With 2016 mere hours away, it’s time for Big 12 teams to make some resolutions. We covered Kansas, Iowa State, Texas, Kansas State and TCU yesterday; here’s what the Sooners, Mountaineers, Bears, Red Raiders and Cowboys need to resolve in the coming year.
Oklahoma – Dethrone Kansas and earn a No. 1 seed
Before we go any further, it should be clarified that this is a resolution for undefeated Oklahoma, not a prediction on our end. Kansas is, will and should be predicted to win the Big 12 until someone else does it, but that being said, what’s the point of making a resolution if it isn’t a challenge? Buddy Hield is getting the NPOY momentum he deserves thanks to his scorching 51.5/52.9/90.0 accuracy rates from the field, three-point range and free-throw line, but his teammates deserve some attention as well. Ryan Spangler is averaging a double-double; Jordan Woodard has games where he gets even hotter than Hield and Isaiah Cousins has transitioned admirably into the point guard role. While it’d be silly to predict an undefeated run through the Big 12 with the conference being as deep as it is, the trick for the Sooners is to sustain that strong performance all the way through March and do what Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Marcus Smart and Fred Hoiberg couldn’t.
West Virginia – Become better road warriors
The Mountaineers are off to a slightly surprising 10-1 start despite the loss of Juwan Staten and the new style of officiating that in theory, should hold pressing, physical teams like West Virginia back. The next challenge for Bob Huggins‘ team is to avoid the road struggles that kept it in the second tier of the Big 12 a year ago. Last season, the Mountaineers won zero road games against the top six teams in the Big 12, with especially painful losses at Kansas and Baylor. Those struggles away from WVU Coliseum limited the Mountaineers’ seeding in the NCAA Tournament, indirectly leading to the Kentucky loss that cannot be accurately described without invoking some pretty horrific imagery. As of now, there’s a clear line between Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa State and the rest of the league, but while it looks unrealistic to expect WVU to join the conference’s elite, improved results away from Morgantown will cement an increased standing in the league — and in March.
Baylor – Find steady success in conference play, for once
There’s never a dull moment when it comes to Baylor, and I say that with nothing but absolute love and affection. Not sure what I mean? Let’s catch up. 2014 saw the Bears stumble to a 2-8 start in conference play only to go on a 7-1 run with deep runs in both the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments. Last season saw the Bears sweep Iowa State and West Virginia, but lose twice to a bad Oklahoma State team and once to Kansas State, along with three close calls against TCU and Texas Tech. Georgia State coach Ron Hunter will be happy to tell you how 2015 ended for Baylor, but this year should be a different story. This is an extremely tough league, but with Taurean Prince and Lester Medford leading the offense, Ish Wainwright enjoying success in a full-time role and Rico Gathers having another monster season on the glass, there’s no reason why Baylor shouldn’t be more consistent in 2016.
Texas Tech – End a nine-year NCAA Tournament drought
Tubby Smith and his staff did a great job of manipulating the RPI to create an ideal schedule for a school of its ilk, and the team followed through on the path laid out for them. They now carry a 10-1 record into conference play, including a 4-1 mark against teams ranked in the top 100 of KenPom. Devaugntah Williams and Toddrick Gotcher are playing well, and sophomore Norense Odiase gives the Red Raiders a quality big man around which to center their interior game. Improvement from beyond the arc and continued aggression down low could give the team the extra juice it needs to capture its first NCAA Tournament bid since Bobby Knight roamed the sidelines.
Oklahoma State – Pull off a couple stunners
Travis Ford wasn’t going to significantly improve his job security with a solid finish in non-conference play, but even we didn’t think it would get this bleak. Phil Forte has played just three games due to a shoulder injury, but he’s not the only Cowboy whose health has betrayed him. Tavarius Shine and Leyton Hammonds have also fought the injury bug, and the team’s lack of depth has simply been too much to overcome against tough competition and cupcakes alike. It’s tough to see a program like Oklahoma State get relegated to playing for pride at this point, but that’s where we are. Hopefully the Cowboys can hit the reset button mentally and catch a few teams napping in Big 12 play.