On The Plate ... 2/27/06

Separation Days: Part 5 of 5

BIG 12

Let's make this short and sweet. It disappoints me greatly to write this, but the truth is the f'ing truth…the Big 12 blows. Period, sincerely. What the hell happened to the bruising conference that represented 5 of the 12 Final Four teams between 2002 and 2004? What happened to the motto "The Big 12 always gets 6 in the Dance"? Throw they thoughts out the window. Times started changing in last years' Dance. (For the record, I love the use of "they" in place of "their." For instance, "You know, we just had to take it at they defense. They frontcourt is tough to rebound on, but when we are knocking down shots we can neutralize they rebounding advantage." Money, huh? Indeed. I'm not sure if the dudes who use "they frontcourt" would throw a "neutralize" in there as well, but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt.)

Anyway, the Big 12 got their usual 6 into last year's Dance. Only two of the six teams - the Pokes and the Red Raiders - made it to the Sweet 16. While having 2 teams advance ain't exactly shabby, consider that Kansas and Oklahoma were both #3 seeds. In other words, the conference was seeded to advance three schools - the Pokes, the Jayhawks and the Sooners - to the round of 16, and each was supposed to bring the raucous. If the General and his band of Gonzaga-surprising Raiders had not bailed the conference out, last year's tournament would have been a downright disaster for the Big 12.

Well, the disaster has hit this season. Texas and Oklahoma were both ranked #2 in the preseason AP Top 7. Kansas, for the first time since the French-and-Indian War, was not ranked in the preseason Top 25, but was getting votes due to the overall youth of the squad. Iowa State was ranked 25th while Texas Tech and Oklahoma State were also getting votes. Count 'em…6 teams in the mix. As usual. So what the hell has happened between then and now (Feb 28) that we're only talking about 3 teams from the Big 12 making the tournament?

Nothing has happened…and that's the problem. Texas, who despite getting mauled in back to back December games by Duke and Tennessee, has been the only ounce of class in the Big 12. Forget that they got smoked in Stillwater two weeks ago…these things happen…emotions were at earth-shattering highs after the Eddie Sutton drinking binge and the Pokes played great. Not to mention that I think the Pokes are the "best team with a horrible record" in the country. That's for another time…like the column I'm not going to write on the NIT. Anyway…look under the 'Horns and you aren't going to find much to chatter about. I mean it ain't like the Sooners have been wildly impressive this year. Sure, they beat the 'Horns in Norman. But if they hadn't, their entire season would be a joke right now. Why? Three reasons…1) OU opened the Big 12 season with L's at Nebraska and Missouri at home. Double weak. 2) They gave up a 16-point second half lead in Lawrence to the youngin' Jayhawks and inevitably lost by one. 3) They have won their last 4 games by a combined 4 points…that's right…4 one-point W's in a row. Yes, winning is winning but is winning that money when you are beating Iowa State, Kansas State and Oklahoma State each by a point at home? Didn't think so. Now name another team, excluding Texas, which is worth a damn that Kelvin's lads have beaten. Alabama? Boo. What about in the Big 12? Can't do it because no one else is worth a damn. And that's the unfortunate truth about the conference in 2006. Up until Kansas decided to win 10 games in a row, the Big 12 was Texas and Oklahoma, aka the team that beat Texas but if they hadn't wouldn't be worth talking about, and that's it. Pathetic, right? So pathetic that for the first time in history, folks in Austin and Norman were probably rooting for the Jayhawks to wake the F up in order to help bolster the conference's RPI. Craziness pie, right?

Right…which brings us to the Jayhawks. Ah, the Jayhawks…a team I adorned very early in the year as a mutt squad that wasn't going to go to the Dance. Well, wasn't I f'ing wrong. In hindsight, it might have been premature to jump on the "down with Bill Self" train after two early conference losses in January. But you know that's my scene, so I did it, and I'll gladly do it again given the chance. To Self's credit, he has done a helluva job righting the ship after a disastrous start, and his kids have responded brilliantly. With all that said, however, I still want to ask a question: Is Kansas good? Don't worry, I'm not going to wizz on the fact that a group of freshman and sophomores rang up 10 W's in a row in the Big 12. Down year or not, 10 in a row is 10 in a row, and the majority of which were by a hefty margin (as compared to OU's worrisome 4 game streak.) But after watching the kids get thumped at Texas, I don't feel like I have to apologize for asking the question. Three thoughts on this conundrum…1) Texas played their best game of the year against KU. And the game was in Austin. So maybe the baby 'Hawks deserve a break. I can respect this…to a degree. Losing by 15 is one thing. Losing by 25 is another. Kansas didn't necessarily put out the vibe that they had an off night, were rattled, whatever. In my book, they just got straight up worked. 2) Kansas won 10 in a row. Boom. Again, respect. But…if you apply the same theory to Kansas as I did to Oklahoma (the if-KU-hadn't-beaten-OU-in-Lawrence, the-Jayhawks-would-not-have-a-W-worth-a-damn theory), the Jayhawks relative moneyness looks a lot less money. 3) Who has Kansas beaten? Answer: no one.

And that's the point really when rapping about the Big 12 in 2006. The league is down, and no one, other than the "Big 3" has stepped up in a big situation to contend with the biggin's. And when that happens, potential extra bids to the tournament become scarce. Texas, OU and Kansas are locks. Obviously. But who else, if anyone else, has a shot to join them on Selection Sunday? If you look hard enough, you'll find two…

Colorado? The Buffs are 18-7, 8-6 with an RPI of #48 that is teetering on the magical "no one under a RPI of 50 goes to the Dance" line. Among those 18 W's is one win worth mentioning - Oklahoma in Boulder. Not kind of awesome. However, the "beat one team with some umph and get out your dancing shoes" theory comes into play with Ricardo Patton's kids. The Buffs travel to Lawrence on Wednesday night for a must win game against the freshly battered Jayhawks. A win gets 'em in. I'm not sure how, but it should. A loss means Patton & Co. will have to win the home finale against Iowa State (not a gimme) and do some work in the Big 12 tournament. If I were a Buffs fan, I'd want nothing less than winning out. 10-6 in the Big 12 gets it done. I wish my name was Ricardo Patton…I mean how classy does that sound?

Texas A&M? Guess what theory also applies to the suddenly surging Aggies? Yep, the "beat one team with some umph and get out your dancing shoes" theory. It's actually kind of a theme to this whole GD column. While the Buffs and Rockchalks are duking it out in Lawrence on Wednesday night, the Aggies have an opportunity to put a serious "Look at us MF'ers!" stamp on their resume by winning their 6th straight game when the Longhorns come to College Station. Just like the Buffs, A&M is 18-7, 8-6. Unlike the Buffs, A&M's RPI is below 50, at #57, but the Aggies beat the Buffs in their solo meeting this year. Advantage for the fourth bid from the Big 12? At this point, it's a pick'em. Advantage for a fourth bid if A&M beats Texas on Wednesday night? A&M, in a serious way. If A&M can finish with a win at Texas Tech (not a gimme), the Aggies and their second year wunderkind coach Billy Gillispie will have won 7 in a row, including a giant W over UT and, unbeknownst by many before "tournament stories" get nutty in the media, provided one of the year's best "holy xrap, did you see that" stories of the year. Texas A&M in the Dance? Am I kidding myself? Amazingly, no I am not. And frankly, it makes a pretty good reason to tune into what the Texas A&M website is calling the "Lone Star Showdown" on Wednesday night.

Coming later this week…why I'm not pissed 'Nova got handled in Storrs, why diamond studded vampire teeth are the next big thing and, of course, some ingredients for making a Bubble pie.