SB Nation - Nebraska Cornhuskers

In a Perfect World (Conference Realignment)

Evan Pfaff — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:30:13 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Could a University of Houston QB be soon hoisting the Big 12 Championship trophy? (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Today the Big Ten conference issued a statement that they are exploring the possibility of expanding.

Every few years we hear the same rumblings and every few years there are articles published about what realignment would look like. But not since Penn State was admitted into the Big Ten has anything official been released. With that, below is the definitive article on the topic.

And even though this is a basketball blog, I will focus on the BCS aspect of realignment to argue my points. I will discuss basketball, though, and all points held for football can loosely translate over to hoops as well.

Currently there are six BCS conferences and those 6 all get automatic BCS-bowl bids. Those conferences are Big East, SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC. Of those six, three of the conferences have enough football teams to have a conference championship game (the Big East would have enough if more of their charter schools had D1 football programs).

Part of the BCS issue is that you have some conferences without 12 schools, who don't currently have conference championship games. Adding conference championship games will ultimately help the BCS by crowing, on a field, a true conference champ. This will help with BCS bowl bids, and especially the BCS championship game. (Think of a rule where you have to at least win your division to get a BCS bid.

The other BCS issue is of the non-BCS schools and where they should lie. My realignment program take that into account.

Without further ado, after The Jump is the Big12Hoops.com Realignment plan.

MIZZOU MOVES TO THE BIG 10.

Why is this good for the Big 10? By admitting Mizzou into the Big 10, the Big 10 would secure a coveted TV market, namely St Louis. They would also get a share of the Kansas City TV market. By expanding westward, revenues from the Big 10 Network and apparel sales would grow. The Big 10 would also secure a 12^th team and legitimize a conference championship game. The divisions would be as follow:

Big 10 East: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue, Penn State

Big 10 West: Mizzou, Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa

Under this scenario all regional rivalries remain in tact

Why is this good for Mizzou? The Big 12 seems to forget about schools not named Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas (basketball). There is no television network, so Mizzou's games are generally only regionally shown. There is Big Monday for basketball, but that is mainly reserved for Texas and KU. Under this, Mizzou's football games could be carried on the Big 10 Network and basketball games will be tied into the Big 10 ESPN deal. All this leads to a major recruiting advantage in both revenue generating sports.

Mizzou also has a rival in Illinois that would heat up instantly and the heated rivalry with Kansas will replace the Illinois basketball and football games on the schedules. Instead of St Louis, though, the KU games will be played at the Sprint Center and Arrowhead in KC.

But what about... Iowa State? The Cyclones seem to also be a natural fit and could easily add fuel to the rivalry with in-state foe Iowa Hawkeyes. The problem is that the Big 10 gains little from that arrangement. They are already pretty entrenched in the Hawkeye State and the addition of ISU wouldn't help their regional or national reputation.

THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON JOINS THE BIG XII

Why is this good for the Big 12? The University of Houston is a large campus, in a region of Texas that is currently underdeveloped with college sports. Houston is the 4^th largest city in the country, and by planting a team there, the Big 12 will get even more Texas viewership.

The big question would be on alignment, since there will now be 5 Texas schools. My proposal is for

Big 12 "North": Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State

Big 12 "South": Texas, Houston, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor, Colorado

The division names will have to be rebranded, but adding Colorado to the South is acceptable because Coloradoans joke that there are more Texans in the state than natives.

Why is this good for Houston? Historically, the Cougars have had a good football team, and have won a basketball national championship. Having a Big XII logo on their court will increase their recruiting presence in the city and state and potentially turn them into powerhouse.

But what about... TCU? TCU would be a good choice, if they were bigger. Their 8000 student just wouldn't cut it if the conference wishes to remain the BIG 12. Houston's enrollment is approximately 30,000 students. Commuter school or not, Houston would help retain the "Big" in Big 12.

BYU AND UTAH GO TO THE PAC-10

Why is this good for the Pac-10? By including Utah and BYU into the Pac-10, the conference will have the 12 schools needed for an automatic conference championship games. Both programs have historically legitimate football and basketball programs, and they will bring their rivalry with them. Geographically, they are far enough West to warrant admission into the conference.

The division would be as follows

Pac-10 North: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, BYU, Utah

Pac-10 South: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Stanford, UCLA, USC

Why is this good for BYU and Utah? Both recruit well from the West, and inclusion into the conference will aid that. And by coming over as a pair (and as rivals) they bring legitimacy to the expansion eastward.

