Daily rants and opinions...because we're THAT bored.
by Skinner - Wednesday, March 22
Some would say the Big 12 had a down year, and well, some would be right. However, the Big 12 was a very young conference this year and depending on early entry draft candidates, the Big 12 could be the best conference next year.
This season however saw a fairly exciting conference race. Texas got off to a fast start and then barely made it to tie the surging Jayhawks of Kansas for conference champs.
Well, since the season is almost over for all Big 12 teams. (Except for one, if you can name the team you win a prize!) I'm going to be evaluating each and every team on their season. Expect first-class analysis and in-depth reporting.
My grading scale is as follows:
Peacock = Very Good
Swedish Fish = Good
Fried Chicken = Fair
Mouse Trap = Bad
Laundry Detergent = Very Bad
Nickelback = Unparalleled level of sucking
I will also be giving each team a John Skinner Power Ranking (JoSkPoRa for short). The calculating of that will be as follows:
(Wins x Losses x Number of cheerleaders + Number of chicken sacrifices made to the gods during the year - the 15th number of Pi + Turnovers x Average number of times Dick Vitale mentions J.J. Reddick in a telecast / Average number of times Dick Vitale mentions Duke vs North Carolina in a telecast + two x schmifty-five + the head coaches phone number) x zero = Joskpora!
Here are the teams:
Iowa State
I almost have to start with the Cyclones. Do I really even want to talk about this season? Okay, if I have to. Well, I didn't know what to expect this year from Iowa State, and I don't really know what I got. It was an up and down year. Some points shining brightly. (State championship, winning on the road early in Big 12 play.) Of course there was the bad spot(s). (Losing to Iona, Fresno State, Baylor. Oh, by the way, did I mention that Iowa State lost to Baylor?) To cap that off I just learned recently that Cyclone guards Will Blalock and Curtis Stinson will forgo their senior year to enter the draft. I wish them best of luck in their respected careers, but I would have liked to see them both around next year. But, oh well, what else can you expect from a league where it's almost seen as an insult to stay for your senior year. (A very stupid scenario of course. I mean, what else can a college athlete learn from being coached and playing another year and gaining experience. Clearly nothing.) I also have heard recently that Tasheed Carr has transferred. I have also heard recently that Wayne Morgan has been fired. I no longer want to listen to recent events. I enjoyed watching the Cyclones his year, even if they didn't win that many games. I will be as pumped as ever for next year's season, like I always am. Shawn Taggart, Jiri Hubalek, Ross Marsden, and Jessen Gray will make up a solid returning frontcourt. Look for Rahshon Clark to be the star of the team. The backcourt will have some big shoes to fill, but osme of the younger players and new recruits will get a chance to shine. A new coach and a new system. It'll either be a success or a massive failure. I'll still watch.
Grade: Mouse Trap
Oklahoma State
Well, some thought the Cowboys were tournament bound and possibly even one of the better teams in the Big 12. (Cough-Doyel) Was this year a disappointment? Not completely. This year Stillwater saw some young talent that is going to be amazing next year. Also, Eddie Sutton got in a car accident that ended his coaching season (but hopefully not career). Sean Sutton took over and led the team to a good finish which included a big win over Texas. JamesOn Curry had a pretty good sophomore campaign, but the brightest spot were the newcomers. Mario Boggan and Torre Johnson had amazing first years for the Cowboys. Also having a good season was freshman guard Byron Eaton. The Cowboys should be scary next year.
Grade: Fried Chicken
Missouri
This wasn't really a good year for the Tigers. They start off good in the Big 12, but then fall off the table. Thomas Gardner did have a good year scoring wise, but overall it's about the team, not individuals. Missouri also fired one of my favorite coaches in Quin Snyder. There is still some youth and talent in the Missouri program, but things are going to have to turn around.
Grade: Laundry Detergent
Baylor
While Baylor was punished for the unfortunate events from a few years back, the players on this year's team had to suffer. This is not fair and is a rule that the NCAA should change. It wasn't fair that Baylor only got to play conference games. Scott Drew is a good coach. Baylor has talented players. Aaron Bruce is probably the best scoring guard in the Big 12, despite his average dropping. Curtis Jerrells had a great freshman season, full of exciting plays. Look for Baylor to have a surprising team next year. Heck, they did this year.
Grade: Peacock
Kansas State
Another coaching confrontation. Jim Wooldridge was out for a while when he got in a car accident, but he came back with a cool neck brace! This didn't motivate the team like I thought it would. Now he's fired. Good thing there's patience in the NCAA! Well the Wildcats got off to a great start in the Big 12 play with a win at Lawrence. After that, well, they were not as consistent. Carier Martin had another solid season. He's probably the best shooter in the Big 12. Kansas State is a really young team with a bright future. There next two leading scorers are returning next year with David Hoskins and Lance Harris. Pretty much the majority of K-State's players are young. Depending on who they bring in as a coach next year the Wildcats might be one of the surprise teams.
