SB Nation NCAA Conference Tournaments
+13
No. 1 seed Kansas and No. 2 seed Kansas State will meet in the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday at 6:00 PM ET. Visit our Kansas and Kansas State blogs for complete coverage.
Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) – Jacob Pullen scored 26 points, and ninth- ranked Kansas State gained a spot in the Big 12 championship game with an 82-75 victory over No. 21 Baylor.
Denis Clemente added 24 points and dished out seven assists for the Wildcats (26-6), who set a school record for victories in a season. Next up for K-State is a game against No. 1 Kansas, which posted a 79-66 victory over 23rd-ranked Texas A&M in the other semifinal.
“They’ve earned the right to play for the championship,” K-State coach Frank Martin said. “Now, we’ve got to go deal with the best team in the country who we’ve been nose to nose twice before. So it’s a great opportunity. KU is great.”
Dominique Sutton logged 14 points, 14 rebounds and four steals for the Wildcats, who are trying to win the conference tourney for the first time. They’ve already lost twice to the Jayhawks this season, including a rough 81-79 defeat in Manhattan on January 30. Now they’ll face a team that’s won the Big 12 tournament six times.
“We wanted to win the regular season Big 12, and we felt like we lost it at Kansas,” Pullen said. “We just want a chance to get a ring. Denis never got a ring, I never got a ring, I don’t think Frank got one. I want to get one while we’re here. That’s our goal right now. We have the opportunity in front of us. That’s our opportunity tomorrow.”
LaceDarius Dunn scored 26 for the Bears (25-7), who will wait for Sunday to see where they’ll be placed in the NCAA Tournament. Ekpe Udoh added 18 points and 11 rebounds for Baylor, which had a five-game winning streak broken. Josh Lomers scored 12 in defeat.
“I think we just stopped executing well,” Dunn said. “They really took us out of playing our game doing the things we do well. So hats off to Kansas State.”
Clemente drained a three-pointer for a 71-67 lead with 4:10 left, but Udoh responded with a dunk. After Quincy Acy blocked a jumper from Jamar Samuels, Baylor failed on a few attempts to tie the game.
Tweety Carter missed a pair of foul shots with 3:05 left, but Curtis Kelly gave the ball right back to the Bears on a turnover. Carter turned the ball over on the ensuing possession on a Sutton steal, but K-State couldn’t widen the margin initially.
Kelly misfired on a jumper, but Sutton came up with a huge offensive rebound. That led to a Pullen three-pointer with 2:02 left and a 74-69 lead. Pullen added a pair of free throws for a seven-point edge, and it was at least a two- possession game the rest of the way.
Baylor led by as many as nine in the first half, at 23-14 on a layup from A.J. Walton with under 11 minutes left. K-State came back with an 11-1 spurt to go in front, but the Wildcats trailed, 37-36, at the break. The Wildcats led by eight in the early stages of the second half.
Game Notes
Carter accounted for six of his team’s 18 turnovers…Baylor shot 54 percent from the field, compared to 45.9 percent for the Wildcats…K-State beat Baylor, 76-74, on January 26…Pullen made half of his 10 three-point shots.
For more, check out our Kansas blog, Rock Chalk Talk, and our A&M blog, I Am The 12th Man.
Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Sherron Collins scored 26 points and dished out six assists, and top-ranked Kansas used a big run late in the second half to post a 79-66 victory over No. 23 Texas A&M in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament.
Xavier Henry added 15 points, and Markieff Morris scored 10 for the Jayhawks (31-2), who will face either Kansas State or Baylor in Saturday's championship game.
Top-seeded Kansas, which is trying for its seventh Big 12 title, used great defense to shut down the Aggies in the second half, limiting them without a field goal over an eight-minute stretch.
The Jayhawks, who trailed by as many as nine in the second half, used a 21-2 spurt to take control. They've won their last four games since falling at Oklahoma State on February 27.
Donald Sloan had 24 points for the fourth-seeded Aggies (23-9), who had their four-game winning streak broken and will now wait for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. Khris Middleton tallied 14 points and B.J. Holmes 12 for Texas A&M, which fell to 1-16 all-time against Kansas. The Aggies are 0-6 against top-ranked opponents.