But what about... geography? The state of Utah doesn't border any states of current Pac-10 members, and that may cause some issues, but distance isn't really something the conference has ever regarded. Consider that Tucson, AZ to Seattle, WA is 1100 miles, or 400 miles farther than Tucson to Provo, UT.

ADD MORE TEAMS TO THE MOUNTAIN WEST

Why is this good for the Mountain West? As it stands under this scenario, the Mountain West is down to 7 members (the current 9, minus BYU and Utah). To get up with the big boys, the MWC needs to add 5 schools. The 5 that should move to the MWC should be: Boise State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Rice, SMU.

There is already talk of Boise coming over to the MWC, so that is a no brainer. The others are coming over as "rivals" to existing MWC schools. Nevada will face UNLV, New Mexico State will pair with New Mexico, Rice and SMU will pit against TCU is a three-way battle for Texas.

Having 12 schools will allow the conference to host a championship game, matching the winners of each division, which would be as follows:

MWC North: UNLV, Nevada, Air Force, Wyoming, Colorado State, Boise State

MWC South: San Diego State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, TCU, Rice, SMU

Why is this good for the 5 programs? The shift from either the C-USA or WAC will legitimize the programs (see the next point). All will also enter the new MWC with a foe. Everyone wins.

But what about... the MWC still remaining relatively minute as compared to their BCS brethren? Why would these schools shift from one conference to another, just for shits and giggles? See next point.

ADMIT THE MOUNTAIN WEST INTO THE BCS

Why is this good for the BCS? Controversy will mainly be avoided. By admitting the redesigned MWC into the BCS you are accepting the current BCS gate crashers. You are bringing in the current at-large schools causing heartache and giving yourself another conference champion that the country can latch onto.

Why is this good for the MWC? Why isn't it good for the MWC?

But what about... the C-USA and WAC? These two conferences are now in shambles. What to do? See next item.

MERGE THE C-USA AND WAC

Why is this good for the two conferences? Because of the success of some of their schools, and regional ability to move, the Conference USA and WAC are currently left in shambles (under this proposal). Essentially afterthoughts as they are, now they are left with 15 schools between them. They could either split them up 8 and 7 or combine forces and form a 15 league mega conference. In terms of basketball, as we have seen with the Big East, and their 16 school hoops conference, too many schools doesn't water down the pool.

But what about... regionality? The C-USA is currently a conglomerate of throw-ins from around the country. Under this plan, that would just increase to a truly national conference. The members of it would be: Fresno St, Hawaii, Idaho, La Tech, San Jose St, Utah St, UTEP, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, Cent Florida, ECU, Marshall, Memphis, Southern Miss

Using the scenario outlined above, 18 schools will change conferences. This sounds like a lot, but as you can see many will be moving as groups and either with or to a rival.

But what about the Big East? Well, the Big East is the one conference I am leaving alone. In their football world, they are lacking the 12 members to create a championship game. But when you include their basketball members, they are a 16-team powerhouse.

One final thought. I reserve the right to claim this entire scenario null and void if Notre Dame ever decides to join the Big 10. If that were to happen, I would still endorse some shifting, but nothing to the extent of this proposal. More on that if a Notre Dame to the Big 10 rumor starts getting some legitimate traction.

Cougars' remaining non-conference schedule breakdown

sroufe — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:03:33 -0000

More photos » by Patrick Smith - AP

Get used to this people... BYU forward Brandon Davies (0) is just getting started in Provo... (AP Photo/Patrick Smith)

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Here's a preview of the next six non-MWC contests facing the Cougars over the holidays and heading into conference play next month...

Remaining Non-Conference Games:

BYU vs. Wagner - Thursday, December 17
7 PM Tipoff (MST); TV: BYUTV

The Seahawks hail from Staten Island. They are currently 1-7 and their best-known opponent thus far has been Bucknell, who beat Wagner by 24 in New York. Prediction - Cougars 96, Seahawks 60.

BYU vs. Eastern Washington - Saturday, December 19
7 PM Tipoff (MST); TV: BYUTV

Rodney Stuckey's alma mater is 4-5 but has been competitive in most of their matchups this season. The Eagles most recently lost to Seattle at home in overtime (The same Seattle that beat Utah in Salt Lake and Fresno State in Washington. Their star, Charles Garcia is getting serious NBA attention.). This is a very winnable game for the Cougars at home but senior Brandon Moore could give them problems inside. Prediction - Cougars 89, Eagles 76.

