BracketBusters will get a whole post to itself a little later, but there’s enough good stuff happening today elsewhere in college basketball to keep us busy. We’ve already had some important results today in terms of bubble-ology (you gotta finish strong, Virginia Tech), and there’s even been a slew of Twitter chatter about who would be the best Commissioner of College Basketball — we prefer “Czar of Hoops” — if such a position existed. Peter Gabriel once said that all art is based on theft, so we took that idea and created a Twitter poll about it, for which we’ll be taking votes up through this evening.

• Hardy Shows Guts, MSG Goes Nuts. Some time around the middle of the second half of what turned out to be a 60-59 St. John’s win over Pittsburgh, thanks to a closing-moments layin by Dwight Hardy, we tweeted out a quick poll to see how many of our faithful followers thought St. John’s would get into the Dance. We figured everyone would vote them in…and that’s exactly what happened after about a hundred votes. NOBODY voted them out, which really didn’t surprise us. Then the game ended, and we canceled the poll. It was all but a foregone conclusion before that game, given their collection of signature wins, but it’s final, now. The only question is what seed they’ll get. With a deep run in the Big East Tournament, could the Johnnies play themselves up to a four seed? A three? What say you, friends?
• No Higgins Jokes, Please. Another question from that game: Hardy looked like a tightrope walker as he tried to stay in-bounds along the baseline while making his move that led to the game-winning layup. Did he step out? When we rewound the DVR, it looked like his toes stayed in, but his heels were definitely over the line. The way his foot moves, though, it appears that he pivoted on his toes and his heels were hovering above the line (so to speak), but we admit that it’s not the best angle. The referee, you’ll notice, is looking right at Hardy’s feet. Nobody in America had a better view. We’ll go with his (non-)call until we see a better angle. A couple of people mentioned that Hardy hooked his defender to get free for the shot, but you can’t expect to get that call that late and on the road.
• Get On Your (Combat) Boots. The Big East Tournament is going to be a total war to the point that all we need to make it better is Dale Dye coordinating student section cheers in his dress blues. Or maybe ESPN could have him do the pre-game teasers. We say this because West Virginia got hot in the second half and just cooked likely-two-seed and possible-one-seed Notre Dame, 72-58. It obviously improves WVU’s Tournament resume’, not that there was much doubt about their chances. Truck Bryant and his previously broken fifth metatarsal hit four threes and 10 of his 12 free throws en route to a 24-point day.
• We Told You So. For anyone complaining that Texas should have been the #1 team in the polls back on Monday, Nebraska says “Hi.” Two of our guys voted for the Longhorns for the RTC Top 25 (which Ohio State sat atop when our mainframe finished tabulating all the data) and there’s no question an excellent case could have been made, but the Huskers took care of that moments ago. Nebraska tried to give it away by missing free throws and fouling three-point shooters — twice — in the last three minutes of the game, losing their double-digit lead over a span of about ninety seconds. But, they held on, 70-67, to deal Texas their first Big 12 loss. So far today, we’ve seen losses by #4 Pitt, #7 Notre Dame, and now #2 Texas. Nobody is safe this year, people. There’s no single team that even approaches what everyone thought of Kansas last year, and we know how it all worked out for them. What a post-season we have in store.
• We Want To Hear From You. That especially applies today, because we’re not kidding about that Twitter poll. Who would get your vote for the position of Commissioner of College Basketball? Hit us up on Twitter, and let us know. We’ll announce the results later today on the feed. As of right now, your leaders are Jay Bilas, and…Bob Knight.

Owen Kemp of Rock Chalk Talk and SB Nation Kansas City is the RTC Correspondent for the Big 12 Conference.

A Look Back

• This week’s Big 12 play kicked off with a Big Monday matchup between Kansas and Missouri as part of ESPN’s Rivalry Week.  The Tigers and Jayhawks both entered the Monday night matchup ranked in the top 25 with Kansas checking in at #2 and the Tigers at #20.  As has been the case over the past few meetings between these two programs at Allen Fieldhouse, it was all Kansas in a game that saw plenty of offense and a final score of 103-86.
• Wednesday night, Texas handled another Big 12 opponent with ease, beating Oklahoma by 16, while Nebraska gave Baylor all they could handle before the Bears would secure a four-point win and position themselves for a tournament bid.   In Boulder, the Colorado Buffaloes played with a lead for much of the game before losing by three in overtime to Mark Turgeon’s Texas A&M Aggies.  With the win, Turgeon gets the best of former teammate Tad Boyle in the first and last meeting between the two coaches as Big 12 foes.
• Saturday paved the way for the Big 12 to have the #1 and #2 teams in the country following Ohio State’s loss to Wisconsin and both Kansas and Texas made their case.  The Jayhawks continued a hot stretch offensively in a dismantling of the Iowa State Cyclones while Texas fought off an upset bid by Baylor to win by nine and end a four-game losing streak to the in-state rival.
• Missouri got back on track with a big win over Oklahoma at home.  The Tigers continue to look like a completely different team in Columbia than they are on the road.  The Aggies won their second close one this week on the road with a late win over Pat Knight’s Texas Tech squad.
• Doc Sadler and Nebraska kept their slim postseason hopes alive with a win over Oklahoma State in Lincoln.  Both teams now sit at 4-6.  The other two teams in the conversation for a potential sixth Big 12 bid are Colorado and Kansas State.  The Wildcats made a last-second three pointer that was later determined to come after the buzzer, giving the Buffaloes a late win in the game in Boulder despite seeing very little in the way of production from star Alec Burks.

Power Rankings

Quick Disclaimer: Power rankings are not meant to be a poll.  They are meant to reflect who is playing the best basketball at a given time.