Texas A&M led 38-35 at the break, and Middleton's three-pointer widened the lead to 47-38 nearly three minutes into the second half. The Aggies led 55-51 following a pair of Sloan free throws with 10 1/2 minutes to go.
Then came Kansas' huge rally, started with a three-pointer by Henry. Morris' layup gave the Jayhawks the lead, but Sloan interjected with a jumper with under nine minutes left. That would be A&M's last field goal until the final minute.
Morris tacked on a jumper, and Collins came up with a steal and layup to give Kansas a three-point edge. Henry then extended the cushion with a three- pointer from the left wing.
Aggies coach Mark Turgeon was visibly upset at Kansas' players on a couple of occasions, jawing at Collins with under seven minutes left. Texas A&M's Bryan Davis and Kansas' Morris where whistled for technical fouls with 6:41 remaining.
Henry's three-ball capped the burst with five minutes left for the dominating 72-57 cushion. Sloan and Naji Hibbert each hit shots in the final minute for the Aggies, but the game was already decided.
Kansas coach Bill Self captured win No. 200 as Jayhawks coach, joining Phog Allen, Ted Owens and Roy Williams to reach the milestone at the school. Self became the fastest coach in KU's history to reach the 200-win mark, doing it in 243 games. Williams won 200 at Kansas in 252 games...Sloan has played in 136 career games, moving past Josh Carter (2005-09) for the most in A&M history...The Aggies, who beat Nebraska on Thursday, played their second straight contest without sophomore guard Dash Harris, who is out with a right wrist injury.
Friday’s slate of Big 12 Tournament games shakes out thusly:
Kansas vs. Texas A&M, 7 p.m. ET on Big 12 Network
— For analysis, opinion, previews, snark from SB Nation’s team blogs, head to Rock Chalk Talk and/or I Am the 12th Man.
— Follow the game live once it starts here.
Kansas State vs. Baylor, 9:30 p.m. ET on Big 12 Network
— For analysis, opinion, previews, snark from SB Nation’s K-State blog, head to Bring On the Cats.
— Follow the game live once it starts here.
We will have full recaps and analysis of both games after they finish.
Rock M Nation is in Kansas City covering the Big 12 Tournament:
KANSAS CITY – Last season, the Big 12 Tournament was host to a wild second day. Three of the top four feeds fell in the quarterfinals in Oklahoma City in 2009, with No. 3 Missouri being the only top seed to survive Day Two. You'll have to forgive the Big 12 its lack of intrigue on day two in 2010. The top four seeds in Kansas City all advanced on Thursday, capped by the third-seeded Baylor Bears downing the No. 6 Texas Longhorns, 86-67.
Baylor shot 71 percent through the first five minutes, opening a 14-7 lead in the early going. And then things got interesting, when Baylor sharpshooter LaceDarius Dunn picked up three quick fouls, including one on a double technical with Texas' J'Covan Brown. Dunn sat for the rest of the first half and Texas began to rally, closing Baylor's lead to 43-39 at intermission.
The game settled down considerably–both in chippiness and in momentum swings–but it was Dunn's return in the second half that provided Baylor with the spark needed to pull away from the Longhorns. In the opening minute of the second half, Dunn barely left the ground on his way to hitting a 19-footer with a hand in his face. Less than a minute later, he came up with a steal that led to an Ekpe Udoh layup, forcing Texas coach Rick Barnes to take a timeout. Udoh returned the favor after the stoppage in play, coming up with a defensive rebound and throwing the long transition pass to Dunn, who flushed it home while drawing the second foul on Texas' Damion James. Just like that, the green and gold snowball was rolling, and moments later Barnes was forced to take another timeout, during which time James drew a technical foul. All of this came as part of a 13-0 Baylor run. Dunn finished with 19 points in only 21 minutes of action. All but two of the points came in the second half.
For the most part, Baylor's halfcourt game didn't kill Texas, but the Longhorns' inability to effectively limit the Bears in transition ultimately proved fatal. Baylor will take on No. 2 Kansas State, who had easily the most impressive performance of the tournament a few hours earlier in their 83-64 pasting of Oklahoma State. That semifinal is set for 8:30 p.m. Friday night.