Grade: Fried Chicken
Colorado
What an amazing start for the Buffaloes. Too bad they didn't finish as well. This was a senior dominated team and it would have been nice to see them make it to the tournament. Richard Roby had another solid year, taking his game to the next level. He had decided to stay in school, which I think is a smart move. He'll be the leader of the team next year with all the graduations. Chris Copeland had another pretty good year, as did fellow running mate Andy Osborn. The seniors will be missed and I don't really know what will be in store for Colorado next year. Losing to Old Dominion in the first round of the NIT was a fitting end to a disappointing season for the Buffaloes.
(UPDATE: Richard Roby has recently declared for the NBA Draft.)
Grade: Laundry Detergent
Texas Tech
The Red Raiders were the youngest team in the Big 12 with no seniors on their team. There was a lot of big expectations for Bobby Knight's team. Maybe they didn't perform up to some people's standards, but they were a young team and showed improvement. Jarrius Jackson showed this year how he will probably be the best guard in the Big 12 next year. He consistently puts up big numbers every night. Darryl Dora and Martin Zeno also had good years. Dior Lowhorn had a good freshman campaign. What's in store for Texas Tech next year? All returning players, plus a good coach. Sounds pretty good.
Grade: Fried Chicken
Nebraska
It was an up and down year for the Cornhuskers. It seem sthat over the past few years, Nebraska has had the potential to really be special. Nothing big has happened but I hate to be pessimistic. Jason Dourisseau and Wes Wilkinson had great senior years. It seems like Nebraska always has big outside shooters. This year, however, their best big man dominated in the paint. Alex Maric showed how he can be a force and that he's got two more years left at Nebraska. Not good for other post players in the Big 12. Jamal White had a good freshman season and should run the point effectively next year. Barry Collier seems to always recruit certain types of players that run his game pretty well. Unfortunately that game plan doesn't always work.
Grade: Fried Chicken
Oklahoma
A national title was thought to be possibly accomplished this season in Norman. The Sooners had a pretty good season which had some dramatic wins, but overall they just couldn't get it done. The solid frontcourt had another great year. Kevin Bookout, Taj Gray, and Terrell Everett. JUCO transfer Michael Neal had a very good season. However, it was a disappointment to see the Sooners lose to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A lot of the younger players will have to step it up next year for Oklahoma. Kelvin Sampson is a good coach though. They'll just have to reload. Particularly with their post players.
Grade: Swedish Fish
Kansas
The Jayhawks finished the season on a disappointing note by losing to Bradley. Seeing that there were only two seniors on this team on a star-filled roster, this team should be able to move on. Brandon Rush has already seaid he'll be back next year, and he should be one of the better guards. Him and Russell Robinson and Mario Chalmers will make a dominating backcourt. Christian Moody will be missed as he put out a big effort in eveyr game he played. The amazing freshman are only going to get better, and from a Cyclone fan standpoint, it scares me a little.
Grade: Swedish Fish
Texas
The Longhorns remain to be the only team left in the tournament from the Big 12 as of press time. (For those of you who didn't guess Texas earlier, just go ahead, move into a cave, and cut yourself off from human contact for the rest of your life.) Texas is being led by their NBA caliber players, but so far haven't shown any domination. They'll have a good matchup against West Virginia. LaMarcus Aldridge, Brad Buckman, and P.J. Tucker have dominated the inside, while Daniel Gibson and Kenton Paulino have controlled the perimeter. I don't know how far the Longhorns will go. They already have a tough sweet sixteen game, and a possible rematch against Duke if they win.
Grade: Peacock (Super big peacock if they win the national title.)
Texas A&M
I've saved the best for last. Billie Gillispie is the best young coach in America. Joseph Jones is the most underrated big man in the Big 12. In a game against Texas in the Big 12 tournament he more than held his own, if not played better than supposed #1 NBA prospect LaMarcus Aldridge. Acie Law IV had another terrific year at guard as Texas A&M showed the Big 12 that they are not the team they were a few years ago. They made it to the tournament, knocked off a "hot" Syracuse team, and barely lost to LSU had it not been for a late three. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Aggies at the top of the Big 12 next year.
Grade: Peacock
So another year is over in the Big 12, and we wait until next year. We wait for Doug Bell and Chris Piper with the Phillips 66 halftime show. We wait for the commercial where the guy shoots the ball with a tire that's been playing for about six years now. Oh, and yeah...we wait for the exciting basketball!