College Basketball Preview - Big 12 Conference

Cbasketball Betting Lines

10/30/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - OUTLOOK: The Big 12 is considered one of the top conferences in the nation and for good reason. The league has sent at least half of its teams to the postseason in every year in conference history and three times in the last six seasons, the Big 12 has led the nation in NCAA postseason bids. Last season, the Big 12 had three of its teams ranked in the top 11 of the final AP Top 25 poll and it also had six teams win 20 or more games. The cream of the crop, the Kansas Jayhawks, won an outstanding 33 games last season and that includes a league-high 14 wins. The Jayhawks are once again the preseason favorite to capture their fourth Big 12 title in a row, as they return four starters and nearly every reserve from a year ago. The Big 12 has never had a national champion, but Kansas could put an end to that drought this time around. Texas met up with Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament title game and it is expected to give the Jayhawks a run for their money again. Texas A&M is coming off its best season ever and it returns a solid corps of players that should have it in contention for the title once again, albeit with a new coach at the helm. Kansas State also has a new coach, but it has one of its most talented teams in the recent memory. Missouri surprised many with its sixth-place finish last season and it is primed to do even better this time around. Baylor just missed a winning campaign and it could be the surprise team in the Big 12 this year with five starters back in the fold. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are rebuilding, but both can sneak up on the rest of the league. Texas Tech head coach Bob Knight became the winningest coach in Division I last season, but his Red Raiders club could struggle this year. Nebraska, Iowa State and Colorado round out the Big 12 and none of these team has a great chance to finish in the upper half of the standings.

CONFERENCE CHAMPION: Kansas

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:

1. Kansas; 2. Texas; 3. Texas A&M; 4. Missouri; 5. Kansas State; 6. Baylor; 7. Oklahoma; 8. Oklahoma State; 9. Texas Tech; 10. Nebraska; 11. Iowa State; 12. Colorado

TEAM BY TEAM ANALYSIS:

KANSAS: The Jayhawks have won three straight regular season crowns and back- to-back Big 12 Tournament titles under head coach Bill Self. Kansas welcomes back four starters and 13 of 14 letterwinners from a a team that went 33-5 last season and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The team returns 84.6 percent of its scoring and 80.2 percent of its rebounding from a year ago and that is whole lot from a club that earned a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Leading the way is guard Brandon Rush, who was named All-Big 12 First Team for the second straight season in 2007. The 6-6 junior led Kansas in scoring (13.8 ppg) for a second consecutive season, while making 43.1 percent of his three-point attempts. Rush however, is still recovering from ACL surgery on his right knee and isn't expected to be back until December. That shouldn't be a problem for Kansas though, as it owns one of the deepest and most talented backcourts in the nation. Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson are established players at the perimeter and Sherron Collins is a star in the making. Chalmers is one of the most balanced players on the team and he earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2006-07 by recording a school-record 97 steals. He also ranked second on the team in scoring (12.2 ppg) and assists (3.3 apg). Robinson is considered to be the playmaker of this group and he led the club with 4.4 apg last season. As for Collins, he had a great rookie campaign in 2006-07 and because of that he could earn a starting spot this year. Collins averaged 9.3 ppg and 2.9 apg last season and with a year of experience under his belt, expect much bigger thing in 2007-08. Up front, Kansas took a hit with the loss off its leading rebounder Julian Wright, but there is plenty of talent and depth to make up for his production. Darrell Arthur, a 6-9 sophomore, burst onto the scene last season and averaged 9.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg and a team-high 1.5 blocks per game. The athletic forward has the ability to score from just about any spot on the court and he already being considered a top 10 pick in the next NBA draft. At center, Sasha Kaun will return to his starting spot, but the team could use some improvement from him this season. The 6-11 Kaun averaged just 5.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg last season and he was also a liability at the free-throw line. If Kaun struggles, expect Self to turn to freshman Cole Aldrich. The 6-11 Aldrich was voted Minnesota Player of the Year in 2006-07, averaging a healthy 22.9 ppg and 17.6 rpg. He was one of the top recruits around and could make an immediate impact on a team that is loaded with talent from top-to-bottom.