1:45a
by RPT
of Rock M Nation
- 0 comments
Rock M Nation is in Kansas City covering the Big 12 Tournament:
KANSAS CITY – Explode or implode? Where Oklahoma State and Kansas State are concerned, both are possible on any given night. Therein lies the burden of streakiness.
On Thursday evening in Kansas City, the No. 2 seed Kansas St. Wildcats positively exploded for 51 first-half points as the Oklahoma State Cowboys imploded early, all to the delight of the largely pro-Wildcat crowd at Sprint Center. Kansas State rolled to a 83-64 victory.
In a win against No. 10 Oklahoma on Wednesday, the Cowboys couldn't miss early in the first half. OSU stormed the Sooners to take a 28-5 lead in its first round game, but the Cowboys saw the karma swing violently the other way on Thursday. The first half numbers bear testament to that fact. Kansas State ended the first half on a 22-3 run, 11 points of which were part of Jamar Samuels' 21-point first half. KSU outscored Oklahoma State 22-6 in the paint, 17-5 off of turnovers, 9-0 on second chances, and 9-3 on the fast break.
It all added up to a 25-point halftime advantage for the 'Cats. The game was all but over by the time the second half tipped off, and Oklahoma State's body language showed as much. The Cowboys left the locker room looking visibly defeated, as if they knew they were but a pawn in Kansas State's determined effort to atone for losses to Kansas and Iowa State last week.
The man of the hour was clearly Jamar Samuels, who finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds despite coming off the bench. Veteran guards Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen combined for 31 points, but Clemente's biggest contributions on the night were generally in transition. Clemente finished with 10 assists.
With the win, Kansas State moves on to face the win of tonight's nightcap game at the Sprint Center between Baylor and Texas. The Wildcats were 2-0 against those opponents this season, earning a two-point win in Waco, as well as a win over then-No. 1 Texas in Manhattan.
Mar 11 9:15p
by RPT
of Rock M Nation
- 1 comment
Rock M Nation is in Kansas City covering the Big 12 Championship.
KANSAS CITY – No one expected much from the Nebraska Cornhuskers this week.
No. 12 Nebraska will depart Kansas City having upset No. 5 Missouri on Wednesday and having put a serious scare into the No. 4 Texas A&M Aggies on Thursday. Despite never trailing, the Aggies needed all 40 minutes to put away the Huskers in a 70-64 victory for Texas A&M.
Most of the game was an expected midday lull in excitement at the Sprint Center, as a large number of the Kansas fans that saw the day's first game opted to leave before the second game of the early session. That translated into a fairly quiet arena for the majority of Texas A&M/Nebraska. It was hard to fault them. The Sprint Center didn't feel like Kyle Field and Doc Sadler didn't look like Tom Osborne. Texas A&M led from the first minute, and all seemed to be going as expected.
Then Nebraska came to life, and with it, so too did the lifeless buzz that had settled over the Sprint Center. Perhaps one of the biggest revelations for the Huskers in their two-day trip tour in Kansas City was the development of freshman Jorge Brian Diaz, who likely pushed himself into All-Tournament Team conversation. The 6-11 forward from Puerto Rico created the inside presence Nebraska has sorely lacked since the departure of Aleks Maric after 2008. Diaz was 5-of-7 from the field against Missouri on Wednesday, and followed that performance with a 7-of-11 effort against Texas A&M.
The Aggies were paced by yet another solid performance from Donald Sloan, who had 23 points and four assists. Khris Middleton and B.J. Holmes added a combined 28 points. With the win, Texas A&M moves on to face top-seeded Kansas in Friday's first semifinal game. That contest is slated for a 6 p.m. tipoff on Big 12 Network. The teams last met on Feb. 15, when the Jayhawks escaped College Station with an ugly 59-54 win.
5:10p
by RPT
of Rock M Nation
- 0 comments
Rock M Nation is in Kansas City covering the Big 12 Championship:
KANSAS CITY—Win number 2,000 wasn’t supposed to be quite this difficult.
Sherron Collins and Xavier Henry hit clutch three-pointers down the stretch as the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks pulled out an absolute dogfight against the No. 9 Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Big 12 quarterfinals, 80-68. The victory is win number 2,000 for the Kansas program.
In all actuality, the 12-point margin of victory is quite a departure from what played out in Kansas City on Thursday morning. The Raiders simply wouldn’t die. Every time Kansas appeared ready to go on one of their patented double-digit runs, the challengers from Lubbock seemed ready with a response.
