It’s been a night of blowouts at the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional in Detroit and the South Regional in Houston, and the Kansas Jayhawks are happy to follow suit. The Jayhawks dominated the first half in Detroit and lead the Villanova Wildcats 41-22. While Kansas Jayhawks apparel & merchandise is a hot item every year during basketball season, advancing to the Elite 8 or Final Four would surely make it even hotter.
Five Big 12 teams were selected to play for the 2008 National Championship in the NCAA Tournament as games tip-off on Thursday. Kansas received a #1 seed in the Midwest and will be joined by #11 seed and rival Kansas State. Texas earned a #2 seed in the South while Texas A&M received a #9 seed in the West. Meanwhile, Baylor was the last team to be announced in the Big Dance on selection Sunday as they received a #11 seed in the West.
College Sports Fans has released their 2008 NCAA Tournament team previews and we have added links to each Big 12 team preview below along with their opponents’ previews. Follow the results of all Big 12 teams in postseason tournaments online at Big 12 Fans.
BAYLOR-TEXAS TECH PREVIEW: Bears head north for
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Scott Drew’s Bears aim to bounce back and end the season on a high note – after falling in an ice cold shooting contest with Texas A&M on Wednesday at the Ferrell Center – and hope to secure a top-four spot in the Big 12 Tourney, therefore earning a first round bye in Kansas City, Missouri.
The match-up between the Baylor Bears (20-8, 8-7 Big 12) and Texas Tech Red Raiders (16-13, 7-8) is slated to tipoff at
Baylor is also seeking an NCAA Tournament berth with Drew at the helm, having already garnered 20 wins this season and currently owning an 8-7 record in conference play – sitting in a three-way tie for third place in Big 12 standings.
Texas Tech is coming off a 109-51 defeat at
The Red Raiders own a 13-2 record at home this season, and the Bears are looking to break out of a slump in
However, the Bears took care of business in a prior match-up with the Red Raiders earlier this season – with Drew’s Baylor hoops team defeating Texas Tech in Pat Knight’s debut as head coach, 80-74, which aired nationally on ESPN (Feb. 6).
Check back on Sunday, March 9, for postgame quotes, notes, stats and more from the Baylor-Texas Tech Big 12 season finale…
TEXAS A&M-BAYLOR PREVIEW: Bears set to host Aggies in rematch of epic five-overtime hardwood showdown
By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent
WACO, Texas – In approximately 24 hours, a rematch of one of the greatest games to ever hit the college hardwood tips off at the Ferrell Center.
On Wednesday, March 5 at 8 p.m. CT, Baylor (20-8, 8-6 Big 12) will host Texas A&M (21-8, 7-7) as the Bears aim for back-to-back victories over the Aggies – with the game slated to be televised on ESPN2.
The prior BU-TAMU conference contest, an epic five-overtime battle ‘til the buzzer at Texas A&M’s Reed Arena, resulted in a remarkable 116-110 Baylor victory.
After the Bears marathon victory in College Station, Scott Drew’s squad picked up just one win over the next seven Big 12 match-ups before garnering three straight W’s – as Baylor seeks to make it four on Wednesday under BU’s gold dome for the team’s home finale.
Baylor is 12-3 at home this season – and having already won on the road against the Aggies this season, the Bears look to sweep the season series with Texas A&M when they take center stage on the green and gold hoops court Wednesday night in Waco.
The Bears are currently tied for third place with Kansas State in conference standings, pushing to end the regular season on a high note in hopes of acquiring a first-round bye in the Big 12 Championship – running March 13-16 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Drew’s basketball bunch defeated Missouri 100-89 last Saturday for Baylor’s third straight win, as well as the team’s 20th victory of the season, and the Bears hope to make it 21 on Wednesday with an NCAA Tournament birth on the line.
Although the Bears have dropped three consecutive match-ups with the Aggies in Waco, Baylor looks to end that streak when hosting Texas A&M on senior night at the Ferrell Center – where BU’s three grads-to-be, Aaron Bruce, Richard Hurd and Mark Shepherd, will be honored on Wednesday evening in a pregame ceremony.
Check back on Thursday, March 6 for postgame notes, quotes, stats and more from the annual TAMU-BU hardwood showdown in Waco…
2008 BU@TAMU: Reed Arena Revisited
First the first time, fans will be able to witness the epic showdown between Baylor and Texas A&M held on Jan. 23 at College Station’s Reed Arena – with the game scheduled to be televised on ESPN Classic beginning at 5 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 5.