TEXAS: Behind the outstanding play of Kevin Durant and three other freshman starters, the Longhorns went 25-10 last season and reached the finals of the Big 12 Tournament. Durant however, took his Big 12 Player and Freshman of the Year award and his double-double average of 25.8 ppg and 11.1 rpg to the NBA and his production certainly won't be easy to replace. Head coach Rick Barnes though, does return a lot of talent that gained valuable experience last season and that should help this year's team compete for the league title. This year's club however, will rely on a strong backcourt that is paced by the dynamic duo of D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams. Augustin put together a tremendous rookie campaign last season, as he led the team in assists (6.7 apg) while ranking third in scoring (14.4 ppg). His 233 assists last season was the third highest total by a freshman in Big 12 history. Abrams, a junior, played over 35 minutes a game last season and he finished as the team's second leading scorer with an average of 15.5 ppg. The only problem with the tandem of Augustin and Abrams, is that they are both under six-feet tall and that will allow opposing guards to shoot right over them. Up front, Damion James will try his best to help fill the void left by Durant, although he is nowhere near as talented. Still, James had a solid freshman season in 2006-07, and he gives the team a legitimate rebounder after 7.2 rpg a year ago. James scored only 7.6 ppg last season, but with Durant gone, he will surely see more opportunities. Sophomores Matt Hill (2.2 ppg) and Dexter Pittman (5.3 ppg) will handle the center duties, but neither has proven to be a starter yet.

TEXAS A&M: Billy Gillispie turned this Texas A&M program into a winner in his three year stay, but he is now gone and the Aggies will try to continue their success under the guidance of Mark Turgeon. The head coach of Wichita State for the last seven years, Turgeon inherits a team that returns three starters from a unit that set a school-record with 27 victories in 2006-07. Turgeon, though, does have some work ahead of him, as Texas A&M must find a way to replace top scorer Acie Law (18.1 ppg), whose leadership to this team was just as important as his play. Power forward Joseph Jones could be the player to take over Law's leadership role, as he has the experience and talent to do so. The 6-9, 250-pound senior is tough to move around the basket and he returns as the team's top scorer (13.4 ppg) and rebounder (6.8 rpg). Jones will surely see an abundance of double-teams and that should open up some room for freshman DeAndre Jordan. The seven-foot Jordan is one of the top recruits in Texas A&M history and while he doesn't have much of an outside game, he should be deadly around the basket and on the boards. At the perimeter, the team will rely on the trio of Dominique Kirk, Donald Sloan and Josh Carter. Kirk is a tenacious defender, but he did show a scoring touch in the NCAA Tournament last season, posting 37 points in the team's two wins. Sloan will move into the starting lineup now that Law is gone and he should have no problem building off the 5.2 ppg he averaged as a freshman last season. As for Carter, he can play either guard or forward at 6-7 and he could be primed for a big season. Carter averaged 11.8 ppg and 4.0 rpg as a sophomore, and he can be deadly from long range, making a school-record 86 three-point attempts last season.

MISSOURI: In his first season in Columbia, Mike Anderson guided Missouri to an 18-12 overall mark and a surprise sixth-place finish in the conference. Expectations though, weren't as high last year as this season, as the Tigers welcome back four starters and several key reserves. Included in the returning starters is Stefhon Hannah, who was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2007 after leading Missouri in scoring with 15.4 ppg. Hannah was more than just a scorer, dishing out 4.6 apg and recording 2.4 steals per game. As a team, Missouri thrived in the steals department, recording 10.1 per game. Matt Lawrence and Keon Lawrence are expected to join Hannah at the perimeter once again and they did a good job combining for 20.9 ppg a year ago. In the frontcourt, the Tigers should receive a big boost from Vanderbilt transfer DeMarre Carroll, who gives the team a legitimate rebounder. The 6-8 Carroll averaged 10.9 ppg and 6.4 rpg with Vanderbilt in 2005-06 and we will be counted on to produce at an even higher level at Missouri. Seniors Marshall Brown (10.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Darryl Butterfield (4.6 rpg) are two other players that will see a good deal of playing time in the frontcourt.

KANSAS STATE: Under the guidance of Bob Huggins, the Wildcats won a school- record 10 Big 12 games in 2006-07 and they also posted 23 wins overall, their most since the 1987-88 season. Huggins though, departed for his alma matter of West Virginia, leaving the program in a bit of disarray. KSU however, regrouped quickly and promoted assistant coach Frank Martin, who did a great job of keeping top recruit Michael Beasley to his commitment. Beasley, a 6-10 power forward, is considered one of the top recruits in school history and he has the talent to be an immediate star. Beasley, who averaged 28.0 ppg and 16.0 rpg as a senior in high school, can do it all and has been compared to Kevin Durant. KSU however, doesn't need Beasley to do everything, as there is plenty of other capable players in the frontcourt like David Hoskins and Bill Walker. Hoskins was a big part of last season's success, as the 6-5, 230-pound forward earned All-Big 12 honors after averaging 14.5 ppg and 5.9 rpg. Walker could be the wildcard for the Wildcats this season, as he appears to be fully recovered from an ACL tear suffered during last season's Big 12 opener. Walker averaged 11.3 ppg and 4.5 rpg during his first six games as a rookie last season, and like Beasily, he came to KSU as a highly touted recruit. In the backcourt, seniors Clent Stewart (6.5 ppg) and Blake Young (5.3 ppg) will provide some stability, but if they can't get the job done expect freshman Dominique Sutton and Jacob Pullen to jump right in. If the Wildcats can get some solid play at the perimeter, there is no reason this team shouldn't be able to make to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1995-96 season.

