/ SPORTS / THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
The will to win
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
Wil Cunningham, a freshman from Paola, puts up a shot over Robert Fitzpatrick, a freshman from Overland Park, during an intramural basketball game Wednesday. Cunningham's team, The Red Team, and Fitzpatrick's team, The Silver Snakes, were both witness before their match. The Red Team took an early lead during the first half and kept its momentum, winning the game 36-29 "it feels good," said Steve Mazzoni, a freshman from Leawood, on the victory. "It's the first time we played together as a team and the first time we've proved we can win as a team."
BIG 12 STOCK REPORT
Junior guard Tyrel Reed tries to keep pace with Missouri guard Marcus Denmon during the Border Showdown Jan. 25 at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas ends its regular season March 6 against Missouri at Mizzou Sports Arena.
Jayhawks, Wildcats could both be No.1 tourney seeds
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
In the interest of saving everyone a little time, this week's Big 12 Stock Report will feature just the seven teams that still have a chance to make some noise come March. This means, with all due respect to Oklahoma (sell), Iowa State (sell), Nebraska (sell), Texas Tech (hold) and Colorado (buy), they'll be excluded from the larger discussion.
The seven teams discussed below range from locks to make the tourney to teams being on the bubble. The other five teams, which are not mentioned, have no shot to make the tourney beyond winning the conference tournament and getting an automatic bid.
KANSAS (27-1, 13-0); BUY
The No. 1 Jayhawks have shown no signs of slowing down and, barring losses in probably three more games, have a one seed in the NCAA
locked up real tight. If Kansas manages to win the conference tournament, even with a possible loss in the regular season, it has as good a chance as any to wind up as the No. 1 overall seed. This means possible first and second-round games in Oklahoma City and then games in St. Louis to advance to the Final Four. However, the next three games aren't what youd call a friendly road — each team the Jayhawks play is likely headed to the tournament – but it'd take a heck of a performance to stop the
roll the Jayhawks are on.
KANSAS STATE (23-4,
10-3): BUY
The Wildcats host the Missouri Tigers in what could be the game
of the week
this Saturday.
Win that, and
Kansas State
is honing
in on a two
win. Win in
Lawrence next Wednesday, and the Wildcats could sneak in the back door as a one seed. Kansas State hasn't lost this month, and the team looks as if it is easily playing like the second best team in the Big 12 right now. This Wildcats team has the tools to make a run to the Elite Eight, maybe even the Final Four, this year.
TEXAS A&M (19-7, 8-4);
SELL
The Aggies have played inspired basketball this season — as long as it's been on the parquet floor of
Reed Arena.
They're 13-1 at home and 4-4 on the road,
and their only signature road victory came at Missouri.
With the Aggies looking like a four seed at best, but more likely a five or a six, that's not comforting for Texas A&M fans. With a seed like that, the closest they'll be to home may be New Orleans. ESPN's latest Bracketology has the Aggies playing their first round game in Jacksonville against Florida.
Your door to comfortable living is here
MISSOURI (20-7, 8-4):
A&M. Mizzou is bril-
See Texas A&l
liant on its home
floor, winning
15 of 16 games.
The Tigers are
3-5 in road
games, though.
and unlike the Aggies, Missouri lacks a signature road victory. If the Tigers can pull out a victory at Kansas State this weekend, I'd feel a lot better about taking them as a Sweet Sixteen sleeper. Until then, though, Missouri looks like a second round out.
BAYLOR (20-6, 7-5): BUY
Baylor has all the weapons neces
Baylor has all sary to succeed in the NCAA tournament. It has brilliant point play from senior Tweety Carter,
who has the most assists in the Big 12 and scores 16.3 points per game. It has a lethal scorer in junior guard LaceDarius Dunn, who is second behind James Anderson in the Big 12 scoring race. The team has excellent post play, which is new development from years past. Junior center Ekpe Udoh is averaging a double-double and leads the conference with 4.3 blocks per game. Though Baylor may be playing as underdogs, this team will be scary come March.
TEXAS (21-6, 7-5); BUY.
Losing junior guard Dogus Balbya to a season-ending AC1 tear, as strange as it may sound, may have been the best thing that could happen for the Longhorns. Its obviously a shame, but Rick Barnes biggest weakness this year has been his inability to find a consistent rotation. With as many as 12 girls getting legitimate minutes in multiple games, the Longhorns have been unable to find a rhythm. Cutting down the number of tools Barnes has to work with will only benefit them, especially with freshman guard JCovan Brown and junior guard Jai Lucas in reserve as comparable talents.
OKLAHOMA STATE (19-7, 7-5): BUY
If the Cowboys get to the tour nament, they will be dangerous
lem is that their next three games are at Texas, a gainst Kansas and
at Texas A&M. If the Cowboys can win one of those three, they're in. If they lose all three, though, it will probably take a couple victories if the conference tournament to ease its bubble-bursting nightmares. James Anderson might be the most dangerous scorer in the country, but he can't take the Cowboys anywhere if they don't make it to the tournament.
Edited by Jesse Rangel