The Kansas run that was conspicuously absent in the first half made its appearance in the first few minutes of the second half. Collins, Henry and Marcus Morris accounted for 14 points in a 15-5 run to open the second half. Kansas was able to dictate the pace of play after the break, turning the game into somewhat of a controlled shootout.
Texas Tech fought to within one possession in the final five minutes, but lacked the ability to pull even. With the score sitting at 65-63 Kansas with five minutes to play, Collins and Henry drilled back-to-back three pointers to send the partisan Sprint Center crowd into a frenzy and give the Jayhawks some breathing room.
All five Tech starters – John Roberson, Darko Cohadarevic, D’Wayln Roberts, Mike Singletary and Nick Okorie – all finished in double digits in points. Cohadarevic was outstanding in the final Big 12 game of his career, consistently hitting from mid-range and beating Kansas center Cole Aldrich to the basket in the low post on several occasions.
Kansas will face the winner of No. 4 Texas A&M and Wednesday’s upset winner, No. 12 Nebraska. The game between the Aggies and Huskers is set to tip off at the Sprint Center at 2 p.m.
Rock M Nation is in Kansas City covering the Big 12 Championship:
KANSAS CITY—The No. 6 Texas Longhorns took the No. 11 Iowa St. Cyclones’ best shot, battling back and forth for 35 minutes until Texas finally pulled away for a 82-75 win.
Damion James had one of two double-doubles for Texas, leading the Horns with 25 points, 16 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Gary Johnson had the other, contributing 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Texas now moves on to face No. 3 Baylor in the ESPN2-televised nightcap game tomorrow. Although top-seeded Kansas is the runaway favorite to win the tournament, the ruthlessly efficient Bears have become a trendy darkhorse pick to take the title.
Baylor swept the season series against Texas, sneaking out a win in Austin in January and annihilating the Longhorns in Waco last Saturday.
Rock M Nation is in Kansas City covering the Big 12 Championship:
KANSAS CITY--Will the real Oklahoma State please stand up? The Big 12's biggest enigma showed up in a big way Wednesday night, as the No. 7 Oklahoma State Cowboys rode a scalding hot start to defeat their Bedlam rivals, the No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners, 81-67.
Throughout the season, the streaky Cowboys have proven themselves to be an "any given night" cliché depending on how they shoot in that particular game. In a way, the game was a microcosm of Oklahoma State's season. In the first half, the Cowboys simply couldn't miss. Keiton Page poured in 19 points as the Cowboys shot 58 percent from the field and went 7-of-14 from 3-point range.
But then, for the first six minutes of the second half, using the phrase "regression to the mean" might have been an understatement in trying to describe the Pokes' struggles. The Cowboys were held scoreless for the first 6:44 of the second half, bringing their points per minute to look something like this: First half: 2.25 points per minute First 7 minutes of second half: 0.29 points per minute Final 13 minutes of second half: 1.80 points per minute.
Ladies and gentlemen, the 2009-10 Oklahoma St. Cowboys: Consistently entertaining, but consistently inconsistent.
Mar 10 11:37p
by RPT
of Rock M Nation
- 0 comments
After losing in the opening round to Nebraska today, should Missouri fans now worry that their team might be on the NCAA Tournament bubble? At least one writer was concerned the Tigers needed to win today. This morning at Basketball Prospectus, Joe Sheehan wrote:
The Tigers are 1-7 against the RPI top 25, which is impressive as an SOS issue but pretty clearly demonstrates that they’re not an elite team. The road work isn’t impressive and 15 of their 22 wins are against RPI 101 and below, so they need to avoid a bad loss to Nebraska today. That should be enough. A loss today would be three of four and four of six, and unless they win their quarterfinal matchup they’ll have beaten one decent team (Texas) since January.
At the least, Missouri fans now have to keep a close eye on the rest of the conference tournaments and hope a rash of upsets don’t thin the number of at-large spots available on the margins. Today’s loss to Nebraska might make for a nervous Selection Sunday in Columbia.
SB Nation's Chris Dobbertean is tracking teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble here.
