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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NCAA or NIT: Oklahoma State Cowboys

Chas Rich — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:25:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma State, Big 12

Who's in? Who's out? Find out as FanHouse takes a look at teams somewhere between in NCAA or NIT.

Team: Oklahoma State Cowboys

Record: 20-9 (9-6 Big 12)

Good Wins: Rhode Island (Oklahoma City), Texas, Kansas State and at Nebraska

Bad Losses: At Baylor

Comments: The Cowboys played a challenging non-conference schedule that ranked 27th in strength of schedule. They lost three games in the non-con. All three were to eventual regular-season conference winners: Michigan State, Gonzaga and Washington. The rest of the non-conference mixed in some quality mid-majors like Siena, Tulsa and Rhode Island that the Cowboys handled at home in Stillwater or Oklahoma City.

If there is one knock on Oklahoma State, it is that they have not won a big game outside the state of Oklahoma. When beating a 16-11 Nebraska team is the best road win on a resume, there will be questions about a team's ability to win in a true road environment..

Other Views: Oklahoma State is 32nd in RPI, the Basketball State has them 36th, as do the Sagarin Ratings.

Verdict: Oklahoma State played a smart non-conference schedule that really pumped up their computer numbers. The Cowboys have separated themselves from the lower half of the conference. While they have not beaten the top three teams in the Big 12 this year, they have made the case that they are in the group with Texas below that should put them in the NCAA tournament.

The one issue for the Cowboys really is whether they can win road games against good competition. They really need to win at least one game in the Big 12 tournament to make the NCAA Tournament a lock.

NCAA or NIT: Oklahoma State Cowboys originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With All the Suttons Gone, Oklahoma State Shrinks Eddie's Imprint

Chas Rich — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:33:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma State, Big 12, Campus

At historic Gallagher-Iba Arena, they named the court after Eddie Sutton -- the former player and coach. His signature reprinted large across the court in his honor. Well, the relationship between Eddie and Oklahoma State has been strained for some time, and got a little worse when ~~T. Boone Pickens~~ the Cowboys fired Sean Sutton after only two years on the job.

Well with a change in coaches and a need to paint a new 3-point line on the court, Oklahoma State decided it was time for a makeover to Eddie Sutton Court. The new court -- pictured above -- has a much smaller imprint of Eddie Sutton.

The new court was selected by fans and students from eight design choices. In five of the choices Sutton's replica signature was completely removed, with only a printed version of his name on the court. In the other three, the signature was severely reduced.

It's hard not to see that some sort of animosity remains between the Oklahoma State athletic department and the Sutton clan. Forget the dramatically scaled down signature. Over half of the choices offered completely removed Sutton's signature from "his" court.

With All the Suttons Gone, Oklahoma State Shrinks Eddie's Imprint originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Losing Wendell Barnhouse

Charles Rich — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Texas Football, Big 12, Texas A&M Football, Kansas Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, NCAA FB Media Watch

The Big 12's gain is the loss for a lot of college sports fans.

"After 36 years, 23 Final Fours, all 10 Bowl Championship Series title games and a half-dozen laptops, I'm done," he writes.

"I will begin working as a writer/blogger for the Big 12 Conference web site (so I'll need laptop No. 7). The Big 12 wants its web site to convey information about its schools in both video and story form. I'll be somewhat involved with the former and heavily involved with the latter. It's a great opportunity that I'm lucky to have considering the death spiral of major newspapers."

Barnhouse had been the national college football and basketball writer/columnist for the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. Barnhouse's national reach, reputation and popularity grew as the internet allowed more readers access. His columns were considered required reading by many college sports fans. Barnhouse was also one of the few national college sports writers at a newspaper. Not at a national paper, magazine or TV/internet operation.

The Star-Telegram benefited from his reputation, but the actual value to the paper was low. The national following added little to their subscription base. This led the paper to decide to eliminate the national college beat. Offering Barnhouse the choice of a buyout or assuming role of Texas A&M beat writer. As Barnhouse wrote, "Nothing against the Aggies, but it was clearly time to bail out."

Losing Wendell Barnhouse originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Travis Ford Leaves UMass for Oklahoma State

Michael David Smith — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma State Basketball, Umass Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

Travis Ford is leaving UMass to take the head-coaching job at Oklahoma State, ESPN's Doug Gottlieb is reporting:

That's an awfully quick change of mind for Ford, who less than a week ago said he was sticking with UMass. But Oklahoma State has the backing of billionaire T. Boone Pickens, which means the Cowboys can give coaches financial offers that make the six-figure deals of UMass look like chump change.

