Perfect storm, perfect tie?
Thanks to Oklahoma State’s upset over No. 1-ranked Kansas, a potential perfect storm is now brewing in the Big 12 men’s basketball standings.
If KU loses at home against Kansas State and at Missouri this week, and KSU also wins its season finale at home against Iowa State, the Jayhawks and Wildcats would finish 13-3 in league play.
KU and KSU would have lost to the exact same teams in Missouri, OSU and against one other. Because they are both members of the North Division (for scheduling purposes), the two-way tie could not be broken.
Under these circumstances, there would have to be a draw to determined the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds for next week’s Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. The draw would take place in the conference offices in Irving, Texas, either Saturday night or Sunday morning.
Kansas already has clinched a tie for its sixth straight Big 12 title, but the Cowboys’ 85-77 upset in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Saturday kept alive Kansas State’s hopes to tie KU atop the standings.
Twelve games still remain in the regular season (two games for each team) and there are several current ties in the Big 12 standings. As it stands right now, OSU and OU would meet in the first round at 6 p.m.
If the Big 12 Tournament began today, here would be the matchups at the Sprint Center:
MARCH 10
- No. 8 Colorado (13-15; 4-10) vs. No. 9 Texas Tech 16-12 (4-10), 11:30 a.m.
- No. 5 Missouri (21-8; 9-5) vs. No. 12 Nebraska (14-15; 2-12), 2 p.m.
- No. 7 Oklahoma State (20-8; 8-6) vs. No. 10 Oklahoma (13-15; 4-10), 6 p.m.
- No. 6 Texas (22-7; 8-6) vs. No. 11 Iowa State (14-15; 3-11), 8:30 p.m.
MARCH 11
- No. 1 Kansas (27-2; 13-1) vs. CU-TT winner, 11:30 a.m.
- No. 4 Texas A&M (20-8; 9-5) vs. MU-NU winner, 2 p.m.
- No. 2 Kansas State (24-4; 11-3) vs. OSU-OU winner, 6 p.m.
- No. 3 Baylor (22-6; 9-5) vs. UT-ISU winner, 8:30 p.m.
Bad news for Purdue; good news for Kansas State?
A season-ending knee injury to Purdue junior forward Robbie Hummel figures to rearrange the pecking order atop the NCAA Tournament seedings, which could be good news for surging Kansas State.
The Boilermakers’ overall strength will dip without Hummel, which could be reflected in the team’s tournament seeding. KSU (23-4; 10-3) is ranked No. 6 this week, its highest ranking since the end of the 1961-62 season, and could possibly replace Purdue as a top seed, particularly if the Wildcats extend their current six-game winning streak to nine or 10.
In 2000, top-ranked Cincinnati suffered a smiliar fate when national player of the year Kenyon Martin broke his leg in the Conference USA tournament.
With Martin out, the NCAA Tournament selection committee demoted Cincinnati to a No. 2 seed. The Bearcats were outraged, then lost in the second round to a Tulsa team coached by current Kansas coach Bill Self. Michigan State went on to win the national title that year.
Purdue is ranked No. 3 in this week’s poll and was widely considered a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament at this point.
Hummel’s injury occurred during the first half of Purdue’s 59-58 win over Minnesota on Wednesday. He was injured while driving to his right and trying to plant his right knee.
Hummel ranked second on the team in points (15.7) and rebounds (6.9). Purdue struggled last season while Hummel recovered from the back injury.
“Rob does something for us offensively and defensively that balances our team,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said last season. “He’s a facilitator. He moves the basketball, he makes the extra pass, he gets the ball inside. … Some of the basic things that don’t show up in a box score is what we miss.”
The Boilermakers (24-3, 12-3 Big Ten) are on a 10-game win streak, lead the Big Ten and have their highest national ranking since 1994.
Chat with John at 11 a.m.