1. Texas (22-3, 10-0) – Texas continues to cruise and the Longhorns have their eyes on an undefeated conference run.
2. Kansas (24-1, 9-1) – Kansas remains on a hot stretch on the offensive end and might find themselves playing with the #1 ranking this week.
3. Baylor (16-8, 6-5) – Baylor looks to be developing of late and with all that talent, they have a chance to be dangerous. It’s still a work in progress but a good showing against Texas in Austin helps the argument for the Bears.
4. Texas A&M (19-5, 6-4) – A&M gets two tight wins on the road and turns the momentum back in the right direction heading down the stretch.
5. Missouri (19-6, 5-5) – New week, same story.  The Tigers can’t win on the road.  The schedule becomes a little more forgiving over the next few games, and it might be a good opportunity for the Tigers to get that first road win and make a push for a first-day bye at the Big 12 tourney.
6. Colorado (16-10, 5-6) – Colorado takes A&M to overtime and gets a nice win over Kansas State.  Right now they have an ever-so-slight edge in the race for sixth in the conference, which might also signal the last bid for the conference come NCAA Tournament time.
7. Nebraska (16-8, 4-6) – The Huskers are a sleeper team in the four-way race for #6 and they currently hold wins over two of the other three teams, with victories over Colorado and Oklahoma State.
8. Kansas State (16-9, 4-6) After a LONG week off, the Wildcats lose to Colorado in a heartbreaker on the road.  Rumors ran wild as to the status of senior Curtis Kelly, and the year that was supposed to be special is truly on the brink.  A big opportunity comes on Monday with Kansas coming to town.
9. Oklahoma State (16-8, 4-6) The Cowboys dropped their only game on the week and have a bit of inner turmoil with some off-court issues.  It will be interesting to see how well Travis Ford can hold things together.
10. Oklahoma (12-12, 4-6) – The Sooners lose to the Longhorns and the Tigers; no shame in that.  Jeff Capel has done better than expected but OU isn’t there yet.
11. Texas Tech (11-14, 3-7) – Another almost for the Red Raiders as they take A&M to the wire but can’t squeak out a win.
12. Iowa State (14-11, 1-9) – No depth and it’s finally caught up.  Fred Hoiberg’s team never quits, but they just don’t have the horses to keep up this season.

A Look Ahead

• The week in the Big 12 kicks off with Kansas heading to Manhattan for a Big Monday matchup against Kansas State.  The Wildcats will be hungry for revenge after a recent blowout in Lawrence and the Jayhawks might head into this one as the top ranked team in the nation.
• A rare set of Tuesday games keeps things going with Texas Tech heading on the road to face Missouri and Baylor playing a mid-year cupcake against Wayland Baptist.
• If the Jayhawks aren’t number one, it could be the Texas Longhorns who carry that title.  Texas tips off Wednesday night at home against Oklahoma State, while Iowa State heads to College Station and the Cornhuskers look for another resume-building win on the road at Oklahoma.
• Saturday sees all 12 teams in action once again and it’s a weekend that could provide some separation at the six spot.  Colorado has to travel to Lawrence while Nebraska hosts Texas.  A&M goes on the road to Oklahoma State while Kansas State hosts Oklahoma.  Again, OSU, KSU, Nebraska and Colorado could all by vying for a final NCAA bid and all four will be tested on Saturday.
• Rounding out the action on Saturday is a trip by the Missouri Tigers into Ames, where they’ll look to get their first conference road win against the last place Cyclones.  If the Tigers can’t pull off a win in Hilton, they might have to start concerning themselves a little more with postseason seeding.   The last game on the day is between Texas Tech and Baylor in Waco, as the Bears look to further cement that #3 spot in the conference.

Player of the Year Watch

Power Ranking Style and Based on Conference Play

1. Jordan Hamilton – (17.8 PPG, 8.5 RPG): Hamilton keeps plugging along on a great Texas team in the hunt for an undefeated conference season and a #1 seed come tourney time.
2. Marcus Morris, Kansas – (18.7 PPG, 8 RPG): Morris and Kansas are hot right now, playing lights-out on the offensive end.  The Jayhawks could soon be the #1 team in the nation and Morris is a big reason why.
3. Alec Burks, Colorado – (20.2, PPG, 7.9 RPG): Burks had an off night against Kansas State but Colorado pulled off a win anyway securing the season sweep of the Wildcats and keeping the Buffalo postseason hopes alive.
4. LaceDarius Dunn – (18.7 PPG): Dunn is starting to assert himself and Baylor is playing better.  The Bears sit in the top 4 of the conference and are starting to look more like a tournament lock than a team lost.
5. Jacob Pullen, Kansas State – (18.9 PPG, 3.5 APG): Pullen keeps fighting, but the Wildcats are facing the very real possibility of an NIT bid come March.

If you are interested in participating in our ATB2 feature, send in your submissions to rushthecourt@gmail.com. We will add to this post throughout the day as the submissions come in so keep on sending them.

Top 25 Games

• #11 Wisconsin 71, #1 Ohio State 67: “After opening the 2nd half with a 19-6 spurt to take what seemed like a commanding 47-32 lead with 13:16 to play, Ohio State folded like a 9/2 off suit yielding a 30-8 Badger blitz over the next nine minutes to fall behind 62-55 before eventually losing 71-67 this afternoon in the Kohl Center.” (Eleven Warriors)  “Two days after Wisconsin’s mammoth victory over previously unbeaten Ohio State, I still think that might have been the best college basketball game I have seen in person. The immovable object (Wisconsin at home) met the irresistible force (the No. 1 Buckeyes’ unblemished record, balanced attack) and held its ground.”  (Bucky’s 5th Quarter)
• #2 Texas 69, Baylor 60: “Two streaks came to an end on Saturday afternoon at the Frank Erwin Center. For the first time this season, Texas failed to defeat a Big 12 opponent by double digits, as the Longhorns held off the Baylor Bears, 69-60. That streak really doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the win broke a ridiculous four game losing streak to Baylor.” (Burnt Orange Nation)
• #3 Kansas 89, Iowa State 66: “A shorthanded Kansas Jayhawk squad jumped out early on Saturday to take control of the second matchup of the season against Iowa State. In a game where the Jayhawks played without Josh Selby and Thomas Robinson, Kansas seemed to heed the call from their head coach for better defense, at least early. At one point, just under the five minute mark in the first half, Kansas was up by 23 points and had held the Cyclones to just 14 points. While the Cyclones never pushed the game back within reach, Iowa State did start knocking down shots from beyond the arc.” (Rock Chalk Talk: Part 1 or Part 2)
• #19 Louisville 73, #12 Syracuse 69: “The Cards used torrid three point shooting from Preston and Kuric and some great interior defense to build a 20-point lead, and then let Syracuse back into it by seemingly trying to just run out the clock.  I think we had the ball for 1:48 of the last 2:00 of the game, and a very lucky foul called against Syracuse with the shot clock running down and a risky pass to Kuric at the free throw line gave us some breathing room.  It was also the first time I can remember Pitino making a halftime adjustment when UP 10, and we ran a high pick against their zone that let Siva get into the lane and create scoring opportunities.  A few key shots and this thing stays a double digit win.” (Card Chronicle)

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Owen Kemp of Rock Chalk Talk and SB Nation Kansas City is the RTC Correspondent for the Big 12 Conference.