Rock M Nation is in Kansas City covering the Big 12 Championship:
KANSAS CITY—The 12-5 upset has become a staple of the NCAA Tournament. In the Big 12 Tournament? Not so much. Entering Wednesday’s game between the No. 5 Missouri Tigers and the No. 12 Nebraska Cornhuskers, 12-seeds were a combined 1-11 in first rounds in Big 12 Tournament history.
Nebraska pushed that mark to 2-11 on Wednedsay, biltzing Missouri and never trailing in a 75-60 upset win. Not only does the loss end Missouri’s hopes of a title defense (admittedly slim in the first place), but the manner in which Missouri was so soundly beaten raises a multitude of questions about the Tigers as they await their NCAA Tournament destination.
Trying to overcome a double-digit second half deficit, Missouri head coach Mike Anderson tried to rally the Tigers with a four-guard lineup in the last 10 minutes of the game, but to no avail. Missouri cut the Nebraska lead to 10 with less than four minutes to play, but with the pro-Missouri crowd roaring, Nebraska guard Brandon Richardson drilled a 3-pointer while being fouled by Zaire Taylor, effectively sealing the victory for the Huskers.
Nebraska shot the lights out on the day, hitting nearly 56 percent of shots from the field, 57 percent of shots from 3-point range, and 19 of 22 free throws.
Nebraska awaits a 2:00 p.m. date with No. 4 Texas A&M tomorrow in a game to be televised on the Big 12 Network. The next stop for Missouri, presumably, is either a 9-seed or 10-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Rock M Nation is in Kansas City covering the Big 12 Championship:
KANSAS CITY—One season ago, the opening round of the Big 12 Championship turned Texas Tech forward Mike Singletary into a star. Today, down early to Colorado in the opening round, coach Pat Knight and the Red Raiders were in need of another star effort.
Enter junior guard John Roberson.
In wasn’t exactly as stunning as Singletary’s 44-point effort a year ago, but Roberson scored 19 points in helping the No. 9 Texas Tech Red Raiders overcome poor early shooting in a 82-67 defeat of the No. 8 Colorado Buffaloes.
Texas Tech will face top-seeded Kansas tomorrow in an ESPN2-televised game scheduled to tip off at 11:30 a.m. Kansas defeated Texas Tech, 89-63, in the teams’ only meeting this season.
For a while now, the Big XII has been the most underrated conference in college basketball, and this year is no exception. While the Big East was truly exceptional a year ago, that conference has become to college basketball what the SEC is to college football, so I fully expect the talking heads to over-hype the Big East's bid for 10 bids while under-discussing the strength of the Big XII -- which was both the nation's best conference in non-con play and closes the season with the strongest top-six in the nation. A quick glance at the Basketball Rankings Bible (Ken Pomeroy's ratings) reveals that among the Top 25 rated teams in the country, no conference can match the Big XII at the top.
| Conference | Teams in Top 25 |
|---|---|
| Big 12 (6) | Kansas (2), Kansas St. (11), Baylor (12), Missouri (13), Texas (14), Texas A&M (21) |
| Big East (5) | Syracuse (4), West Virginia (7), Villanova (15), Georgetown (20), Marquette (22) |
| ACC (4) | Duke (1), Maryland (8), Clemson (17), Florida St. (18) |
| Big 10 (4) |
Wisconsin (3), Ohio St. (6), Purdue (10), Michigan St. (23) |
| Others (6) | BYU (5), Kentucky (9), California (16), Xavier (19), Utah St. (24), Temple (25) |
As we head into March Madness, if there is any heartening news for fans of the Texas Longhorns -- who have tumbled far from the No. 1 national ranking they enjoyed in mid-January -- it's that, as much as anything, they've been battling through one of the toughest conference schedules in the country. Throw Oklahoma State (#42 in Ken Pomeroy's ratings) into the mix, and the Big XII's top seven teams are an exceptionally formidable bunch, and a good argument can be made that this is the strongest the always tough conference has ever been.
This marks the first time in the conference's 13-year history that 7 teams will receive bids to the NCAA Tournament, as Oklahoma State -- on the bubble heading into late February -- secured their bid to the dance with an 85-77 win over then-No. 1 Kansas. As such, the 7 Big XII locks for the tournament are jockeying for seeding position:
Kansas Jayhawks (29-1, 15-1): Even were they to lose in the quarterfinals, the Jayhawks are going to be a No. 1 seed in the Dance. It's a done deal.
