THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY MARCH 11, 2009
SPORTS
3B
BIG12 TOURNAMENT
The bracket has NCAA selection and seeding implications as teams vie for positioning
BY CASE KEEFER
At A Glance
NO.1 KANSAS (25-6, 14-2)
The Jayhawks are clearly the team to beat not only because of their No. 1 seed, but because they've won the past three Big 12 tournaments. Kansas' depth could come into play, because its bench players have begun to play better and produced 39 points in Saturday's victory against Texas.
Player To Watch
Player to Watch guard Sherron Collins
Junior guard Sherron Collins
Collins is finally getting the recognition
he deserves. After he averaged 18 points
and five assists per game this season, ESPN
analysts are praising him, and he was one of
only two unanimous choices for the All-Big
12 first team. But, as Kansas coach Bill Self
would say, it's dangerous for a player to
read his press clippings.
Collins
NO.2 OKLAHOMA (27-4, 13-3)
At A Glance
Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel swears the Sooners are not in a slump. But they have gone only 2-3 in their past five games, and the victories against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State were close. Of course, the likely National Player of the Year, sophomore forward Blake Griffin, didn't play in two of the losses.
Player to Watch
Freshman guard Willie Warren Everyone knows how good Griffin — averaging 22 points and 14 rebounds — can be and that this will likely be his last Big 12 tournament before declaring for the NBA Draft. But Warren — averaging 13 points and three assists — is quietly having the best freshman season in America and improving his draft stock.
Warren
NO.3 MISSOURI (25-6,12-4)
At A Glance
Sorry, Kansas fans, but Missouri is having a dream season. It went undefeated at home, beat Kansas once and finished four spots ahead of where it was projected in the Big 12 before the season. But Missouri could be facing a matchup against nemesis Texas A&M, which has beaten the Tigers five consecutive times, in the second round.
Player To Watch
Junior guard J.T. Tiller
Junior guard J.T. Tiller's statistics aren't outstanding — eight points and four assists per game — but he's been invaluable to Missouri. That's because Tiller is one of the best perimeter defenders in the country and is usually able to shut down opposing team's best scoring option.
Tiller
Player To Watch
NO.4 KANSAS STATE (21-10,9-7)
At A Glance
Kansas State won nine of its past 12 games in the Big 12 and can play with anyone. The bad news is the NCAA tournament sounds like a long shot because the Wildcats struggled early in the season and played a weak non-conference schedule.
Junior guard Denis Clemente Kansas State coach Frank Martin has said the Wildcats' success came because they found their leader, Clemente, and followed him. Clemente averages 15 points and three assists per game. And who doesn't want to see how Clemente deals with Kansas in a potential semifinal showdown?
Clemente
NO.5 TEXAS (20-10,9-7)
If the Longhorns play as they did in the first half against the Jayhawks last weekend, they could win the whole tournament. Texas led Kansas by seven at halftime and played like the team many expected to see at the beginning of the year when it was picked to finish second in the conference.
At A Glance
Player To Watch
Sophomore guard Dogus Balbay Balbay can do a little bit of everything. Against Kansas, he scored four points with six assists, three steals and two blocks in 38 minutes. He runs the Longhom offense flawlessly and is a premier defender.
ATM NO.6 TEXAS A&M (23-8,9-7)
No team is hotter than Texas A&M, which has won six in a row, including a 96-86 victory against Missouri last weekend. The Aggies have done it with a balanced attack that includes four scorers averaging double digits
Balbay
Player to Watch
At A Glance
Senior guard Josh Carter Carter is already the winningest player in Texas A&M history, with 97 career victories. If the Aggies make the NCAA tournament, which seems almost assured with a first-round victory in the Big 12 tournament, he will be the first player in school history to make four NCAA tournaments.
Josh Carter, Donald Sloan, Bryan Davis and Chinemei Eloum.
Carter
NO.7 OKLAHOMA STATE (20-10, 9-7)
At A Glance
The Cowboys haven't made the NCAA tournament in four years. The dry spell is crazy considering the amount of talent on their team, headlined by guards Byron Eaton and James Anderson. All they have to do is beat Iowa State and they will be in.
Player to Watch
Eaton
Senior guard Byron Eaton Eaton came to Oklahoma State as a highly regarded recruit and McDonald's All-American. He figured he'd be playing in the NCAA tournament every year. In his final season, he's still fighting to make his first tournament.
NO.8 NEBRASKA (18-11, 8-8)
At A Glance
Player To Watch
Freshman guard Toney McCray McCray scored 18 points off of the bench in a victory at Baylor Saturday. Maybe Baylor will have an answer for him in the rematch today at 1:30 a.m. But maybe not.
The Cornhuskers recorded their best Big 12 record in 10 years despite not having a player taller than 6-foot-8 on their roster. Doc Sadler has done a great coaching job exploiting opponents' weaknesses to make up for the size disadvantage.
NO.9 BAYLOR (17-13,5-11)
At A Glance
Baylor might be the most disappointing team in the nation this season. Loaded with talent and picked to finish third in the Big 12 this season, the Bears have instead decided not to play defense and struggled.
Player to Watch
Player to watch Sophomore guard LaceDarius Dunn Dunn is a perfect symbol for Baylor's season. Coming off the bench, he averages 15 points and is third in the Big 12 in three-point shots. But he rarely defends and never shares, as illustrated by his 13 assists and 50 turnovers.
Dunn
At A Glance
NO. 10 IOWA STATE (15-16,4-12)
Player to Watch
The Cyclones are competitive at home and went 13-6 overall at Hilton Coliseum this year. On every other court, Iowa State went a combined 1-12. Unfortunately for the Cyclones, the Big 12 Tournament is not in Ames, Iowa.
Sophomore forward Craig Brackins Brackins is the only All-Big 12 first team selection in action on the first day of the tournament. He finished second in the conference in points with 20 per game and third in rebounds with nine per game.
Brackins
NO.11 TEXAS TECH (13-18, 3-13)
At A Glance
PlayerTo Watch
The Red Raiders appeared to be one of the weakest major conference teams in college basketball before an 84-65 victory against Kansas. Was it a fluke or a sign? Find out at the Big 12 tournament.
Sophomore guard John Roberson In only his second year, Roberson already has the school's single-season record for assists with 201. He can score, too, and over ages 14.4 points. He's the Red Raiders' only hope for competing in Oklahoma City.
Roberson
NO.12 COLORADO (9-21,1-15)
At A Glance
Colorado shocked everyone in the Big 12 tournament last season by upsetting fifth-seeded Baylor in the first round as a 12-seed. Could a similar upset be forthcoming against Texas? Probably not, as this Colorado team is worse than last year's.
Player To Watch
Sophomore guard Cory Higgins Higgins carries the Buffaloes and at times appears to be the only player on their roster worthy of playing in the Big 12. He averages nearly 18 points, six rebounds and two assists per game.
Hlggins
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