NCAA Basketball FanHouse http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com NCAA Basketball FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Basketball FanHouse http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Big 12 Forces Its Way Into Nation's Elitehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/big-12-forces-its-way-into-nations-elite/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/big-12-forces-its-way-into-nations-elite/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/big-12-forces-its-way-into-nations-elite/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


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.

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.

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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."




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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]]>Bill SelfBillSelfCole AldrichColeAldrichCraig Brackinsdamion jamesDamionJamesFrank MartinGreg McDermottjames andersonJamesAndersonjeff capelJeffCapelMarquis GilstrapMichael BeasleyMichaelBeasleymike andersonRick BarnesRickBarnesSherron CollinsSherronCollinswillie warrenWillieWarrenTerrance HarrisThu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST A Look At the Top 5 Schedules in Women's College Basketball http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/a-look-at-the-top-5-schedules-in-womens-college-basketball/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/a-look-at-the-top-5-schedules-in-womens-college-basketball/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/a-look-at-the-top-5-schedules-in-womens-college-basketball/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Pat Summitt

Part of the beauty of college basketball is that it isn't like college football. The top teams don't have to be afraid of playing a tough opponent; worried that risking a single loss would derail a season's worth of effort.

Instead, the best teams in college basketball want to cut their teeth on one another, learn from their shortcomings, shore up before spring, or build a resume for the NCAA committee by collecting wins against stiff competition.

The following is a list of the top five schedules in women's college basketball this season. These teams are going to do it the hard way. And you gotta admire that.

1) Tennessee. The Lady Vols never duck anyone (well, except maybe for that one team up north). The fact that they are coming off an unprecedented first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament doesn't change the degree of difficultly for Pat Summitt's program.

Tennessee routinely plays the most challenging schedule in the country and this year is no exception. The Lady Vols' non-conference schedule includes games against eight teams ranked in the first poll of the season, which was released Friday.

The Lady Vols' slate includes home games against Baylor, UCLA, George Washington, Texas, Louisville, Old Dominion and Oklahoma. The road schedule includes Virginia, Middle Tennessee and Stanford and a pair of big neutral-court games against Texas Tech and Rutgers.

At No. 8, Tennessee starts with its lowest ranking since 1985.

2.) Stanford. The second-ranked Cardinal have put together the best schedule in program history, one that includes games against five ranked teams and three conference champions. With many of the top teams in the Pac-10 rebuilding or reloading this year, Stanford will have to find out where it stands by going outside of the conference and, specifically, across the country.

Stanford will make two trips to the East Coast -- a season-opening journey to Old Dominion and Rutgers, followed by a Dec. 23 date against top-ranked Connecticut that will rank as one of the marquee regular-season matchups of the year.

Stanford's six-game home non-conference schedule includes Utah, Gonzaga, DePaul, Duke and Tennessee.

"We're playing such good competition that I don't know what will happen," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. "There's a sense of urgency now, that if you don't have that schedule, I don't know that we could feel."

3.) Oklahoma. The 13th-ranked Sooners, who have been ranked in the AP Poll since the opening poll of the 2005-06 season, could play as many as nine of the teams ranked in the current preseason poll, and will face 10 others who received votes in the first poll.

Oklahoma's schedule includes tough road games against Georgia (Nov. 15), Tennessee (Jan. 3), and a matchup with Notre Dame in the Virgin Islands Tournament. The Sooners also face up-and-comer San Diego State, South Carolina, mid-major star Marist, and have home games against Baylor, Texas, Kansas and Connecticut.

4.) Rutgers. With the departures of Epiphanny Price and Kia Vaughn, the 25th-ranked Scarlet Knights are rebuilding, and just like last year, they will find out where they stand pretty quickly.

Rutgers' schedule includes eight ranked teams, four of them in the non-conference and four in the brutal Big East. The non-conference schedule includes home games against No. 2 Stanford, Boston College and Florida with a New York City date against Tennessee on Dec. 13.

Rutgers will go on the road to play Georgia and George Washington and will meet both Mississippi State and Texas in the Virgin Islands tournament on Thanksgiving weekend.

5.) Connecticut. The top-ranked Huskies don't always load up with non-conference opponents, but tough competition in the Big East always ups the RPI.

UConn's non-conference slate includes a neutral-court game against Texas in San Antonio, home games against Stanford and North Carolina -- the latter in the middle of the Big East schedule -- and road games against Florida State (Dec. 28) and Duke (Jan. 18).

If Connecticut blows through this schedule, a second straight national title could seem like a foregone conclusion come March.
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A Look At the Top 5 Schedules in Women's College Basketball originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Tara VanDerveerMichelle SmithMon, 02 Nov 2009 09:53:00 EST Kansas Is Pick to Win Big 12http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/14/kansas-jayhawks-concensus-pick-to-win-big-12/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/14/kansas-jayhawks-concensus-pick-to-win-big-12/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/14/kansas-jayhawks-concensus-pick-to-win-big-12/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Sherron CollinsThe 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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]]>Bill SelfBillSelfCole AldrichColeAldrichKansas JayhawksKansasJayhawksSherron CollinsSherronCollinsTerrance HarrisWed, 14 Oct 2009 16:18:00 EST Texas, Kansas Claim Big Presence on ESPN's Big Monday Schedulehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/16/texas-kansas-claim-big-presence-on-espns-big-monday-schedule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/16/texas-kansas-claim-big-presence-on-espns-big-monday-schedule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/16/texas-kansas-claim-big-presence-on-espns-big-monday-schedule/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

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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]]>Terrance HarrisThu, 16 Jul 2009 13:23:00 EST NCAA Coaches Critical of NBA Age Limithttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/24/college-coaches-critical-of-nba-age-limit/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/24/college-coaches-critical-of-nba-age-limit/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/24/college-coaches-critical-of-nba-age-limit/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Could the NBA and its minimum age requirement really be guilty of hypocrisy?

It certainly appears that way to Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel and some other Big 12 coaches after watching the most recent NBA Finals and seeing which NBA players were pushed as the faces of the league throughout the season.

The straight out of high school players, who are the type of players the NBA no longer wants to be associated with, are now carrying the torch for the world's best pro game.

