensive foul and, subsequently, a technical after throwing an elbow.

Kansas' Sherron Collins drained the two technical free throws, then Tyrel Reed stuck a three and, in a matter of seconds, the Jayhawks' lead had ballooned to seven. A Collins trifecta made it 61-51 on KU's next possession.

Kansas State eventually pulled within two points again, on three separate occasions no less, but could not get over the top and retake the lead.

Clemente's miscue briefly overshadowed an impressive day. He and fellow guard Jacob Pullen combined for 48 points, with Clemente's 26 leading all scorers. But the Wildcats had no answer for Aldrich on the other end. Kansas' center -- who warned K-State's rowdy fans that he would have a big game -- dumped in 21, while Collins added 19.

With the win, the Jayhawks stay in the Big 12 hunt, just a game behind Oklahoma. Kansas State, on the other hand, is now 6-5 in the league and 17-8 overall, putting the Wildcats smack-dab in bubble territory.

Kansas Spots Archrivals 16 Points, Still Reclaims Control of Manhattan originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cole Aldrich Not Amused by Prank Calls

Shane Bacon — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas, Kansas State, Big 12, Fans

Kansas State fans 1, Cole Aldrich 0.

A year after Wildcat fans obtained the number of Brandon Rush and flooded message boards with his digits, they've done it again. Aldrich had his number revealed as well, which didn't sit well with the sophomore.

State fans started ringing and texting Aldrich, who retaliated (if it is him) with the following very, VERY NSFW message.

"Yo what's up, this is Cole Aldrich talking back. Yeah, I got your message. I can't wait to come to Manhattan and dunk the ball all over you motherf***ers. It will be the greatest day in Kansas basketball history. I can't wait to go in there and f***ing drop 20-10 on you godd***ed motherf***ers. See you there, b***h." *end of message*

It wasn't 20 and 10 in the first meeting with the Wildcats, but Cole did drop 15 and 8 on those motherf***ers.

Wow, pardon my French, I just got carried away. The game is this Saturday at Kansas State, and should be a good one, barring any unfortunate picture texts that head Aldrich's way. That could just get ugly.

h/t Deadspin

Cole Aldrich Not Amused by Prank Calls originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That Fork in the Back of Texas A&M Has Gotten Much Deeper

Chas Rich — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas State, Texas A&M, Big 12

For Texas A&M, Saturday's game against Kansas State could've been considered a must-win kind of tilt. The Aggies didn't play a challenging non-conference schedule, but did roll through it to a 14-1 start. Conference play, however, has exposed them, and, after a 65-60 loss to Kansas State, consider them officially off the bubble and out of NCAA tournament discussion.

Neither team cracked 40-percent shooting in a tight, defensive game. But Kansas State had much more effective guard play. Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente provided the slashing and drives to the basket, while Fred Brown hit the 3-pointers to keep Texas A&M from collapsing on the Wildcats' interior.

Texas A&M had its opportunities, but could never quite convert. Whether it was missing free throws, not hitting the threes, making a bad turnover at the wrong moment, or failing to box out Darrin Kent for putbacks just as the game seemed to be turning, the Aggies did just enough to get close, but no more.

The Wildcats will likely not make the NCAA tournament as an at-large team, but they've really turned their season around. In a weak non-con slate, the Wildcats lost three straight against the only quality opponents on the schedule. Then they started the Big 12 portion with four straight losses. Since then, however, they have won five straight including Missouri and Texas. Right now, they are the team in the Big 12 no one else wants to play.

Credit needs to be given to K-State coach Frank Martin. He was hired mainly to make sure Bill Walker stayed and Michael Beasley came to the Wildcats. He has actually done a fine job and much more than just recruiting talent. Now he's winning with it too.

That Fork in the Back of Texas A&M Has Gotten Much Deeper originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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K-State's Clemente Tears Texas

Chas Rich — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas State, Texas, Big 12

Texas has been one of the better defensive teams in the country. The Longhorns have been very good at frustrating teams in shooting. They hold down the shooting percentages by contesting shots and clogging things inside.