BYU vs. Nevada - Tuesday, December 22
HoopTV Las Vegas Classic - Las Vegas (Orleans Arena)
1 PM Tipoff (MST); TV: BYUTV

This tournament game was originally scheduled for 8:30 pm, but was moved up due to the Cougars contest in the Las Vegas Bowl that evening. BYU has played very well in Orleans Arena in the past - games against Louisville and North Carolina come to mind - but Nevada should have some fans and this is by no means an automatic win. The Cougars have already lost to one WAC opponent and can't afford to lose another. The Wolfpack is currently 4-4 but their losses have all been to quality competition: North Carolina, UOP, UNLV and VCU. The game against EWU will be a good test for the Cougars' post players going against Moore in preparation for Nevada's Luke Babbitt. The sophomore forward is the latest NBA prospect to come out of Reno and has recorded 7 consecutive double-doubles. Prediction - Cougars 74, Wolfpack 71

BYU vs. Nebraska or Tulsa - Wednesday, December 23
HoopTV Las Vegas Classic - Las Vegas (Orleans Arena)
Time - TBA; TV: BYUTV

Nebraska is 7-2 so far and have already knocked off two PAC-10 opponents: USC (in L.A.) and Oregon State. BYU assistant Walter Roese (the surname is pronounced with an 'H' not an 'R) is now coaching in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers are winning with some very impressive defense, holding both of the aforementioned schools below 50 points. This could be a scrappy contest should the Cougars draw Nebraska and BYU will need Tavernari or someone other than Fredette and Haws to really step it up offensively. Prediction - Cougars 64, Cornhuskers 58

Tulsa is also a quality program and potentially a tough matchup for BYU. They are 7-1 and crushed Oklahoma State earlier this month in Tulsa. The Hurricane's lone loss came to Missouri State in Springfield. (Missouri State (9-0) will probably be ranked soon as they have also beaten Auburn and Air Force pretty convincingly.) Tulsa has one of the best centers in the country in Jerome Jordan. Jordan might have been a first-round selection had he made himself eligible last June. If the Cougars can't get their perimeter shots to fall it will be very, very difficult to score on Jordan inside. Prediction - Golden Hurricane 78, Cougars 75

BYU vs Arizona - Monday, December 28 at Tucson
7 PM Tipoff (MST); TV: Fox College Sports (FCS)

This will be an exciting matchup between two of the better point guards in the West. Wildcats' guard Nic Wise remains from last years' Sweet-16 team (with Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill). Arizona has officially begun the post-Lute Olson era however, and Sean Miller is a terrific coach. You should remember him from when he coached Xavier past the Cougars in the 2007 tourney. The Wildcats have been somewhat of a disappointment thus far, as despite it being a rebuilding year in Tucson they have dropped winnable contests to Wisconsin on the road and UNLV at home. Most recently they were destroyed at home by San Diego State. Could Arizona really lose to three MWC opponents in one season? Yes. Prediction - Cougars 70, Wildcats 64.

BYU vs. Eastern New Mexico - Saturday, January 2
7 PM Tipoff (MST); TV: TBA

ENM is located in Portales and is a small school with about 4,300 students. Interestingly, their men's (Greyhounds) and women's (Zia's) athletic teams have different mascots. The Greyhounds are 4-4 on the season with their marquee win being against the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. This will be a good learning experience for the Greyhounds. Remember that win over Southern? Prediction - Cougars 110, Greyhounds 62

(First conference game scheduled for Wednesday, January 6 vs. UNLV in Provo)

BYU vs. UTEP - Saturday, January 9 at El Paso
6 PM Tipoff (MST); TV: CBS College Sports

The Miners are 5-1 thus far but they haven't really played anyone. Their lone loss was at home to New Mexico State. That had to have been a bummer since they had just beaten the Aggies two weeks earlier by 21 in Las Cruzes. So despite the Cougars going on the road, this should really be the calm before the storm of conference competition. Prediction - Cougars 90, Miners 71

Summary:

Before the season began I asserted that BYU's depth and somewhat weaker schedule this season could permit them to have a quality record headed into MWC competition:

"The Cougars should have a very good record going into conference play. That's 15 games into the season and I see no reason why BYU can't be 13-2 at that point."

The Cougars currently sit at 8-1 and their remaining six non-conference contests are all highly winnable. In fact you could probably assume that the games against Wagner and the Eastern Washington and New Mexico's are automatic despite that being a bit hubristic on my part. I also expect the Cougars to have a good showing in the Las Vegas Classic.