"If you follow the NBA, if you look at the guys who are promoted as the face of the NBA, you are talking about Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett," Capel said. "Those are four that jumped right out and none of those guys attended college and I don't think it hurt them."
Check Out FanHouse's NBA Draft Coverage

Most college coaches have been steamed for some time at the NBA rule that requires players to be at least 19 and one year removed from high school, thus giving birth to the sometimes destructive one-and-done college players.

Legendary basketball coach Bob Knight was one of the first big name coaches to boisterously speak out against the one-and-done phenomenon two years ago when he made the point that the NBA rule has opened the door for players to come to college and not be serious students. Other coaches have since joined the growing chorus.

The NBA, during its 2005 collective-bargaining agreement, passed the minimum age requirement to protect the integrity of its game. The NBA no longer has to bank on the pure potential of players who may or may not pan out. But the NBA's gain has become college basketball's problem.

"It's a bad rule, it's a really bad rule," said Capel, whose sophomore forward, Blake Griffin, is expected to be the first player taken in Thursday's NBA Draft. "In my opinion it makes a mockery of education in college and also I think it's condescending on the NBA's part."

Conversation about the feasibility of the rule has heated up with this year's NBA Draft upon us and the likelihood that up to three one-and-done players -- Memphis' Tyreke Evans, USC's DeMar DeRozan and UCLA's Jrue Holiday -- could be lottery picks and a fourth, Ohio State 7-foot center B.J. Mullens, could also go in the first round.

It also hasn't helped that the alleged actions of two former one-and-doners, Derrick Rose of Memphis and USC's O.J. Mayo, have threatened to rock their respective programs. Rose has been accused of cheating to get into Memphis, while there are illegal payment accusations surrounding Mayo, which caused head coach Tim Floyd to step down earlier this month.

Problems seem to be arising that college coaches didn't envision when the NBA instituted its minimum age requirement.

"I thought initially making kids go to school for a year was a good thing, but after the recent things that have occurred ... I don't think you can blame it all on one-and-done as the main reason things have occurred," said Kansas coach Bill Self. "Those things could have just as easily occurred if these kids were in school two or three years." "I think these kids should have the right to go straight from high school. To be quite honest with you, some of them aren't college material and the one-and-done rule makes a mockery of that."
-- Jeff Capel

But clearly what the college coaches seem to be asking for is some relief by the NBA. The obvious first choice is to allow high school students to go straight from graduation to the NBA riches. The second would be to require NBA players to be two or three years removed from high school.

"I do think there will be a movement to make it a year older," Self said. "My personal opinion is kids should be able to go straight out of high school or stay for three. I think it will move to two and that will be good because in all honestly is [if] somebody wanted to make a mockery of our education system, they could with the one-and-done, they could.

"You pass six hours in the fall and don't go to school in the spring, and next thing you know you are still eligible to play the whole year. It has been abused a little bit, but not sure the abuse we see is strictly because of the one-an-done."

Texas coach Rick Barnes has a unique perspective on the one-and-done players and how to keep academic integrity. He says he talks to perspective student-athletes who might have that opportunity to exit for the NBA early and explains if they do so that he is OK with their decision as long as they take care of their school work during that spring semester.

It worked with Kevin Durant, who left the Longhorns after one spectacular season in 2007. Barnes had the same conversation with D.J. Augustin, T.J. Ford and LaMarcus Aldridge. He hasn't had a problem with the NCAA and its APR guidelines.

"If a person told me they wouldn't do that then we wouldn't recruit them," Barnes said. "That's a decision we have to make it so we lay that out."

While the college game has been left holding the bag on these dilemmas, the NBA has just gone about its business. NBA commissioner David Stern has only offered that his league's primary concern is nurturing its game the right way and that is by bringing in experienced players. Players can get that experience either in college, the NBA Developmental League, and now Europe seems to be becoming an option.

Point guard Brandon Jennings raised some eyebrows last year when he left high school and went over to Europe for a year to play ball. And after an underwhelming season with Lottomatica Roma of Italy, Jennings seems poised to be a late lottery pick in Thursday's draft.

Self isn't sure Europe will be the answers, though the floodgates appear to be opening.

"People look at him and ask did it work? The jury is still out on if it worked," Self said. "You pay a 20-year-old young man a lot of money, but can he impact a professional team with 25 or 30-year-old men on it? That's hard to do. [Jennings] is obviously a great talent and everything but I don't know if teams in the future and the economic times, that guys are going to get million dollar deals over there.

"I think it's kind of pie in the sky with what a lot of people view overseas to be and it's not quite like that. Those are business people trying to make the best decisions. They're not just throwing away money."

But whose problem should it be if things don't work out overseas or if the NBA is forced to draft players on potential instead of proven talent or if players opt for pro riches before they are ready?

Capel says that burden should fall on the shoulders of the college basketball game. In the last two years Capel has had two freshmen who looked at the NBA but decided to return to school. Griffin considered the jump last summer and Big 12 Freshman of the Year Willie Warren weighed his options this spring before deciding to return next season.

"I sometimes think that we make a mistake and think that we have to save or protect kids from themselves," Capel said. "I don't agree with that, I just don't. I grew up with a father and mother, people that constantly taught me about choice and that you have to live with the choices and accept things that come along with your choices and that also include bad choices.

"I think these kids should have the right to go straight from high school. To be quite honest with you, some of them aren't college material and the one-and-done rule makes a mockery of that."

