Chris Allen: The Essentials.

• Class: Redshirt Senior
• Position: Guard
• Height: 6’3″
• Weight: 205
• Hometown: Lawrenceville, GA.
• 2010-11 season: Ineligible due to NCAA transfer rules. Transferred from Michigan State in 2010.

Chris Allen Has a Second Chance at Iowa State

The Breakdown.

Second chances are a rarity in life, let alone basketball. But when Chris Allen was kicked off the Michigan State basketball team, he found a second opportunity for stardom at Iowa State. At Michigan State, he was often late for practices, argued with teammates, and made poor grades. In order for him to succeed this season, both on and off the court, he’ll need to show that he’s matured. According to his new coach, Fred Hoiberg, Allen has been nothing but a welcomed presence on campus in Ames. He’s not a true point guard, but he will likely be asked to bring the ball up the court during the majority of Cyclone possessions. Already the ISU underclassmen are looking to Allen as their senior leader, with Tyrus McGee saying “I look up to him because he’s an older guy. He knows the game more. He’s a quiet guy, laid back. He’ll sit there and listen, and he does what he’s supposed to do. That’s the real reason why I look up to him.” Allen has both the talent and the basketball IQ to complete a breakout performance, one that could possibly propel him into the NBA next summer. Here’s to hoping he recognizes the rarity and the good fortune of the second chance he has received at Iowa State.

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One of the things I most enjoy about college basketball is the often-huge discrepancy between the powerhouses and the bottom-dwellers. This is most apparent in NCAA attendance figures. So, while BYU averaged 18,714 fans per game in 2011, Colgate averaged 628. Colgate’s total home attendance of 2011 was 7,537. Statistically speaking, BYU doubled Colgate’s entire 2011 season attendance in one home game. This is not to pick on Colgate at all, as there are many schools in this exact situation, and most comparisons of mid-majors to big-time programs will be lopsided in such a way. Today, I’ll examine the Big 12 attendance rankings of 2011. When you read this, remember that these statistics are more than just numbers. They tell a story and describe a season.

Kansas Wins the Attendance Battle Again

The following list shows each Big 12 schools 2010-11 home average and total home attendance.  Attendance figures courtesy of NCAA.

1. Kansas: Average attendance – 16,436. Total attendance – 295,856.
2. Texas: Average attendance – 13, 669. Total attendance – 246,044.
3. Kansas State: Average attendance – 12,652. Total attendance – 227,738.
4. Iowa State: Average attendance – 12,110. Total attendance – 230,097.
5. Missouri: Average attendance – 11, 112. Total attendance – 200,022.
6.  Oklahoma State: Average attendance – 10,447. Total attendance – 167,144.
7. Texas A&M: Average attendance – 9,000. Total attendance – 153,001.
8. Oklahoma: Average attendance – 8,563. Total attendance – 137,013.
9. Texas Tech: Average attendance – 8,513. Total attendance – 153,231.
10. Baylor: Average attendance – 6,994. Total attendance – 125,899.

1. What’s that? You were worried there wouldn’t be a conference realignment article in today’s Morning Five? Well, never fret. The New York Times is reporting that a Missouri move to the SEC is imminent. Yes, this is news, but I’m not ready to call it fact quite yet. If conference realignment was based strictly off media reports, Texas and Oklahoma would be battling it out for Pac-16 supremacy, and Missouri coach Frank Haith would be studying Purdue and Michigan State film.
2. Billy Kennedy, the new coach of Texas A&M basketball, missed the team’s first practice due to an “unspecified medical condition”.  Kennedy has been directed to sit out by his doctor and will undergo numerous medical tests before returning to Reed Arena. While obviously upset over missing his team’s initial practice, Kennedy said, “don’t worry, I’ll be back soon”. We hope so, Coach. RTC wishes you a speedy recovery.
3. Andy Glockner from SI.com has an article up, reviewing the off-season for every conference in twitter format (140 characters or less). The Big 12 section is humorous and relevant, and actually has a bit of good information peppered in.
4. The Public Policy Polling organization conducted a survey for Nebraska residents, and one of the questions was how they currently felt about their University of Nebraska’s move from the Big 12 to the Big 10. Cornhusker fans aren’t living in the past,a s 65% of residents are glad they bolted to the Big 10, and only 12% wished they still remained in the Big 12.
5. Kansas has been dealt a blow, as the NCAA declared two Jayhawk players partially ineligible for this season. Ben McLemore and Jamari Traylor will not be allowed to suit up for the Jayhawks until second semester. I wouldn’t write off the Jayhawks quite yet, however. Every time events occur that appear to lead to a Jayhawk rebuilding season, they win the Big 12.

