THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
BIG 12 BASKETBALL
3B
The good, bad and ugly
Rankings, records outline NCAA tournament outlook
BY MARK DENT
Before conference season started, Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie and Kansas coach Bill Self said the conference was the deepest it has been in years. Well, their prediction was a bit off.
The Big 12 Conference ranks sixth of the six BCS conferences in the Ratings Percentage Index and is starting to lose its reputation as a quality basketball conference. In 2002 and 2003, the Big 12 sent six teams to the tournament each year and had two teams in the Final Four each year. It would take a miracle for either of those things to happen this season.
When the tournament selection committee picks teams, it doesn't discriminate based on conference. It picks teams based on key victories, strength of schedule, overall record and RPL.
"You have to, in your head, weight it out and think, 'which team could beat another team,' ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said after Monday's game in Manhattan. "It's more about individual teams than conferences."
The Big 12 still has a chance to get five teams, but only three are guaranteed at this point.
Start the Dance Party Early (These teams are in)
Kansas (24-4, 11-2) RPI: 17
Key Victories — Florida, Boston College, Oklahoma State
Bad losses — Oral Roberts, DePaul What's left — At this point it doesn't matter. Kansas has hit its stride. A home game against Texas and an away game against Oklahoma could be challenging, but the Jayhaws should cruise to the Big 12 Tournament.
The bottom line — Kansas will get a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if it wins out, including the Big 12
Tournament, More than likely, the layjays will have a No. 2 seed.
Texas A&M (23-4, 11-2) RPI: 14
Key Victories — Kansas, Texas,
Oklahoma State (twice)
Bad Losses — Texas Tech (twice)
What's Left — The Aggies still have
to play at Texas but otherwise have
an excellent chance to win out.
The bottom line — Texas A&M
is in the same shoes as Kansas. It's
possible that both will receive No.
2 seeds.
Texas (20-7, 10-3) RPI: 47
Key Victories — Arkansas,
Oklahoma State; Texas Tech (twice)
Bad Losses — Kansas State
What's Left — A home game with
Texas A&M gives Texas a chance to
finish second in the Big 12.
The bottom line — The Longhorns
were on the bubble until last week
when they blew out Oklahoma State
and Texas Tech. Two knocks on
Texas are that it has lost to all of its
quality non-conference opponents
and has a high RPI.
Hey, It Could Happen (One or two of these teams will probably make it)
Kansas State (19-9, 8-5) RPI: 50
Key Victories — Texas, USC
Bad Losses — California, New Mexico, Nebraska
What's Left — The Wildcats play Oklahoma State Feb. 27 in Stillwater.
That game could decide both teams' NCAA Tournament fates.
The bottom line — Fraschini said K State had a 50-50 chance to make it. Two victories in the Big 12 Tournament would help the Wildcats a lot.
Oklahoma State (19-8, 5-7) RPI:
Key Victories - Pittsburgh.
Missouri State, Syracuse
Bad Losses — Colorado, Missouri
What's Left — Oklahoma State, win-
less on the play, plays three of its last
four games away from home. Uh-oh.
The bottomline — The Cowboys will
not make the NCAA Tournament.
They are too pitiful on the road and
will play their way out.
Texas Tech (17-11, 6-7) RPI: 41
Key Victories — Kansas, Texas
A&M (twice), Arkansas
A&M (twice), Arkansas
Bad Losses — Nebraska, Baylor
What's Left — The Red Raiders should win their last three games. They play Oklahoma State, Baylor and Iowa State.
The bottom line — Few teams in the country can match the three victories against top 10 teams that Texas Tech has. But the Red Raiders have been too inconsistent and need to win their last three games and two games in the Big 12 Tournament to make it.
Do You Believe in Miracles? (This team has a slim chance)
Missouri (17-9, 6-7) RPI: 73
Key Victories — Arkansas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State
Bad Losses — Iowa State, Nebraska What's Left — The Tigers have two winnable games before playing at Texas A&M in their season finale.
The bottom line — If Mizzou wins its last three games and wins one game in the conference tournament,
the selection committee will have a tough choice to make. The Tigers' RPI could still be too high for them to make it.
Kansan sportswriter Mark Dent can be contacted at mdent@kansan.com.
Edited by Mark Vierthaler
SOUTHWEST (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
He said he called the team in and demanded to know who had thrown the battery, which put a dent in the wall. Bechard stepped up and admitted his guilt.
"They earned some E.C.O. that day," Lewis said, adding that E.C.O. stood for "extra conditioning opportunities."
Freeman said he kept in touch with many of the players from the team and that they still talked about Bechard's infamous battery toss and the following punishment.
"Sprints, wall sits, just about any kind of conditioning activity you can think of, we did it," he said.
Despite the antics before practice that day, Lewis said the team left a legacy at the junior high that won't soon be forgotten.