They have also been extremely tough at home, with their last loss coming in December 2007 to Wisconsin. The Longhorns' last home conference loss came nearly two years ago to Kansas State -- until K-State did it to Texas again on Saturday, this time in overtime, 85-81.

Well it was not Kansas State, the team, so much as Denis Clemente single-handedly going off on the Longnhorns. Clemente scored 44 points, going a perfect 6-for-6 on threes and 12-for-12 on free throws. Texas just could not stop him and his backcourt partner Fred Brown, who scored 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting.

Clemente transferred from Miami, and sat out last year. He has been playing more and more since the Wildcats have gotten into conference play.

Aside from Clemente and Brown, the rest of the Wildcats scored 28 points and managed to shoot a dismal 24%. Mainly, they just threw up bricks to make sure Texas wouldn't try to completely cover Clemente.

Texas may have had four players score in double-digits, but Damion James and A.J. Abrams shot miserably to get their combined 34 points -- a combined 11-for-36. Abrams, especially, has struggled all season with his shot, as the primary scorer. He is shooting 39% on the year, but has shot 33% or worse in seven of the past eight games.

Texas had another game where they got very little production from their frontcourt after Gary Johnson. It allows defenses to stay tight on Abrams and James and not give them room to drive to the basket. Instead trying to force them put up jumpers.

K-State's Clemente Tears Texas originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freshmen Overload in NBA Draft

Charles Rich — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 03:33:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis Basketball, ACC Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, SEC Basketball, NBA Prospects, USC Basketball, Kansas State Basketball

Now that the dust has settled and the final withdrawal deadline for the NBA Draft has passed, there are still 13 freshmen who have decided to remain in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Michael Beasley, Kansas State
Derrick Rose, Memphis
O.J. Mayo, USC
Eric Gordon, Indiana
DeAndre Jordan, Texas A&M
Jerryd Bayless, Arizona
Kevin Love, UCLA
Davon Jefferson, USC
Anthony Randolph, LSU
Donte Greene, Syracuse
J.J. Hickson, NC State
Bill Walker, Kansas State
Kosta Koufos, Ohio State

Last year, only 8 freshmen declared and stayed in the NBA Draft. All 8 went in the first 21 picks. That won't happen with this group, though, it is likely that at least 10 of the 13 will go in the first round.

Freshmen Overload in NBA Draft originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 03:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who 'Tested the Waters' and Drowned?

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:03:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Basketball, NBA Prospects, USC Basketball, Kansas State Basketball, Mississippi State Basketball

With all the name going around about who was staying in the NBA Draft and who was going back to school ... there were a few names that may not be as household that are keeping their names in the draft.

Some may have made a mistake. Just as Josh McRoberts, JamesOn Curry, Von Wafer and Alex Acker made mistakes in the past few seasons ... some could be doing the same now.

Guys like UCLA's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Mbah a Moute probably won't be drafted (and if he is, it will be very late in the second round). If he had stayed in school, he could have become the rare guy to go to four Final Fours in his career. Despite losing some big-time talent, the Bruins still have a good shot at getting back.

Or there is USC's Davon Jefferson who probably won't be drafted either. Jefferson left school as a freshman and almost immediately signed with an agent. He made this move without even discussing it with the Trojans' coaching staff. When they have "testing the water" discussions in the future, they might want to have him talk to the class.

How about IUPUI's George Hill? Ya know, good ol' George? No? Yeah, he didn't have a household name or, really, no hype around him to warrant heading into the draft. He may not have the skill, either. He probably will be drafted, but not until the second half of the second round.

Mississippi State's Jamont Gordon really never had a second thought about coming back to school. I mean, he may go late in the second round. Not bad for a guy that no one knows what position he'll play.