NCAA Coaches Critical of NBA Age Limit originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bill SelfDavid SternJeff CapelRick BarnesTerrance HarrisWed, 24 Jun 2009 21:40:00 EST Big 12 Hoops Coaches Say League Will Be Best Next Seasonhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/17/big-12-hoops-coaches-say-league-will-be-best-next-season/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/17/big-12-hoops-coaches-say-league-will-be-best-next-season/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/17/big-12-hoops-coaches-say-league-will-be-best-next-season/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Bill Self, Kansas coachThe 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 Jeff Cape, Oklahoma coach versus North Carolinaa 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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]]>blake griffinBlakeGriffincole aldrichColeAldrichdamion jamesDamionJamesdexter pittmanDexterPittmandoc sadlerDocSadlerjames andersonJamesAndersonjeff capeljohn calipariJohnCaliparikeith gallonKeithGallonmark turgeonMarkTurgeonpat knightPatKnightsherron collinsSherronCollinswillie warrenWillieWarrenTerrance HarrisWed, 17 Jun 2009 12:58:00 EST Sooners Could Miss Booted Juan Pattillohttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/18/sooners-could-miss-booted-juan-pattillo/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/18/sooners-could-miss-booted-juan-pattillo/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/18/sooners-could-miss-booted-juan-pattillo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Don't look now, but Sunday's sudden dismissal of 6-foot-6 rising senior forward Juan Pattillo has made the Oklahoma Sooners frontline for next season much younger and far more inexperienced.

The Sooners were already coming into the 2009-10 season with major questions marks in their frontcourt with the departure of All-American Blake Griffin and his brother Taylor Griffin to the NBA. But things became more uncertain with the removal of the athletic Pattillo from the equation.

Head coach Jeff Capel announced Sunday that Pattillo had been removed from the squad for violation of team rules. The speculation in Oklahoma is that the former junior college transfer was jettisoned because of academic issues. Capel declined to comment further.
Pattillo, who had some impressive moments sprinkled in with a lot of inconsistency last season, would have contended for one of the starting forward spots. OU will now have five scholarship players to contend for its frontline positions, including incoming freshmen Keith "Tiny" Gallon, Andrew Fitzgerald and Kyle Hardrick. Also figuring into the mix are seniors Ryan Wright and Orlando Allen, who have been role players the past couple seasons.

In Pattillo, the Sooners would have had an athletic big man who showed some ability at both ends of the floor last season as finisher and shot blocker. Few in Norman will forget his 15-point effort during the Sooners' loss to Kansas when Blake was out with a concussion or his 14-point, 10-rebound output in a win over Baylor.

Pattillo also certainly had his moments of inconsistency throughout the year, but he began the year expecting to redshirt after transferring in the College of Southern Idaho. He decided to come out of the redshirt in January.

Pattillo, who served a one-game suspension for the Sooners Feb. 28th game against Texas Tech, averaged 6.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 15 minutes per game last season.

Latest College Basketball Images

    British actor Russell Brand watches from court side as the Los Angeles Lakers play the Houston Rockets during Game 7 of their NBA Western Conference semi-final basketball playoff game in Los Angeles, May 17, 2009. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL ENTERTAINMENT)

    Reuters

    British actor Russell Brand watches from court side as the Los Angeles Lakers play the Houston Rockets during Game 7 of their NBA Western Conference semi-final basketball playoff game in Los Angeles, May 17, 2009. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok (UNITED STATES SPORT ENTERTAINMENT BASKETBALL)

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    Cab driver Mohammed Jiddou,sits in his cab on May 14, 2009 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jiddou,who got into an altercation with Mississippi basketball coach Andy Kennedy said he's frequently recognized these days by passengers and doesn't always feel safe driving the streets because of last December's incident. (AP Photo/The Enquirer, Michael E. Keating

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    Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair, right, secures a rebound against Georgetown's Austin Freeman (15) during second half action at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., Saturday, January 3, 2009. Pitt defeated Georgetown, 70-54. (Chuck Myers/MCT)

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    Pittsburgh forward DeJuan Blair (45) puts up a shot over Georgetown center Greg Monroe (10) during first half action at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., Saturday, January 3, 2009. Pitt defeated Georgetown, 70-54. (Chuck Myers/MCT)

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    Pittsburgh's Gary McGhee (52) goes high to grab a rebound between Georgetown's Greg Monroe (10) and DaJuan Summers (3) during first half action at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., Saturday, January 3, 2009. Pitt defeated Georgetown, 70-54. (Chuck Myers/MCT)

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    Pittsburgh forward DeJuan Blair, right, puts a shot up over Georgetown defenders Greg Monroe (10) and DaJuan Summers (3) during first half action at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., Saturday, January 3, 2009. (Chuck Myers/MCT)

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    President Barack Obama receives a jersey from coach Roy Williams of the University of North Carolina men's basketball team at the White House on May 11, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT)

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    President Barack Obama welcomes the University of North Carolina men's basketball team to the South Lawn of the White House on May 11, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT)

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    President Barack Obama welcomes the University of North Carolina men's basketball team to the South Lawn of the White House on May 11, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT)

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Sooners Could Miss Booted Juan Pattillo originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 18 May 2009 17:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>blake griffinBlakeGriffinjeff capelJeffCapelJuan PattilloJuanPattilloKeith GallonKeithGallonTerrance HarrisMon, 18 May 2009 17:01:00 EST Oklahoma Can't Keep Up With Missourihttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/04/oklahoma-cant-keep-up-with-missouri/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/04/oklahoma-cant-keep-up-with-missouri/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/04/oklahoma-cant-keep-up-with-missouri/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's incredible to still be saying this March 4, but before Wednesday night's game against Missouri the Oklahoma Sooners hadn't been faced with a real road test while at full strength all season. They didn't play any potential NCAA Tournament teams on the road in non-conference play, and Blake Griffin was injured in the first half of their game in Austin.

That finally changed when they went into Columbia, and while they didn't embarrass themseleves, the Sooners sure didn't have the look of a national title contender in their 73-64 loss to Mizzou.

No. 15 Missouri 73, No. 4 Oklahoma 64: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

The Tigers jumped ahead 13-5 in the first five minutes of the game and never relinquished that lead. They lived on putbacks and threes through the first half; DeMarre Carroll led the charge with nine points in the first period, and five offensive boards on the night. The effective shooting from deep was more of a group effort, as four different Tigers hit threes in the first half as the team combined for 6-for-14 shooting from beyond the arc.

Both Griffins had a solid first half for the Sooners -- Blake and his brother Taylor combined for 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting before the break -- but the rest of the team was very ineffective, shooting a dismal 3-for-20 from the field. Oklahoma's supporting cast has the opportunity to thrive when opposing defenses focus in on the younger Griffin, constantly throwing double- and triple-teams at him. But that didn't happen tonight, and it's the main reason that Missouri emerged with a comfortable victory.