A Look Back

• Last week in the Big 12 seemed to be a bit of a slow week in the grand scheme of things.  Not in the sense that games weren’t being played, but simply from the standpoint of few high-stakes games being played.  As the league has turned into a two-team race, it’s become more apparent that the Big 12 may only have four teams playing in the NCAA Tournament, league play has taken a bit of a different tone on a day-to-day basis.
• Still, there was plenty of action, and it kicked off last Monday with a Big Monday showdown between Texas A&M and Texas in College Station.  The matchup was highly anticipated, as the Longhorns had just recently dispatched the Aggies in Austin with relative ease and this was a game that figured to be a potential stumbling block for Texas. At the end of the day, however, Texas ran away with this one in a 20-point victory, further staking their claim atop the conference.
• Tuesday saw a Kansas Jayhawk team that continues to look better head into Lubbock and manage an easy victory over Texas Tech while Colorado won by a wide margin over the Iowa State Cyclones in Boulder.
• Wednesday did provide the league’s primary upset for the week, as Missouri went into Stillwater and dropped their fourth league game, all but eliminating the Tigers from conference title contention.
• Saturday saw all 12 teams in action and another upset of sorts.  Baylor, a team with tremendous talent, finally put together a solid win in a two-point overtime victory over Texas A&M.  The loss dropped A&M back to the pack in the Big 12 and the conference is now a two-team battle between Kansas and Texas, while a logjam in the middle exists with eight teams having either four or five losses in conference play.

Power Rankings

Disclaimer: Power rankings are not meant to be interpreted as a poll, but are meant to reflect who is playing the best basketball at a given time.

1. Texas (20-3, 8-0) – At this point, there isn’t an argument otherwise.  The Longhorns are running through the Big 12 with ease and the hold the head-to-head advantage over the only real challenger in Kansas.
2. Kansas (22-1, 7-1) – Kansas has looked like a team that might have finally found its chemistry over the last few games.  The offense has been efficient, the defense has stepped up, now it’s just a matter of whether or not Texas ever loses and gives the Jayhawks a chance pull even.
3. Baylor (15-7, 5-4) – The three spot is a tough call right now in the Big 12.  After #2, you have eight teams with 4 or 5 losses.  Right now, Baylor is coming off a nice win over A&M, and they look to be creeping a little bit closer to putting things in place and scraping together a workable conference record.
4. Missouri (18-5, 4-4) – Missouri is a different team at home and on the road. In Columbia, they are every bit the top-15 ranking they’ve held for much of the year.  The margin of victory is typically big and the Tigers look dangerous.  On the road, they look pedestrian offensively and the pressure doesn’t seem to cause near the problem for opponents that Missouri is accustomed to.   They’re a tourney team, no doubt, now they just need to play for a better seed.
5.  Texas A&M (17-5, 4-4) – A&M has gone 1-4 in the last two weeks with two losses to Texas, one to Baylor and one to Nebraska.  The Aggies are still a tournament-caliber team but Mark Turgeon needs to right the ship in a hurry.
6. Oklahoma(12-10, 4-4 Big 12) – The Sooners have won four of their last five in the conference to reach a surprising 4-4 record and currently sit tied for fourth in the conference.  The schedule gets tougher here in a hurry, but for now, Jeff Capel has his team exceeding expectations.
7. Oklahoma State (16-7, 4-5) Oklahoma State put together two solid wins in the past week to get things back on track after a tough start in the conference.  At 4-5 they definitely have work to do, but the Cowboys have shown the ability to pull off an upset this year.
8. Kansas State (16-8, 4-5) – K-State has won three of their last four, and minus the buzzsaw that they ran into in Lawrence, the Wildcats have looked better of late.  The departure of Wally Judge is another blow to their thin hopes at the NCAA Tournament, but it might still be a bit early to write of the Wildcats just yet.
9. Colorado (15-9, 4-5) – Colorado continues to slide.  They did pick up one win this week, but they still sit 1-5 in their last six games and the early season NCAA Tourney hopes have faded away rather quickly in Boulder.
10. Nebraska (15-7, 3-5) – Nebraska continues their farewell tour, and as usual, they seem to come up just a bit short.   The Cornhuskers definitely look like a better team this year under Doc Sadler, but it’s still not enough to push it over the top and make a serious play at a tournament bid.
11. Texas Tech (11-13, 3-6) – Tech has a record almost equal to that of the Huskers, but if you asked yourself which place you’d be more nervous about traveling to it would be Lincoln and not Lubbock.
12. Iowa State (14-10, 1-8) – Reality has set in completely in Ames.  The Cyclones’ best talent is probably sitting on the bench awaiting eligibility.  This year looked like it had some potential, but Fred Hoiberg has a serious depth problem and a rebuilding project on his hands.