Kansas State Wildcats (24-6, 11-5): In the conversation for the fourth No. 1 seed a week ago, the Wildcats' overtime loss to Iowa State all but eliminates them from that conversation, barring a barrage of early-round upsets to the other top-line contenders in their conference tourneys. In all likelihood, the Wildcats are battling to secure a No. 2 seed, and with a win in the quarterfinals over the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State winner, they'll probably lock it up.
Baylor Bears (24-6, 11-5): The Bears closed the season winning 10 of their final 12, including a sweep of the Longhorns and home wins over Texas A&M and Missouri. If they can get into the Big XII semis with a victory over the Texas-Iowa State winner and Kansas State gets there with a quarterfinals win, Baylor will have an opportunity to play themselves onto the No. 3 line with a win.
Texas A&M Aggies (22-8, 11-5) & Missouri Tigers (22-9, 11-5): Assuming Missouri dispatches of Nebraska in the tournament's opening round, the Aggies and Tigers will enter a crucial quarterfinals battle for NCAA seeding. The winner is all but assured to receive a No. 6 seed or better, while the loser seems destined for a slot in the No. 7-10 range, which not only includes a more difficult opening round match up but also an assured clash with a No. 1 or No. 2 seed juggernaut in the second round.
Texas Longhorns (24-8, 9-7): Heading into the conference championships, I seriously doubt any team has as wide a spread of potential NCAA Tournament seeds as do the Longhorns. Thanks in part to their obvious potential and January ascendancy to No. 1 in the national rankings, should Texas win four games in four days to win the Big XII tournament, I don't doubt it would hear it's named called on the No. 3 or No 4 line on Selection Sunday. At the same time, should the Longhorns drop their opening round game to Iowa State on Wednesday, there's a real possibility they could find themselves on the No. 10 or No. 11 line.
Oklahoma State Cowboys (22-9, 9-7): At 16-7 (4-5) on Feburary 6th, the Cowboys were on the outside looking in, but a terrific 4-1 stretch including wins over Oklahoma, at Iowa State, Baylor, and Kansas (with a road loss to Texas in between) secured the Pokes' spot in the tournament. Likely floating in the No. 8-10 seed range heading into the Big XII tournament, Oklahoma State could play their way up to a No. 6 with a run into the conference championship game (or, perhaps, a bit higher should they win it all).
G/F James Anderson, JR, Oklahoma State -- Amidst of a slew of worthy choices, the Big XII coaches got it right, voting Anderson the conference's 2010 Player of the Year. Even if he weren't the most dynamic player in the conference from a talent standpoint, the coaches would have been right to reward him for meaning disproportionately more to his team than anyone else. Even more so than Evan Turner (who will rightly win the National Player of the Year), Anderson not only does it all on the court but simply cannot sit for any sustained period of time if his team is to be competitive with opponents of any quality at all. For the season, Anderson was on the floor for 85% of the season's total minutes. His offensive rating of 120.4 (points scored per 100 offensive possessions) was second nationally among players similarly central to their teams. He's solid off the bounce, knows how to use his body exceptionally well, and is happy to rake from the charity stripe; he abuses smaller defenders by going to the rim and bigger ones with a legit stop-and-pop outside game. Most impressive, he's done it all with as weak a surrounding cast as anyone you're likely to see in the NCAA Tournament. Truly, a one man show, and I hope everyone gets a chance to watch him on an "on" night sometime. It's fun to behold, so long as it's not your team he's destroying.
G Sherron Collins, SR, Kansas -- I've been pretty tough on Collins over the last two years, repeatedly pointing out what I perceive to be his weaknesses and limitations -- a reaction that has almost exclusively been about trying to establish that he is not the same caliber of lead guard that, for example, Duke's Jay Williams was. He's a half-notch slower, less quick, less explosive, and less consistent than the super-elite point guards to whom he's often compared.