The result isn't just a function of Oklahoma's failure of course. It actually wasn't an upset, as the Tigers were favored by four. Their frantic style clearly flustered the Sooners, both in forcing numerous turnovers and wearing Oklahoma down as the game went on. Griffin could be seen trying to catch his breath before shooting free throws multiple times down the stretch, and he ended up missing his final four shots from the line.

Despite now having lost three of four, the Sooners still have a chance to claim a No. 1 seed in the tournament. Two of those losses were without their star, and they're still 26-4 on the year. They need to beat Oklahoma St. at home on Saturday though, and then have a good showing in the Big 12 Tournament.

Missouri improves to 12-3 in conference and remains undefeated at home on the year. They'll travel to Texas A&M in a challenging game to end the regular season. The Tigers are probably in line for a three seed after this win, but they could easily move up or down depending on how things shake out down the stretch.

Oklahoma Can't Keep Up With Missouri originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>blake griffinBlakeGriffindemarre carrollDemarreCarrollJacob Wheatley-SchallerWed, 04 Mar 2009 23:30:00 EST Blake Griffin Cleared to Play Saturdayhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/blake-griffin-cleared-to-play-saturday/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/blake-griffin-cleared-to-play-saturday/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/blake-griffin-cleared-to-play-saturday/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Blake Griffin has missed his team's last two games due to a concussion suffered against Texas, both of which were Oklahoma losses.

Needless to say, he's the most important part of one of the better teams in the nation.

Fortunately for the Sooners, Griffin has been cleared to play again, and will likely return against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday.

Griffin's absence was felt heavily with losses to Texas and Kansas, respectively, even if the Sooners did come close to winning both games.

There's been some discussion as to whether bringing back Griffin this quickly was the smart move, but Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said that the training staff was satisfied by Griffin's physical, so one has to presume that he's recovered from the effects of the concussion.

Blake Griffin Cleared to Play Saturday originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>blake griffinBlakeGriffinjeff capelJeffCapelWill BrinsonSat, 28 Feb 2009 15:40:00 EST Blake Griffin Returns to Practice, While Forward Juan Pattillo Gets Suspendedhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/26/blake-griffin-practices-status-still-unsure/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/26/blake-griffin-practices-status-still-unsure/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/26/blake-griffin-practices-status-still-unsure/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It's a win some, lose some kind of day for Oklahoma. On the downside, the Sooners suspended forward Juan Pattillo for Saturday's game against Texas Tech, further weakening an already depleted frontcourt.

But on the upside, that might be Oklahoma's temporarily depleted frontcourt.

While the Sooners were announcing news of Pattillo's suspension for violating an unspecified team rule, according to the Oklahoman, player of the year candidate Blake Griffin was doing something he hadn't done in almost a week -- playing basketball.




Griffin returned to practice Thursday for the first time since he suffered a rather large concussion against Texas last Saturday night. But, there's no guarantee that he'll be ready for this Saturday's game, according to Sooners head coach Jeff Capel, also via The Oklahoman.

Griffin sat out Monday's game against Kansas due to the injury, while Pattillo, whose developed into a nice complimetary player since turning in his redshirt 11 games ago, scored 15 points.

Pattillo will not play Saturday. Griffin probably shouldn't either.

Why? Well, for starters, the Sooners should be able to beat the Red Raiders without Griffin and Pattillo. Obviously losing Griffin hurts Oklahoma's chances in any game, but they certainly have the talent to take down Texas Tech without him. They did, after all, nearly "upset" Kansas with Griffin sitting on the bench.

Additionally, as I noted following the Kansas game, the Sooners need, more than anything else, to make sure Griffin is healthy when they head into the postseason. If Capel jumps the gun and puts him on the floor against the Red Raiders and he suffers further injury, it would be the worst coaching mistake of his young career.

Blake Griffin Returns to Practice, While Forward Juan Pattillo Gets Suspended originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Will BrinsonThu, 26 Feb 2009 22:45:00 EST Ranking the Rankings: Pitt's Full Circlehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/24/ranking-the-rankings-pitts-full-circle/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/24/ranking-the-rankings-pitts-full-circle/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/24/ranking-the-rankings-pitts-full-circle/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics when the polls come out.

Headlining: Pittsburgh beat Connecticut to kick off the week, led by DeJuan Blair's ridiculous 22-point, 23-rebound effort. It seemed relatively unlikely at the time that the Panthers could manage to jump both North Carolina and Oklahoma, providing that either one of the two won out for the week.

But then Saturday rolled around. The Tar Heels fell to Maryland and Oklahoma, without Blake Griffin for most of the game, coughed one up to Texas.

And suddenly, Pitt was No. 1 in both polls and without any real question to the matter. Just four first-place ballots went elsewhere. There shouldn't have been any debate, either. Memphis nearly lost to UTEP while the Panthers throttled DePaul to close out the week on a seven-game winning streak.

Free-Fallin': Wake Forest (20-5). Despite the dead-horse nature of "young Wake team in Cameron" from Sunday night, there's a little bit of truth to what people are saying about Dino Gaudio's team -- they've hit a wall. It's intriguing to see just how streaky Wake Forest, and specifically star guard Jeff Teague, played in Durham. Yes, they're obviously talented, but, no, they're probably not winning the national title this year.

You Gotta Rise Up: Duke (22-5). It's not so much that the Devils skyrocketed in the polls, it's just that they switched Elliot Williams into the starting lineup and pumped Mike Krzyzewski full of Red Bull for the six hours leading up to the Wake game. It was a bizarre turn for a team that seemed to be free-falling (hence their inclusion) and games at Maryland and at Virginia Tech this week could make for some interesting schizophrenic tendencies as well. But, frankly, I think the Blue Devils are much more likely to keep rolling.

Hyped: UCLA (20-7). The Bruins earned three of their seven losses over the past two-and-a-half weeks, dropping games to Arizona State, Arizona and Washington State. It's certainly a rough patch, although it is a stretch that includes a win over Washington. That's nice and all, but the problem, as Mr. Papagiorgio pointed out, is that it was UCLA's first win over a ranked opponent. Yet, somehow they're still in the Top 25. See where I'm going with this?