Big 12 power rankings (Feb. 25)
1. Kansas (27-1; 13-0): Bill Self is 1-2 in Stillwater as the Jayhawks’ coach.
2. Kansas State (22-4; 10-3): Out to avenge previous loss against Missouri.
3. Missouri (21-7; 9-4): Battle for second place at KSU on Saturday night.
4. Baylor (21-6; 8-5): Bears visit Norman; beat OU by 31 earlier in the season.
5. Texas (22-6; 8-5): Longhorns on winning track as they head to Texas A&M.
6. Texas A&M (19-8; 8-5): Aggies had Texas beat in Austin, but lost in overtime.
7. Oklahoma State (19-8; 7-6): Win against top-ranked KU might clinch NCAA spot.
8. Texas Tech (16-11; 4-9): Fading Red Raiders are scrambling for an NIT bid.
9. Oklahoma (13-14; 4-9): After solid effort at KU, hopes to even score against Baylor.
10. Iowa State (14-14; 3-10): Snaps six-game losing streak with win against Nebraska.
11. Colorado (12-15; 3-10): Thrashed at Missouri, but chance for home win against ISU.
12. Nebraska (13-15; 1-12): Could snap seven-game skid with home win against Texas Tech.
AP hoops poll for Feb. 21
There is now a three-team battle for the St. Louis Regional site in the NCAA tournament. Purdue is making a push, trying to replace either No. 1 Kansas or No. 2 from the spot.
Meanwhile, Kansas State makes its steady rise in the polls. The Wildcats are a solid No. 2 seed and could rise to a No. 1 seed with a victory next week at Kansas.
Here is how I voted in this week’s Associated Press poll:
1. Kansas; 2. Kentucky; 3. Purdue; 4. Syracuse; 5. Duke; 6. Kansas State; 7. Villanova; 8. West Virginia; 9. Ohio State; 10. Michigan State; 11. Georgetown; 12. Butler; 13. New Mexico; 14. Brigham Young; 15. Temple; 16. Pittsburgh; 17. Gonzaga; 18. Wisconsin; 19. Texas; 20. Texas A&M; 21. Tennessee; 22. Vanderbilt; 23. UTEP; 24. Baylor; 25. Cornell.
Chat with John at 11 a.m.
Big 12 power rankings (Feb. 19)
1. Kansas (25-1; 11-0): Can clinch its sixth straight Big 12 crown with home wins over Colorado and Oklahoma.
2. Kansas State (21-4; 8-3): The league’s second-hottest team is a solid choice for a No. 2 seed in NCAA tournament.
3. Baylor (20-5; 7-4): Bears visit Oklahoma State on Saturday. Could finish regular season with an 8-game win streak.
4. Texas A&M (18-7; 7-4): Aggies had No. 1 Kansas on the ropes last Monday night, but wilted in the closing minutes.
5. Texas (20-6; 6-5): Just when you think the Longhorns might have figured it out, they promptly lay an egg at Missouri.
6. Missouri (19-7; 7-4): A solid victory over Texas on Wednesday night followed a gutwrenching, last-second loss at Baylor.
7. Oklahoma State (18-7; 6-5): After leading by 20 in the first half at Iowa State, a loss might have ended NCAA hopes.
8. Texas Tech (16-9; 4-7): Most crucial loss of the season might have been a 67-65 home loss to Texas A&M last Saturday.
9. Colorado (12-13; 3-8): Buffaloes snap a four-game losing streak with convincing win over Oklahoma on Wednesday.
10. Nebraska (13-13; 1-10): Lone conference win came against OU, but Huskers put a serious scare into KSU on Wednesday.
11. Oklahoma (13-12; 4-7): Sooners get Willie Warren and Tiny Gallon back, and it’s still not enough to beat Colorado.
12. Iowa State (13-13; 2-9): Five straight losses; Greg McDermott job watch could be kicking into high gear soon.
Ollie Ollie Oxen, Don’t Set Him Free
Five times in his 13-year career, Thunder veteran guard Kevin Ollie has played for two teams in the same season. He has been traded twice (2002 and 2003) and waived and signed three times (1998, 1999 and 2000).
The NBA trade deadline is 2 p.m. Thursday, and here’s hoping the Thunder doesn’t dangle Ollie as bait. Though he has played just 16 games all season and only twice since Nov. 22, the 37-year-old Ollie is a valuable commodity.
