Big 12 thread ('23-'24)

[12au]

I didn't see a thread for our conference so here it is. I put the teams in alphabetized tiers based on how I'd guess the standings will end up.

Baylor
Kansas St
Texas

The consensus is that Baylor, Kansas St, and Texas are the main contenders for the title. That seems right to me. I would be surprised/impressed if Kansas St secures it though. I'd give the edge to Texas but I was impressed by Baylor's last game vs Miami. I am interested to see how the Baylor O looks against Texas's man D; we've had a lot more success against man vs zone so far. I worry a bit about how Baylor defends post players (e.g. Taylor Jones, DeYona Gaston, Ayoka Lee), but I think NC is betting we can make up the margin on O. Against Texas we should be able to send double teams off their non-shooters.


Kansas
Oklahoma
TCU
West Virginia

I think Oklahoma, TCU, and WV could all do pretty well. I am a little down on Kansas b/c it seems like they don't end up playing in congruence with their talent (I wonder if it's a scheme issue); but I also think they're being penalized unfairly for their SOS--especially compared to TCU and WV.


Iowa St
Oklahoma St

I don't have a read on Oklahoma St; it seems like they lost a lot from last year, but I like their coach. Iowa State has been impressive considering their turnover from last year. I noticed that Emily Ryan played vs Troy. If she returns to last year's form I would probably put them in the tier above.


BYU
Cincy
Houston
Texas Tech
UCF

I assume Texas Tech will not be good. I haven't watched them so take it w/ a grain of salt. UCF is sort of interesting b/c they hired former WV coach Mike Carey as an assistant. I assume BYU will be the best of the new Big 12 entrants. I don't know much about Cincy or Houston.

 

[Plebe]

Nice post. I agree there's a clear-cut top 3. I'd say the top of the Big 12 ranks second only to the top of the Pac-12 in depth and quality.

The middle and bottom tiers are more on the level of their SEC, ACC and Big Ten counterparts (i.e., soft).

TCU, West Virginia, and Texas Tech have played 3 of the most atrocious nonconference schedules in history, so It's hard to give them much credit for being unbeaten so far. But I suspect Tech is more in the grouping of West Virginia, TCU and Oklahoma State. I see the 4 newbies as the clear bottom 4 in the conference. BYU has dropped off sharply in the past couple years since the coaching change.

 

[ISUnorth]

It's non-conference and not everyone has played a stellar schedule but a number of freshman are off to really good starts. List is mostly from who has won the freshman of the week awards. The all-freshman team should be pretty darn solid if they can keep this up in league play.

• Kaily Woolston, BYU, G, is averaging 15 PTS and shooting 54% from three.
• Madison Brooker, Texas, F, preseason FOY pick, 11.5 PTS and 4 REB
• S'Mya Nichols, KU, G, averaging 14.6 PTS and shooting 44% from three
• Stailee Heard, OSU, G, 15.4 PTS 6.6 REB
• Sahara Williams, OU, F, 11.4 PTS 6.6 REB
• Audi Crooks, Iowa State, C, 16.1 PTS 6.0 REB
• Addy Brown, Iowa State, F, 14.3 PTS 8.7 REB 5.7 AST 54% FG%

All but Brooker and Williams are in the Top 25 in scoring for the Big 12. Interestingly enough they are the two highest ranked recruits among the freshman above.

 

[Bone Dog]

Nice idea for a thread. Thanks for taking the trouble.

I think if Emily Ryan makes a full comeback ISU will belong near the top. I’m very impressed by Crooks and Brown and they just need a pg to make the most of their potential.

 

[ISUnorth]

Any fellow Big 12er want to weigh in on their schedule draw for conference? I think my Cyclone got a bit of good fortune in only playing Baylor and Texas once. A change from playing everyone twice. Cyclone home/home are with KSU, OSU, KU, BYU and WVU with the rest being solo games.

Think Texas has home/home with Baylor and KSU. Baylor gets a solo home game versus KSU.

 

[Txhoopsalot]

Texas fan here. We Texas fans were not expecting any favors under the circumstances. Playing Baylor twice is a tough draw, of course. But it makes a lot of sense for the conference. The two teams are expected to be at or near the top of the conference standings. The schools are geographically close. KSU, who we play twice twice, may be better than people expected. And they are a team that has given Texas a lot of trouble even when Texas has appeared to be the more talented team. Iowa State has not been as big a thorn since Coach Vic came on board; and ISU has a young team this year. But I may not be the only Longhorn fan with a residual fear from all those years of ISU‘s three point prowess and crazy zone defenses. Edit to add. Glad to play ISU at home.

 

[Plebe]

Any fellow Big 12er want to weigh in on their schedule draw for conference? I think my Cyclone got a bit of good fortune in only playing Baylor and Texas once. A change from playing everyone twice. Cyclone home/home are with KSU, OSU, KU, BYU and WVU with the rest being solo games.