The Bears three-and-a-half hour marathon victory over the Aggies, a 116-110 Baylor win over then-No. 16 Texas A&M, set seven Big 12 records – including longest game (five overtime periods), most points by a team (116 by Baylor in a conference game), most combined team points (226 in a conference contest), most team rebounds (70 by Baylor), most field goal attempts by a team (97 by Baylor), most team free throws made (29 by Baylor tied a Kansas State record set on Feb. 13, 1999) and most individual free throws made (20 by Curtis Jerrells).
Shortly thereafter, the rematch tips off as the Bears and Aggies get reacquainted – this time on the BU hardwood – in a Ferrell Center match-up at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2…
Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com
BAYLOR 100, MISSOURI 89: Bears rally from double-digit deficit, defeat Tigers 100-89 for third straight Big 12 victory
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At that time, the Bears men’s basketball team was down 69-56 with
“This team, we have been through so much we were just thinking in our heads that there is just too much time left,” Baylor junior forward Kevin Rogers said. “Early leads mean nothing. We were able to come out and execute and play how we know how to play. Any lead is easy to break into, we just need to slow ourselves down and get back to the basics and get stops and score.”
Shortly thereafter, Baylor (20-8, 8-6 Big 12) did just that – clawing past prior problems by pressing the opponents in the backcourt, playing daunting team defense and garnering sharp shooting from the Bears gifted guards – to pull off an 11-point victory, 100-89, against Missouri (15-14, 5-9).
The BU guards, proving throughout the season that they can and will successfully survive by making a high percentage of their shots from beyond the arc, went on a patented Bears run – scoring 14 unanswered behind consecutive three-pointers by LaceDarius Dunn to give Baylor a 70-69 lead with 9:13 remaining in the game.
“We wanted to make [Saturday’s match-up with Missouri] exciting,” Drew said. “The team showed their togetherness and heart. In the second half, being down and finding a way to win is a sign of a team with experience, good leadership and a lot of courage.”
The Bears and Tigers were tied, 77-77 with 6:34 left, prior to Baylor’s senior Mamadou Diene – scoring a season-high 10 points – and Rogers stepping up offensively with back-to-back baskets to put the Bears on top for good.
“Our whole team knew the importance of this game,” Drew said. “Give a lot of credit to
Blocking out, or lack thereof, was one of the main reasons behind the Bears allowing the Tigers to take a big lead and remain in the fight – although Baylor finally managed to pull together and deadlock
“We played with effort,” Baylor sophomore guard Tweety Carter said. “The first half we came out and we didn’t look like we had the energy defensively. Starting with me, I wasn’t energetic out there like I normally am until the second half. It has to be a 40 minute thing, so we have to continue to get better at that.”
With that being said, the Bears did what was necessary to pick up a much-needed win on a day filled with upsets – including a Texas A&M blowout loss at Oklahoma and a Texas loss to Texas Tech – to give the BU basketball team their 20th win of the season, as well as their third straight conference victory.
“Nationally, people look at a 20-win season as a pretty big deal,” Drew said. “That is why when a team can reach a 20-win season, it is something to obviously be proud of. At the same time, I don’t think anyone says that they just want to win 20 [regular season games], and the good thing is we have a lot of basketball left.”
For Baylor’s Carter and company, the credit goes to God – as well as teamwork.
“You have to give credit to God for bringing us together,” Carter said. “A lot of us had other opportunities to go to other schools and play for other coaches; when Coach Drew recruited us, he told us that one day it would be a special day for us at Baylor. We need to continue to get better. [Our current 20-8 season] is a great start for us, but we just need to continue to get better.”
The Baylor big men, primarily Diene and Rogers, played a significant role in the victory – especially during the Bears second half rally as the home team’s forwards/centers came through in the clutch.
“Well I think our bigs always have an impact on the game with the standpoint that a lot of times they create advantages with their screens and their play,” Drew said. “I thought [in Saturday’s game against the Tigers] they did a great job finishing and scoring inside.”
Forward Delbert Simpson, a junior transfer from Tyler Junior College, scored a career high in both scoring and blocks while coming off the bench – netting 10 points to go along with six rebounds and two blocks on Saturday afternoon at the Ferrell Center.
“It was a great day for me, but a better day for our team,” Simpson said. “I contributed to the team where I feel like I could help out today. I want to win, and the team wants to win. We are a family.”
Baylor’s hoops family also did a phenomenal job of hitting the glass and blocking out late in the second half after a dismal first half left the Bears in a halftime deficit.