Ford, who previously turned down LSU, reportedly will meet with his players today to tell them he's leaving. Ford has a 62-35 record in three seasons at UMass and led them to a loss in the NIT title game this year. He replaces Sean Sutton, who resigned after failing to reach the NCAA tournament in 2007 and 2008.

Travis Ford Leaves UMass for Oklahoma State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill Self Turns Down Oklahoma State Money, Will Stay at Kansas

Michael David Smith — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:46:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

The deep pockets of T. Boone Pickens and the desire to return to his alma mater weren't enough to convince Bill Self to leave the school where he's won the national championship.

Self, whose Kansas Jayhawks won the national championship on Monday, has announced he will not go to Oklahoma State and will be back at Kansas next season.

Ordinarily, it wouldn't even be an issue: Kansas just won the national championship and is a better program than Oklahoma State. Why would Self even think of leaving? But Oklahoma State is no ordinary school.

For one thing, it's the school that Self and his wife attended, and it's closer to his family than Kansas. There could have been personal reasons for him to head to Stillwater. And perhaps more importantly, there's Pickens, the billionaire who practically owns the Oklahoma State athletic department and opens up his wallet any time he thinks he can improve it. He would have made Self by far the highest-paid coach in college basketball history.

As it is, Self will turn down a few million but still be highly paid with a new contract and a pay raise at Kansas. Jayhawks Athletic Director Lew Perkins says the details of a new contract for Self "will be finalized in the next few weeks."

Said Self at his news conference today, "I don't know what the big deal is. ... There was never serious interest in leaving the University of Kansas. " Well, coach, the big deal is that you're the most sought-after coach in college basketball, and you're staying put.

Bill Self Turns Down Oklahoma State Money, Will Stay at Kansas originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kansas Shouldn't Fight Too Hard to Keep Bill Self on Their Bench

Josh Alper — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:20:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

If there was a dark lining to the silver cloud that's parked over Lawrence, Kansas this week, it's the possibility that Bill Self could take a massive offer from another Big 12 school and leave the Jayhawks. If rumors are true, Oklahoma State wants to make him a fabulously wealthy man as opposed to merely the wealthy man he is today. He's an OSU alum and money is money so it wouldn't be a surprise if he jumped ship.

After saying a move could happen in a postgame interview Monday, Self addressed the situation again yesterday. He said he was "positively not interested" in the Oklahoma State job but then turned around and said that he was sure he'd be meeting with Kansas soon to "iron things out." He's certainly mastered playing both sides of the fence and even managed to make it seem like the money didn't matter.

"What I'd like to have is like everybody'd like to have. I'd like to have some security. I don't know what even Kansas would remotely be talking (about). We haven't even talked about that. When I say security, I mean years, so hopefully that'll happen."

Here's the thing, Kansas gave him a five-year extension before this season. That's an awful lot of security.

Does winning the title buy you a few more years? I suppose that the school would be amenable to that. They would probably even give a modest salary bump to make sure Self felt his efforts were appreciated. It won't be in the range of what OSU has been rumored to offer nor should it.

Why fight for Self if his first act upon doing what he was hired to do is look for a way to leverage it for himself? He's not the first guy to do it to the Jayhawks and over they years I imagine Kansas has realized that they do more for coaches than coaches do for them. Larry Brown left and the program still thrived. Roy Williams left and the program still thrived. If Bill Self leaves it's hard to imagine basketball at Kansas losing too much of its luster.

Kansas Shouldn't Fight Too Hard to Keep Bill Self on Their Bench originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sean Sutton $2.7 Million From Oklahoma St. to Go Away

Charles Rich — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma State Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

When Oklahoma State forced the resignation of Sean Sutton, he still had 3 years left on his contract at $750,000 per year ($2.25 million total). The school, even with the deep pockets of T. Boone Pickens, really didn't want to have to pay that much each year to Sutton while paying for a new coach. Instead they reached an extended settlement.

Sutton will get $2.7 million over the next 10 years. He'll get $300,000 this month, and then starting in July he gets $20,000 per month for the 10 year period.

Unlike a lot of agreements, he gets the money regardless of whether he takes another job or not. Usually, there is some agreement to offset part of the money when a coach takes another job. Sean Sutton gets this regardless of whether he takes an assistant coaching job or another head coaching job.

Unsurprisingly, there is also a clause for both parties not to speak ill of the other.

According to the settlement document, OSU ''agrees to make no adverse comments or disparaging remarks . . . about Sean P. Sutton.'' And Sutton, ''for himself and members of his immediate family, similarly agrees to make no adverse comments or disparaging remarks (about OSU).''