The last two games against Arizona State and Fresno State are a sign of things to come. Opponents are now familiar enough with Fredette that they are going to seal off the lane and force the Cougars wing-players to make their mid-range to outside jumpers. Luckily for BYU Tyler Haws and/or Jackson Emery have done just that. You can't say enough good things about Haws' play so far. We certainly anticipated him being a big-time player and even a contributor to the team this season. However, I wasn't expecting him to be playing over 30 minutes a game, rebounding like a kangaroo on crack and consistently making clutch plays down the stretch of games.

But the best thing about this is Tavernari. He's been abysmal shooting from, well, everywhere but the FT line. That's obviously not what's great. What's wonderful is that he's not going to get any worse. JT is shooting 10% below his season average from last year and easily 7% worse behind the arc than any season he's spent in Provo. His minutes are down, his rebounding is down, his assists are down - but all that is going to change.

These last few non-conference games will provide Tavernari the opportunity to get his confidence back. The games against Wagner and EWU may be just what the doctor ordered - and returning to Orleans Arena where JT has excelled in the past (and where he is familiar having played high school ball in Vegas) could really break him out of this funk. Just in time for conference play.

Additionally, young players like Haws, Davies and others like Abouo and Hartsock are only going to continue to improve. Hartsock has shown that the past couple of games (13 points against the Sun Devils and 11 boards against the Bulldogs) and is now starting at the four. This team is deep. As deep as any I can remember.

If the Cougars do manage to come into MWC play with only one or two losses they will be positioning themselves for a better tournament seed come March. So while UNLV, New Mexico and San Diego State have all been impressive, BYU is the three-time defending champs and their future is looking just as bright as their past.

Updated BYU statistics after the jump...

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Jimmer Fredette	9	31.7	5.6	13.0	42.7	1.8	4.2	42.1	5.8	6.2	92.9	1.0	2.3	3.3	5.8	2.7	1.8	0.2	1.0	18.7
Jackson Emery	9	24.0	3.8	7.6	50.0	2.8	5.8	48.1	1.8	2.2	80.0	0.6	3.2	3.8	1.6	1.2	2.7	0.1	3.1	12.1
Jonathan Tavernari	9	25.4	4.0	11.7	34.3	1.7	5.4	30.6	0.9	1.1	80.0	0.6	4.4	5.0	1.2	1.1	1.3	0.2	2.0	10.6
Tyler Haws	9	26.6	3.6	7.3	48.5	0.4	2.0	22.2	2.3	2.8	84.0	1.4	2.7	4.1	1.6	1.1	0.7	0.2	2.0	9.9
Noah Hartsock	9	21.8	2.7	4.0	66.7	0.1	0.1	100.0	0.8	1.0	77.8	1.2	3.9	5.1	0.6	0.3	0.7	1.0	1.6	6.2
Chris Miles	9	15.9	2.1	3.8	55.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	1.2	81.8	1.3	2.4	3.8	0.8	0.4	0.3	0.6	2.2	5.2
Charles Abouo	9	12.0	1.4	3.4	41.9	0.3	0.8	42.9	1.7	2.1	78.9	1.1	1.3	2.4	0.7	1.0	0.8	0.4	1.7	4.9
Michael Loyd, Jr.	9	13.1	1.7	2.7	62.5	0.8	1.4	53.8	0.2	0.4	50.0	0.0	0.8	0.8	1.1	1.0	0.3	0.0	0.7	4.3
Brandon Davies	9	12.0	1.4	2.1	68.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.1	1.8	62.5	1.1	2.0	3.1	0.4	1.2	0.2	0.6	2.3	4.0
Lamont Morgan, Jr.	9	9.7	0.9	1.3	66.7	0.2	0.3	66.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.3	0.4	1.9	0.6	0.3	0.0	0.2	2.0
James Anderson	8	4.1	0.4	0.9	42.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.3	50.0	0.6	0.5	1.1	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.0	1.1	0.9
Logan Magnusson	7	3.7	0.3	0.9	33.3	0.1	0.3	50.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.4	1.3	1.7	0.4	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.7
Brock Zylstra	6	2.0	0.3	0.7	50.0	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.7

Poll

What will the Cougars' record be going into conference play?

RPI WATCH: 12/14/09

BracketCat — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:00:23 -0000

by Laura Rauch - AP

Presenting your 17th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats! (AP Photo/Laura Rauch)

View full size photo »

No. 17 AP and No. 22 ESPN/USA Today!

As I hinted yesterday, our recently defeated foe, the Xavier Musketeers, picked up a great win over ranked Cincinnati in a double-overtime thriller that threatened to break out into a brawl at several points.

Meanwhile, our version of Alcorn State, winless Arkansas-Pine Bluff, got whomped in Stillwater. That game will have a wonderful effect on our RPI...

