Big 12 up!
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But is the perception of the Big12 being up due to KU being mortal? Has KU fallen back to the pack or has the big12 caught up? I think it’s a little of both. It’s also what we’ve been yearning for. There are a couple legit teams in the conference not named KU. This can only be good preparation for the NCAA meat grinder, unless Kansas players get demoralized or injured. I think they will rise to the challenge with Devonte leading the charge.
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I think it is our defense… lack of it… that has brought us down to equal with the pack.
If we can start playing hard defense, it will not only slow down our opponents’ scoring, it will help our scoring because we always get plenty of easy offense from our defense when it clicks.
We really have to fight for our offense now because we don’t get the freebies from our defense.
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The Big 12 isn’t up. There are currently 6 teams under .500 in the league, that’s not scary depth. The Big 12 is going to end up with 5 teams at most in the tournament and possibly only 4 teams this year.
I know Borzello is trying to hype up the Big 12 ahead of the Kansas/WVU game, but the Big 12 has 4 tournament locks, 2 bubble teams, and 4 teams playing out the season. KU, OU, Tech, and WVU are locks. TCU and Texas are bubble teams and I don’t know if either of them will get in at this point, TCU has the much better chance at getting in. Baylor, ISU, KSU, and OSU have no chance at making the tournament without winning the Big 12. When 40% of your conference is out of the running for a tournament birth in mid January, that’s not good.
As far as the other major conferences go, the ACC still has 12 teams that can play their way to an at large bid and only 3 teams that have no chance at making the tournament this year. Obviously, that doesn’t mean they will get 12 in, but I think they can get 9, possibly even 10 teams in the tournament.
The SEC is the conference that should be labeled the deepest league in the country. They have 8 teams in the RPI top 40 right now, 11 in the top 60, and 13 in the top 75. I would realistically say the SEC has 8 locks at this point with 4 more teams on the bubble.
The SEC is the deepest league in the country to me with only Vanderbilt being a bad team. The other 13 teams in the league can beat anyone else in the league when the other team has an off night.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 When is the last time there have been more than one Big 12 team considered a final four threat? How about 4? And that’s only if you include KU. Are these teams really final four caliber? That remains to be seen.
As a KU fan who wants the team challenged; I’d rather face 3 top 10 teams than 6 top 64 teams.
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KU #10 ahead of its game tonight vs now #6 West Virginia.
OU #4, Texas Tech #8 as well in the Top 10. TCU holding on at #24 despite 3 straight close L’s.
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@dylans Last time the Big 12 had multiple legitimate Final Four threats was 2 years ago with Kansas and Oklahoma. I’ll also tell you right now that the Big 12 does not have 4 teams that are legit Final Four threats this year. I would argue that the Big 12 doesn’t have a real Final Four threat this year, but with the lack of dominant teams out there this year, I would call KU and WVU threats.
I don’t see either one reaching the Final Four because WVU has historically lost when they don’t get the whistle and are forced into an up tempo game because they don’t have the offense to run with teams, Kansas doesn’t have the depth or defense this year. Oklahoma is a one man team this year and Trae Young isn’t carrying them to a Final Four. Tech is the dark horse, but they have the same issue as WVU has in that they don’t have the offense to hang with the up tempo teams this year if they don’t get their whistles.
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Should we just forfeit the season already. Would love to revisit this later on if things change
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@Texas-Hawk-10 I meant multiple teams not including KU. It doesn’t happen. If you think KU is final 4 caliber then Texas Tech is for sure.
I don’t think ku is there yet, personally. Maybe later, but not yet.
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@dylans Tech is not a Final Four contender to me because they don’t have any tournament experience. They’re going to be the classic example of a Big 12 team that gets a top 4 seed and chokes first weekend, possibly even 1st round.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 you don’t have to have sweet sixteen or elite eight experience to be a final four contender. That has zero to do with how teams will do in March. People hang on to these notions that we see year after year do not matter once the tourney starts.
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@HawkChamp Actually, it does matter. It’s very rare to see a team new to prosperity make a Final Four run in their first year of being good.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 It may be rare, but both G Mason and VCU went to the F4 in the same year of their 1st S16 and E8. Last year, SCarolina went to the F4 after their first ever E8. Their last S16 was in 1973.
Happens often enough no one should rule it out automatically.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 And, of course, Hell will freeze over before Muck Fizzou gets to the F4.
Just sayin’…
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@mayjay George Mason was 12 years ago, so that’s 3 teams in 12 years that basically flukes their way into the Final Four. 3 out of 48 is 6% so basically Tech would have about a 6% chance of making the Final Four based on recent history. Possible, but not very likely.
All odds even, would you put money on Texas Tech reaching the Final Four this year? I wouldn’t and that’s why I don’t think they’re a legit contender.
KU has its issues this year, but they also have a core that’s been to consecutive Elite 8’s.
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I don’t think it has a lot to do with KU. Oklahoma is better than people expected them to be mostly because of Steph Curry. Texas Tech is better than people expected them to be and Chris Beard has done a great job with that team. West Virginia was a little underranked to start the season (11th in the AP). I never understood why they weren’t a top 10 preseason team with arguably the best two-way guard in the country in Jevon Carter. TCU has played well despite some tough losses lately. Overall the conference has just played well.
Mostly, though, Oklahoma and Texas Tech have both really exceeded preseason expectations. Neither team was ranked in the Top 25 preseason. Actually Texas Tech didn’t even receive a vote. Oklahoma only received 7. Now they’re both Top 10.
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Here’s the issue. It’s obviously a really good year for the B12. But the problem is, can each of these teams sustain consistency? My guess is the B12 will be back to the usual B12 that most are used to seeing next year. Think about it…KU will have arguably the top class next year. WVU loses Jevon Carter. It looks like TT will likely lose 1-2 key players, and return a few to be competitive. OU will lose Trae Young. Young was as good as gone the minute he committed to OU. My guess is TCU will lose and have a bit of a rebuild, with a few key pieces. I’ve lost track of BU and UT. So, the B12 needs to enjoy this season as possibly one of if not the most competitive it’s ever been.
The problem isn’t about the B12 being tough like it is this year, but can they find a string of seasons as the deepest and toughest conference in the nation? KU has carried the league and frankly did us no favors going into the NCAA tourney, and frankly has really been difficult. Many have wondered why KU wins the B12, but struggles in the tourney. I wonder what this type of competitiveness would do for us each year as we go into the tourney? It’s got to be good.
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@dylans How many of us have pondered the possibility of a B12 championship v. NC? Both can be done, but some of us have actually asked do we want conference championships or a NC.
I’d like both, but it’s extremely difficult to do both. I would take this year’s record, maybe miss a 14th conference title, but win a NC. I just hope the B12 enters the tourney as strong, or stronger than conference play. I hope the B12 translates into the dance. We’ve had more teams in the dance, only to disappoint. Maybe this is the year KU steps up and maybe 1-2 other B12 teams.
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Butler went to the Championship game both in 2010 and 2011 after being eliminated in the first round in 2009 and then missed the dance all together in 2012.
Very few teams have all players returning from year to year so teams can be vastly different from year to year.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 did that matter in 2010 with Butler? Or 2011 with VCU? Or in 2017 with South Carolina and Gonzaga?
