Here’s the reaction of Big 12 coaches to national media chatter that projects the conference to receive only three NCAA Tournament bids.
Horse feathers.
Or something to that effect.
It has become fashionable for analysts to dismiss the chances of Colorado and Texas A&M, who are tied for fourth place (both 18-7, 8-6 Big 12) in the conference standings behind Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma.
In its previous nine seasons, the Big 12 averaged 5.3 NCAA Tournament bids per year. The league never has received fewer than four invitations.
When Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson was asked specifically about Colorado during Monday’s Big 12 teleconference, he said analysts should look at the Buffaloes’ “entire body of work.”
“It’s almost impossible for somebody to say that Colorado does not deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament for what they’ve accomplished,” Sampson said.
Sampson believes CU will clinch a bid if the Buffs at least split their two remaining regular-season games and finish with a 9-7 conference record. Colorado plays at No. 18 Kansas on Wednesday and hosts Iowa State on Saturday night.
Texas A&M has an opportunity to impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee on Wednesday when it hosts No. 6 Texas.
“Just winning on Wednesday probably wouldn’t do it, but I don’t know,” Aggies coach Billy Gillispie said. “The people who really know are the committee members, and I don’t see any quotes coming from them.”
Colorado coach Ricardo Patton said the Big 12 has received a bad rap because some traditionally strong programs such as Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Iowa State have struggled this season.
“The league has been penalized and criticized because the bottom half has gotten better,” Patton said.
Baylor coach Scott Drew said a team such as Oklahoma State certainly would do well this year in the Missouri Valley Conference, which hopes to receive as many as five bids. Although the Cowboys are just 5-10 in Big 12 play, they torched Texas by 21 points last week.
Texas Tech assistant Pat Knight said the national media’s portrayal of the Big 12 has been unfair.
But, he added, that perception can influence the selectors.
“Especially on TV, they just hammer our league,” he said. “With the bad press we’re getting, it wouldn’t surprise me if we got only three or four in.”
Fattening up
Five blue-chip recruits who signed with Big 12 programs in November were named to the 2006 McDonald’s All-American team: 5-foot-11 Sherron Collins, Chicago (Kansas); 6-1 Scottie Reynolds, Herndon, Va. (Oklahoma); 6-0 D.J. Augustin, Fresno, Texas (Texas); 5-11 Demond Carter, LaPlace, La. (Baylor); and 6-10 Kevin Durant, Suitland, Md. (Texas).
Another McDonald’s All-American, 6-9 Darrell Arthur of South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, may join the Big 12. Arthur, regarded as the nation’s top unsigned senior, lists Kansas and Texas among his favorites. The McDonald’s All-American Game is March 29 in San Diego.
Footnotes
Texas forward P.J. Tucker, a 6-5 junior, earned the Big 12’s player of the week award for the sixth time in his career, tying Marcus Fizer (Iowa State) and Andre Emmett (Texas Tech) for tops on the all-time list. … Kansas State has lost nine games by five points or fewer, including one-point heartbreakers last week to Texas and Oklahoma. …
National reports have listed Dana Altman (Creighton) and Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa) as candidates for the Missouri job.
But media that cover the Tigers believe the top targets include Memphis’ John Calipari, Alabama-Birmingham’s Mike Anderson, Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon and perhaps Texas A&M’s Gillispie. Calipari’s wife is a Missouri native.
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-820-5456 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