Current Kansas State AP Ranking = 17

Current Kansas State Record = 9-1

Current Kansas State RPI = 2

Current Kansas State SOS = 4

Great Wins (RPI 1-50) = Loyola, Dayton, UNLV

Solid Wins (RPI 51-100) = IUPUI, Washington State, Xavier

Bad Losses (RPI 101 or greater) = none

Loyola (6-2, 1-1) | RPI = 40
Western Illinois (4-6, 0-2) | RPI = 320
Boston (4-6) | RPI = 146
No. 25 Ole Miss (8-1) | RPI = 34
Dayton (7-2) | RPI = 24
IUPUI (8-3, 2-0) | RPI = 60
No. 22* FHSU (7-1)
Washington State (8-2) | RPI = 88
Xavier (6-3) | RPI = 61: Win over No. 19 Cincinnati (83-79 in double overtime)
No. 18 UNLV (7-1) | RPI = 29
Alabama (6-3) | RPI = 91
UAPB (0-7) | RPI = 302: Loss at Oklahoma State (81-66)
Cleveland State (4-6, 0-2) | RPI = 232
South Dakota (6-4) | RPI = 139: Win at Binghamton (89-77)
Missouri (6-3) | RPI = 161
No. 16 Texas A&M (8-2) | RPI = 18
Colorado (6-4) | RPI = 229
No. 2 Texas (8-0) | RPI = 5
Oklahoma State (8-1) | RPI = 31: Win over UAPB (81-66)
Baylor (7-1) | RPI = 105
No. 1 Kansas (9-0) | RPI = 21
Nebraska (7-2) | RPI = 151
Iowa State (7-3) | RPI = 155
Oklahoma (7-3) | RPI = 142
No. 23 Texas Tech (9-0) | RPI = 18

*Division II Top 25

RPI WATCH: 12/13/09

BracketCat — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:00:31 -0000

More photos » by Laura Rauch - AP

The circle is complete: By beating the brains out of Lon Kruger's team, perhaps we finally have erased the demons that have plagued K-State basketball for 20 years — roughly ever since he ditched us for Florida. (AP Photo/Laura Rauch)

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Sorry, guys. I accidentally set this to publish at 11:45 p.m. tonight when I meant for it to go last night. My bad.

Wow, what a Saturday.

I guess I'll start with us. I've adding a ranking indicator, because now that Xavier beat Cincinnati today (likely knocking them out of the Top 25), it's a 99-percent certainty that we will be ranked at this time tomorrow.

Meanwhile, our RPI is an eye-popping TWO. I don't think we're likely to top Duke anytime soon, so this basically is the pinnacle for our resume this year, at least from a numbers standpoint. Kudos to Frank Martin for drawing up a PERFECT non-conference schedule, one that now is ranked fourth, after briefly spiking at second last night.

UNLV was added to the ledger of Top 50 wins, and Wazzu's win over Air Force, coupled with playing us, moved the Cougars into the Top 100. That gives us six quality wins so far, and to that you can add Fort Hays State's movement into the Division II Top 25 last week. We've beaten some damn good teams.

What does all this mean? Barring an absolute collapse in Big 12 play, we're going to be in the NCAA Tournament. And if things keep up like this, we'll have a pretty high seed, too. We almost don't need this feature anymore — the resume speaks for itself. But I'll keep tracking everything, nonetheless.

Here's a little trivia for you: Four teams in the country have three RPI Top 50 wins. Who are they? Answers after the jump. Oh, and be sure to vote in my poll.

Answer: Georgetown, Kansas State, Texas, Villanova

Bonus Answer: Kansas has ZERO Top 50 wins. LOL!