Think Texas has home/home with Baylor and KSU. Baylor gets a solo home game versus KSU.

As I see the conference hierarchy shaking out, there is a clear top 3 (as noted above) of Texas, Baylor and Kansas State.

If this holds true, then Texas was dealt the most difficult schedule of the three, as they play both Baylor and K-State twice each. Baylor and K-State play each other only once (at Baylor).

Also, if we take BYU, Houston, UCF and Cincinnati as the bottom 4, then Texas once again got the less easy draw, as Texas plays each of these teams only once, while Baylor gets Houston twice and K-State gets UCF twice.

 

[ISUnorth]

It's non-conference and not everyone has played a stellar schedule but a number of freshman are off to really good starts. List is mostly from who has won the freshman of the week awards. The all-freshman team should be pretty darn solid if they can keep this up in league play.

• Kaily Woolston, BYU, G, is averaging 15 PTS and shooting 54% from three.
• Madison Brooker, Texas, F, preseason FOY pick, 11.5 PTS and 4 REB
• S'Mya Nichols, KU, G, averaging 14.6 PTS and shooting 44% from three
• Stailee Heard, OSU, G, 15.4 PTS 6.6 REB
• Sahara Williams, OU, F, 11.4 PTS 6.6 REB 3.8 AST
• Audi Crooks, Iowa State, C, 16.1 PTS 6.0 REB
• Addy Brown, Iowa State, F, 14.3 PTS 8.7 REB 5.7 AST 54% FG%

All but Brooker and Williams are in the Top 25 in scoring for the Big 12. Interestingly enough they are the two highest ranked recruits among the freshman above.

Just saw in another thread here that six of the seven top Big 12 freshman I had noticed as being off to great starts made an ESPN top freshman list (top 15). Only Sahara Williams missed the ESPN list.

 

[GoChips20]

Texas is pretty clearly already a Final Four-caliber team but I think Baylor is as well. They’re one of the deepest teams in the country and appear to be pretty versatile. The one clear weakness I see is that they’re well-undersized inside but Edwards and Littlepage-Bugs both play bigger than 6’0”. To me they’re the top 10 team almost nobody is talking about.

 

[MSGRET]

Oklahoma just lost to TX Southern 79-70, OK is rated by Massey #43 while TX Southern is rated #342. OK has lost 5 of their last 6 games, losing against in order, #37 Princeton, #39 Tennessee, #47 UNLV, #33 North Carolina and TX Southern. Their only win in the last 6 games is against #250 Grambling. What has happened to this team over the last few weeks?

 

[ISUnorth]

Oklahoma just lost to TX Southern 79-70, OK is rated by Massey #43 while TX Southern is rated #342. OK has lost 5 of their last 6 games, losing against in order, #37 Princeton, #39 Tennessee, #47 UNLV, #33 North Carolina and TX Southern. Their only win in the last 6 games is against #250 Grambling. What has happened to this team over the last few weeks?

I watched 3 quarters of Sooners/Tar Heels game, mostly because of the ex-Cyclones on both teams. Being a state of Iowa alumni I also sort of like Coach Jenny (Hawks and Drake) but Sooners did not look good. Game was pretty boring so skipped the 4th quarter, just didn't compel me to keep watching. It was that really LATE start game so I'll use that a an excuse.

 

[ISUnorth]

Me this week waiting for league play to start.

.

 

[ISUnorth]

Boo the schedule, would like to catch this game. However, it conflicts with my hometown Gophers at Iowa and my Cyclones opening at Oklahoma State. Did see Texas scheduled a scrimmage with a cupcake today which is probably a good move compared to Baylor going on the road "cold" after a nine day holiday break.

 

[Plebe]

Boo the schedule, would like to catch this game. However, it conflicts with my hometown Gophers at Iowa and my Cyclones opening at Oklahoma State. Did see Texas scheduled a scrimmage with a cupcake today which is probably a good move compared to Baylor going on the road "cold" after a nine day holiday break.

Jackson State isn't Baylor but they're not your average SWAC team either. Lost by 10 at Mississippi State and lost by only 7 at Miami.

It will be Baylor's second true road game of the season. The first was at SMU in late November.

 

[ISUnorth]

Jackson State isn't Baylor but they're not your average SWAC team either. Lost by 10 at Mississippi State and lost by only 7 at Miami.

It will be Baylor's second true road game of the season. The first was at SMU in late November.

KSU beat them by 40 so expecting a Top 10 team like Texas to romp, maybe not by that margin but it shouldn't be close.

 

[ISUnorth]

Jackson State isn't Baylor but they're not your average SWAC team either. Lost by 10 at Mississippi State and lost by only 7 at Miami.

It will be Baylor's second true road game of the season. The first was at SMU in late November.

