Category Archives: Big 12

What’s the Big deal?

Jan. 10, 200812:02 p.m.

Random musings from Thursday’s Big 12 coaches’ teleconference call: 

EXPECT an official word from Frank Martin later today on Jamar Samuels. I’d be shocked if he isn’t red-shirted, but then again, given David Hoskins’ situation, he might be needed for depth. So, now, after typing that last sentence, I’m changing my mind. I don’t think they’re going to red-shirt Samuels. Can you follow that logic?

ALSO, Martin hasn’t read the Sports Illustrated feature on Mike Beasley, but he’s pleased with his star freshman’s progress.

NOW with Acie Law in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks, first-year Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon believes he has several players who will inherit the role of big shot-maker at the end of games. “I think we’ll do it by committee,” he said. Fascinating…

CALLING it his deepest and most talented team, Scott Drew believes Baylor has given itself a shot at reaching the NCAA Tournament — especially if the Big 12, given its RPI standing, reaps five or six berths in the tourney as Drew suspects it might. My thought is six is probably going to be the cut-off, and wouldn’t you know it — that’s probably where Kansas State is going to hover all season.

MIKE Anderson believes Texas is a better team this year than the Longhorns were last year. The reason is Kevin Durant. “They have a lot of weapons,” the Missouri coach said. “I think D.J. Augustin is the glue to the team. A.J. Abrams can shoot it from the parking lot…” Asked if there was a tendency for the rest of the Longhorns to stand around and watch Durant, Anderson replied, “Given what he did, it made sense sometimes.” Do you think a little of that is happening right now in Manhattan?

IT’S still an experience listening to Texas Tech coach Bob Knight. One win away from 900 for his career, he said he hasn’t even given it a thought. “You win a lot of games because you’ve coached a long time,” Knight said. He was asked about playing at Oklahoma State, and he replied, “It’s the same as any place else.” He gave props to John Roberson, saying the guard has played to his strengths, namely intelligence, but he also knocked Martin Zeno for his inconsistency.

GIVE Jeff Bzdelik credit for being blunt. Using only about eight players, the first-year Colorado coach was asked if he expected that rotation to hold up during conference play. “No,” he said. “We’re undersized and not really deep… It doesn’t bode well for playing in this particular league — I’m going to be honest with you.”

JEFF Capel says Memphis is the most athletic and talented team the Oklahoma Sooners have faced this year, but he expects that to change Monday when OU faces Kansas. On the topic of K-State, Capel compared Beasley to a young Derrick Coleman (which I think I’ve said a time or two before, but I digress). He also said that given how well Bill Walker has shot it from three-point range recently, that’s gives the Wildcats a “dynamic combination” at forward. Now, about those guards…

EVEN though it’s not just the Aleks Maric Show in Lincoln anymore, Nebraska coach Doc Sadler isn’t holding his breath about upending Kansas this weekend. “I look at Saturday’s game as a free game for us,” Sadler said. “I don’t think too many guys are going to beat those guys.” For the record, I think this guy is a very good coach. I think he’s gone about the growth process the correct way, focusing on defense and tempo. “Are we better? Yes,” he said.

INDIRECT rebuttal to Anderson via Texas coach Rick Barnes: “To think our team wouldn’t be better if Kevin Durant was here is ridiculous,” he said. “… We had a very unselfish team last year… People look at Kevin last year and think that was all we did… I think people make this more complicated than it is.” Also, Barnes was explaining about how the this year is different without Kevin, and he said, “That could happen a year from now…” But he caught himself, when it seemed almost certain he was going to say “without D.J. Augustin.” Now, I’m not putting words in his mouth, but I’m guessing the point guard — who might be Mike Beasley’s biggest competition for Big 12 Player of the Year — will be in the League next year. Much has been made of how much he idolizes Steve Nash after learning from the two-time MVP this summer, and he really does play like Nash. Wouldn’t he be a good fit as the heir apparent in Phoenix? He’ll probably be the third or fourth point guard taken, depending on how you classify Eric Gordon. It will go Derrick Rose, Gordon, Ty Lawson and then Augustin. Write it down.

