Kansas’ victory over Memphis was momentous for Big 12 basketball. The league finally has an NCAA champion. Hopefully, it won’t stop there. The Big Eight had just one NCAA champ (Kansas in 1988); the league teams’ only other national title came in the Big Seven days (KU 1952).
Until Monday night, the Big 12 clearly was behind in bragging rights among the power conferences. But now, not so much. Kansas took care of the glaring hole in the Big 12’s hoops resume’.
The Big 12 still lags behind most of the other power leagues in overall NCAA Tournament prowess. I believe there are three major ways to identify basketball dominance: 1. NCAA championships; 2. Final Four appearances; 3. Final Four schools (in other words, if one school is doing all the damage in a league, that’s to the school’s credit, not the conference’s).
Any way, the Big 12 doesn’t lag much behind in any of the categories but doesn’t rise to the top in any. In the dozen years since the Big 12 formed, here are the numbers:
* NCAA titles: SEC 3 (Florida two, Kentucky one); ACC 3 (Maryland, Duke, North Carolina); Big East 3 (UConn two, Syracuse one); Pac-10 1 (Arizona), Big Ten 1 (Michigan State) and Big 12 1 (Kansas).
The ACC is amazing. Three schools have won NCAA titles this decade alone. But the Big 12 isn’t out of step, really, now tied with the Pac-10 and the Big Ten, thanks to Kansas.
* Final Fours: ACC 11, Big Ten 10, Big 12 6, SEC 6, Pac-10 6, Big East 4.
Again, the Big 12’s not in bad shape. Behind the ACC and the Big Ten, tied with the SEC and Pac-10. Perfectly respectable.
Final Four schools: Big Ten 6 (Minnesota, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois); Big 12 4 (Kansas, OU, Texas, OSU); ACC 4 (North Carolina, Duke, Maryland, Georgia Tech); Big East 3 (UConn, Syracuse, Georgetown); Pac-10 3 (Arizona, Stanford, UCLA); SEC 3 (Kentucky, Florida, LSU).
Here, the Big 12 is ahead of the curve and trailing only the Big Ten. By the way, enough dumping on the Big Ten, which is a national obsession in all sports. The Big Ten’s basketball record is amazing. In the last dozen years, more than half its schools have made the Final Four. One of the schools that hasn’t made it, Michigan, has played in three NCAA title games in the last 20 years and won one. Another school that hasn’t made it, Purdue, is a regular Big Ten contender that made the Final Four in 1980, where it was joined by another Big Ten, member, Iowa. Think about that. In the last 28 years, every Big Ten school since Northwestern and Penn State have made the Final Four. That’s amazing.
Anyway, back to the Big 12. As many Big 12 schools (four) as ACC schools have made the Final Four the last dozen years, and all four Big 12 schools have been in the last seven seasons, starting with OU and KU in 2002, then Texas and KU in 2003, and OSU in 2004.
The Big 12 basketball record is solid. And it’s a lot more solid after Monday night, thanks to the Jayhawks.
Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel.
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I think in college sports, only the present is important. What went on 4 years ago or so with different players and probably diffferent coaches is past history and not to be considered. Today the Big 12 is on top and will be for next year. After that? Who Knows? Does it help in recruiting? I guess so, but it appears that who is coaching where is more important. ( look at article about X. Henry)