“That [second half rebounding] was a major thing,” Simpson said. “With this game in particular, we had to come in and hit the boards to be victorious.”
For the Bears, seven players hit double-digits in scoring – including Henry Dugat (18), Carter (17), Dunn (16), Curtis Jerrells (14), Rogers (12), Diene (10) and Simpson (10) – as the Baylor guards once again came to the rescue.
“They’ve got quick guards; actually I think they’ve got the best guards we have played all year,” Missouri junior forward Lee Lyons, who led the Tigers with 22 points and 15 rebounds, said. “They [Baylor’s guards] are quick, and they can shoot the ball. So you really can’t guard them. In my opinion, I think they are the best guards in the Big 12.”
Rogers also picked up his 12th double-double of the season on Saturday, and his fifth straight, muscling in 12 points while pulling down 12 boards as Baylor picked up their first 20-win season since 1987-88 – a season that saw the Bears break into the postseason NCAA Tournament.
Currently (as of March 2), the Baylor men’s basketball team is tied for third place with Kansas State with 8-6 records in Big 12 standings – with the Bears owning the tie-breaker if the teams are deadlocked by season’s end – while the Aggies, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech battle it out for fifth.
The Bears final two regular season challenges come this week – a home date with Texas A&M on Wednesday, March 5 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2, and a road game against Texas Tech on Saturday, March 8 at 12:45 p.m. CT on ESPN Plus – as Baylor aims to finish the season on a strong note with a postseason invite on the line…
Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com
BIG 12 MEN’S BASKETBALL UPDATE (
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After facing a possible three-way tie for first place after Saturday’s showdowns in conference play, there are now three distinct positions for first through third place – while the Big 12 now boasts a four-way tie for fourth.
With big upsets in weekend contests – including a
The Texas Longhorns now sit alone as the Big 12 leader at 10-2 and
Tonight’s Big 12 match-up, scheduled to be televised on ESPN beginning at
On Tuesday, Feb. 26,
Eight teams shoot for higher positions in the conference when facing off against Big 12 opponents on Wednesday, Feb. 27, beginning with an ESPN-televised contest as
At
Baylor, sitting amongst a pack of teams in a four-way tie for fourth place, heads to
After a three-day break from NCAA men’s basketball action, all 12 teams return to the hardwood on Saturday, March 1 – Nebraska at Oklahoma State (12:30 p.m., ESPN+), Texas A&M at Oklahoma (1 p.m., ESPN), Missouri at Baylor (3 p.m., ESPN+), Texas at Texas Tech (3 p.m., CBS), Iowa State at Colorado (4 p.m., ESPN Classic) and Kansas State at Kansas (8 p.m., ESPN).
Current Big 12 Men’s Basketball Standings (02.25.08)
Big 12 Overall National Ranking (ESPN)
Baylor 6-6 18-8 –
Conference Standings Scenarios
Regardless of Monday’s outcome, the worst case scenario for the Horns would be a half-game lead over
Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s conference contests, meanwhile, will have major impacts on area standings as the results from the college hardwood pour in late Wednesday evening – and based on Big 12 positioning alone the conference standings may not change much, although there will likely be a two-way tie for fourth place come Thursday morning.
Weekly Notes: Big 12 Hoops
Eleven of the 12 conference teams have an overall record of .500 or better, tied with the highly touted Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for the highest percentage of teams of any conference.
In addition, the Big 12 has six teams with 18 wins or more – with only the Big East (seven teams) boasting a higher number of squads with 18-plus victories.
The conference also leads the nation in victories and winning percentage against 2008 nationally-ranked non-district opponents.
Seven teams also sit amongst the top-65 according to RPI ratings – a major factor in deciding NCAA tournament teams – including
Big 12 Weekly Awards
On Monday, Feb. 25, the Big 12 Conference announced the weekly award winners in NCAA men’s basketball action – with
This week’s player of the week was awarded to Longhorns sophomore guard D.J. Augustin, who averaged 23.0 points and 6.0 assists in
Rookie of the week honors for the week of Feb. 25 once again went to Kansas State’s NBA-bound Michael Beasley – where despite his Wildcats two-game losing streak this past week, the freshman-phenom scored a league-record 44 points in a loss to Baylor (while shooting a picture perfect 15-of-15 from the charity stripe and pulling down 13 rebounds).
Beasley’s rookie of the week honor was also the fifth consecutive time for Kansas State’s young star to garner the award, and the ninth overall for the freshman forward this season – one shy of the Big 12 record for combined honors set by former Texas star Kevin Durant (four player honors and six rookie honors) one year ago.