Eddie Sutton, Sean Sutton's father who coached at OSU from 1990 to 2006, is not defined in the settlement as a member of Sean Sutton's ''immediate family.''

Eddie Sutton, is obviously not very happy about the firing of his son. Even to the point where he is at least making noise about not being sure he wants his name to remain on the court at Gallagher-Iba Arena (though, that just seems like some posturing).

Sean Sutton $2.7 Million From Oklahoma St. to Go Away originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Knight's Advice to Bill Self: Lie

Charles Rich — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:02:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, NCAA Basketball Media Watch

Bob Knight has been great on ESPN. Not because he's lost his cool at any point on the ESPN set. (darn). No, he's been great because he has been refreshingly candid about things. On the day of the NCAA Tournament Championship, the rumors of Oklahoma State pursuing Bill Self were everywhere. The discussion turned to how it should be handled.

Bob Knight compared it to the situation in the 1996 Superbowl with Bill Parcells, the New England Patriots and the New York Jets job. He had the simple and effective suggestion. Lie about it. (Plus, I just get a kick out of Knight calling the Patriots, "Pay-tree-aughts.")

There is no good way to handle it. If he admitted he would listen, it would just be a mess in Lawrence. If he turned Oklahoma State down, cold; he loses bargaining leverage with Kansas on his raise. Plus, no one knows just how interested he is in the job or not.

Bob Knight's Advice to Bill Self: Lie originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill Self Facing the Money Question

Charles Rich — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:18:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Coaches

The rumored numbers that Oklahoma State-T. Boone Pickens are wiling to offer Bill Self to come home to Stillwater are eye-popping. A $6 million signing bonus in addition to a $4 million per year salary. You have to imagine that at that point, the Cowboys would probably throw in whatever it takes to buy out his Kansas contract as well.

Bill Self is doing what is expected at this point. Trying to deflect all the questions that have swirled around him and the Oklahoma State job since Sean Sutton was fired. There was no secret that Pickens and Oklahoma State were targeting Self -- an Oklahoma State graduate.

There is no question that Kansas is the better job. From a historic perspective, it is probably one of the 5 most storied and "name" college basketball programs out there (no particular order -- Kentucky, UNC, UCLA and Indiana). Recruits want to come there, and the talent is rarely in question. Oklahoma State is a good program with nice history, but not near Kansas.

On the other side, Self is an alum. The money is the kind that Kansas cannot and will not match that kind of money, according the Kansas Athletic Director Lew Perkins. Self has shown he can coach, win, and recruit anywhere. It's how he finally landed the Kansas job.

The talent he had assembled at Illinois, especially, showed that he could recruit the talent to compete for a national championship at a program comparable to Oklahoma State. Whether he could do that every year like at Kansas may be a different issue.

Bill Self Facing the Money Question originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill Self Is About To Get Paid

Nathan Fowler — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:22:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

Not only did Bill Self win his 4th Big XII Championship this year, match the school record for wins at Kansas and get to his first Final Four (all of which already meant he was looking at a hefty contract extension in the offseason) ... but today news broke that Sean Sutton is out at Oklahoma State. Both Self and his wife are OSU alumni, and in case you haven't heard - OSU has a booster who's willing to write checks for outrageous sums of money for OSU athletics. There's no doubt that OSU will contact Self to gauge his interest, they would be almost irresponsible to not reach out to an alumni who's one of the best coaches in the country.

That being said, Self already stated today in a press conference that, "If they were to ask me what they should do, I would suggest they go a different direction. I'm not being remotely disrespectful to my alma mater ... My intentions are to be here at Kansas, period." That doesn't sound too good for OSU's chances at luring him away from Kansas. Even more telling though, Self added this comment "I'm sure that when this week is over, Lew and I will iron everything out." Yep, he's going to get paid. Lew Perkins is one of the best AD's in the country and there's no way he didn't see the shambles down in Stillwater this season and not already have the money in place to keep Self right where he was. I bet Kansas announces a large extension for Self immediately after the Final Four - and I wouldn't be surprised if they announced it even earlier.

Bill Self Is About To Get Paid originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sean Sutton Out at Oklahoma State

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma State Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

A source told ESPN's Doug Gottlieb that Sean Sutton is out as the head coach of Oklahoma State.

Sutton was just in his 2nd year as the head coach. He took over in February of 2006 when the coach at the time ... his father Eddie Sutton ... took a leave of absence following an arrest for drunk driving. Eddie never coached at the school again and Sean took over permanently.