A Look Ahead

• The week in the Big 12 kicks off with another solid Big Monday matchup as nationally ranked Missouri will head into Lawrence to take on #2 Kansas.  The Tigers and the Jayhawks have one of college basketball’s most bitter rivalries, and the game should provide a solid kickoff to the week.
• Wednesday night, the Longhorns head into Norman to take on an Oklahoma team that has surprisingly put together a 4-4 record halfway through league play.  Jeff Capel has managed to take a team left for dead early and put them in a position to compete in the middle of the Big 12 pack.  It won’t be enough to talk tournament, but it’s something to build on in Norman.
• Other Wednesday games include Nebraska heading into Waco to take on Baylor, and Texas A&M heads to Boulder, where both the Aggies and the Buffs are looking to gain an edge for a first day Big 12 tourney bye with a win.
• Fast forward to Saturday and the Baylor Bears head to Austin.  The Longhorns have taken on all comers and won with relative ease in the conference, but the Bears are a team with the talent to compete.  Baylor hasn’t been able to put the pieces together, but if they can, it’s one of the few games left on the Longhorn schedule that could prove a bit tricky.
• Other games include Iowa State at Kansas, Oklahoma at Missouri, Oklahoma State at Nebraska, A&M at Tech and Kansas State heads to Boulder looking to get a little revenge for the early season loss in Manhattan.

Player of the Year Watch

Power Ranking Style and Based on Conference Play

1. Jordan Hamilton – (17.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG): Hamilton is the leader on the best team in the conference.  That’s a big part of the resume when selecting a player of the year.
2. Marcus Morris, Kansas – (18.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG): Marcus has looked unstoppable at times in the last two weeks but statistically his numbers have dipped as others have stepped up as well and at this point Kansas still sits one game back of Texas. Morris is definitely in the conversation for the POY but right now he has taken a backseat to Hamilton much like Kansas has taken a back seat to Texas.
3. Alec Burks, Colorado – (21.6, PPG, 8 RPG): First in scoring, third in rebounding.  Those are Burks conference rankings in two key statistical categories.  Usually, a player of the year is going to come from a team in contention, but Burks might be one of the few players that still have a chance despite being on a middle of the pack team.
4. Jacob Pullen, Kansas State – (19.7 PPG, 3.44 APG): Pullen is still a pretty good player, but his team has been one of the most disappointing stories in college basketball.  That’s not a likely recipe for a player of the year nod, but Pullen received preseason mention and has still been a statistically solid contributor.  Tough to say how serious of an option he really is.

If you are interested in participating in our ATB2 feature, send in your submissions to rushthecourt@gmail.com. We will add to this post throughout the day as the submissions come in so keep on sending them.

Top 25 Games

• #2 Texas 76, Texas Tech 60: “The No. 3 Texas Longhorns remained undefeated in the Big 12 conference with a 76-60 victory over the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Texas has now navigated half its conference season unscathed and is off to its best ever start in the Big 12 at 8-0. That is the good news. However, for the first time in Big 12 play, the Longhorns failed to play a full 40 minutes, and the lack of effort and execution should give Rick Barnes plenty of game tape to refocus the ‘Horns for the rest of February and March.” (Burnt Orange Nation)
• #3 Kansas 86, Nebraska 66: “In the Jayhawks final trip to Lincoln during Big 12 Conference play Kansas continued their recent run on the offensive end. Since the Jayhawks dropped the one and only game of the season to Texas things have turned for the better at Kansas as the Jayhawks have taken what was already one of the most efficient offenses in the country to another level. The game in Lincoln certainly had a different feel than the matchup earlier this season between these two teams in Lawrence. In the first game the tempo and style went exactly the way Nebraska wanted it to. The game was ugly, it was slow and Kansas barely squeaked out a win.” (Rock Chalk Talk)
• #12 Villanova 66, West Virginia 50: “Having nibbled two points off of Villanova’s lead (47-40) and with just over 11 minutes left in the game, West Virgninia went 1-11 and 1-4 from the line over an eight minut stretch as Villanova blew the game open with a 17-3 run that made the score 64-43 with just over three minutes left.” (Villanova by the Numbers)
• #17 Georgetown 83, Providence 81: “The Georgetown Hoyas extended its Big East winning streak to six games today with a 83-81 win over the Providence Friars.  BARELY. The Hoyas were paced by Austin Freeman with 23 points. Marshon Brooks led the Friars with 43 points in a virtuoso performance for the ages.” (Casual Hoya)

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The afternoon games gave us a couple of squads needing and getting redemption wins, despite still having a lot of work to do on their resumes. We also saw The Jimmer get creative and show you other aspects of his game besides the leaning scissor-kick threes from the hash marks (though those are really fun to watch), and we’re preplexed by Washington’s road-o-phobia.

• Wildcats Win a Wild One. We’ve written so much negative stuff about Kansas State this year, let’s say something good for once. Jacob Pullen used a tasty little crossover to wrong-foot his defender and get to the hoop for an easy lay-in with about two seconds left to give the Wildcats their first Big 12 road win this season, an 86-85 squeaker over Iowa State. Congrats on the nice win, but let’s keep a big-picture perspective. KSU’s next two are at Colorado (tough) and at home against Kansas. If they can win those two, then they’ll have our attention. That’d put them at 18-8 (6-5) with a late-season win over a title contender. Ironically, that KSU vs KU game is a Valentine’s Day tilt.
• Speaking of Wildcats Needing Wins… Northwestern has a pulse, at least, having pulled out a close road win at Illinois, 71-70. We’re still scratching our collective head regarding the change over the last month in Demetri McCamey (14/4 asst). In the Illini’s first 16 games, McCamey had only one game in which he had less than five assists (three in a win vs Oakland on 12/8). At that point, they were 13-3. In their last seven games, McCamey has had only one game with more than five assists (11 in a win vs Michigan State on 1/18). The Illini have lost five of those seven games.
• Along Came (the other) Jones.  Another team that earned a little redemption (and needed it) with a road win: the Baylor Bears. Perry Jones (27/7) deserves every bit of the hype he gets, but today it was Anthony Jones (10/8) who saved the Bears with a lay-in with 3.1 seconds remaining, giving Baylor a good solid win (76-74) over a 16th-ranked Texas A&M squad. Checking the schedule, Baylor has seven Big 12 games remaining, and we see a minimum of three wins out of those (Nebraska, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M, all at home). That would make Baylor 8-8 in the Big 12…which isn’t even as encouraging as it sounds. In the past 18 years, a .500-or-worse team has only been to the NCAA Tournament four times. The Bears still have two games against Texas ahead of them. They might need to steal one of those.