That said, as Sherron Collins' Kansas career draws to a close, this is probably the time to tip my hat to one of the best collegiate careers a fan could ever hope for. He's a national champion who's been an integral part of the Jayhawks' going 126-18 over his four years on campus, including four straight regular season titles. While he may be a half-notch below the truly elite individuals, he's demonstrated repeatedly that he's as superb a team player as you could hope to have and -- especially this year -- grown into one of the best, most mature on-court leaders I can remember. If Kansas wins it all this year, it won't be because Collins is unstoppable, but because he's instrumental in getting the most out of the five guys on the floor -- on both ends of the court,
F Damion James, SR, Texas -- Damion James headed to Texas in 2006 with Kevin Durant and DJ Augustin -- the trio comprising one of the most supremely talented incoming groups of freshmen ever assembled. But whereas Durant and Augustin were among the most naturally gifted basketball players imaginable, James arrived 'merely' one of the most athletic players imaginable. Nine times out of ten, guys with that kind of athleticism (but lacking natural basketball skills) fail to develop into complete basketball players, but James has been the exception to the rule.
Grasping his athletic prowess isn't difficult: 2009-10 marks the third consecutive year he's been among the best of the best defensive rebounders in the nation (24.6 DR% in 2007-08, 23.2% in 2008-09, 24.9% this year), and the 6'7" tweener forward (incredibly) set the Big XII conference career rebounding record back in January of this year. Astounding as that record is, most impressive has been James' development this year into a more complete all-around player who can have the offensive run through him. He's hit an excellent 30-72 three pointers (41.7%) and draws 6.5 fouls per 40 minutes played (65th best nationally), earning him 187 shots from the charity stripe. It's still not a natural endeavor for James (watch him dribble in the open court), but few make the most of their talents and limitations as has James. He's an easy kid to appreciate and root for.
G Jacob Pullen, JR, Kansas State -- The Wildcats kill teams outside-in and no player better exemplifies Kansas State than Pullen, an undersized guard whose effectiveness flows from his exceptional quickness, court-savvy play (particularly on defense), and fearless attacking attitude. That shouldn't be underestimated at the collegiate level, where Pullen perfectly embodies everything Frank Martin wants his teams to do. Kansas State hasn't romped to a 24-6 record on being the most talented team in the country, but by being its most tenacious. They make you play their game, and they can do it because they have guards like Jacob Pullen. He'll pop you from the outside (40% from downtown) or take you on the bounce and pick up his points from the line (52.7 FT Rate), where he shoots north of 80%.
HC Mike Anderson, Missouri -- Most national discussions of Missouri will start with the undeniably talented (but supremely inefficient) Kim English, but there's no need to bog down in such irrelevancies. The Missouri Tigers are Mike Anderson, the brilliant Nolan Richardson protege responsible for 40 Minutes Of Hell The Fastest 40 Minutes In Basketball. It's proven over the years to be a particularly dangerous tournament identity, and if the Tigers don't make any noise against more familiar foes in this year's Big XII Tournament, you don't want to see this team opposite yours in the bracket in the NCAAs.
Donald Sloan, SR, Texas A&M -- As much as it pains this Texas fan to say, this is a player the Longhorns really could have used this year. Suggesting that Texas would be the nuts with Sherron Collins might elicit a 'Duh' from the peanut gallery, but I wonder how many realize that A&M's Donald Sloan would provide much the same boost. At the very least, few would have predicted as much following Sloan's junior year performance, which was solid, but somewhat uneven. As a senior, Sloan has improved his game to become a primary scorer, upping his true shooting percentage (from 49% to 56.1%), free throw rate (from 42.4 to 49.7) and two-point field goal percentage (from 40% to 48%). Looking at the Aggies' NCAA Tournament chances, if Sloan is at his best in terms of limiting turnovers, Texas A&M will be one of the more difficult outs of the Dance.
As should be clear by this point in the preview, this year's Big XII Tournament should be considered wide open. Kansas is clearly the team to beat, but the field arguably never has been so deep as this year, when three NCAA locks (Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma State) will be playing opening round games. For fans of college basketball, this is as good as it gets, and if the Big XII tends to be underestimated as a powerhouse hoops conference, those who tune in regularly don't need to be told what a treat it has become. Be it the epic battles between Hollis Price and T.J. Ford, Brandon Rush and Kevin Durant, or Sherron Collins and James Anderson, on the whole Big XII basketball has been far more competitive and interesting than Big XII football for about a decade now.