Well Texas won easily by 40 plus but that comes with really bad news for Texas and WBB fans as Rori Harmon did not dress and was wearing a knee brace. Texas was also without starter Taylor Jones. If they have to play without both Harmon and Taylor than that tune up game is probably even more important now.

Guess we will know before the weekend how bad the Harmon injury is. Fans will be hoping for the best and bracing for the worst. Harmon is one of the most fun players to watch in all of WBB.

 

[ISUnorth]

Random thoughts to bump this for the two or three Big 12 fans here.

• Baylor has to be the fav to win the conference with Rori out for Texas and winning at Austin. Or at least co-favorites with Texas with K-State knocking on the door.
• All of the new teams added this season lost their openers and will all likely finish at the bottom of the conference.
• Iowa State is tied for first! With only seven other teams! Seriously though, good win for the ISU freshman in their first true road game of the year.
• West Virginia is at 12-0 and a surprise so far. Ranked #25
• TCU is at 14-0 and also a surprise compared to "picks". Ranked #23
• League is bit stronger, so far, than I thought it would be.
• Whole slew of really good freshman in the league as mentioned in the best freshman thread.

Here's the pre-season picks for reference:

 

[ISUnorth]

Player of the week and freshman of the week will be an interesting pick:

Here is how the top freshman did Saturday:

• Addy Brown, Iowa State: 20 points 9 rebounds 5 assists (5 TO on the bad side)
• Audi Crooks, Iowa State: 21 points 7 rebounds
• Madison Booker, Texas: 25 points 7 rebounds 8 assists (5 TO on the bad side)

Great stats and it was mostly a one game week for most teams. Because of the ranked team matchup situation I am guessing Booker gets either POW or FOW, maybe both.

 

[12au]

I watched the first half of WV's blowout win in Lawrence. Their guard play looks exceptional, but the frontcourt looks a bit weak

 

[militarydog]

My apologies if this has already been referenced but K Fauntleroy has left Oklahoma State.

Kennedy Fauntleroy no longer with Cowgirls

OSU’s biggest portal addition this summer is no longer a Cowgirl.

www.ocolly.com

 

[ISUnorth]

My apologies if this has already been referenced but K Fauntleroy has left Oklahoma State.

Kennedy Fauntleroy no longer with Cowgirls

OSU’s biggest portal addition this summer is no longer a Cowgirl.

www.ocolly.com

Wow. Hadn't seen that injury list for them summarized in one sentence before.

The Cowgirls have had tough injury luck this season, with forward Chandler Prater rupturing her Achilles in November, guard Ale’Jah Douglas, who’s still in a boot and on a knee scooter, guard Landry Williams re-tearing her ACL in the off season and center Brianna Jackson, whose status is unknown moving forward. - Ocolly.com​

I see why they just signed a mid-season graduate transfer.

Cowgirl Basketball Adds Big 12 Veteran To Roster - Oklahoma State University Athletics

STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State's women's basketball team has added Emilee Ebert, a standout with four years of Big 12 Conference experience, to its ros...

okstate.com

 

[YoDore]

Player of the week and freshman of the week will be an interesting pick:

Here is how the top freshman did Saturday:

• Addy Brown, Iowa State: 20 points 9 rebounds 5 assists (5 TO on the bad side)
• Audi Crooks, Iowa State: 21 points 7 rebounds
• Madison Booker, Texas: 25 points 7 rebounds 8 assists (5 TO on the bad side)

Great stats and it was mostly a one game week for most teams. Because of the ranked team matchup situation I am guessing Booker gets either POW or FOW, maybe both.

I'd have to go with Booker, too, based on the stat line and the quality of the opponent. But, my real reason for posting is to say I watched the Iowa State-Oklahoma State game and came away even more impressed with Brown and Crooks than I was before. Big road win for ISU and coach Finley, who has found a spot on my growing list of favorite coaches this season.

Also, I told a friend after Vandy beat ISU in Las Vegas that I suspected we were lucky Emily Ryan was missing. I believe that even more, now. She's a fine player.

 

[DefenseBB]

I watched most of the game last night and while I am not a Nicki Collen fan, that new arena was rocking and Baylor got over their 1st half jitters and smoked TCU and their pathetic 304th ranked schedule in the second half. Baylor is for real (or at least until the 2nd round of the NCAAT).

 

[Big12wbbFan]

I watched most of the game last night and while I am not a Nicki Collen fan, that new arena was rocking and Baylor got over their 1st half jitters and smoked TCU and their pathetic 304th ranked schedule in the second half. Baylor is for real (or at least until the 2nd round of the NCAAT).

This Baylor team will go further than the second round unless there are major injuries.

 

[12au]

This Baylor team will go further than the second round unless there are major injuries.

Especially since it's looking like we'll host. If so it'll be weird back in Ferrell