Hello, I am The Rabbi, video editor of On The Sportslines and lover of March Madness. Today, we go into part 2 of our series, which focuses on The Big 12. This is a conference that may not be as strong as a whole compared to the Big East, but it surely is as good (or maybe even better) when we get to the top of the conference. As always, we'll start on the bottom and work our way to the top.
The Lonely 3 (Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Iowa State)
These 3 teams are already stuck on the needing to get an automatic bid train. Oklahoma has struggled in the two years since Blake Griffin became awesome in the NBA. Texas Tech hasn't been the same since Bob Knight left. A win over Baylor is Iowa State's only victory in conference this year. All three don't have the talent to beat the upper echelon in the Big 12, although they may get one over in the tournament.
9. Oklahoma State (16-9, 4-7, RPI 54, Best win Feb 2 Vs. Missouri 76- 70, Worst Loss Jan 29 At Texas Tech 75- 74 (OT)
Remember when I said we have a soft bubble? If the Cowboys were fighting for a field of 65, they would already be thinking auto bid. As is, they are close to execution of an at large bid. This is another team, that has feasted on a weak non conference schedule, starting 13-2. This is a team that has only won twice, all season in true road games, and a team that just wasn't even close in two tries when they faced off against true Big 12 power Texas. Senior Marshall Moses is about to see his Cowboy career end in an NIT berth if the true path of this team keeps up.
8. Colorado (16-10, 5-6, RPI 92, Best win Jan 12 at Kansas St 74-66, Worst Loss Nov 28 At Harvard 82-66)
They built a quiet buzz in the beginning of the season, winning against Kansas St (actually ended up sweeping them), and beating Missouri when they were a Top 10 team. It's gotten worse for the Buffaloes since then. They've lost 6 out of their last 8, and only have wins against Kansas St and Iowa St in that time. As much as this team has tried, they've seemed to follow up a very good run from December to mid January (only losing once), and made themselves looking like the same old Buffaloes basketball of the last decade. All this despite the 19.5 points and 6 rebound efforts per game this season of sophomore Alec Burks.
7. Kansas State (17-9, 5-6, RPI 40, Best win Feb 14 Vs Kansas 84-68, Worst Loss Jan 12 Vs. Colorado 74-66)
In a huge shocker (ok, maybe not so shocking), Kansas State's preseason Top 5 ranking has gone to this, a possible stumbling out of the tournament. Just this week, the Wildcats finally gave themselves a statement victory, a victory that they finally weren't expected to get. Jacob Pullen's club (the preseason player of the year is actually down in ppg this season) has gone through a better stretch as of late (4 of 6), but that just seems like a letdown. This was a team that was one game away from the Final Four last year, and this year it just seems like the Wildcats are gonna be a one and done, if they even MAKE the tourney.
6. Nebraska (17-8, 5-6, RPI 85, Best win Jan 29 Vs Texas A & M 57-48, Worst Loss Nov 19 Vs. Davidson 70-67)
This team also started 13-2 against very weak competition. The second half of the season has not been kind to what is a decidedly improved Husker team. However, almost like Colorado and Oklahoma State, this team has folded when it was forced to play up at tough places like Kansas, Kansas State, and Baylor. Like Colorado, that weak schedule is the reason why the RPI is in the 80's. That's not good. Nebraska is still a possibility to make the NCAA tourney, but they have to win at least 4 games out of their last 5 and get at least a semifinal run in the Big 12 Tourney.
5. Baylor (17-8, 6-5, RPI 64, Best win Feb 5 at Texas A & M 76-74 (OT), Worst Loss Jan 15 at Iowa St 72-57)
There was much higher expectations for this club, one that was a Top 25 club in the beginning of the season, and one that was so close to a final 4 last year. Now, despite the talent of last years stars LaceDarius Dunn and Quincy Acy, this team is miles away from the cohesiveness of 2009-10. Surprisingly enough, this team has actually looked a little better in conference, but they have lost games at Iowa State and Kansas State that they should have won. Now, all of a sudden, a Bears team they should be thinking Final four is still figuring out how to cement their name in the field of 68.
4. Missouri (20-6, 6-5, RPI 27, Best win Dec 22 Vs Illinois 75-64, Worst Loss Jan 8 At Colorado 89-76)
Missouri is still solidly in the tournament, but note this fact: not a single road conference win all year! They have a good win streak at home, but the road record needs to be rectified a little bit, unless the Missouri Arena is a first round site (I checked, it's not). The non conference season has been what's seemingly boosted the Tigers high RPI. Wins over tournament locks like Vandy and Old Dominion, along with a great game at Georgetown which ended in an OT loss is what is making this team like a true star. As for the conference season, it may be brought out of mediocrity with a road victory or a win at home in their regular season finale versus Kansas.
3. Texas A & M (20-5, 7-4, RPI 28, Best Win Jan 15 Vs. Missouri 91-89 (OT), Worst Loss Jan 29 At Nebraska 57-48)
Where do the Aggies come from every year? Hasn't Acie Law graduated a long time ago? This year's version has a team filled with underclassmen like 15 ppg sophomore Khris Middleton and forward David Loubeau. However, this team is one of the many boom or bust teams in this tourney. They can make themselves a Sweet 16 team easily (they had a 16-1 start accentuated with wins over tourney teams Washington and Temple), but then they can fall on their face (a 3 game losing streak). One thing is for sure: with not one, but two 20+ point losses to rival Texas, it seems like the Aggies may be a tourney team, but they do have a ceiling of who they can beat.
2. Kansas (24-2, 9-2, RPI 1, Best win JAn 29 Vs Kansas St 90-66, Worst Loss Feb 14 At Kansas St 84-68)
Hide your kids, hide your wife, Kansas is back. Although they're not as strong as that team that blazed into the tourney last year (despite that whole Northern Iowa 2nd round roadblock), they still have the team that can get back to the final four. Why? One word: twins! Wait, what is this a Coors Light Commercial? The Brothers Morris (Marcus and Markieff) average 30 ppg and 10 rpg, so they do carry a certain star quality to them, and a leadership on this team of stars. There is an issue this team has shown to me lately, and that's their inability to rise to the occasion, especially right after they were named #1 in the polls and got shellacked by Kansas State. While this team has been Top 6 all season, they've never felt like the best team in the country to me. Not to say they can't win the NCAA tourney, they just need to work a little more in bigger games.
1. Texas (23-3, 11-0, RPI 8, Best win Jan 22 At Kansas 74-63, Worst Loss Dec 5 At USC 73-56)
Talk about a role reversal. Last year Texas started hot but once mid January hit, the Longhorns stumbled into mediocrity and found themselves in one and doneville in the NCAA's. This year, since that USC loss in December, they've only lost once, by 1 vs UCONN in OT. Texas is undefeated in conference play, the only team in the Big 6 conferences to stay undefeated as of this writing. Unlike, say 90% of the teams that will be in tourney this year, the road profile is hella strong. All of their conference road wins are by double digits, including against teams 2 and 3 on this list, Kansas and A & M. Texas and my pick for Big 12 player of the year, G Jordan Hamilton, is changing a lot of people's minds on this team's postseason aspirations. Anything less than a Final Four right now for this club may be a surprise for a lot of people.
Tomorrow, we double up. We talk about the ACC and SEC, both having semi-down years, but still have a decent array of tourney hopefuls. Until then...
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