Today, we finish the uniform rankings of the Big 12, as we reveal #4, #3, #2, and #1. First, I want to touch on the most important feature of a college basketball uniform: uniqueness. The more unique the uniform is, the more it is that they will be talked about. However, introducing a unique uniform is high-risk and high-reward. UNC’s jersey is, in my mind, the best uniform in college basketball. It’s uniqueness with the argyle and phenomenal color scheme make it impossible to beat. On the contrary, teams like Oklahoma State or Marquette, whose attempts for uniqueness involve bright and obnoxious colors, are some of my least favorite jerseys. A strong uniform becomes an identity of your program, and a strong program should have a strong uniform.  So here goes… the top four.

#4. Missouri

Needs More Jersey Patches, I'd Say.

History: 7. Mizzou got new threads last year, but they simply modernized their jersey. No change was substantial, and their jerseys have remained true to their school colors of black and gold for decades.

Color Scheme: 9. Missouri’s black and gold has become one of the most recognizable color scheme in the world of college sports, up there with Texas, Kansas, North Carolina, and Notre Dame.

Script:4. Unfortunately, the script is the downfall of Missouri’s aesthetics. The text looks like a font from Cartoon Network, and does not induce fear or intimidation upon its opponents.

Final Score. 20

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1. BYU athletic director Tom Helmoe publicly discussed his school’s involvement with the Big 12 in the conference realignment saga in an interview before the BYU-Oregon State football game. Like pretty much every AD involved in conference realignment, Helmoe played it very safe, stating nothing but the facts. He discussed how BYU did not have an invitation but would not comment further on what BYU’s desired result might be during the conference realignment era. He did admit, however, that discussions with the Big 12 have occurred, and that BYU has been “monitoring the landscape of conference realignment for some time.”
2. The Columbia Tribune recently posted a story debating whether or not the alleged financial benefits of Missouri joining the SEC were true. The AP recently broke the news of a study conducted by the Missouri Board of Curators determining that Missouri could earn up to $12 million more annually if it joined the SEC. Big 12 commissioner Chuck Neinas stated, “I don’t think that’s accurate… I’d like to see the report. I’d like to know who wrote it.”
3. The Wichita Eagle has a story up about Kansas State and how the integration of newcomers and veterans is going. Frank Martin stated, “We’ve got a group of guys who are extremely experienced and then we’ve got a group of guys who have absolutely no experience”. One thing is for certain, the Wildcats will have a different look about them this season than they have in recent years.
4. Also in K-State news, coach Frank Martin said that the addition of TCU to the Big 12 will greatly help Kansas State recruiting. “I’m ecstatic about it. We recruit Dallas a lot,” said Martin, who expresses his pleasure in being able to tell the parents of Dallas-area recruits that they will be able to see their sons play in an arena much closer in proximity to their homes when compared to Waco, College Station, Lubbock and Austin.
5. The KC Star analyzed the regional differences between various parts of The Show-Me State, from it’s corn fields in the north to the urban sprawl in St. Louis to the mountains in the southwest portion and the southern feel in the bootheel.  Depending on where someone lives in the state of Missouri, it’s likely that geography and culture in that locale influences the prevailing opinion on whether Mizzou should jump ship to the SEC, Big Ten or stick with the Big 12.  It’s an interesting analysis for a state that often has trouble describing its own character as a result of its central location stuck between the Midwest, Southeast and Great Plains.