Bunked: Kansas (23-5). What interests me is how high the pollsters will push the Jayhawks after their win over Oklahoma. I tend to think they might get discounted because Griffin didn't play on Monday. If that's the case, it seems a little bit silly since Kansas has only lost twice since the start of 2009, and those two losses were to Michigan State and Missouri. Yes, both teams are in the top 10.

WTF? Griffin didn't play Monday night because he couldn't pass the "Standard Assessment of Concussion." Like a good little blogger, I googled that mess to try and find out what kind of sheet Holly Rowe was actually holding up. And this link (a Word Doc) appears to best represent the test. Frankly, I hope they administered that before the season and gauged Griffin based on relative results, because there's almost no chance that I could pass that thing right freaking now.

People Who Vote Are Smart (Brought to You by Pollspeak.com): Roger Clarkson pulls the bizzaro ballot this week, and really it's for just two reasons. First of all, he has Wake Forest ranked seventh. That's unacceptable with the week the Deacons had, unless he missed the game Sunday night against Duke. That would actually be even more unacceptable. Secondly, he's got Memphis 12th. Twelfth! Something ain't stirring the Kool-Aid there.

Ranking the Rankings: Pitt's Full Circle originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bill selfBillSelfblake griffinBlakeGriffindejuan blairDejuanBlairdino gaudioDinoGaudioelliot williamsElliotWilliamsjeff teagueJeffTeaguemike krzyzewskiMikeKrzyzewskirankingtherankingsWill BrinsonTue, 24 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST Kansas Wins, but That's Not the Storyhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/23/kansas-holds-off-griffin-less-sooners/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/23/kansas-holds-off-griffin-less-sooners/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/23/kansas-holds-off-griffin-less-sooners/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The story wasn't going to be about Kansas winning. Seriously. The Jayhawks never had a chance of grabbing the headlines. Even with Bill Self's crew closing out an impressive Big 12 road win, ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla was still discussing the lack of impact this game would have on Oklahoma's NCAA tournament resume.

That's because Blake Griffin didn't play. And that's not to take away from Kansas' impressive 87- 78 win over the Sooners in Norman, Okla., but it would be completely unrealistic to think this is the same Oklahoma team with Griffin on the bench.
Kansas 87-Oklahoma 78: Box Score | Full AP Recap | Standings
Still, Kansas looked good. Sherron Collins and Tyshawn Taylor blew up for 26 points each, and Cole Aldrich posted a monster 15-point, 20-rebound line. The Jayhawks, who led by seven at the half, managed to fight off a furious Oklahoma rally late in the second half and take first place in the Big 12.

But the bigger point is that regular season standings only matter through the Big 12 season. If Griffin isn't healthy by Selection Sunday, then it won't matter what kind of Big 12 banner the Sooners stick in their rafters, because his absence would turn a really good team into just a good team. As talented as Oklahoma's Willie Warren and Taylor Griffin are, they're not helping coach Jeff Capel cut down the nets in Detroit if the younger Griffin isn't back to help them.

On the other hand though, there's definitely something to be said about the effort that the Griffin-less Sooners put out tonight -- they stormed out to an early lead in front of a white-out crowd, watched that hot start turn into a sizable deficit and still stormed back against a good Kansas team.

While that kind of effort alone isn't enough to give them a No. 1 seed in either the NCAA or Big 12 tournament, it is the kind of game that screams "good loss" and might somehow propel the Sooners to greater heights.

Of course, those things depend on Blake Griffin coming back healthy. That was that the story all along.

Kansas Wins, but That's Not the Story originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bill selfBillSelfblake griffinBlakeGriffinchris webberChrisWebberfran fraschillaFranFraschillajeff capelJeffCapelsherrod collinssherrod taylorSherrodCollinsSherrodTaylortaylor griffinTaylorGriffintyshawn taylorTyshawnTaylorwillie warrenWillieWarrenWill BrinsonMon, 23 Feb 2009 23:40:00 EST Blake Griffin Out Against Kansashttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/23/blake-griffin-out-versus-kansas/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/23/blake-griffin-out-versus-kansas/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/23/blake-griffin-out-versus-kansas/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Blake Griffin, arguably the best player in the country right now, will not play tonight when Oklahoma plays its first game after losing to Texas Saturday.

Griffin suffered a concussion and only played part of the game Saturday, but received a "clean" bill of health. Still, his status for tonight's game remained in question. Now it's official, he's out. Sooner head coach Jeff Capel has stated that there's no real timetable for Griffin's return, and frankly, that's a smart move.

Oklahoma is locked into the NCAA tournament -- although not necessarily a No. 1 seed at this point -- and risking further injury to their best player would be a seriously erroneous coaching maneuver.

That being said, Bill Self has to feel a whole heck of a lot better about Kansas' chances against the Sooners tonight. And unfortunately, most of us probably feel a whole heck of a lot worse about the exciting nature of tonight's Big 12 showdown.

Update: Holly Rowe is reporting on SportsCenter that over the past two days, Griffin has not passed the "Standard Assessment of Concussion" test that is administered in the preseason for a baseline; Griffin is "improving" though.

Blake Griffin Out Against Kansas originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bill SelfBillSelfBlake GriffinBlakeGriffinJeff CapelJeffCapelWill BrinsonMon, 23 Feb 2009 18:05:00 EST Blake Griffin Has Clean MRIhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/22/blake-griffin-has-a-clean-mri/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/22/blake-griffin-has-a-clean-mri/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/22/blake-griffin-has-a-clean-mri/#commentsFiled under: ,

An MRI taken of Blake Griffin's skull came out clear of any indication of a concussion, which is obviously good news for Griffin and the Sooners. While he is still not officially cleared to play in Monday night's game against Kansas, the likelihood increases that he will. The teams are tied at the top of the Big 12 conference.

Griffin took an inadvertent shot across the bridge of his nose in the first half of Saturday night's game at Texas. He only played a few more minutes before Oklahoma pulled him for the rest of the game. Without Griffin, the Sooners fell to a desperate Longhorn team.