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If you are interested in participating in our ATB2 feature, send in your submissions to rushthecourt@gmail.com. We will add to this post throughout the day as the submissions come in so keep on sending them.

Pre-Game Analysis

• #3 Kansas at Nebraska: “While the faces have remained the same, some things have in fact changed about Nebraska since the first meeting in Lawrence. Or perhaps it’s more a matter of Nebraska has actually shown the ability to win a few games and be who they claimed to be on paper prior to the Big 12 season beginning. The Huskers are now 15-6 overall and 3-4 in the conference. Are they the most difficult matchup for the Jayhawks, hardly. What they do though is ugly it up and play defense. A few have circled this one as a potential stumbling block. “(Rock Chalk Talk)
• Colorado at #11 Missouri: Previewing the rematch of a Big 12 game that the Buffs won earlier this year by 13 points. (Rock M Nation)
• West Virginia at #12 Villanova: A big game for both teams as the short-handed Mountaineers try to stay on the top half of the Big East and the Wildcats try to keep pace with Pittsburgh atop the conference. (Villanova by the Numbers)
• Providence at #17 Georgetown: Breaking down a big game for the Hoyas if they hope to keep pace with the rest of the contenders in the Big East against a Providence team that has racked up some big wins over the years. (Casual Hoya)
• #19 Syracuse at USF: The Orange are coming off a big win at UConn, but will need to win another game on the road to build momentum if they want to move back up the Big East standings. (Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician)
• #24 Illinois at Northwestern: “I have braced myself for an upset loss to Northwestern on Saturday. Not because I don;t think the Illini are better than Northwestern, they showed that last month, but because the trends of this season all point toward the Illini playing poorly against lesser talented teams away from the Assembly Hall. The Illini are 3-6 in games played outside of Champaign Illinois, with the three wins coming against Gonzaga in Seattle, Maryland in New York, and at Iowa. The Illini have lost every road game since Iowa, and have been held below their season scoring average in every game. Its no coincidence we have also caught every team in absolute desperation mode, where the teams have absolutely needed a win to keep their season from going completely off the rails, we have caught teams on their biggest promoted home games of the year, and are viewed as a big enough name to rush the court on, but a vulnerable enough opponent to have it happen to us three times.” (Hail to the Orange)
• St. John’s at UCLA: Previewing Steve Lavin’s return to Los Angeles and a big game for both teams. (Bruins Nation or Rumble in the Garden: Part 1 or Part 2)
• Wake Forest at Maryland: After their loss at home against Duke the Terrapins look to rebound against a significantly weaker opponent. (Testudo Times: Part 1 and Part 2)
• Alabama at Tennessee: “The biggest opportunity of Tennessee’s season will unfold over the next eight days:  today’s home date with league leading Alabama, followed by road trips to Lexington and Gainesville.  It’s not make-or-break – recall that last year the Vols went to Lexington and Nashville in the same week and lost by a combined 30 points.  That dropped us from 6-2 to 6-4,  but the Vols followed up by winning five of their last six and then made the Elite Eight.  The season won’t be over if things go poorly in the next eight days, but if Tennessee wants to win the SEC, there’s no bigger opportunity than beating the league leader and winning on the road in Rivalry Week. We thought Alabama would be the final turn of a four game victory lap against the SEC West, but they’ve become the beginning of a much longer and much more difficult home stretch.” (Rocky Top Talk)
• Michigan at Penn State: Previewing the Wolverines trip to play the Nittany Lions. (UM Hoops)

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Brian Goodman is an RTC editor. Owen Kemp, the RTC correspondent for the Big 12, will return on Monday.

A Look Back

• It’s been a season full of surprises around college basketball, and the Big 12 is no different. There are surprises on both sides of the spectrum, but the possibility of sending merely four teams to the Big Dance looms large here in early February. On the disappointing side, Frank Martin looks like he’s losing his team, which was ranked third in the country to start the season. Forward Freddy Asprilla, recently reported as leaving the team to play in the professional ranks in his native Colombia, citing a need to take care of his family, wound up at Canisius, which is even farther from Colombia than Manhattan. Making matters worse, fellow big man Wally Judge, once a can’t-miss recruit, left the team last week.
• The Baylor Bears have also underperformed, and could join Kansas State in the bubble watch if Scott Drew can’t turn his recruiting prowess into quality wins in a hurry. Losses to KSU, Iowa State and Oklahoma have marred the Bears’ postseason prospects, but there are still chances for Perry Jones and company to regroup.
• Missouri, hopeful to challenge the Jayhawks and Wildcats in November, already have four conference losses to their name after dropping Wednesday’s tilt in snowy Stillwater. Aside from a big rivalry game against Kansas in Lawrence on Monday, though, the toughest of the Tigers’ schedule seems to be behind them, with their remaining road games coming against Iowa State, Kansas State and Nebraska.
• Things aren’t all bad, though. Oklahoma, a laughingstock after losing to Chaminade in the Maui Invitational, have reeled off four straight wins, and lo and behold, they sit tied for third with Texas A&M at present. Texas and Kansas remain the cream of the crop in the Big 12, with the Longhorns absolutely rolling through conference play with nary a threat, largely thanks to their defense, which has allowed a measly 53.4 points per game through seven conference bouts. The Jayhawks continue to play with heavy hearts in the wake of the death of Thomas Robinson‘s mother, Lisa. With their lone loss coming against Texas after a long night of grieving and consoling, the Jayhawk faithful are hoping for a shot at redemption against the Longhorns in the Big 12 Tournament, and are taking care of business in the meantime.

Power Rankings

1. Texas (19-3, 7-0) – A combination of focus, team defense and a brutal non-con slate has shaped the Longhorns to an unblemished 7-0 conference mark. Jordan Hamilton continues to make his claim for Big 12 Player of the Year by averaging 18.4 points per contest over his last five. Luke Winn has a convincing take this week on how Texas has made things look easy on the defensive end.