As we continue to Part Two of the Big 12 uniform rankings, I want to discuss a different role college uniforms play. The role of a fashion statement. For reasons unknown to me, jerseys, especially basketball jerseys, have become a fashion trend. Whether in a music video, a movie, or Joe Blow walking down the street, college basketball uniforms are seen on individuals who have never made a jump shot. I’ll admit it, I have a Missouri and a TCU basketball jersey that I occasionally wear, despite my short-and-skinny frame. It’s a questionable trend, but it’s one that, despite my criticism, I take part in.

Anyway, let’s continue with the uniform rankings. To track back, I ranked Iowa State as 10th, Oklahoma State as 9th, and Baylor as 8th.

# 7.  Oklahoma

Meh.

History: 5. The Sooners have been consistent with their designs. Unfortunately, their designs have never been extraordinary.

Color Scheme: 3. Way too much white. Two stripes of white on top, one on bottom, and two on the sides. It’s called a secondary color, Oklahoma.

Script: 6. The script is slightly above mediocre. I like the way it curves, but it doesn’t exactly stand out.

Final Score: 14

#6. Texas

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If you look at uniforms objectively, they are literally nothing more than clothing. Technically, Duke’s uniforms are just as much an item of clothing as the 6th grade basketball team’s uniform at the local middle school. Sure, the quality of the material is better, but when it boils down, you’re left with a pair of shorts and a sleeveless jersey.  What makes uniforms special is not the actual uniforms, but the image they represent. When we see the argyle on the side of North Carolina’s jerseys, we are reminded of the prestige of its program, the rich history of winning the Tar Heels have earned throughout history.  However, uniforms do more than just remind us of past glory. A new uniform can represent a change in a program, especially if the past has been comparatively muddy. Recall when the Denver Nuggets drafted Carmelo Anthony and the Cavs drafted LeBron James — both teams got new uniforms to represent the ushering of their organizations into a new era.

Here, I’ll rank the uniforms of the Big 12 from worst to first. Today, we will knock out the worst three, and in coming days, I will complete the list.  There are three categories to rank the team’s aesthetics — its history, color scheme, and jersey script.

#10. Iowa State 

Condiments!

History: 2. These jerseys are relatively new. I don’t see them becoming relatively old.

Color Scheme: 1. Ketchup and Mustard. If Ronald McDonald was an AD, these uniforms would be his preferred threads.

Script: 3. Points for the bold font attempt. Unfortunately, the font is difficult to read, due to the yellow-white-ketchup combination.

Final Score: 6.

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Missouri fans have had an interesting past week. Whether they are fans of the idea of jumping to the SEC or continuing their loyalty to the Big 12, the fans are anxious to see what their athletic department’s next move is. So, when they heard about forward Laurence Bowers‘ recent ACL injury, one that will sideline him for the entire 2011-12 season, their heightened level of anxiety only rose. Bowers, a dynamic frontcourt player who brought athleticism and leadership to the Tiger basketball team, will certainly be missed this season.

The Tigers Will Miss Bowers' Athleticism

Many pundits have picked the Tigers as strong contenders for this year’s Big 12 championship. Led by a senior class with three years of postseason experience, Missouri has been deemed a promising NCAA Tournament contender. Athlon’s College Basketball Preview ranked them #24 in their preseason projections; Lindy’s College Basketball Preview ranked the Tigers #21; Andy Katz ranked them #22 in his pre-season Top 25. With this injury to Bowers, however, those pundits are likely re-thinking those projections. Senior Steve Moore is expected to take Bowers’ spot in the starting lineup. He has developed into a solid role player, but lacks the athleticism and basketball IQ that Bowers possesses. With conference realignment rumors swirling and Frank Haith’s issue of possible infractions at Miami (FL), this season will be interesting enough for the Tigers. With Bowers’ injury, it seems the hits just keep coming.

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