Current Kansas State Ranking = TBD

Current Kansas State Record = 9-1

Current Kansas State RPI = 2

Current Kansas State SOS = 4

Great Wins (RPI 1-50) = Loyola, Dayton, UNLV

Solid Wins (RPI 51-100) = IUPUI, Washington State, Xavier

Bad Losses (RPI 101 or greater) = none

Loyola (6-2, 1-1) | RPI = 40: Win over San Francisco (66-63)
Western Illinois (4-6, 0-2) | RPI = 320: Loss to Eastern Illinois (44-41)
Boston (4-6) | RPI = 146: Win at Marist (88-72)
No. 25 Ole Miss (8-1) | RPI = 34: Win over McNeese State (83-67)
Dayton (7-2) | RPI = 24
IUPUI (8-3, 2-0) | RPI = 60: Win over Indiana-South Bend (92-56)
No. 22* FHSU (7-1): Win over Missouri Western (67-54)
Washington State (8-2) | RPI = 88: Win over Air Force (75-68)
Xavier (5-3) | RPI = 68
No. 18 UNLV (7-1) | RPI = 29: Loss to Kansas State (95-80)
Alabama (6-3) | RPI = 91: Loss to No. 5 Purdue (73-65)
UAPB (0-6) | RPI = 273
Cleveland State (4-6, 0-2) | RPI = 232: Win over Wilberforce (113-61)
South Dakota (5-4) | RPI = 119
Missouri (6-3) | RPI = 161: Win over Fairleigh Dickinson (87-36)
No. 16 Texas A&M (8-2) | RPI = 18: Loss to New Mexico (84-81)
Colorado (6-4) | RPI = 229
No. 2 Texas (8-0) | RPI = 5: Win over Texas State (87-54)
Oklahoma State (7-1) | RPI = 26
Baylor (7-1) | RPI = 105
No. 1 Kansas (9-0) | RPI = 21: Win over La Salle (90-65)
Nebraska (7-2) | RPI = 151: Win over Oregon State (50-44)
Iowa State (7-3) | RPI = 155
Oklahoma (7-3) | RPI = 142: Win at Utah (78-73 in overtime)
No. 23 Texas Tech (9-0) | RPI = 18

*Division II Top 25

Big 12 All Decade Team

Evan Pfaff — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

With almost a full year yet to play, Kansas center Cole Aldrich muscled his way onto the Big12Hoops.com First Team All Big 12 Decade Team (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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In the first full calendar decade of the Big 12 conference, one thing was apparent: there were two schools that produced a good majority of the talent. And while the best individual players may not have come from Kansas or Texas, a look at the Big12Hoops.com All Decade team reveals that a majority were either Jayhawks or Longhorns.

Don't see your favorite? The Honorable Mention list is after The Jump

First Team All Big 12

PG – Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa St
SG – Tony Allen, Oklahoma St
SF – Kevin Durant, Texas
PF – Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
C – Cole Aldrich, Kansas

Second Team All Big 12

PG – Kirk Hinrich, Kansas
SG – Acie Law, Texas A&M
SF – Michael Beasely, Kansas St
PF – Marcus Fizer, Iowa St
C – Chris Mihm, Texas

Third Team All Big 12

PG – TJ Ford, Texas
SG – Andre Emmett, Texas Tech
SF – PJ Tucker, Texas
PF – Drew Gooden, Kansas
C – Nick Collison, Kansas

[UPDATE: Lots of good suggestions and opinions in the comments section. Lemme give a little insight into how I compiled this list.

I started with a list of Big 12 Players of the Year. My rationale was that if someone was good enough to be the best in the league, even for one year, he warranted entry into this exclusive club. 9 of the 10 Big 12 Players of the Year made the top three teams. The only one who didn’t was Wayne Simien, and that is because he played a PF position that, if you look at the past decade, was just STACKED. Blake Griffin, Marcus Fizer, Drew Gooden. Really you could put Simien in there, but who gets bumped off?

As for PG, Tinsley over TJ Ford and Kirk Hinirich has also garnered a lot of attention. Tinsley’s place as the 2000-01 POY got him on the first team. But you really cant go wrong with any of them.

Lastly, there is this question on what to do with Durant and Beasley. Each only played one year, but they dominated the league (and the country). Durant was a Naismith winner as the best player in the country and Beasley was a finalist for the award. Both were league POYs. Because they didn’t play a full 4 years, they didn’t accumulate career stats that some others players did, but my list was based on selecting the best players, during their time in the Big 12, at each position.]

All Big 12 - Honorable Mention

Baylor Bears
LaceDarius Dunn
Lawrence Roberts

Colorado Buffaloes
Reggie Roby
David Harrison

Iowa St Cyclones
Craig Brackins

Kansas Jayhawks
Wayne Simien
Aaron Miles

Kansas St. Wildcats
Cartier Martin

Missouri Tigers
DeMarre Carroll
Clarence Gilbert
Arthur Johnson
Kareem Rush

Nebraska Cornhuskers
Aleks Maric

Oklahoma Sooners
Taj Gray
Hollis Price

Oklahoma St Cowboys
Byron Eaton
Joey Graham

Texas Longhorns
DJ Augustine
LaMarcus Aldridge

Texas Tech Red Raiders
Jarrius Jackson

Texas A&M Aggies
Bernard King

RPI WATCH: 12/12/09

BracketCat — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:30:20 -0000

RPI should continue to rise, with our opponents going 2-1 Friday night. And so far, everything is going our way today, as well — more on that in tomorrow's installment of RPI WATCH.