Tune in. You won't be disappointed.
(SBN's Big12hoops.com has a look at why each team in the conference can win the tournament... and why they can't.)
All times Central.
Wednesday, March 10
Game 1: (8) Colorado vs (9) Texas Tech - 11:30 AM [Big 12 Network]
Game 2: (5) Missouri vs (12) Nebraska - 2:00 PM [Big 12 Network]
Game 3: (7) Oklahoma St. vs (10) Oklahoma - 6:00 PM [Big 12 Network]
Game 4: (6) Texas vs (11) Iowa St. - 8:30 PM [Big 12 Network]
Thursday, March 11
Game 5: (1) Kansas vs Game 1 winner - 11:30 AM [ESPN2]
Game 6: (4) Texas A&M vs Game 2 winner 2:00 PM [Big 12 Network]
Game 7: (2) Kansas St. vs Game 3 winner - 6:00 PM [Big 12 Network]
Game 8: (3) Baylor vs Game 4 winner - 8:30 PM [ESPN2]
Friday, March 12
Game 5 winner vs Game 6 winner - 6:00 PM [Big 12 Network]
Game 7 winner vs Game 8 winner - 8:30 PM [Big 12 Network]
Saturday, March 13
Championship Game - 5:00 PM [ESPN]
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
Scoreboard data copyright © 2012 by STATS LLC. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC is strictly prohibited.
OpenCalais - Powered by Thomson Reuters
•
Odds Shark 
No. 1 Kansas Holds Off Feisty No. 9 Kansas State For Big XII Crown, 72-64
For more on today's game and these teams, visit our Kansas blog at Rock Chalk Talk and our Kansas State blog at Bring On The Cats.
Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Marcus Morris donated 18 points and eight rebounds to lead No. 1 Kansas to its seventh Big 12 Tournament championship behind a 72-64 victory over ninth-seeded Kansas State.
The Jayhawks (32-2) never trailed in the second half and all but assured themselves a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Tyrel Reed provided 15 points, and Sherron Collins scored 12 to go with seven assists for top-seeded Kansas, which outscored Kansas State at the foul line, 24-8. Cole Aldrich chipped in 10 points and eight boards for the victors.
Denis Clemente netted 17 points, while Jamar Samuels and Jacob Pullen had 14 and 13, respectively, for the second-seeded Wildcats (26-7), who were trying for their first Big 12 Tournament title.
Kansas State, which has already recorded a school record in wins this season, was beaten by a 34-20 margin in the paint.
"[We're] not into moral victories; it's something that I've talked to you guys about before, and it's something that we're not going to accept," Kansas State head coach Frank Martin said. "It's okay to hurt right now, because we've invested a lot and we've taken a chance to be special. But nothing to be ashamed of."
The game started slow for both teams, with just two field goals being made in the opening five minutes -- both by Kansas.
After the lead changed hands several times, the Jayhawks took over for good on a Morris jumper and Xavier Henry dunk, the latter yielding a 19-16 score with 8 1/2 minutes left in the opening half.
Two Collins free throws closed out the stanza for a 31-27 margin, and Morris had a pair of buckets to open the second half for an eight-point lead.
A Samuels three-pointer and Clemente steal and layup had the KSU deficit down to 40-38 with 13 1/2 minutes remaining, but the Jayhawks scored nine of the next 12 points, with Brady Morningstar's basket making it 49-41 with under 11 minutes to play.
Kansas State didn't go quietly, again making it a two-possession game, 55-50, on Pullen's three-pointer a little later. Another mini spurt by Kansas, though, quickly followed.
Reed caught an outlet pass from Collins after an Aldrich steal and put in a layup for a 64-52 lead with 4:50 to play.
The closest the Wildcats got from there was six.
"You had two of the best teams in the country playing today," Kansas head coach Bill Self said. "We're fortunate to win, but feel really good about how hard we competed against a really outstanding K-State team."
Kansas State has lost four times in the last 13 games, with three of those setbacks coming to Kansas...This is Kansas' fourth conference tourney crown in the past five years...Henry had just four points on 1-of-7 shooting...Kansas State shot 34.8 percent from the floor, compared to a 44.2 percent shooting effort by the Jayhawks.
Mar 13 11:42p by Adam Jacobi - 0 comments