2. Kansas (21-1, 6-1) – The close losses to teams the Jayhawks should have handled more easily could be a thing of the past, based on the events of this week. Kansas completely dismantled their in-state counterparts, handling the Wildcats with ease on Saturday in front of former Jayhawk great Wayne Simien, who had his jersey retired at halftime. Tuesday, Bill Self got a small monkey off his back by winning in Lubbock after three straight losses on Texas Tech’s home court since he took the helm in 2003. The Morris twins have continued their high-efficiency styles of play, and their lone weakness of interior defense has been boosted almost to the point of becoming a strength, with Thomas Robinson pouring in two straight 17/9 performances.

3. Texas A&M (17-4, 4-3) – When a team like the Aggies, sitting in third place, fails to crack 50 points in consecutive contests, you start to wonder just how good the conference really is. In fairness, the Aggies had the unenviable experience of having to play the Longhorns twice in two weeks, so their current stretch of having lost three of four is a little deceiving. They boast the conference’s second-best defense in terms of points allowed, but Khris Middleton can’t do it all on his own when it comes to scoring. A steady supporting cast is important if Mark Turgeon‘s crew wants to make noise in the top half.

4. Missouri (17-5, 4-3) – This is where things get really murky, and the difference between a system like power rankings and the more objective (and authoritative) conference standings is apparent. Does anyone in the conference want fourth place? Colorado’s lost to Baylor and Missouri, Baylor and Oklahoma have already split with one another, the Sooners have fattened up on the bottom rung of the conference, and Missouri fell to Oklahoma State this week, remaining winless on the road in conference play. Distinguishing the 4-7 spots at this point is nearly a futile exercise, but perhaps Missouri can make a statement about that with a big rivalry game coming up on Monday against KU.

5. Oklahoma (12-9, 4-3) – Give credit where it’s due to Jeff Capel‘s charges, but hold off judgement until they come out of this stretch: Saturday’s Bedlam battle against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, playing host to Texas on Wednesday, and taking to Columbia in a fight at Mizzou Arena.  Steven Pledger had a career performance against the Cyclones last Saturday, pouring in 38 points in 44 minutes on 12-20 shooting, including 7-13 from long range.

6. Baylor (14-7, 4-4) – With their own Big Three in LaceDarius Dunn (20.7 PPG, 42.7% 3FG), Perry Jones (14.1 PPG, 57.1% FG, 7.0 RPG) and Quincy Acy (13.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG), the Bears can be entertaining to watch (especially Acy’s dunk reel), but head coach Scott Drew’s passive scheduling methods could come back to cost his team a tournament bid; If anyone knows how a mid-February break from conference play with non-D-I Wayland Baptist on the 15th will help Baylor get ready for March, let me know. It would also be helpful if Drew picked a defensive style and stuck to it.

7. Colorado (15-8, 4-4) – Colorado’s twosome of Alec Burks and Cory Higgins almost topped the Bears this week before falling four points short. They took their angst out on the helpless Cyclones, winning 95-69, so the Buffs’ up-and-down season continues. If Colorado can sweep Missouri this weekend with a road win (they already beat the Tigers at home), I’ll be impressed. I’ll be more impressed if they don’t go on to lose three in a row, because once you think you have Tad Boyle‘s crew pegged, they turn around and completely change your mind.

8. Kansas State (15-8, 3-5) – There’s only so much yelling and screaming that Frank Martin can do before his players become desensitized and the environment becomes inhibitory, and that might be the case here. Between Jacob Pullen‘s comments about refusing to play if the Wildcats find themselves in the NIT field (a growing possibility) and the various defections and NCAA rules violations, distractions have also been eminent. It’s not all on the coaching though, as Curtis Kelly has been disappointing, though his 16-point performance in Wednesday’s big win over Nebraska could be a sign of a leaf turned over.

9. Nebraska (15-6, 3-4) – The Cornhuskers’ stout defense may be coming back down to Earth, and the offense has also let the team down over the last week. Nebraska has shown flashes that it can be good (such as a win over Texas A&M and a double-digit lead at Allen Fieldhouse that was eventually surrendered), but they can’t get it all together.

10. Oklahoma State (15-7, 3-5) – Breaking a 1-5 stretch with a win over Missouri is a big breath of fresh air for the Cowboys. Sometimes, it’s good to have a diverse scoring attack, but in OSU’s case, it could be more indicative of the lack of a reliable playmaker. Marshall Moses, Keiton Page, and J.P. Olukemi have taken turns leading the ‘Pokes in scoring the last three games, but all three have also pulled vanishing acts this season.

11. Texas Tech (11-12, 3-5) – The Red Raiders had a nice three-game spurt with wins over Nebraska, Iowa State and Oklahoma State, but crashed in a Groundhog Day blowout loss to the Jayhawks. Kansas went inside with ease and had no problems whatsoever, and even Kansas reserve Brady Morningstar was in double figures in the first half. Pat Knight may want to have a copy of the Geneva Convention at the ready when his team ventures to Austin on Saturday.

12. Iowa State (14-9, 1-7) – The Cyclones have fallen off a cliff, Wile E. Coyote-style, and we’re still waiting for the little “poof” that finally signals an impact. Fred Hoiberg‘s squad has allowed at least 82 points in each of their last five games, all losses.

A Look Ahead

Before Rivalry Week, there’s an intriguing set of games around the conference on Saturday. Colorado will hit the road to Missouri, where we might see that 4-7 knot get somewhat untangled. In a battle of Big 12 train wrecks looking to regroup, Iowa State will play host to the Wildcats. At the top of the conference, Kansas and Texas get what look to be a couple softballs against Nebraska and Texas Tech, respectively, but the Jayhawks will be on watch after the ‘Huskers put a small scare into them a few weeks ago.

Other action around the league includes Baylor taking on Texas A&M, and the Gallagher-Iba half of the Bedlam Series between the Sooners and Cowboys.

Owen Kemp of Rock Chalk Talk and SB Nation Kansas City is the RTC Correspondent for the Big 12 Conference.

A Look Back

For the Big 12, it was a week to start sorting out the contenders, the pretenders and a week where one team finally emerged as the conference favorite.

