My latest blog entry previews the big 12 conference basketball season. While I don't think the Clones will win it, I do think they are going to be one of the surprise teams and finish in the top half of the league.
Juice blogs » The Cyclones
Mock Big 12 Conference Basketball Preview by Jerry Hales
:: January 6th, 2008 :: 3:56 pm
With the Big 12 conference season set to kick off next weekend, I thought it would be a good time to put out my predictions for the conference final standings. When reviewing my predictions, keep in mind that I am a full-fledged Cyclone Kool-Aid drinker and have twice lost $100 bets for picking ISU to win the conference after our back to back conference titles in 1999-2001. Anyway, all disclaimers aside, here’s how I think the conference will shape up.
1) ISU (12-4): The Cyclones have improved by leaps and bounds from the start of the year, and really seem to be coming together in time for the conference season. Despite the league being very strong, look for ISU to shock the experts in Big 12 country by bringing home the conference title for the first time in 7 years. The Cyclones strength is in their balance, as they have 4 players averaging over 10 points a game, with 6 of them averaging over 6. This may not sound amazing, but it makes it tough to prepare for when they have a different guy that can step up every night. While most publications have ISU at or near the bottom of the conference, this is going to be a special year in Cyclone country and you heard it here first.
2) Texas (11-5): Most teams would be in disarray when they lose a guy who was arguably the nations top player (Kevin Durant) to the NBA draft. Fortunately for Longhorn fans they bring back another of the country’s top players in D.J. Augustin. Texas played a tough pre-conference schedule and that will really help them in conference play. Their real strength is in the guardcourt, but Damion James and Connor Atchley have been a pleasant surprise with their productive play so far this year. While the entire Big 12 is looking strong, I believe that for the first time in years the North will be as good as the South. This benefits teams like Texas and Texas A&M in their quest to compete for the conference title because Kansas won’t have their road paved as it has seemed in the past.
3) Kansas (11-5): The Jayhawks could be the most talented team in the country, and to be certain they have the most talent from top to bottom in the league. The X factor that could keep Kansas from another conference crown is Bill Self. Self has done an outstanding job bringing in top talent to Lawrence, but has shown difficulty in keeping all those high school All-Americans happy. Lets be honest, star players today want to have the shiny stat lines, and even with the loads of points that Kansas pours on the opponents there are only so many to go around. Don’t get me wrong, if Self can get everybody on the same page and keep them happy the Jayhawks have the ability to not just win the conference but the national title. However, if I was betting my Cyclone Fanatic credits on it I’d say they implode at some point this season.
4) Texas A&M (10-6): The Aggies could be the most interesting team to watch this year. They have a lot of horses left in the stable even after Billie Gillespie left for the “greener pastures” of Kentucky, and if they don’t miss a beat with new coach Mark Turgeon they too could win the league. Really the only reason that I have them fourth is that nobody knows how quickly they will adjust to the new system.
5) Kansas State (10-6): While the Wildcats are completely loaded with outstanding young talent, they will soon figure out that there is a downside to selling your soul to the devil, or in this case Bob Huggins. When Huggybear left for West Virginia, they had a chance to correct their mistake, but the hiring committee chose to be impressed by all the stars of the recruiting class and hired assistant coach Frank Martin to keep it intact. Basically a lifetime AAU coach, Martin was able to keep the stars committed. This year they will be a good to great team, depending how well Martin can coach them, but after Michael Beasley and Bill Walker jump to the NBA next year it could be tough for a while in Manhattan.
6) Oklahoma (9-7): Most publications had the Sooners toward the bottom half of the conference, but they have really impressed me in the pre-conference season. They are very tough inside, but also have gotten good guard play and have played a pretty tough schedule so far. Jeff Capel seems to be doing a great job so far in cleaning up Kelvin Sampson’s mess at OU, and the Sooners could be one of the surprise teams in the conference this year.
7) Missouri (8-8): The Tigers are on the upswing in their second year under Mike Anderson. They have an explosive player in Stefhon Hannah and have plenty of depth, which could make them scary to play with Anderson’s “40 minutes of hell” defense molded after the Nolan Richardson coached Arkansas teams that Anderson was an assistant with. Because nobody else plays anything like it in the league, they will likely beat a few teams that are more talented with their change of pace.