And then there is Bill Walker. I think Bill has crazy talent, but he may be selling himself short. He comes into the draft with so many questions that don't have much to do with his skills. However, having O.J. Mayo as a good buddy, Michael Beasley as a teammate and a slew of knee injuries will raise some red flags (his middle name may end up being "Needs A ... "). He is really on the fence on being a first rounder but will most likely be picked in the 30s. If he stayed another season, he could really shine and turn himself into a lottery pick.

It's one thing to be Marreese Speights, JaVale McGee or Kosta Koufus and striking while the iron is hot. It's another thing to have people talking about first rounders while your name rolls across the screen as a second round pick. Or not getting drafted at all.

There is nothing to be ashamed of, but the NBA Draft is the most fickle draft of them all. With the first round salary scale, NBA teams try to be very careful with whom they pick. You may get pushed into the second round, but you still have a shot to become a very, very productive NBAer. Just ask Gilbert Arenas or Carlos Boozer.

The difference is that it takes a while.

Who 'Tested the Waters' and Drowned? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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K-State's Bill Walker Injured the Day Before He Must Make Decision on Draft

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:05:00 EST

Filed under: Big 12 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Injuries, NBA Prospects, Kansas State Basketball

We are less than 24 hours away from the deadline for the NBA Draft early entrants to take their name out. It should be quite a tension filled day from Chapel Hill to Tuscon.

Well, smack dab in the middle is Manhattan, Kansas where Bill Walker must make the decision whether to stay in the draft or head back to Kansas State. The decision is tougher now that he injured his knee in a workout today:

Representatives for Kansas State redshirt freshman Bill Walker were scrambling to secure a commitment from a team drafting late in the first round after Walker injured his right knee during a workout in California this weekend.

Multiple sources close to Walker, and at least one who attended the workout in the Bay Area, said Sunday night that Walker would undergo another MRI on his knee Monday. Walker was one of 24 players at the Golden State Warriors' facility to work out in front of representatives from 21 NBA teams. The players in attendance were projected as being between the 20th and 45th picks.

This is huge for Walker. He is right on the fence of being a first round pick. Of course, one of the scary things about him is this knee injury and the fact that he previously has had multiple knee injuries. That isn't the kind of thing a team picking late in the first round is looking for.

If Walker heads back to K-State, he would most likely be the focal point of the Wildcats and could really vault up his draft stock. Then, he would turn a very risky decision (staying in the '08 draft) into a financially sound one (becoming a much higher pick in the '09 draft).

Or this injury could scare him into taking the leap now. After all, he could blow out his knee during the next college season and make his draft status worse. Remember Randy Livingston? Didn't think so.

The deadline to pull your name out of the draft (provided you have college eligibility left and you haven't signed with an agent) is 5 p.m. ET today.

K-State's Bill Walker Injured the Day Before He Must Make Decision on Draft originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What Did Bob Huggins Know About O.J. Mayo?

Charles Rich — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:53:00 EST

Filed under: Big 12 Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Gossip, NBA Prospects, USC Basketball, Kansas State Basketball

A Kansas State assistant coach has made some interesting comments about O.J. Mayo wanting to be a Wildcat, but then head coach Bob Huggins wouldn't take him.

Brad Underwood told the Konza Rotary Club this morning that Mayo was on the phone with Huggins, "begging to come here" around the time of national letter-of-intent signing day a year ago. Huggins told him no, Underwood said, because he thought Mayo would get in trouble because of money funneled to him and a friend prior to enrolling in college.
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Mayo, originally from Huntington, W.Va., was among the top recruits in the nation at the time. Huggins, also originally from West Virginia, had been recruiting him for years and appeared to have a good shot at bringing him to K-State. Publicly, Mayo said he chose USC over K-State.

But Underwood today indicated that Mayo was saying up to the last minute that he wanted to come to K-State to be with Huggins because of their long ties. Huggins, though, said, "We're not going to take you. You'll never pass," in reference to NCAA amateur clearinghouse rules.

Who knows if this is true or not. The odds are Huggins won't admit one way or the other. Mayo will likely deny, just as he's denied everything else. Kind of hard to believe Huggins or any coach would turn down O.J. Mayo last year.
The popular story of how Mayo committed to USC involved and even told Coach Tim Floyd he would get some more players had some backing. Michael Beasley's mother told the story of O.J. Mayo seeking to get Beasley to switch his commitment to USC.