• The week kicked off with a Big Monday doubleheader, the first match featuring Kansas State and Missouri both sitting at 1-2 as they squared off in Columbia.  While it might be too early to call this one a must-win, a 1-3 start in the conference is a lot different than a 2-2 start Missouri kept their hopes of a Big 12 title in their sights with a win while the Wildcats’ slow descent to a possible NIT bid continued.
• The second game was a head-to-head matchup of across-the-board NBA talent. Thirty-five NBA scouts and 10 NBA GMs took in Kansas against Baylor in Waco and they didn’t leave disappointed.  Kansas looked as good for 40 minutes as they had all year and the Morris twins dominated in an impressive offensive performance.
• On Tuesday night, the surging Colorado Buffaloes would find themselves exposed on the road against Doc Sadler’s hard-nosed Nebraska squad as the Husker defense shut down the Colorado offense and secured an 11-point win.  The loss was the first in conference play for Tad Boyle and the Buffs, but it wouldn’t be the last or the worst.
• Wednesday night was highlighted by a matchup in Austin between two top 15 Texas schools and bitter rivals, the Aggies squaring off against the Longhorns.  Texas took an early step toward the conference title with a very impressive 21-point win over Mark Turgeon and the Aggies, snapping A&M’s 13-game winning streak.
• And as usual, the Big 12 took center stage on Saturday, starting with a top-25 win by the Aggies over the Wildcats in College Station.  The win kept A&M in the hunt and further moved Kansas State to the back with a now 1-4 conference record.  A far cry from expectations for this team and things just aren’t pretty in Manhattan.
• The story of the day though would end up being the Texas Longhorns.  Kansas hosted Texas in Lawrence, where Rick Barnes and the Horns had an overall 0-9 all-time record.  Kansas set out the way they left off in Waco, building an 18-3 lead to start the game.  Texas stormed back behind J’Covan Brown and Jordan Hamilton before securing an 11-point win in this one.  The game snapped a 69-game home court winning streak for Kansas, the longest then-active streak in D-I men’s basketball, and put Texas in sole possession of first place in the Big 12.
• Elsewhere, Colorado would drop its second on the week in Norman.  The loss brings expectations in Boulder crashing back down to earth.  Missouri dominated Iowa State and looks like a juggernaut at home once again.  Baylor crushed Oklahoma State to get back on track, and last but not least, Texas Tech finally snagged a conference win over visiting Nebraska.

Power Rankings

Note: Power rankings are not meant to be a poll.  They are meant to reflect who is playing the best basketball at a given time.

1. Texas (16-3, 4-0) – Sole possession of first place belongs to the Longhorns after a HUGE win in Lawrence on Saturday.  Texas played tough physical basketball and despite a pretty horrendous first half claimed a victory.  Of course, that was its second top 15 win of the week, having already beaten A&M on Wednesday.  Texas has earned the top spot without a doubt.  
2. Kansas (18-1, 3-1) – One game, Kansas looked like an unstoppable force, the next they fell apart a bit.  In their defense, the Jayhawks received news of the death of forward Thomas Robinson’s mother late the night before the game against Texas, so the distraction is certainly understood.  Nonetheless, the Jayhawks are playing catch-up to a very good Longhorn basketball team.
3. Texas A&M (17-2, 4-1) – A&M dropped one on the road against Texas.  There’s no shame in that.  The Aggies are still a good team and do get a chance to return the favor when the Longhorns come to College Station.
4. Missouri (17-3, 3-2) – Two home games, two impressive wins for Missouri.  This team is one of Mike Anderson’s best and despite the two losses, anyone counting them out would be wrong.  The Tigers are a juggernaut at home and have the athletes and depth to make life difficult for anyone. 
5. Baylor (13-5, 3-2) – For awhile, this looked like a very balanced league.  That might still be the case, but the drop-off from the top four to the next eight might be bigger than originally thought.  Baylor sits at five, but it’s not because they were overly impressive.  Just not as bad as everyone else on any given night.
6. Oklahoma State (14-5, 2-3) – The Cowboys got a tough win at home against the Cyclones but couldn’t stay with Baylor on Saturday.  Again, this is a mediocre team at the moment and they have some work to do between now and March.
7. Colorado (14-6, 3-2) – Colorado fell off a cliff a bit this week.  Road losses to Nebraska and Oklahoma aren’t good losses this year.  It’s still a talented team, but these two games put expectations back in perspective.  The Buffs host Kansas on Tuesday.
8. Kansas State (13-7, 1-4) –  K-State is more talented than some of the teams at this level, but the wheels seem to have fallen off and they are also in the midst of a very difficult stretch of Big 12 play.  The biggest problem is that by the time they get done with Baylor and Kansas this week, it might be too late to salvage any outside shot at a day one bye in the Big 12 tourney.
9. Oklahoma (10-9, 2-3) – Yes, it’s borderline shocking, but Oklahoma won back-toback games in the conference and moved to ninth in this week’s power rankings.  There are glimmers of hope in Norman as the Sooners get a win over Tech and Colorado in the same week and for the first time in a while have a little positive momentum on their side.  Hat tip to Jeff Capel.
10. Nebraska (14-5, 2-3) – The Huskers get a win over Colorado, which is a solid victory, but then go on the road and lose to a pretty abysmal Tech squad.  Not good for the momentum.    
11. Iowa State (14-6, 1-4) – A loss to Oklahoma State on the road is acceptable, and a loss to Missouri is certainly expected in Columbia.  But not showing the ability to compete isn’t going to get it done.  Perhaps the real Iowa State is starting to emerge.
12. Texas Tech (9-11, 1-4) – Tech is on the board with a win over the Huskers.  Further proof that perhaps this is a top heavy conference with 6 or 7 mediocre teams at best providing the floor.