8) Baylor (7-9): The Bears are loaded at guard but could struggle in the post. Because of this, they will beat some teams that they shouldn’t when they are shooting well from the outside, but they will probably lose to some weaker teams that they shouldn’t because of an off night shooting. The nice thing for Scott Drew is that his guards should allow him to compete with anybody on a good night, and it’s been a while since Baylor could say that.
9) Texas Tech (7-9): I am probably an idiot for picking a Bob Knight coached team to finish this low, and I am actually a huge fan of his coaching, but I just don’t see how this team can be as high as some people are picking them. They do have Martin Zeno back and also have some good guards, although their point guard is pretty green. If they can pick up the motion offense and defend like Knight will undoubtedly demand they could be top half, but in my opinion this would be one of Knight’s finest coaching jobs if they do.
10) Nebraska (4-12): Under coach Doc Sadler the Huskers were a bit of a surprise last year and were competitive in most games. They aren’t flashy but have looked steady and solid most of the time, led by center Aleks Maric. If they can get good play out of their young backcourt they could compete for the top half of the conference, but right now I have to put them at 10th.
11) Oklahoma State (4-12): The Cowboys are not accustomed to being this low in the conference, but they lost a ton from last year. They have some good young players, but it will likely take the better part of the season before they are ready to compete for the top of the conference. They do have a great point guard with Byron Eaton back, and he has a 2-1 assist-to-turnover ratio so far this season. Regardless, I think it will take too much time this season to get everybody on the same page for them to be in the top half.
12) Colorado (3-13): The Buffs have been the league’s whipping boy for the last couple years, and this year should be more of the same. The good news for Colorado is that their leading scorer from the past few years is back in Richard Roby. They also have some big and athletic guards and will surprise a team or two this year. The best news though in Boulder, is that Ricardo Patton finally found the door last year and they should be in much better shape with new coach Jeff Bzdelik.
Well folks, that’s how I see the conference shaking down. I realize that this is probably a much different order than several of the “experts”, but in my opinion the conference is really solid top to bottom and I could see any of these teams finishing much higher or lower than I have them. Here’s hoping that I’m dead on with my Cyclone blinders though, at any rate it should be a fun and wild ride in the Big 12 this season!
Juice blogs » The Cyclones
Mock Big 12 Conference Basketball Preview by Jerry Hales
:: January 6th, 2008 :: 3:56 pm
With the Big 12 conference season set to kick off next weekend, I thought it would be a good time to put out my predictions for the conference final standings. When reviewing my predictions, keep in mind that I am a full-fledged Cyclone Kool-Aid drinker and have twice lost $100 bets for picking ISU to win the conference after our back to back conference titles in 1999-2001. Anyway, all disclaimers aside, here’s how I think the conference will shape up.
1) ISU (12-4): The Cyclones have improved by leaps and bounds from the start of the year, and really seem to be coming together in time for the conference season. Despite the league being very strong, look for ISU to shock the experts in Big 12 country by bringing home the conference title for the first time in 7 years. The Cyclones strength is in their balance, as they have 4 players averaging over 10 points a game, with 6 of them averaging over 6. This may not sound amazing, but it makes it tough to prepare for when they have a different guy that can step up every night. While most publications have ISU at or near the bottom of the conference, this is going to be a special year in Cyclone country and you heard it here first.
2) Texas (11-5): Most teams would be in disarray when they lose a guy who was arguably the nations top player (Kevin Durant) to the NBA draft. Fortunately for Longhorn fans they bring back another of the country’s top players in D.J. Augustin. Texas played a tough pre-conference schedule and that will really help them in conference play. Their real strength is in the guardcourt, but Damion James and Connor Atchley have been a pleasant surprise with their productive play so far this year. While the entire Big 12 is looking strong, I believe that for the first time in years the North will be as good as the South. This benefits teams like Texas and Texas A&M in their quest to compete for the conference title because Kansas won’t have their road paved as it has seemed in the past.