BAYLOR: Still recovering from one of the most damaging scandals ever in college basketball in 2003, the Bears went 15-16 last year, narrowly missing their first winning campaign in seven seasons. With all five starters back in the fold from last year's club, Baylor could be primed for a winning season and perhaps a postseason berth. In the frontcourt, the Bears welcome back forward Kevin Rogers and center Mamadou Diene. The 6-9 Rogers came on strong last season and he emerged as one of the squad's most dependable players, averaging 12.8 ppg and a team-high 7.6 rpg. He is an exciting player that has the ability to bring the crowd out of its seat with acrobatic dunks. As for the seven-foot Diene, he struggled with some injuries last season and because of that he averaged just 4.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg. Josh Lomers, another seven-foot center, chipped in with 4.0 ppg last season, but he needs to stay out of foul trouble. As for the backcourt, this is where the strength of this team resides thanks to the return of Curtis Jerrells and Aaron Bruce. Jerrells evolved into the team's most versatile player last season and he led the club in scoring (15.0 ppg) to go along with 4.7 rpg and 3.8 apg. For Bruce, he averaged 11.3 ppg and 3.4 apg, but his biggest contribution to this team is his leadership. He led all freshman in scoring in 2004-05, so there is no denying his ability to get to the rim and finish.

OKLAHOMA: Due to a lack of talent and depth, Oklahoma had its streak of 25 consecutive postseason appearances snapped in head coach Jeff Capel's first season in Norman in 2006-07. Three starters do return for the Sooners, but Capel will also turn to incoming freshmen to provide a jolt for a club that finished second to last in scoring (66.8 ppg) a year ago. The main focus of this year's team could once again be Longar Longar, a 6-11 center that averaged 10.4 ppg and 7.1 rpg last season. Longar lacked some consistency last season, but he still posted 16 double-figure scoring games. Freshman Blake Griffin, a 6-10 high school All-American, will join Longar in the low post and he has an all-around game that is polished and ready for this level of competition. Keith Clark, who stands at 6-8, 242 pounds, played sparingly due to a knee injury last season, but his return gives Oklahoma some depth in the frontcourt. At the perimeter, juco transfer Omar Leary could jump right into a starting role, as he is a true point guard that can shoot the three and dish out the ball. David Godbold could join Leary at the perimeter and he is considered the team's top defender. He averaged just 7.8 ppg a year ago, so the team is hoping he can improve in that department without his defensive play suffering. Tony Crocker averaged 8.6 ppg as a freshman last season and the 6-6 guard could be the one to carry this team offensively this season.

OKLAHOMA STATE: The Cowboys entered last season with high expectations and following a 15-1 start, they appeared right on track for a great campaign. The team however, lacked depth and after a few injuries, OSU went just 7-12 down the stretch and missed the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. Getting back to the Big Dance will be no easy feat, as the Cowboys must replace their two most productive players in Mario Boggan (19.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and JamesOn Curry (17.3 ppg). This year's team will likely run through Marcus Dove, who is one of just two seniors on the roster. Dove isn't much of a scorer (4.7 ppg), but he does everything else well, including defend. Center Kenny Cooper at 6-10, 260 pounds has good size, but he needs to start using that to be more effective. He averaged 4.7 ppg and 3.1 rpg in a reserve role last season and those numbers should increase with more playing time in 2007-08. Freshmen and juco transfer Anthony Brown are expected to fill out the rest of the frontcourt. OSU is in better shape at the perimeter, where Byron Eaton (7.7 ppg), Terrel Harris (10.0 ppg) and Obi Muonelo (10.1 ppg) are welcomed back. All three players, though, have some distinct negatives and that could give freshman James Anderson an opportunity to start immediately. Anderson averaged 38.4 ppg during his senior season of high school, so he will give OSU a big time scoring threat and that is something it surely needs.

TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders rebounded from a losing campaign by going 21-13 last season, as they helped Knight reach the NCAA Tournament for the 28th time in his illustrious head coaching career. Duplicating last season's success however, could be difficult considering Texas Tech lost three starters, including leading scorer Jarrius Jackson (19.9 ppg). Martin Zeno, though, does return and he has the ability to be a big time scorer. As a matter of fact, the 6-5 guard averaged a solid 16.6 ppg a year ago and he also pulled down 5.3 rpg and dished out 3.2 apg. His versatility and ability to get to the basket are a few reasons why he should be considered among the top guards in the Big 12. Joining Zeno in the backcourt will be Charlie Burgess, who can do it all as well. The 6-1 senior contributed 9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 2.5 apg last season and he will be counted on to be even more of a scoring threat in 2007-08. In the frontcourt is where the Red Raiders have a lot of uncertainty and they will need incoming freshman to make an immediate impact. Senior Esmir Rizvic is a seven-foot center that could surprise a few people, as he is now full recovered from an eye injury that caused him to miss most of last season. Rizvic averaged 3.8 ppg and 2.6 rpg in 16 appearances last season, but those numbers should easily improve with more playing time. Juco transfer Ricardo De Bem averaged 16.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg at Western Nebraska last season and he will be counted on to provide some scoring in the low post.

NEBRASKA: Doc Sadler did the best he could with the talent he was given and he led Nebraska to a 17-14 finish in his first season as head coach of the Cornhuskers in 2006-07. Sadler's primary goal in the offseason was to get bigger, as the Huskers started four players under 6-5 last year. The team's lone big man last season was Aleks Maric, who stands at 6-11. Maric isn't just tall, he is talented, averaging team-highs of 18.5 ppg and 8.7 rpg. The Australian native reached double figures 27 times last season and he will surely be among the top big men in the league once again in 2007-08. Maric should receive a little more help in the low post this time around, as Nebraska has several newcomers who bring a good deal of size to the floor. Jeremy Barr, a 6-8 sophomore transfer from USC, isn't eligible until the end of the first semester, but when he finally becomes active, he should provide a nice complement to Maric. With the new herd of big bodies, Ryan Anderson can now finally move back to the perimeter. The 6-4 sophomore spent most of his rookie campaign playing forward and he finished second to Maric with 10.1 ppg and 4.6 rpg. Now back at his natural position, Anderson could emerge as a big time scorer and playmaker for the Huskers. Freshman Cookie Miller and Brandon Richardson are two candidates to join Anderson in the backcourt.

IOWA STATE: Greg McDermott, in his first season in Ames, guided the Cyclones to a 15-16 finish and that was pretty good considering the situation that was handed to him. Now with a year of his own recruiting, McDermott has the players that better fit his system. He also welcomes back three starters, including center Jiri Hubalek. The 6-11 Hubalek really came on strong last season once he realized he could be more effective around the basket than at the three-point line, and he returns as the team's second leading scorer (11.2 ppg) and rebounder (6.8 rpg). He will once again provide a nice complement to Wesley Johnson, who averaged 12.3 ppg and 7.9 rpg as a freshman last season. The 6-7 Johnson notched 11 double-doubles last season and he should only improve with a year of experience under his belt. Rahshon Clark averaged 6.4 ppg and 5.9 rpg last season, and the 6-6 forward can step out and shoot the three if needed. In the backcourt, ISU will need to find a way to replace its leading scorer (16.0 ppg) Mike Taylor, who was kicked off the team just before the start of fall classes. Freshmen Diante Garrett and Marcus Brister are two candidates to earn starting spots at the perimeter along with German import Lucca Staiger.

COLORADO: In his last season at the helm of Colorado, Ricardo Patton watched his Buffaloes stumble to a 7-20 finish and that included a 3-13 mark in league play. For a program in such disarray, Colorado was lucky to land a quality coach in Jeff Bzdelik, who guided Air Force to a 50-16 record the past two seasons. Bzdelik has a tall task ahead of him, but the return of Richard Roby and three other starters should help ease the transition. Roby is a premier scorer (17.3 ppg) and a solid rebounder (5.1 rpg), but he shot just 38.3 percent from the floor and a dismal 26.8 percent from long range last season. Some of those shooting woes though, could be contributed to a young Colorado lineup that featured several freshman starters. One of those freshman was Xavier Silas, who emerged as a solid second scoring option, averaging 12.0 ppg in 2006-07. Silas, at 6-5, and Roby at 6-6, give Colorado an advantage when played against some of the smaller backcourts in the Big 12. Up front is where Bzdelik will need to find some new talent from the incoming class. Jermyl Jackson-Wilson is the team's leading returning rebounder (6.2 rpg), but at just 6-5, he obviously lacks height. Incoming freshman Caleb Patterson (7-0) and walk-on Trent Beckley (6-10) have good size and they both might play right away, even if they aren't ready.