Welcome to the Big 12 Buzz! Things are going to look a little different during the offseason but that doesn’t mean I can’t share what’s on my mind this week in the Big 12.
Weekend at Hilton
There weren’t a lot of positives to take away from Tuesday night in Fort Worth except getting the hell out of there as fast as you can. It was a brutal loss and there’s no other way to put it. But there’s no time to sit here and sulk because it’s time to put on your big boy pants and get ready for the battles ahead.
Iowa State will play three ranked teams in the next seven days between Kansas, Houston, and BYU. It all starts on Saturday when the Cyclones host the red-hot Jayhawks who have won eight straight since losing to West Virginia over a month ago.
The whole Darryn Peterson situation for Kansas has been interesting to watch because who knows if he will play or not. One minute he’s good, the next he’s not, he’s like a kid who can’t make up his mind or me at Kippy’s in Elkhart trying to decide what to get. Just kidding, it’s always Busch Light and a tenderloin but you get the idea.
Prior to the TCU debacle, there was talk of Iowa State not just chasing a one seed in the NCAA Tournament but a Big 12 title as well. While neither one is technically off the table just yet, it’s going to be an uphill battle and it’s one giant ass hill.
One could argue that this will be the biggest weekend in Iowa State basketball history. I know the fans will show up, pack Hilton, and be loud but I just hope this team comes prepared. Maybe Tuesday was a slap in the face type of wake-up call that this team needed to get ready.
The New Floor
When Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark told us that there was some major news regarding the conference basketball tournament happening on Tuesday of this week, my ears perked up. I didn’t know what to expect but what I didn’t want to happen was the tournament leaving Kansas City. Thankfully it didn’t.
But things didn’t get off to a great start when the conference announced that the news was meant for Wednesday instead of Tuesday. We have calendars on our phones for crying out loud, can we at least get the news date right?
Then came the big reveal, which was an LED video sports floor. According to the Big 12, throughout both Tournaments, the court will be used to highlight new partnership opportunities, elevate fan engagement and enhance in-game entertainment.
During each matchup, visual effects displayed on the court could include Immersive animations following key plays and moments, dynamic court designs, shot charts, interactive games for fans during timeouts.
While it is interesting, I felt like I waited a whole week on the edge of my seat for a court? It was like getting on that roller coaster from SpongeBob where the highest point was a three-foot drop. I guess this is what it feels like for those people in Vegas who let a three-dollar bet ride. Good for them, but it’s not for me.
The good news is that it can’t be any uglier than the court from last year. That thing was an eye sore, and it looked like an off-brand designer handbag. The less we have to look at that thing the better because no matter how good the game was, staring at that court made it feel like they were playing on a truck tool box. But as long as this thing stays in Kansas City, I guess I can’t complain too much.
Days of Our Wildcats
I don’t watch soap operas but the fact that shows like General Hospital, Days of our Lives and the Young and the Restless have been on since the beginning of time must mean they are doing something right. I mean, how many storylines can writers come up with for a show that’s been on television longer than many of us have been alive?
Well today, I am giving them a brand-new show. Far more entertaining and packed with much more drama than a cheating spouse or a murder plot. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you a brand-new show (credit to Tierney Jackson’s Ankle Boot on X for the name) called Days of Our Wildcats featuring your favorite coach, Jerome Tang.
This week’s show revolves around a 29-point home loss to a 13-12 Cincinnati team on Wednesday night. The dozens of fans who actually wasted their time to watch Kansas State basketball showed up with brown paper bags of their heads in shame.
But forget about the effort on the court because as always, there is no shortage of post-game drama. After the game, Jerome Tang spent an entire 20 seconds with the radio crew and answered not one but two questions from the media before storming out of the press conference.
At no point during his incoherent ramble did he explain why the team performed the way it did. “This was embarrassing,” Tang said. “These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform, and there will be very few of them in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, and our student section. It’s just ridiculous. We have practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow.”
While the cameras couldn’t make it to the 6 a.m.practice on Thursday morning, it has been reported that Tang locked his team into a room and made them watch Air Bud. It was certainly an unconventional tactic but let’s see if it pays off when the Wildcats face Houston on Saturday. Maybe they will lose by 30 instead of 40 because of this.