By J-Mart | Filed under Basketball, Big 12, What's the Big deal? | Comments (8)

The word, according to the Worldwide Leader…

Nov. 6, 20072:28 p.m.

Some interesting Big 12-related tidbits from ESPN’s men’s college basketball media conference call just a few minutes ago that featured Digger Phelps and Jay Bilas:

- Bilas considers Marquette “a Final Four threat,” adding that when you have quality guards like MU does, you always have a shot. Why this matters, of course, is that K-State supposedly handled Marquette in Milwaukee during a closed-door scrimmage.

- Both Bilas and Phelps believe Oklahoma has a chance to surprise people. Bilas loves freshman Blake Griffin, saying the forward is “going to be an impact player in the league.”

- Kansas is the class of the league, both men insisted. But they didn’t have a clue how it would shake out from second to fifth, which, incidentally, is the number of teams Phelps believes will advance to the NCAA Tournament out of the Big 12.

- Here’s an intriguing idea Bilas tossed out. Since the NCAA now owns the NIT, he said why not make it a pre-season tournament that would kick off the season in style? He proposed 16 teams, but his point was that virtually no one realized that Memphis opened the season last night. With the NIT played at the beginning of the season, it would capture the nation’s attention. Plus, he said some team could become the first to win both tournaments in the same year since City College of New York turned the trick in 1950.

- Phelps, who said he’d had an “Irish wake” last week after Notre Dame lost to Navy in football, is excited about seeing the Cats in Madison Square Garden against his Fighting Irish Dec. 4. “The Irish should be much improved, should be a big test for Mike Brey and Co., an interesting basketball game because when you look at Bill Walker and Mike Beasley, you’re talking about two great basketball players, so I’m really anxious to see them play. I think they’re going to surprise a lot of people. … They have a good, solid team.”

- “College Gameday” will be live in Lawrence March 1 for the KU-KSU game, a game Phelps said might decide the regular season title.

By J-Mart | Filed under Basketball, Big 12 | Comments (2)

What’s the Big deal? (10/22)

Oct. 22, 20072:10 p.m.

Random musings from the Oct. 22 Big 12 coaches’ conference call:

BOB Stoops still loves Mark Mangino. It’s charming, really.

THERE were some issues last week with Bobby Reid, but Mike Gundy said the former Oklahoma State starting quarterback would be back practicing with the team this week and will resume his role as the backup, which got me thinking. Is there a better 1-2 combo/situation at quarterback in the Big 12, or maybe the nation than Zac Robinson and Reid? OK, Robinson and a focused Reid – the Bobby Reid we saw last year in Manhattan? He was a handful, but not as much as Robinson was Saturday. That kid is tough.

SOME have suggested that I’ve put too much stock into the importance of K-State beating KU, but here’s what Ron Prince said Monday: “When you lose to your in-state rival, it’s distasteful…”

GARY Pinkel has no interest in talking about about last season. “This is 2007,” he said, responding to a reporter’s question about a disputed ending last season. And with how his Missouri Tigers are rolling foes, can you blame Pinkel?

HOW great would it be to hang around with Mike Leach all day long? The Texas Tech coach is hilarious. He was asked about the Red Raiders dropping so many passes against Missouri, and then the next question he was asked was unrelated, about how good Missouri is. He didn’t understand the two questions weren’t tied together, and this was his response: “I thought Missouri was good from the beginning. (But) it’s impossible for someone to be so good to make you drop the ball – unless you’ve got someone so good they can make you drop the ball.”

COACH Fran believes you don’t play better on Saturday than you do on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Clearly, the man can coach.

WHETHER it’s simply lip service or what, we don’t know. But Texas coach Mack Brown had the following to say about KU quarterback Todd Reesing, who attended Lake Travis High in Austin and wasn’t pursued too hard by the hometown Longhorns: “He’s doing the same things now he was doing at Lake Travis. He’s playing great. I’m really, really excited for him. … Anybody who didn’t recruit him, including us, made a mistake.”