"They took a lot of pride in wearing the Southwest jersey," he said. "With Brady, the way he carried himself, how he was coachable and just how much of a complete player he was, you could just tell he was going to be a special player."
As for their only loss while wearing the Southwest uniform, Morningstar was out with a separated shoulder that hed hurt running into a screen during a victory against the same team two weeks prior.
"I kept saying 'Coach, I can play, put me in' but he made me sit out." Morningstar said. Things would've turned out differently if hed played, he said. "I know we would have won."
After finishing ninth grade at Southwest, the two split ways during high school. Morningstar attended Lawrence Free State and Bechard was across town at Lawrence High.
The two teams met in sub-state play and Morningstar hit a game.
winning shot to end Lawrence Highs season.
"In a lot of people's minds, that shot was the start of a lot of big things to come." Lewis said.
Morningstar agreed.
"It was good to have a friend on the team from the start," Bechard said.
Morningstar played for a year at New Hampton Prep School in New Hampshire after graduating in 2005. Bechard spent a year at Barton County Community College before he reunited with Morningstar at Kansas.
Kansan staff writer Kyle Carter can be contacted at kcarter@ kansan.com.
"It has helped because we can always talk to each other about whatever" he said.
Edited by Mark Vierthaler
BASKETBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Big-game atmospheres
Festivities seem to follow Kansas wherever it travels. Three weeks ago in Lincoln, Nebraska fans held a "Red Out," where all the fans wore red. Similarly, Manhattan held a "Black Out" on Monday during the Kansas State game. Next Monday the Jayhawks travel to Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners. Two years ago fans there held a "White
Out." If they repeat that, it would be the third monochromatic crowd of the year for the Jayhawks.
"I like playing in hostile environments, when the crowd is against us," Collins said.
Rush said that there was nothing better than defeating a pumped up crowd.
"I love shutting up the crowd after the game with a big win in
He didn't do too much celebrating in Manhattan, though, after finishing the game 0-for-5 from the three-point line.
their place," he said
Kansan senior sportswriter Michael Phillips can be contacted at mphillips@kansan.com.
Edited by Jyl Unruh
KEALING (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Start talking about this in class. Light up the message boards and the sports call in shows
Or don't.
corner that sells KU apparel, and if nothing else, just wear a plain blue t-shirt or something it works just as well" be wrote.
Ryan, I couldn't have said it any better.
Getting the crowd to wear one color at Kansas shouldn't require flash videos, it shouldn't require letters to the editor and it shouldn't require the campaign of one overly self-important sports columnist.
All it requires is you. Well, and the guy next to you. And the one next to him.
In which case, remember. Kansas State has already done it. Do you want to let them tell you that they're better at anything than you?
The Jayhawks play their last home game of the season on March 3 when the University of Texas comes to town. Texas is famous for its Burnt Orange pride, and more than one of the fans they
bring will probably be in that color
The game will be broadcast on CBS to a vast swath of the nation. What a chance to show what Kansas fans can do.
Tell your friends, tell your family and tell the old men you see at the game this Saturday: Wear Kansas Blue on March 3.
Kealing is a Chesterfield, Mo., senior in journalism and political science.
》 ALTERNATIVE FUELS
- Edited by Lisa Tilson
NASCAR may consider ethanol
BY CHRIS JENKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — While working for General Motors in Brazil in the 1990s, Brent Dewar got a firsthand look at the country's successful switch from an oil-based economy to ethanol.
Dewar wants to see the same thing happen in the United States, and he thinks NASCAR can help. Hes lobbying officials to consider a switch from gasoline to ethanol.
"We would embrace it," said Dewar, GM's vice president of field sales, service and parts. "We think it would be great on a lot of fronts, because obviously it would send a signal to the public."
Other racing series already are embracing renewable fuels. Beginning this season, the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series will race on 100 percent ethanol, and the American LeMans Series will race on a 10 percent ethanol blend.
Now, Dewar and others in the garage said they believe NASCAR should explore alternative fuels.
"Without a doubt, I think we should look into it," driver Jeff Burton said. "Although our impact on environmental issues is probably very, very small from an actual use standpoint, from a marketing standpoint, we could have a major impact."
NASCAR is taking one step in the direction of environmental responsibility by getting the lead out, catching up with a change most consumers made in the 1980s by switching from leaded to unleaded fuel.
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said officials are willing to consider renewable fuels, too.
"In terms of looking at the next step, obviously were open to options," Poston said.
NASCAR driver Kyle Petty thinks the whole country will use renewable fuels at some point, so it makes sense for NASCAR and its fuel supplier Sunoco to lead the way.
"You would like to think that they would take a leading role in it, especially through Sunoco's involvement," Petty said.
NASCAR teams would have to modify their cars to run on ethanol, but Dewar said the switch wouldn't be a "major investment," and it would be worth the hassle.
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