In his two full seasons, Sean Sutton was 39-29 with both campaigns ending in first round losses in the N.I.T.

Sean Sutton was groomed for the job by his dad, which makes this a very interesting case. With "succession plans" being the rage around sports nowadays (Pat Knight at Texas Tech; Mike Hopkins at Syracuse; Jim Mora for the Seahawks, etc.), the fact that Sean got just two years means those plans can be cancelled rather quickly. Many people feel that since these legendary coaches hand pick their successors, those newbies will be given some slack.

Apparently not.

Sean Sutton Out at Oklahoma State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big 12 2007-08 Awards

Charles Rich — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas Basketball, Texas Basketball, Oklahoma Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Kansas State Basketball

The Big 12 Conference named their all-Big 12 teams and handed out their awards. Not a lot to disagree, but I still feel compelled to offer my own version.

All-Big 12 team:

Aleks Maric, Nebraska, C
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma, F
Michael Beasley, Kansas State, F
D.J. Augustin, Texas, G
Mario Chalmers, Kansas, G
Darrell Arthur, Kansas, F

As for the individual awards.

Player of the Year:
Michael Beasley, Kansas State

D.J. Augustin, Texas

Not really much of a doubt on this one.

Most Valuable Player:
D.J. Augustin, Texas

Aleks, Maric, Nebraska, Michael Beasley, Kansas State

Cliche, but Augustin makes the whole Longhorn team better. The Longhorns would be good team, but not tied for the Big 12 regular season title.

Rookie of the Year:
Michael Beasley, Kansas State

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

Again, a no-brainer.

Coach of the Year:
Rick Barnes, Texas

Scott Drew, Baylor

Everyone piled on Barnes last year. Saying he didn't know how to use a talent like Kevin Durant. Contra that, a college coach is much more limited by NCAA rules in how much he can have team practices, and he only had one season to work him into the team. It isn't the NBA. Not to mention it is a team and there was other talent that had to be involved.

This season, he showed how much he can coach and gameplan as Texas wasn't necessarily better without Durant. They were, however, a more mature team and had a better feel for what they could do and the gameplan.

Worst Coach:
Sean Sutton, Oklahoma St.

Frank Martin, Kansas State

Martin was put in an impossible situation. He got the job solely to preserve the recruiting class. Sean Sutton may have been put in an even worse situation since he was handed the job as the son of the guy who's name is on the court in Stillwater.

Sutton, though, has had more time to show that he is overmatched. His teams can't win on the road. He looks visibly panicked on the sidelines at points. In the long-term it seems a matter of when he is removed from his job, not if.

Big 12 2007-08 Awards originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oklahoma St. Slows Then Stops Kansas

Charles Rich — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:38:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Big 12 Basketball

Once is a blip. Twice means something.

Kansas lost to Texas when the Longhorns took control of the tempo and forced the Jayhawks to play a slower pace. Sean Sutton and the Oklahoma State Cowboys took detailed notes and followed the blueprint to a 61-60 win over Kansas.

Oklahoma St. kept the pace slow and played inspired defense. Kansas was especially careless with the ball in the first half as they vainly tried to increase the tempo of the game. The Cowboys spent the entire game doing whatever they could to run clock and make every possession a slog. It has become increasingly clear that if a team can force Kansas to play at a slower pace, the Jayhawks do more than just struggle. They get frustrated, make mistakes and lose.

Byron Eaton was a one-man wrecking crew against Kansas. He continually attacked the Jayhawks to get to the line and put Kansas players in foul trouble. Of his 26 points, 16 came from the free throw line.

For Sean Sutton this may be a big pressure release win. The rumors have abounded that the Oklahoma State benefactor -- T. Boone Pickens -- has been less than enamored with Sean Sutton's performance as head coach. Kansas coach Bill Self is an Oklahoma St. alum. While it would be hard to envision Self leaving the Jayhawks for the Cowboys, it couldn't be dismissed out of hand when there was the possibility of Pickens paying the way.

Oklahoma State after a 6 game losing streak has won 4 of their last 5. Including wins over Baylor and at Texas A&M. The Cowboys aren't going to the NCAA unless they win the Big 12 Tournament, but they are putting themselves into the discussion for the NIT.

Oklahoma St. Slows Then Stops Kansas originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oklahoma State Finally Wins a Road Game

Charles Rich — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:12:00 EST

Filed under: Texas A&M Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Big 12 Basketball

It had to happen some time. No team could really go a second full season without winning a road game, could they? The last time Oklahoma State had won a road game was in early February 2006. Oklahoma St. Coach Sean Sutton gets his first road win as the Cowboy head coach with a huge 59-54 upset win over Texas A&M. The relief on the entire Oklahoma State team and Sutton was so visible and palpable.