Blake Griffin Has Clean MRI originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>blakegriffinChas RichSun, 22 Feb 2009 13:30:00 EST Texas Stops Griffin-less Oklahomahttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/21/abrams-texas-hang-on-against-griffinless-oklahoma/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/21/abrams-texas-hang-on-against-griffinless-oklahoma/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/21/abrams-texas-hang-on-against-griffinless-oklahoma/#commentsFiled under: , ,

All the hype prior to Saturday night's primetime showdown between Texas and Oklahoma was focused on superstar Sooners forward Blake Griffin, but in the end it was two guards who stole the show, with Texas' sharpshooter getting the last laugh.

Griffin suffered an apparent concussion after taking an elbow to the nose midway through the first half, and didn't play at all in the second period, finishing with just two points on the night. The Longhorns went on a run right after the break to go up 12, but for a while it looked like freshman Oklahoma guard Willie Warren would be the star of the night, as he hit four threes in a 3:28 span to put OU up five.

A.J. Abrams had other ideas though, and in the final twist of the night he scored 16 straight Longhorns points, putting his team in position to hold on for a 73-68 victory.

Texas took a 34-29 lead into halftime, and a 5-0 run coming out of the break put them up 12. But then Oklahoma's offense, even without its star, came to life, led by Warren and junior Tony Crocker. The former finished with 27 points, including 17 in the second half. Among them were a deep three that he banked home with the shot clock running down, and one he incredibly made while hobbling on a busted ankle, falling down in pain as it swished through the net.

That final shot could've been devastating for the Longhorns, who desperately needed this game, but Abrams wouldn't let that happen. The battle-tested guard had a quiet first half, with just five points; Damion James was the star for Texas for most of the night, with 16 points and 10 boards, seven of them on the offensive end, before fouling out with 2:35 to go.

Abrams dominated the game down the stretch though, with 18 points in the game's last 8:02. The senior has played with an incredible amount of talent -- including LaMarcus Aldridge, Daniel Gibson, Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin -- in his Texas career, but with all of them having moved onto the NBA, he's become the focal point of the Longhorns' offense. For a large part of their disappointing season that's been a problem, but it certainly wasn't tonight, as he was unstoppable from the perimeter down the stretch.

Oklahoma may have lost, but, given the circumstances, this was probably one of their most impressive performances of the year. Playing in Austin without the best player in the nation is tough to do, and the only thing that could stop the Sooners from coming away with a win was a ridiculous streak from one of the world's best shooters. Warren, a leading candidate for freshman of the year, was very impressive, and Crocker also stepped up with 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting. The Sooners are going to have to get over this loss quickly, as they have a surprisingly good Kansas team coming into Norman on Monday night. Griffin's status for that game is currently unknown

This was a huge win for the Longhorns, who were getting dangerously close to bubble territory after losing four of six. They're now 7-5 in the Big 12, and with non-conference wins over UCLA, Villanova and Wisconsin, they'll be back in the tournament, barring an unforeseen collapse.

Texas Stops Griffin-less Oklahoma originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 23:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>aj abramsAjAbramsblake griffinBlakeGriffindamion jamesDamionJameswillie warrenWillieWarrenJacob Wheatley-SchallerSat, 21 Feb 2009 23:40:00 EST Bracketology Busters: No. 1 Pretenderhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/18/bracketology-busters-the-no-1-pretender/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/18/bracketology-busters-the-no-1-pretender/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/18/bracketology-busters-the-no-1-pretender/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Each week, ESPN's Joe Lunardi predicts the NCAA tournament field if the season ended today. While he's good at this, Lunardi only focuses on past performance, and wins and losses. Bracketology Busters looks at which teams should be expected to perform significantly better or worse than their projected seeds.

With less than a month until Selection Sunday, things are starting to shake out, but there are still some large gaps between perception and reality. This week, we feature an emerging Big East team, and a Big 12 power that might be overrated.

Oklahoma | Current Seed: 1 | Status: Overrated

If they beat Texas Saturday night, the Sooners will not only be No. 1 in their region in Bracketology, but also the top-ranked team in both polls. It's easy to see why. A win against the Longhorns would move the Sooners to 26-1 overall and 12-0 in the Big 12. Likely national player of the year Blake Griffin's ridiculous stat lines in the frontcourt are a huge plus for public perception as well.

But Oklahoma hasn't been nearly as dominant as any of those numbers would indicate.

They've been winning, but not convincingly; six of their 11 conference wins have come by eight points or less. Sooner or later, the ball isn't going to bounce their way in one of these close games. And it's not like all those tight wins have come against elite teams. One of them was a five-point victory at home against Colorado; that same Buffaloes team found themselves down 37-9 at halftime of their next game against Iowa State.

Griffin is obviously fantastic, there's no disputing that. His teammates, offensively at least, are excellent as well. Freshman guard Willie Warren is hitting 60-percent of his attempts inside the arc and senior Austin Johnson hitting more than his share of big 3-pointers. But on defense, Griffin's supporting cast leaves a lot to be desired.

The 6-foot-10 sophomore is one of the best defensive rebounders in the nation, but Oklahoma's overall defense is pretty ordinary. The Sooners perimeter pressure in particular leaves a lot to be desired; they struggle to force turnovers, and are just average at defending the three. In this sense, the 2009 Sooners are reminiscent of 2008 UConn: one obvious, memorable defensive presence on an otherwise pedesterian unit. (That team, for the history challenged, flamed out in the first round to 13th-seed San Diego. Though, in Connecticut's defense, leading scorer A.J. Price played just nine minutes before injuring his knee.)

From a performance standpoint, Oklahoma really hasn't done anything in Big 12 play to separate itself from either Kansas or Missouri. They'll be given that opportunity though. Along with their visit to Austin Saturday night, they face both the Jayhawks and Tigers down the stretch. With their gaudy record, the Sooners could lose one, and maybe even two, of those three marquee matchups and maintain their No. 1 seed. But even if they do end up on the top line, in reality they're just not in the same class as teams like North Carolina and Pittsburgh.


