Tom Keegan: Time to predict Big 12 standings

By Staff     Dec 29, 2016

Nick Krug
Kansas forward Cheick Diallo (13) loses a rebound to Oklahoma State guard Jawun Evans (1) during the first half, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016 at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla.

The first leg of an 18-game journey aimed at winning a 13th-consecutive Big 12 title opens Friday at 8 p.m. in Fort Worth, vs. TCU, so now’s the last chance to predict the order of the Big 12 standings.

1 – Kansas (11-1): A share of the title ties UCLA for most in a row.

2 – West Virginia (11-1): Javon Carter and Tarik Phillip see to it that visitors to Morgantown have a miserable time. They harass normally reliable ball handlers into playing sloppy basketball and love doing it.

3 – Baylor (12-0): Double-digit victories vs. Oregon, Michigan State and Xavier, as well as a three-point triumph vs. Louisville, made the Bears the nation’s most pleasant surprise during the non-conference season.

4 – Oklahoma State (10-2): First-year Cowboys coach Brad Underwood learned plenty working for a year under Bob Huggins at Kansas State and five more under Frank Martin.

Huggins’ team’s greatest strength at the scoring end is its ability to rebound. Its top trait defensively comes in forcing turnovers. Like West Virginia, Oklahoma State ranks in the top five nationally in both statistical categories.

Huggins and Underwood face each other Friday in Stillwater, a great chance for OSU to gain instant credibility.

Jawun Evans will have a legitimate shot at player of the year honors provided the Cowboys contend. His 20.2 points per game is highest among Big 12 players.

The Cowboys hammered Georgetown by 27 points and Wichita State by 17.

5 – Iowa State (8-3): Monte Morris makes sure the Cyclones value possessions and the Cyclones play tough defense. Morris has plenty of places to pass the ball and is one of four double-figures scorers, the others being Naz Mitrou-Long, Deonte Burton and Matt Thomas.

6 – Texas Tech (11-1): Most balanced team in the conference boasts five scorers in double figures. Weak schedule so far, so it’s tough to know what to make of the Red Raiders.

7 – Kansas State (11-1): Maryland projects as an NCAA bubble team and by far is the best of 12 opponents so far and K-State lost to the Terps by a point on a neutral court. Beating so-so Colorado State by 19 points in Denver was encouraging.

8 – TCU (11-1): Lost by 15 points to SMU, which calls into question what the Horned Frogs did against a weak schedule. But they did beat Washington by a combined 38 points in two games played four days apart.

9 – Oklahoma (6-5): Lost to Northern Iowa, Wisconsin, Wichita State, Memphis and Auburn and take three-game losing streak into conference opener vs. Baylor in Norman.

10 – Texas (6-6): Northwestern clubbed the Longhorns by 19 points and UT-Arlington dealt an 11-point blow. At least the loss to Kent State was a close one. The Longhorns came within five points, which counts as progress.

PREV POST

Dixon returning to alma mater made sense for him and TCU

NEXT POST

49998Tom Keegan: Time to predict Big 12 standings