Results after the jump.

Current Kansas State Record = 8-1

Current Kansas State RPI = 6

Current Kansas State SOS = 8

Great Wins (RPI 1-50) = Loyola, Dayton

Solid Wins (RPI 51-100) = IUPUI, Xavier

Bad Losses (RPI 100 or greater) = none

Loyola (5-2, 1-1) | RPI = 30
Western Illinois (4-5, 0-2) | RPI = 307
Boston (3-6) | RPI = 156
Ole Miss (7-1) | RPI = 18
Dayton (7-2) | RPI = 24: Win over Old Dominion (58-50)
IUPUI (7-3, 2-0) | RPI = 60
No. 22* FHSU (7-1)
Washington State (7-2) | RPI = 151
Xavier (5-3) | RPI = 68
No. 24 UNLV (7-0) | RPI = 12
Alabama (6-2) | RPI = 82
UAPB (0-6) | RPI = 273
Cleveland State (3-6, 0-2) | RPI = 222
South Dakota (5-4) | RPI = 119: Loss at Drake (96-81)
Missouri (5-3) | RPI = 99
No. 16 Texas A&M (8-1) | RPI = 21
Colorado (6-4) | RPI = 229
No. 2 Texas (7-0) | RPI = 3
Oklahoma State (7-1) | RPI = 26
Baylor (7-1) | RPI = 105
No. 1 Kansas (8-0) | RPI = 45
Nebraska (6-2) | RPI = 192
Iowa State (7-3) | RPI = 155: Win over Iowa (81-71)
Oklahoma (6-3) | RPI = 210
No. 23 Texas Tech (9-0) | RPI = 18

*Division II Top 25

RPI WATCH: 12/11/09

BracketCat — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:00:19 -0000

Rumors of Colorado's improvement have been greatly exaggerated.

That and other developments from Thursday night after the jump.

Current Kansas State Record = 8-1

Current Kansas State RPI = 6

Current Kansas State SOS = 10

Great Wins (RPI 1-50) = Loyola, Dayton

Solid Wins (RPI 51-100) = IUPUI, Xavier

Bad Losses (RPI 100 or greater) = none

Loyola (5-2, 1-1) | RPI = 30
Western Illinois (4-5, 0-2) | RPI = 307
Boston (3-6) | RPI = 156
Ole Miss (7-1) | RPI = 18
Dayton (6-2) | RPI = 36
IUPUI (7-3, 2-0) | RPI = 60
FHSU (7-1)
Washington State (7-2) | RPI = 151
Xavier (5-3) | RPI = 68
No. 24 UNLV (7-0) | RPI = 12
Alabama (6-2) | RPI = 82
UAPB (0-6) | RPI = 273
Cleveland State (3-6, 0-2) | RPI = 222
South Dakota (5-3) | RPI = 143
Missouri (5-3) | RPI = 99
No. 16 Texas A&M (8-1) | RPI = 21
Colorado (6-4) | RPI = 229: Loss at Colorado State (77-62)
No. 2 Texas (7-0) | RPI = 3
Oklahoma State (7-1) | RPI = 26
Baylor (7-1) | RPI = 105
No. 1 Kansas (8-0) | RPI = 45
Nebraska (6-2) | RPI = 192: Win over Chicago State (74-39)
Iowa State (6-3) | RPI = 187
Oklahoma (6-3) | RPI = 210
No. 23 Texas Tech (9-0) | RPI = 18

Big 12 Basketball Games This Weekend

Evan Pfaff — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:00:18 -0000

Listed below The Jump are all Big 12 games happening this weekend. Who do you like? Who is going to get upset? Who is going to upset a foe?

(all times Central)

Friday, December 11

Iowa at Iowa St. - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 12

Kansas vs. La Salle - 1:00 p.m.
Texas State at Texas - 3:00 p.m.
Oklahoma at Utah - 3:00 p.m.
Texas A&M vs. New Mexico - 5:00 p.m.
Kansas State at UNLV - 6:00 p.m.
Oregon State at Nebraska - 7:00 p.m.
Fairleigh Dickinson at Missouri - 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 13

Arkansas-PB at Oklahoma State - 3:00 p.m.

Friday Afternoon Big12Hoops.com Link Dump - 12.11.2009

Evan Pfaff — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:00:24 -0000

The goal of the Friday Afternoon Big12Hoops.com Link Dump is to help you ease into the weekend by giving you things to occupy your time at work until the clock strikes 5pm.