A Look Ahead

• Another week with no shortage of marquee matchups across the conference as things kick off Monday in Manhattan with a matchup between Baylor and Kansas State.  Both teams are in need of a win to boost their position, with K-State perhaps the most desperate for anything positive to grab hold of and turn the tide.
• Tuesday night, the Jayhawks will look to get back on track in Boulder against a Colorado team looking to do the same.  It’s a tricky game for Kansas, as Colorado has done some damage at home this season and Kansas is coming off an emotional weekend and a tough loss to Texas.
• Two games are on the docket for Wednesday, as Texas Tech and Iowa State square off to decide the last place spot in the conference and Texas goes on the road against a pesky Oklahoma State squad that will play as physical as the Longhorns.
• Saturday, all 12 teams return to the court.  Kansas welcomes ESPN’s College Gameday to Lawrence for a game that was expected to be a matchup of top 10 teams between K-State and Kansas.
• Perhaps the game of the day, though, will take place in Austin, where two nationally ranked teams face off in Missouri and Texas.  The Tigers have been very good at home, but not always on the road.  Texas will present a big challenge for Mike Anderson once again and Texas will look to get another marquee win in the conference and take one more step toward the Big 12 title.
• Elsewhere, Colorado heads to Waco to take on Baylor.  Oklahoma looks to avoid a subdued Hilton Magic against Iowa State.  Texas A&M goes on the road against a sometimes tricky Nebraska, and Oklahoma State looks to take advantage of a game in Lubbock to secure a conference road win.

Player of the Year Watch

Power Ranking Style and Based on Conference Play

1. Jordan Hamilton, Texas – (19.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG) Trending Up: Hamilton led his team to wins over Texas A&M and Kansas in a single week.  That’s deserving of top billing for player of the year at the moment.
2. Marcus Morris, Kansas – (22.5 PPG, 9 RPG) Trending Down: It was hard to imagine Morris could sustain his week one pace, but factor in the fact that he struggled against the physical play of Texas and Morris takes a bit of a dip this week.
3. Khris Middleton, Texas A&M – (17.4 PPG, 3.4 APG, 2.2 SPG) Trending Up: Middleton is the player to watch when Texas A&M takes the court.  The team struggled in Austin, but Middleton and the Aggies rebounded nicely against K-State.
4. Marcus Denmon, Missouri – (17.4 PPG, 45% 3PFG) Trending Up: Sure, Denmon’s numbers have taken a hit since the start of conference play, but that might have more to do with the emergence of other players for Missouri.  Denmon still is a difference-maker for the Tigers; he just isn’t left carrying as much weight on his shoulders in the backcourt as maybe he did a month ago.
5. Alec Burks, Colorado – (21.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG) Trending Down: Statistically, he’s a very strong candidate.  From a wins and losses standpoint, two bad losses this week don’t help the cause.  A player of the year has to find a way to do more and lead his team in road games against Nebraska and Oklahoma.
6. Jacob Pullen, Kansas State – (20 PPG, 2.8 APG) Trending Down: Preseason All American, preseason POY candidate.  It’s hard to imagine that can carry over to any postseason recognition based on the struggles in Manhattan. 

Fell Off: Diante Garrett – Iowa State, LaceDarius Dunn – Baylor

1. It’s been a weird few weeks for Christian Standhardinger, hasn’t it? He left Nebraska in mid-season last month even though just about everyone predicted he’d have a breakout season this year. Soon after, he said he planned to transfer and play next season at La Salle. On Wednesday the world learned that over the weekend Herr Standhardinger was found having sex with a 19-year old girl in a park in Lincoln. We’ve been hearing and reading a lot of jokes on this matter, but La Salle isn’t laughing. Explorers’ coach John Giannini announced yesterday that any transfer ambitions the Munich native had have now been given das Boot now that Standhardinger has been tagged (as well as his companion) with a public indecency charge.
2. The Bahamas is the new Maui. Calm down, travel connoisseurs, we’re just talking in terms of basketball. And we’re still kidding. This past weekend, though, the NCAA voted to give exempt status to the Bahamas, meaning teams that play in tournaments there can count their participation as one game instead of three. The Battle at Atlantis (held last month) will become the Battle 4 Atlantis, it will be held around Thanksgiving, and it will be played in a ballroom. What is it with these Caribbean events being held in ballrooms? Somebody build a gym! Ballroom or not, the chance to play two holiday tournaments in Maui and the Bahamas in consecutive seasons doesn’t sound too bad.
3. Where do you stand on this whole John Calipari swearing issue? It looks like people aren’t surprised at the language used (most coaches are guilty of this) but rather the name-calling aspect. Again, this happens everywhere. Calipari just got caught on TV, and he’s apologized. What really surprises us are the folks who say they “wouldn’t have taken it” or that “nobody’s calling me [that name] in public.” So, a free education, chance to play for a pipeline program, lots of television exposure, a shot at a championship — you’d give all that up for pride? We doubt the big talkers in these complaints would have actually walked off in mid-game or left school the next day had they found themselves in the same spot. We’re not defending Calipari, but we are defending Terrence Jones. He was the target, and he took it, went out and played, and hasn’t said a word about it — not a single tweet of dissention, not a single remark to the media.
4. Mike Holmes is finished at Coastal Carolina. Jeff Goodman reports that Holmes has now been given the heave-ho at his second school, having been shown the door at South Carolina last season. Both dismissals were the result of altercations with teammates, Goodman confirms, and he explains why one Chanticleer had to wear a protective mask on his face in a recent win. You’ve got to credit CCU coach Cliff Ellis for sticking to his principles on this (we’re lookin’ at you, Mississippi State) and bouncing Holmes despite the senior’s production. Coastal Carolina is 16-2 and 7-0 in the Big South, and Holmes led the team in rebounding with 8.4 RPG and was second in scoring, putting up 14.0 PPG.
5. We sent out a couple of tweets on this subject last night, but please, allow us to offer a team for you to watch over these last six weeks of the regular season: Belmont. They’re nestled among several tall trees at 28th in the KenPom ratings, and at 16-3 (8-0), they are spanking the rest of the Atlantic Sun with an in-conference margin of victory of 29 points. Coach Rick Byrd’s deep bench isn’t an accident, and the team’s success to this point is a product of how Byrd interestingly distributes playing time and marshals his talent. The three blemishes on the record were all away, to in-staters Tennessee (twice, away!) and Vanderbilt, not exactly bad losses. Anyone want to face them in the first round?