The Aggies had been rolling with a 4 game winning streak including wins over Texas and beating Oklahoma State in Stillwater. A&M had been doing it with excellent defense and forcing turnovers. Oklahoma State had found numerous ways to lose games. The big factors had been that the Cowboys kept turning the ball over and poor free throw shooting.

This time, Oklahoma State took care of the ball with only 10 turnovers and made nearly 73% of their free throws. The Cowboys just scrapped the entire game. The Aggies led early, but could not draw away. The second half saw Oklahoma State take the lead and only lost it once the rest of the way. Until the closing seconds, neither team led by more than 4 points in the second half.

Oklahoma State Finally Wins a Road Game originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sean Sutton Rated College Basketball's 'Sweatiest Coach'

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:09:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee Basketball, Indiana Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Xavier Basketball, Maryland Basketball

We've all seen it. We've all mocked them. We've all watched a college basketball game and wondered how a coach can take an expensive suit and sweat all over it.

The fellas over at The Money Shot have decided to compile a top five list of college basketball's sweatiest coaches.

1-Sean Sutton, Oklahoma State
2-Gary Williams, Maryland
3-Bruce Pearl, Tennessee
4-Sean Miller, Xavier
5-Kelvin Sampson, Indiana

Wow, Sutton passed up Gary Williams and Bruce Pearl!?!? Well, here is the Money Shot's explanation:

Did you watch their game on Monday @ Oklahoma? It was a thing of beauty. By the end of the game, Sutton looked like the kid that refused to take his shirt off at the pool. And he didn't wear an under shirt. It was just one very thin layer of white disgusting. Fantastic. I don't know how he did it either. Was he out drinking and driving with his old man the night before and was just trying to sweat out the gin?

Sean Sutton Rated College Basketball's 'Sweatiest Coach' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big 12 Power Poll: Road Revenge

Charles Rich — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:14:00 EST

Filed under: Texas A&M Basketball, Texas Basketball, Oklahoma Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Iowa State Basketball, Big 12 Basketball

Yes, Kansas still is dominant in the conference. That is probably the one constant in the Big 12 this season. That and Oklahoma State still can't win a road game. Everything else is up for debate.

Last week, I noted that the Big 12 is a difficult conference to notch road wins. Naturally the road teams went 5-7 this past week to make things a little less skewed. Considering the road teams had won 5 games all season until last week, that was a huge swing.

Having a bad week: Missouri and Oklahoma State. Suspensions and extended losing streaks taking the hope out of the fans.

Having a good week: Oklahoma and K-State. Blake Griffin back much earlier than expected to help the Sooners win two big games, and the Wildcats are undefeated in the conference to make tonight's meeting with Kansas that much more dramatic.

Kansas -- Undefeated in conference and out of conference. In 5 conference games, only once have they let a team score more than 59 points. That is more impressive to me than the 81+ points they have averaged in conference play.
Kansas State -- The other undefeated Big 12 team in Kansas. They have been very impressive since the New Year.
Texas -- Not exactly dominant at times, but they are winning.
Oklahoma -- Bake Griffin returns two weeks earlier than expected and the Sooners have two big wins over Baylor and Oklahoma State. Not a coincidence.
Baylor -- The conference's best story this season. Live and die by the 3, though.
Iowa State -- Quietly playing solid basketball. They look like a team that will be right in the middle all season.
Texas A&M -- Rebounded from losing the quintuple-OT game at home to get a road win over the Cowboys. Tonight's home game with Texas will decide a lot about the rest of the season.
Texas Tech -- Undefeated at home, winless on the road and 2-2 on neutral sites. Distinctively average.
Oklahoma State -- Now riding a 5 game losing streak, the Cowboys lack something inside. Sean Sutton sweats a lot during a game, and is probably starting to sweat a bit about his job security.
Missouri -- On the court, a good week. Then they went home and are down to six scholarship players and a couple walk-ons for the foreseeable future. That drops them quickly to the bottom tier.
Colorado -- Actually looked like they might get a second win last night, leading at halftime in Ames, Iowa. Then the second half was a disaster. The inability to score is getting worse.
Nebraska -- They have yet to win in the conference. The only good news is that they have gotten their two games against Kansas out of the way early. That alone, lightens the schedule the rest of the way.

Big 12 Power Poll: Road Revenge originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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