All the links available after the Jump

Big 12 North

Colorado Boulder Daily Camera - CU`s Smith has no reservations in reserve role (Lady Buffs)

Kansas Lawrence Journal World - Off to a fast start

Kansas St Manhattan Mercury - Manbeck: Martin used Fort Hays game as teaching point

Iowa St GoCyclones.com - Tempo key for ISU men against Iowa

Missouri Columbia Daily Tribune - MU’s Taylor transforms from role player to leading man

Nebraska Lincoln Journal Star - Sadler wants better rebounding from NU

Big 12 South

Baylor Baylor University Lariat - Mulkey's emphasis on defense defines team success (Lady Bears)

Oklahoma Norman Transcript - Gallon growing into new role

Oklahoma St Stillwater NewsPress - Oklahoma State getting eyeful of nation's hottest (Cowgirls)

Texas Austin American-Statesman - Horns' Dexter Pittman has improved his all-around game

Texas A&M AggieSports.com - Another victory for A&M

Texas Tech RedRaiders.com - Forwards learning to play with less depth after Ray’s injury

Non Big 12 Links

SBNation.com Tracy McGrady Doing Well In All-Star Voting Despite Not Playing [NBA]

TMZ.com TMZ.com homepage [Golf]

ESPN.com Cincinnati confirms Kelly to coach Notre Dame [College Football]

ESPN.com Ranking the Bowls from Best to Worst [College Football]

DenverStiffs.com Are NBA Games Fixed?... [NBA]

DanShanoff.com Feeling Good About Journalism's Future [Journalism]

Fantasy Football Projections - CBSSports.com | ESPN.com [Fantasy Football]

RPI WATCH: 12/10/09

BracketCat — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:00:16 -0000

WTF, Mizzou?

Other than that clunker, our other opponents performed pretty much as expected Wednesday night — which mostly was positive for us, as evidenced by our eye-popping, single-digit numbers.

Hit the jump to see how they all did.

Current Kansas State Record = 8-1

Current Kansas State RPI = 8

Current Kansas State SOS = 9

Great Wins (RPI 1-50) = Loyola, Dayton

Solid Wins (RPI 51-100) = IUPUI, Xavier

Bad Losses (RPI 100 or greater) = none

Loyola (5-2, 1-1) | RPI = 30
Western Illinois (4-5, 0-2) | RPI = 307: Win over Culver-Stockton (73-36)
Boston (3-6) | RPI = 156
Ole Miss (7-1) | RPI = 18
Dayton (6-2) | RPI = 36
IUPUI (7-3, 2-0) | RPI = 60: Loss at Notre Dame (93-70)
FHSU (7-1): Win over Northwest Missouri State (78-66)
Washington State (7-2) | RPI = 151: Win over Idaho (76-64)
Xavier (5-3) | RPI = 68
No. 24 UNLV (7-0) | RPI = 12
Alabama (6-2) | RPI = 82
UAPB (0-6) | RPI = 273
Cleveland State (3-6, 0-2) | RPI = 222
South Dakota (5-3) | RPI = 143
Missouri (5-3) | RPI = 99: Loss at Oral Roberts (60-59)
No. 16 Texas A&M (8-1) | RPI = 21
Colorado (6-3) | RPI = 249
No. 2 Texas (7-0) | RPI = 3
Oklahoma State (7-1) | RPI = 26
Baylor (7-1) | RPI = 105
No. 1 Kansas (8-0) | RPI = 45: Win over Radford (99-64)
Nebraska (5-2) | RPI = 112
Iowa State (6-3) | RPI = 187
Oklahoma (6-3) | RPI = 210: Win over Centenary (86-62)
No. 23 Texas Tech (9-0) | RPI = 18

SB Nation - Nebraska Cornhuskers

In a Perfect World (Conference Realignment)

Cougars' remaining non-conference schedule breakdown

What will the Cougars' record be going into conference play?

RPI WATCH: 12/14/09

RPI WATCH: 12/13/09

What will K-State be ranked in today's AP poll?

Big 12 All Decade Team

First Team All Big 12

Second Team All Big 12

Third Team All Big 12

All Big 12 - Honorable Mention

RPI WATCH: 12/12/09

RPI WATCH: 12/11/09

Big 12 Basketball Games This Weekend

Friday, December 11

Saturday, December 12

Sunday, December 13

Friday Afternoon Big12Hoops.com Link Dump - 12.11.2009

Big 12 North

Big 12 South

Non Big 12 Links

RPI WATCH: 12/10/09