"He says, 'Ms. Beasley, I'm just calling to see if we can get Michael to come out to USC.' I say, 'Oh, no, sugar, no, sweetie pie, you need to come to Kansas State.' He's like, 'Ms. Beasley, we'll look out for Michael. I'll keep an eye out for him myself.'

"I say, 'O.J., you need someone to look out for you! Why don't you just come to Kansas State? It'll be a great team.' He says, 'We'll have a great team too.' I say, 'O.J., if you were having a great team you wouldn't be calling me at the 11th hour. Call Huggs. I'm sure he'll take you.' So I called Huggs and said, 'Hey, I just offered O.J. a scholarship. You got one? Dalonte [Hill], you got a scholarship?' They said, 'No, you're the one who offered him a scholarship!'"

Well, maybe Huggins did turn down Mayo. Or at least turned down Mrs. Smith's offer of a scholarship.

Really the whole thing is quite confusing. Mayo is very close friends with Bill Walker with whom he even roomed for a while in high school along with his AAU coach/guardian and possibly grandfather Dwaine Barnes.

It was Barnes who has a relationship with Huggins and not only steered Walker to Huggins and K-State, but wanted Mayo to go there as well. In another version of things, after Mayo followed Rodney Guillory's advice and chose USC, Barnes and Mayo had a falling out and did not speak (and in some great foreshadowing, Mayo's mother apparently had little trust for Guillory way before this year).

When it comes to trust, Mayo's mother says she doesn't have any for Guillory, her son's L.A. mentor. "Rodney kind of came in when O.J. was living in Cincinnati and I was back here," she says. "Lo and behold, there he was. I don't really know that much about him. I know what I hear, I know what I read and I know what O.J. tells me. But [Guillory] knows where I stand with him, too, because I've talked to him. You can't trust people you don't know. But if that's what O.J. wants to do, I don't want to put any extra stress on him."

With ties to Guillory and the Bill Duffy Associates severed at this point, though, it seems that Mayo has reunited with Barnes.

The Mayo camp really needs to issue a new scorecard to keep track of who is in and out of his posse these days.

What Did Bob Huggins Know About O.J. Mayo? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 29 May 2008 22:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Beasley States the Obvious: He's Leaving Kansas State for the NBA

Michael David Smith — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:13:00 EST

Filed under: Big 12 Basketball, NBA Prospects, Kansas State Basketball

Here's the real surprise about the announcement Michael Beasley made today: It was actually treated as if it's breaking news.

Obviously, everyone knew that Beasley was going to announce that he's leaving Kansas State after one season to enter the NBA, and that's exactly what he did at a press conference this evening. Beasley, a 6-foot-10 power forward, was the Big 12 player of the year and an absolutely dominant force on the inside, putting up stats (26.2 points per game, 12.4 rebounds per game) that eclipsed those of last year's freshman Big 12 player of the year, Kevin Durant.

The question now is where Beasley will be drafted, and the most likely answer is first overall on. He's definitely good enough to warrant it.

And while some will no doubt see this announcement as a bad thing for college basketball -- the latest star freshman to stick around just long enough to get to the NBA -- I'm not so sure that it is. We got to see this wonderful player for one college season, and now we'll see him for many professional seasons. Although it takes a little while to get used to the fact that the most talented player in college basketball will almost always be a freshman, it was fun to watch Beasley this season, and it will be fun to watch the new crop of talented one-year wonders next season.

Michael Beasley States the Obvious: He's Leaving Kansas State for the NBA originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Changing Face of College Basketball: For First Time Ever, No Senior All-Americans

Michael David Smith — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:10:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, UCLA Basketball, Texas Basketball, Memphis Basketball, Kansas State Basketball

The Associated Press All-American team was announced today, and it's notable mostly for who didn't make it: For the first time ever, there are no senior All-Americans.

