- In the midst of signing week, Kansas State hauled in a big-time talent in Robert Upshaw, a 7’0” center out of California. Upshaw, the eighth-ranked center according to Rivals.com, opted to play for Frank Martin over offers from Louisville and Georgetown. After Huggins helped recruit Bill Walker and Michael Beasley several years ago, Martin has continued the strong recruiting tradition, and Upshaw could be the next elite big man in the Big 12. With Jordan Henriquez already in the fold, Martin will have a monstrous twin towers to work with next year.
- Although the Oral Roberts/Oklahoma State game tonight is an interesting match-up in and of itself, it’s a little more interesting due to the Sean Sutton storyline. Sutton, an assistant to his brother, Scott, at ORU, says he hasn’t even stepped inside Gallagher-Iba since his firing a few years ago, but we’ll have to see how he’s welcomed by the OSU faithful. Our guess is the fans will be classy: Sutton’s on-the-court results weren’t great, but he’s turned his life around after a bout with drug addiction and he’s part of the Cowboys’ first family. There shouldn’t be any boos tonight.
- Royce White hadn’t played a basketball game in months, but he scored 25 points against Lehigh on Friday for Iowa State and earned Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors. Sure, it was only Lehigh, but the dominant performance showcased just exactly how dangerous White could be this season. He may look a little rusty here in the early months, but he’s so physically gifted it’s not even funny. White will certainly be one of the top forwards in the Big 12 this season if Iowa State continues to emphasize his role in the offense.
- And keeping with awards… J’Covan Brown of Texas earned the league’s first Big 12 Player of the Week honors, scoring 28 points on 10-19 shooting against Boston University. Brown, who’s stepping into a new role as the Longhorns’ unquestioned leader, was an easy choice here. He turned in exactly the kind of performance Rick Barnes needs out of his guard, as he’s trying to mesh a young team full of newcomers. Brown has been around the block before, and he’s got to continue to lead like this.
- Nobody has much faith in Oklahoma this season, even though Lon Kruger has won everywhere he’s been. One newspaper has at least a little faith, claiming OU should at least aim for the NIT. That’s not an unattainable goal for a team with decent guards, a rising star in Cameron Clark and a good big man in Andrew Fitzgerald. Kruger won’t turn this program around overnight, but he’s got enough to work with for a post-season appearance this season.