HAVE to wonder if Bill Callahan will be this condescending once he’s out of a job. “It’s probably too technical for you, but. …,” the Nebraska coach began in response to a question Monday. It’s been a tough couple of weeks for Callahan, I get it. But you don’t make it worse by issuing responses like that.

By J-Mart | Filed under Big 12 | Comments (3)

What’s the Big deal?

Oct. 15, 20073:25 p.m.

Random musings from the Oct. 15 Big 12 coaches’ conference call:

IT was interesting to see Cody Hawkins and Josh Freeman chatting it up during pre-game warm-up tosses. Hawkins and Freeman were both EA Sports Elite 11 quarterbacks in 2005, which helps explain the acquaintance — and it also might explain Hawkins’ four turnovers in K-State’s 47-20 victory Saturday. Perhaps he was pressing, wanting to impress a peer? Hold on, Cody’s dad said Monday. “I think, for the first time, he was trying to force some things,” the CU coach said. “But the guy’s a freshman. … The other thing is, he got drilled a bit. They got after him.” Have to love Hawk… On a whim, I dug up the rest of the 2005 Elite 11 list, and it’s impressive – Georgia’s Matt Stafford, Florida’s Tim Tebow, Illinois’ Juice Williams, and Washington’s Jake Locker. There are transfers: Mitch Mustain, formerly of Arkansas and now at USC; Zach Frazier, formerly of Notre Dame and now at UConn; and Jevan Snead, formerly of Texas and currently at Ole Miss. The others – Neil Caudle (Auburn), Pat Devlin (Penn State) and Kevin Riley (California) – are currently stuck behind veterans.

NO one is better at spouting more clichés in a 10-minute span than Iowa State’s Gene Chizik.

OKLAHOMA State coach Mike Gundy loves Adarius Bowman, who many assumed would be the best receiver in the conference. Then Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree and K-State’s Jordy Nelson blew up. No doubt Bowman has the highest NFL upside of the group, but which receiver would you like as your No. 1? Regardless of system, Crabtree is ridiculous. And Nelson is beating constant attention every Saturday. Bowman is a man among boys.

BILL Callahan said he didn’t anticipate making any changes to his staff Monday, but that was before news spread that Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson was fired. Asked about his relationship with the former A.D., Callahan said, “We talk just about every day. We continue to talk about ways to improve our program.” Might want to start looking for a mover, Bill.

BOB Stoops said defensive end Auston English “has played better or as well as anybody we’ve had at the position.” Works for us.

ENOUGH. Graham Harrell’s numbers can’t be overlooked any longer. Or they shouldn’t be, at least. But even within his own conference, there seems to be a stigma in playing for Tech’s pass-happy system. “He’s a phenomenal quarterback in a system that allows him to be really good,” Chizik said. “… He’ll shatter every record that place has ever known. On sheer numbers, I don’t know how his name wouldn’t be up for some of those awards.” Maybe it’s that Leach doesn’t pump him up enough. “He’s really good,” Leach said Monday. “He’s really good, only a junior. He continues to get better.” He wouldn’t say he’s the best quarterback he’s had in Lubbock, which would probably help the cause. It’s what Gary Pinkel has done in consecutive weeks in regard to Chase Daniel, who has vaulted himself into Heisman consideration.

By J-Mart | Filed under Big 12 | Comments (1)

Mike Gundy

Sept. 24, 20073:15 p.m.

This is the only time I’ll discuss the Oklahoma State coach’s tirade.

It was an embarrassment. Regardless of what Jenni Carlson wrote or how she wrote it, it was ridiculous to watch a Division I football coach to dress down a member of the media in that setting. Ms. Carlson being a woman doesn’t earn her a pass in my book, but Gundy shouldn’t be surprised if he’s labeled a bully from now on.

To me, if anyone has a reaction that emotional and/or defensive, it’s usually an admission of guilt, meaning there was likely some truth to what Ms. Carlson wrote. Maybe not all of it, but some shreds. Just something to consider.

Last note – great news for The Oklahoman’s Web site, as far as traffic goes. The site itself is a bit of train wreck.

By J-Mart | Filed under Big 12 | Comments (19)