3) Kansas (11-5): The Jayhawks could be the most talented team in the country, and to be certain they have the most talent from top to bottom in the league. The X factor that could keep Kansas from another conference crown is Bill Self. Self has done an outstanding job bringing in top talent to Lawrence, but has shown difficulty in keeping all those high school All-Americans happy. Lets be honest, star players today want to have the shiny stat lines, and even with the loads of points that Kansas pours on the opponents there are only so many to go around. Don’t get me wrong, if Self can get everybody on the same page and keep them happy the Jayhawks have the ability to not just win the conference but the national title. However, if I was betting my Cyclone Fanatic credits on it I’d say they implode at some point this season.
4) Texas A&M (10-6): The Aggies could be the most interesting team to watch this year. They have a lot of horses left in the stable even after Billie Gillespie left for the “greener pastures” of Kentucky, and if they don’t miss a beat with new coach Mark Turgeon they too could win the league. Really the only reason that I have them fourth is that nobody knows how quickly they will adjust to the new system.
5) Kansas State (10-6): While the Wildcats are completely loaded with outstanding young talent, they will soon figure out that there is a downside to selling your soul to the devil, or in this case Bob Huggins. When Huggybear left for West Virginia, they had a chance to correct their mistake, but the hiring committee chose to be impressed by all the stars of the recruiting class and hired assistant coach Frank Martin to keep it intact. Basically a lifetime AAU coach, Martin was able to keep the stars committed. This year they will be a good to great team, depending how well Martin can coach them, but after Michael Beasley and Bill Walker jump to the NBA next year it could be tough for a while in Manhattan.
6) Oklahoma (9-7): Most publications had the Sooners toward the bottom half of the conference, but they have really impressed me in the pre-conference season. They are very tough inside, but also have gotten good guard play and have played a pretty tough schedule so far. Jeff Capel seems to be doing a great job so far in cleaning up Kelvin Sampson’s mess at OU, and the Sooners could be one of the surprise teams in the conference this year.
7) Missouri (8-8): The Tigers are on the upswing in their second year under Mike Anderson. They have an explosive player in Stefhon Hannah and have plenty of depth, which could make them scary to play with Anderson’s “40 minutes of hell” defense molded after the Nolan Richardson coached Arkansas teams that Anderson was an assistant with. Because nobody else plays anything like it in the league, they will likely beat a few teams that are more talented with their change of pace.
8) Baylor (7-9): The Bears are loaded at guard but could struggle in the post. Because of this, they will beat some teams that they shouldn’t when they are shooting well from the outside, but they will probably lose to some weaker teams that they shouldn’t because of an off night shooting. The nice thing for Scott Drew is that his guards should allow him to compete with anybody on a good night, and it’s been a while since Baylor could say that.
9) Texas Tech (7-9): I am probably an idiot for picking a Bob Knight coached team to finish this low, and I am actually a huge fan of his coaching, but I just don’t see how this team can be as high as some people are picking them. They do have Martin Zeno back and also have some good guards, although their point guard is pretty green. If they can pick up the motion offense and defend like Knight will undoubtedly demand they could be top half, but in my opinion this would be one of Knight’s finest coaching jobs if they do.
10) Nebraska (4-12): Under coach Doc Sadler the Huskers were a bit of a surprise last year and were competitive in most games. They aren’t flashy but have looked steady and solid most of the time, led by center Aleks Maric. If they can get good play out of their young backcourt they could compete for the top half of the conference, but right now I have to put them at 10th.
11) Oklahoma State (4-12): The Cowboys are not accustomed to being this low in the conference, but they lost a ton from last year. They have some good young players, but it will likely take the better part of the season before they are ready to compete for the top of the conference. They do have a great point guard with Byron Eaton back, and he has a 2-1 assist-to-turnover ratio so far this season. Regardless, I think it will take too much time this season to get everybody on the same page for them to be in the top half.
12) Colorado (3-13): The Buffs have been the league’s whipping boy for the last couple years, and this year should be more of the same. The good news for Colorado is that their leading scorer from the past few years is back in Richard Roby. They also have some big and athletic guards and will surprise a team or two this year. The best news though in Boulder, is that Ricardo Patton finally found the door last year and they should be in much better shape with new coach Jeff Bzdelik.
Well folks, that’s how I see the conference shaking down. I realize that this is probably a much different order than several of the “experts”, but in my opinion the conference is really solid top to bottom and I could see any of these teams finishing much higher or lower than I have them. Here’s hoping that I’m dead on with my Cyclone blinders though, at any rate it should be a fun and wild ride in the Big 12 this season!
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