Instead, the team consists of UCLA freshman center Kevin Love, Kansas State freshman forward Michael Beasley, Texas sophomore guard D.J. Augustin, North Carolina junior forward Tyler Hansbrough and Memphis junior guard Chris Douglas-Roberts. Beasley and Hansbrough were unanimous selections.

Three seniors -- Shan Foster of Vanderbilt, D.J. White of Indiana and Roy Hibbert of Georgetown -- made the second team, but the absence of any seniors on the first team is a reminder of how much college basketball has changed. The most talented players just don't stick around until their senior seasons, and many of the best players wouldn't play college basketball at all if not for the NBA's minimum age rule. I don't know if we'll ever see a five-freshman All-American team, but I feel confident saying this isn't the last time we'll see a zero-senior All-American team.

Changing Face of College Basketball: For First Time Ever, No Senior All-Americans originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can Xavier Do to Kevin Love What It Did to Michael Beasley?

Michael David Smith — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:01:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Basketball, Xavier Basketball, March Madness, Kansas State Basketball

UCLA plays Xavier today in Phoenix in a game that looks like a mismatch. That's not intended as a knock on Xavier, a fine team that has had an impressive season. But the talent gap between the Bruins and the Musketeers is vast, UCLA freshman center Kevin Love looks like the kind of inside presence whom Xavier simply wouldn't have an answer for.

Except that Xavier took on another talented freshman big man this season, Michael Beasley of Kansas State, and held him in check. Xavier won 103-77 and Beasley finished with five points on 1-of-6 shooting, by far his worst scoring game of the season. Love has heard about it:

"Somebody mentioned to me they held him to five or six points," Love said. "Hey, I think Beasley's the most talented player in the country. For him to get five or six points shows how good they can be on defense."

Discussing that game with Robyn Norwood of the Los Angeles Times, Kansas State coach Frank Martin spoke highly of all the players Xavier will throw at Love: Josh Duncan, Derrick Brown, B.J. Raymond, C.J. Anderson and Jason Love. But is it really realistic to think those guys will have the kind of success on defense against Love that they had against Beasley? I have my doubts. The way Love is playing right now, I have my doubts that any team in college basketball can stop him.

Can Xavier Do to Kevin Love What It Did to Michael Beasley? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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K-State Coach Retreats From Stating What Everyone Already Knows

Charles Rich — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:24:00 EST

Filed under: Big 12 Basketball, NBA Prospects, Kansas State Basketball

It was not exactly a state secret that Michael Beasley was going to be one-and-done at K-State. The freshman forward has been the best player in college this year.

He's expected to be the #1 pick (or at least top-3). So it wasn't exactly a shock when Kansas State Head Coach Frank Martin stated this week, his expectations that Beasley was going to be heading to the NBA.

"I think he's going to go, and I think it's the right thing to do, because he's going to be the top pick in the draft," Martin said.
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"How do you say no to that? How can I sit here and tell that young man that's he's wrong to go with that?" the first-year head coach said.

Nothing about that seemed controversial. He didn't say he knew he would, or that he had spoken to Beasley about it. Just that he thought he would and that he couldn't disagree with the decision, with the money involved.

Yet, somehow Martin felt something was amiss because he then denied making such statements.

"I haven't sat down with Michael. Why would I say that?" Martin said. "He's going home (to Washington, D.C.) for a couple of days where he'll talk with some people, and he and I will meet late (next) Tuesday or Wednesday."

Martin said these things he now denies in an interview with both the Associated Press and the Manhattan Mercury. It's not like there was only one reporter who heard him say it. One more rookie mistake for Martin.

K-State Coach Retreats From Stating What Everyone Already Knows originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kansas State's Bill Walker Hit by Wisconsin's Brian Butch, Somehow Gets a Technical Foul

Michael David Smith — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:46:00 EST

Filed under: Wisconsin Basketball, Kansas State Basketball

During the second half of today's Wisconsin-Kansas State game, Wildcats forward Bill Walker made a short jumper in the paint right over Badgers center Brian Butch.