West Virginia | Current Seed: 7 | Status: Underrated

The Mountaineers have seen the forces of luck and scheduling conspire against them over their first 12 games in Big East play. Despite their 6-6 league record, they've actually outscored their opponents by an average of almost four points per game. On a per-possession basis, West Virginia has been the sixth best team in the conference, just behind Villanova.

And they've done it against an incredibly difficult schedule. As impressive as the Big East is this season, it does have four teams -- South Florida, St. John's, Rutgers, and DePaul -- that just aren't very good. In their first 12 conference games, West Virginia has faced those four teams a total of two times; in their final six games, they'll go against three of them, including a home game against DePaul, easily the worst team in the league. The Mountaineers have also already played the conference's two best teams, in Pittsburgh and Connecticut, and don't have to face either over the final three weeks of the regular season.

Another reason West Virginia has flown under the radar is that nothing about the Mountaineers really catches your attention. With Joe Alexander gone to the NBA, they don't have a star on their roster. They excel at two things that you'll never notice by just watching highlights: offensive rebounding and perimeter defense. Ken Pomeroy's efficiency ratings have them ranked 16th and second in the nation in those two categories, respectively. Putbacks and guard defense may not be as exciting as dunks and blocks, but when it comes to winning basketball games they are just as, if not more, important.

Thanks to the easy closing schedule, West Virginia will likely finish with 11 or so conference wins, and rise above their current seven seed. But because of their bad fortune thus far in the year, they'll probably still be underseeded come tournament time; if you're a No. 1 seed, the Mountaineers are not a team you'd want to face in the Sweet 16.

Bracketology Busters: No. 1 Pretender originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bigeastJacob Wheatley-SchallerWed, 18 Feb 2009 11:54:00 EST Ranking the Rankings: UConn Still No. 1*http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/17/ranking-the-rankings-uconn-still-no-1/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/17/ranking-the-rankings-uconn-still-no-1/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/17/ranking-the-rankings-uconn-still-no-1/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics when the polls come out.

Headlining: The beauty of a Tuesday column, at least this season, is that whoever ends up No. 1 can do so with an asterisk based on Monday's games. (*In case you didn't know already, Pittsburgh beat Connecticut.) And it appears that next week, we'll likely have a new No. 1 team in the nation. That will likely be Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners. Which is fitting, considering Griffin dropped a rediculous 40-point, 23-rebound Valentine's Day stat line on Texas Tech Saturday night.

But for now, at least, UConn is still your No. 1 based on this week's rankings. And it's not like they don't deserve it either; yes, Hasheem Thabeet was outmanned by DeJuan Blair down low (from the start, no less), and yes, the Huskies missed Jerome Dyson, but they're still a top-five squad despite losing on their home court Monday.

Freefallin': Duke (20-5). "Freefall" might be a stretch considering Duke is "only" at ninth overall. But they've lost four of six overall and the only two wins were over Virginia (unimpressive) and Miami (a textbook squeaker). The Blue Devils have serious issues right now, particularly with their point guard and post play, and unfortunately, those are two pretty important aspects of basketball. The home stretch, featuring North Carolina, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Florida State, isn't pretty either. Butler (22-3). Here's a hint, mid-majors: Don't lose. The Bulldogs, a very talented and dangerous, albeit young, team, coughed up a single game to Loyola-Chicago and nearly got booted from the top 25. Presuming Stephen Curry can play this Saturday, they'll have a chance for redemption at Davidson. Matt Howard, by the way, is very much for real. UCLA (19-6). It's a pretty simple formula, really. Lose twice in a week after having your value inflated (sixth in the Coaches' Poll!) and you'll hurt yourself moving down the poll the next week.

You Gotta Rise Up: Arizona State (20-5). Just another 20-game winner plus a trip to the NCAA for Herb Sendek, eh? The Sun Devils rode a four-game winning streak, including a home victory over UCLA for a season sweep of the Bruins, all the way up to 11th in the coaches' Poll (14th in the AP). LSU (21-4). Clearly, the Tigers felt that the SEC was under performing and needed someone to rep the conference in the polls. That, and they ripped off six straight wins (and nine of their last 10); granted, every single one of those wins is in-conference, so the whole "grain of salt" thing applies, but that doesn't make a tiny taste of cream rising above sour milk any less impressive. Back-to-backs against Florida and at Kentucky might even come after they've locked up an SEC West title and an NCA tourney bid.

Hyped: Duke, clearly, right? The Devils aren't "bad" per se, but right now, I'm extremely confident that they are not the ninth best team in the nation. Sure, college basketball is rife with parity and the ACC is most likely the best conference in the nation (the Big East, obviously, would disagree) but if you're a top-10 team in the nation, you're not coughing up four of six games. The Clemson game -- an absolute embarrassment -- stands out more than anything.

Bunked: Arizona, despite winning seven straight games -- in-conference no less! -- isn't pulling much love from the pollsters. And sure, maybe they aren't a legit top-25 team (sorry, Bacon) at this exact moment, if we're going to reward Syracuse for losing seven games, I see no reason why the Wildcats can't get some love with eight. Missouri is ranked 11th in the AP poll, and while that might seem generous even following a huge come from behind win over Kansas and a throttling of Nebraska, I think they're better than that. Certainly better than Duke and Wake Forest, no?

WTF? Why are there only 500 some names on the Pollspeak petition to force all college voting polls into the public? There should be five million. Do your country a favor and sign that sucker electronically so we can make sure the integrity of our college athletics aren't being compromised. Or, "more compromised than they already are by the BCS."

People Who Vote Are Smart (Brought to You by Pollspeak.com): Michael Vega was the pretty clear winner in "insane voter of the week" for the past seven days. While I don't necessarily disagree with all of the points he appears to be making with his ballot, there are still some, ahem, irregularities. For instance, Duke is 25th. Even I won't agree with that. Additionally, Butler is sixth. Not doable following a loss to Loyola. He has Dayton at seventh, while Louisville clocks in at a lowly 17. Additionally, Arizona State is unranked. LSU sits at 13. And even Connecticut was number two (regardless if that turned out to be correct, it's indicative). All told, six of his teams are higher in the polls than anyone else, with another six checking in lower than anyone else. It's like someone handed Jeff Goldblum (the Jurassic Park version) a ballot and some sort of chaos theory erupted, only with less non-pertinent lines of thinking.