If the Thunder remains in the playoff race, or if it advances to the postseason, having a stablizing presence like Ollie at point guard could be a key component on the court and/or in the locker room.
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, it didn’t appear the Thunder would make a trade. The Thunder doesn’t figure to part with any of its top 10 players, but if a suitor calls for a player farther down the bench such as center Etan Thomas, there could be movement. Here’s hoping other teams bypass Ollie as an option.
Good luck breaking the Sam Presti vault (Member FDIC) for information. Presti is a stickler for general manager/client privilege, which means it’s none of our darn business who’s been on the other end of his cell phone lately.
The Thunder is an easy team to like, and Ollie might be the easiest player to like of them all. We offer these quotes as proof:
“There’s definitely some anxious moments there,” Ollie said of the trade deadline approaching. “You don’t want to get traded when you’re comfortable in your situation, like here. It’s hard to leave your friends and the relationships you built. It’s all part of the business. You don’t take it personally. You say, ‘Thank you’ and you move on to the next spot.
“Coming from the CBA (where Ollie played before making it to the NBA at age 25), you have to be mature about it. You have 10-day contracts. You might not even play one minute and you get cut. You grew up quick. It’s just like your parents leaving the house early in the morning every day. You have to grow up quick. It’s the same thing. You get thrown into the fire in the CBA because you always have to work your way up.”
Asked if any of his midseason changes have been for the best, Ollie said, “I was just always happy to be in this league. I wasn’t trying to figure out if the grass was always greener on the other side. Whatever team gave me the opportunity to play and live out my dream, I was happy with it.”
Big 12 football salary update
Nebraska football coaches are cashing in on last season’s 10-4 record that included a 13-12 loss to Texas in the Big 12 championship game and finished with the No. 14 national ranking.
Head coach Bo Pelini has a new deal worth $2.1 million per year (up from $1.851 million last season) and will keep him with the Cornhuskers through Feb. 28, 2015. If Pelini is still NU’s coach on Jan. 31, 2015, he will receive a $500,000 retention bonus.
Brother Carl Pelini, the team’s defensive coordinator, will now receive $375,000 annually, up from $208,000 last season. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson is the highest-paid NU assistant at $380,000, a hefty sum for an offense that ranked 11th in the Big 12 in total offense and passing offense.
With two new arrivals in Turner Gill at Kansas and Tommy Tuberville at Texas Tech, it’s time to update the Big 12 football coaches’ salaries as best we can. With so many facets involved in contracts, it’s difficult to compare apples to apples. The following figures are based on available information via open records, tax returns and published reports:
1. Mack Brown (Texas) $5,100,000
2. Bob Stoops (Oklahoma) $4,275,000
3. Gary Pinkel (Missouri) $2,525,000
4. Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State) $2,200,000
5. Bo Pelini (Nebraska) $2,100,000
6. Turner Gill (Kansas) $2,000,000
7. Bill Snyder (Kansas State) $1,850,000
8. Mike Sherman (Texas A&M) $1,801,000
9. Art Briles (Baylor) $1,800,000
10. Tommy Tuberville (Texas Tech) $1,500,000
11. Paul Rhoads (Iowa State) $1,150,000
12. Dan Hawkins (Colorado) $1,000,570
AP hoops poll for Feb. 14
Only two one-loss teams remain in Division I, which is why both sit at the top in No. 1 Kansas and No. 2 Kentucky.
Last week, 10 teams in the Top 25 lost, including four in the Top 10. Four ranked teams lost twice — West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia Tech and UNLV. The constantly maneuvering for tournament position is in high gear.
Here is how I voted in this weeks poll: 1. Kansas; 2. Kentucky; 3. Villanova; 4. Purdue; 5. Syracuse; 6. Duke; 7. Kansas State; 8. Gonzaga; 9. Ohio State; 10. Texas; 11. West Virginia; 12. Georgetown; 13. Wisconsin; 14. Michigan State; 15. New Mexico; 16. Butler; 17. Brigham Young; 18. Temple; 19. Texas A&M; 20. Vanderbilt; 21. Pittsburgh; 22. Baylor; 23. Tennessee; 24. Cornell; 25. Wake Forest.