The two got tangled up after the shot, and as Walker backed off, Butch then pushed him to the ground. The referees were right on top of it and immediately called a technical foul. A good call, as Butch clearly deserved to get T'd up -- except that when they went over to the scorer's table, they called a double technical: One on Butch and one on Walker.

CBS showed a replay several times, and I've yet to see Walker do anything that would even remotely constitute a technical. One of the CBS announcers said, "Walker got in there and elbowed him in the nose," but that's not what I saw when they showed the replay.

Maybe I just missed what Walker did, but unfortunately I think the reality is that this was a case of the referees trying so hard to be fair that they ended up being unfair: They thought they needed to treat the players equally, even though what the players had done wasn't equal. Butch deserved a technical and Walker didn't.

As for the game, Wisconsin leads 60-49 with less than nine minutes to go in the second half.

Kansas State's Bill Walker Hit by Wisconsin's Brian Butch, Somehow Gets a Technical Foul originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Beasley Plays On, O.J. Mayo Done

Michael David Smith — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:50:00 EST

Filed under: March Madness, USC Basketball, Kansas State Basketball

Despite early foul trouble, the much-anticipated Michael Beasley-O.J. Mayo matchup did, for the most part, live up to the hype, as Beasley had game highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds to lead Kansas State to an 80-67 win over USC.

Mayo scored 20 in a losing effort, so both star freshmen played well. But now the question becomes this: Have we seen the last of Mayo in college basketball?

I assume we have. USC coach Tim Floyd has said he thinks Mayo should head to the NBA, and if Floyd thinks Mayo should leave, who's going to argue otherwise? Overall, although Mayo was a fine player, you'd have to say his brief USC career was something less than a success: He turned in some good performances but also missed a whole lot of shots and doesn't seem to be leaving the program any better than he found it.

Beasley's college career will continue for at least one more game, Saturday against the Wisconsin-Cal State Fullerton winner. Beasley, too, is almost certainly one loss away from the end of his college career. But no matter what happens from here on in, Beasley has had a better college career than Mayo.

Michael Beasley Plays On, O.J. Mayo Done originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Beasley-O.J. Mayo Matchup on Hold As Beasley Gets Two Early Fouls

Michael David Smith — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: March Madness, USC Basketball, Kansas State Basketball

When the NCAA Tournament brackets were revealed, I took one look and thought the best match-up was Kansas State against USC because it gave us two of college basketball's highest-profile freshmen, Michael Beasley and O.J. Mayo.

But just a few minutes into the game, that all changed.

Beasley got his first foul two and a half minutes into the game, and his second foul just a couple minutes later, and just like that, Beasley was on the bench with two fouls. He only remained on the bench for a couple of minutes before he went back in with 12:48 remaining in the first half, but if he picks up a third, we're looking at a game where Beasley's minutes are going to be severely reduced -- and a game that has lost its most interesting storyline.

Despite Beasley's foul trouble, it's 16-11 Kansas State with 11:26 to go in the first.

Michael Beasley-O.J. Mayo Matchup on Hold As Beasley Gets Two Early Fouls originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pet Site Dislikes Birds

Charles Rich — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:42:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga Basketball, Kentucky Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, SEC Basketball, March Madness, Kansas State Basketball, Mississippi State Basketball

Possibly one of the dumber tips received. A pet site unveiled their top 5 mascots for the NCAA Tournament. They chose 3 bulldogs and 2 wildcats. Wow. Totally original. And this was selected by the site editors. Choosing the same mascots 5 times.

Actually, that still wasn't enough. They had an honorable mention list of 13 more teams. Two more bulldogs and 3 wildcats made that list. The other 8 teams all had some sort of cat or dog for a mascot.

Aside from the pure repetitiveness of the choices, it's hard not to notice the lack of any birds. Cardinals, ducks, owls, eagles and hawks all excluded. Apparently birds are not that popular.

Pet Site Dislikes Birds originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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