Ranking the Rankings: UConn Still No. 1* originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>blake griffinBlakeGriffindejuan blairDejuanBlairhasheem thabeetHasheemThabeetjerome dysonJeromeDysonmatt howardMattHowardrankingtherankingsstephen curryStephenCurryWill BrinsonTue, 17 Feb 2009 12:45:00 EST Blake Griffin Makes With the Thunderhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/09/blake-griffin-makes-with-the-thunder/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/09/blake-griffin-makes-with-the-thunder/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/09/blake-griffin-makes-with-the-thunder/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This Youtubery of Blake Griffin getting absolutely unholy has been making the rounds all day but I give credit to Luke Winn (since I saw it there first, naturally) for pointing me towards the thunder. If I was another sports blog, I might give Blake Griffin the Player of the Year award right here. Right now. Hey, was that Van Halen?

Blake Griffin Makes With the Thunder originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Will BrinsonMon, 09 Feb 2009 23:15:00 EST Kelvin Sampson Appealing Punishmenthttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/kelvin-sampson-appealing-punishment/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/kelvin-sampson-appealing-punishment/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/27/kelvin-sampson-appealing-punishment/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

After the dust settled in the NCAA's investigations of Kelvin Sampson, the former coach of Indiana and Oklahoma was virtually banned for five years from coaching college basketball.

It's not a hard-and-fast ban, but the process schools would have to go through to hire Sampson make it likely not worth the effort -- especially considering the baggage he already carries.

Today, the Indianapolis Star reported that Sampson is appealing his punishment. As you can expect, the grounds for appeal are quite lame, and don't appear to have much chance to stick.

His first claim is that testimony from Sampson's fall-guy, Rob Senderoff, was misinterpreted. You might remember Senderoff as the member of Sampson's staff who was summarily dismissed when charges resurfaced toward the beginning of last season. Simply put, we're still expected to believe Sampson had no idea Senderoff was placing these phone calls. Furthermore, when he patched in Sampson on a three-way call, we're supposed to believe that Sampson had no idea it was against the rules. Thus, in his mind, Sampson's not guilty of unethicial conduct, which the NCAA concluded he was.

The second charge is a beauty as well.
The second is that the NCAA enforcement staff, essentially the prosecutor in the case, was biased and showed a prejudgment of guilt by requesting a hearing before all of the interviews were complete.
Isn't that rich? The committee was biased against a guy who blatantly neglected to follow their orders after already being placed on probation, threw a member of his staff under the bus, and accepted a buyout the second the investigation got close to taking him down. He was working for the San Antonio Spurs just weeks later.

If he really didn't do anything wrong, why was he so hasty in accepting a buyout? Why flee to the NBA so quickly? Where's the fight? It sounds to me like a guilty man was salvaging what he could of his career, and the evidence found by the NCAA reaffirmed my opinion -- shared by nearly all Indiana fans.

Even if Senderoff shows up to take all the blame for Sampson, which would be one of the most amazing turns of events in history, Sampson was still his boss. The university was held responsible for a "failure to monitor," so Sampson should have been watching his staff closely as well.

Also, are we to believe the embarrassing grade point average, alleged drug use, and mass exodus of his players -- after the season -- was all a huge coincidence? Tom Crean came in and raised expectations for off-court behavior, and every single one of Sampson's scholarship recruits fled Bloomington like it was a crime scene, leaving a trail of failing grades and flying plants in their wake.

Is the appeal a form of fighting for what is just? I don't know, nor do I care. I don't believe his intentions are for the greater good. No matter what Sampson does anymore, I can't rationalize his actions as anything other than selfish and -- likely -- unethical. If I'm wrong, so be it. He's made this bed for himself by nearly ruining two programs.

Of course, I'm sure that wasn't his fault. Nothing ever is.

Kelvin Sampson Appealing Punishment originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>kelvin sampsonKelvinSampsonrob senderoffRobSenderoffMatt SnyderTue, 27 Jan 2009 15:10:00 EST Ranking the Rankings: Wake Forest Claims the Top Spot; ACC, Big East Rulehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/19/rankings-ranking-wake-forest-claims-the-top-spot-acc-big-east/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/19/rankings-ranking-wake-forest-claims-the-top-spot-acc-big-east/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/19/rankings-ranking-wake-forest-claims-the-top-spot-acc-big-east/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics as soon as the polls come out.

It shouldn't come as a tremendous surprise that the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the nation's only remaining undefeated team, are the consensus number one team in the nation. Oh wait, what's that? They're not the consensus team? Interesting.

They are close though -- Duke garnered four AP first place votes and six votes in the coaches poll to lock up the second overall ranking in both polls, while Connecticut and Pittsburgh rounded out the top four. Perhaps Coach K's media scathing resonated with more than just the News & Observer.

This is, the first time that Wake has been No. 1 since Chris Paul graced the hardwood of Lawrence Joel, but it's an interesting change because this is a completely different Deacon team, and one that's dominated by a youthful demeanor.

But, yes, in other words, when it comes to college basketball this year, there is the ACC, there is the Big East, and then there is everyone else. That's not to say that the ACC is necessarily better overall than the Big East; it's probably telling that the latter's two "best" (by record) teams are ranked lower (Louisville is 9 in the AP, 12 in the coaches', while Marquette is 11 and 10, respectively) than the two teams everyone else considers to be the favorites: UConn and Pitt.

North Carolina and Oklahoma round out the top five and while, yes, I may be known for piling on the Tar Heels ... well, I'm going to do it again. They whipped up on two bad teams in Virginia and Miami, they've lost both their tests and they're just not as tough on defense without Marcus Ginyard, who won't be around for the Clemson game. I understand that people have a really, really, really hard time not putting them in the top 10, and that's somewhat understandable, but putting them above Oklahoma, who recently pummeled Texas, seems like a bit of a stretch.

Ranking the Rankings: Wake Forest Claims the Top Spot; ACC, Big East Rule originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>chris paulChrisPaulmarcus ginyardMarcusGinyardRankingtheRankingsWill BrinsonMon, 19 Jan 2009 20:30:00 EST