Draft Profile: Pierre Jackson Goes From Juco to the Pros

In the run-up to the 2013 NBA Draft on June 27, the BDD staff will be profiling several projected lottery picks and other draft entrants. Next up: Pierre Jackson.

Like many point guards in this draft, Pierre Jackson is small but physical. (USA Today Sports)

Position: Point Guard
College: Baylor
DraftExpress Prediction: No. 2 in the second round, No. 32 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder

Synopsis: In just two years in the conference, Pierre Jackson became one of the most decorated active players in the Big 12. Jackson, who earned numerous preseason and all-conference awards, emerged as Baylor's motor and one of the most important junior college transfers in recent history as a junior. Living in the heart of Big 12 country, I can personally attest Jackson is the real deal. It was not often that he encountered a defense he couldn't shred with pinpoint passes and precise, deceptive dribbles, enhanced further by his quickness and athleticism.

Among NBA-size frontcourts, some may worry about Jackson's court vision and finding his way through the trees or, rather, finding his teammates in between them. The 21-year-old fires off 7.8 assists per 40 minutes, pace adjusted, but that column should be the last of scouts' worries. Jackson's strong first step will command respect and his effectiveness in the pick-and-roll will allow him to facilitate and affect the game without scoring himself. His diminutive size will make it tough for Jackson to score baskets inside the paint, but he posted a 40.8 three-point percentage in his first year with the Bears and, although it dipped by nearly five percent as a senior, Jackson has shown a returned efficiency on perimeter jumpers. Not only is he able to create these shots for himself off the dribble, he can also serve as an effective catch-and-shoot performer, making a pairing with a passing big man ideal and two-PG sets possible for whichever team selects him. His scoring prowess is not relegated to behind the three-point arc, however, as he led Baylor with 19.8 points per game as a senior using a mixed bag of tricks.

All that being said, Jackson is nowhere near ready to take a seat at the helm of an NBA squad. He must control his turnovers (3.7 per 40, pace adjusted) and, as an extension, improve his decision-making, particularly in clutch moments when he is prone to forcing shots or moving with impatience. The most glaring hole in Jackson's game coming into pre-draft workouts was his defense and it continues to be an issue, as Jackson himself admits (see below). While at Baylor, he exhibited lackadaisical and sometimes unconcerned defensive play, which will only be magnified once he rises to the professional level of play. His sub-6' size doesn't help in the slightest on this end of the floor, either.

If he stays on the defense-optional path he currently travels, Jackson could be an archetypical bench player, supplying an offensive spark to a second unit teeming with other one-way oriented players. There is an upside to Jackson that, if placed on the right team, could make him a starter before his rookie year expires. It is contingent on the incumbent point guards, yes, but much of it also relies on Jackson's commitment to improving his all-around game.

Quote to Note: "I feel like [lack of size] shouldn't be an issue at all. You know, Nate Robinson and Isaiah Thomas have proved that throughout this past year. Like I said, I think I can play with the best of them. The taller guards gotta guard us, too. That's all I got to say about that." - Jackson disregarding the negative connotation of being a shorter guard in the NBA.

Bonus Quote(!): "Mediocre. I'm still working on it. Once I get the chance to play against the best, my competitive level is gonna get that much higher. Like I said, I'm still working on it... I'm just enjoying this [combine] process and just trying to get better." - Jackson offering the kind of honesty prospects rarely show during pre-draft interviews. Both quotes via DraftExpress.

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A Woman in the NBA: Why Mark Cuban's Dallas Mavericks Would Draft Baylor Star Brittney Griner

What are the odds Brittney Griner stays in Texas with the Dallas Mavericks? (tvweek.com)

Brittney Griner has been an enigma in college basketball since her freshman year in 2009-10. She has a list of achievements to her name that most players — male or female, NCAA or NBA — will never fathom, let alone accrue. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban knows this. That's why Cuban mentioned he may steer the team toward drafting the Baylor post player, if she is the best option on the board this summer. But not to be overlooked is the caveat that Cuban acknowledged: the financial coup of marketing the NBA's first female player.

See, Cuban is a businessman first and foremost. That is what allows him to be an NBA owner. The fact that he happens to be a good one is a direct reflection of his business acumen and intense interest in his investment. When he spoke about taking a flyer on Griner as a draft pick, Cuban did so knowing the Mavs will likely miss the playoffs after a predictably rocky season; that his team will soon be out of the headlines as its already aging star player comes off a campaign in which he missed nearly 30 games to injury; that even with possibility of a future with O.J. Mayo as a first scoring option and the fully realized potential of Jae Crowder, the Mavericks are not a particularly attractive franchise right now.

Enter the idea of drafting one of the most dominant players in NCAA women's basketball history. An all-conference and All-American selection several times over, a four-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and an Olympian before college graduation, Griner would seem to have the easiest transition to make for any woman hoping to play in the NBA to date.

Ann Meyers, a former UCLA guard, tried out for the Indiana Pacers in 1979, when the pro game was much different than it is in the league's current iteration. At 5'9", 134 pounds, Meyers would have been out-muscled and outmatched, a common argument against the idea of a woman playing any professional sport alongside men. However, that is not the exact case being leveraged against Griner. The Baylor star is 6'8", 208 pounds, according to last summer's Team USA roster.

A survey of every NBA player on an opening night roster in 2007-08 returned an average height of 6'6.98" and a mean weight of 221 pounds, putting Griner an inch above most Association players, albeit slightly leaner. There have been plenty of skinny NBA players — Tayshaun Prince and Kevin Durant, to be current; Reggie Miller, Manute Bol to drop names — that overcame their perceived disadvantage to make professional careers, be it with unorthodox or traditional, one-dimensional or well-rounded skill sets.

Griner's issue would not be a physical unpreparedness, but rather a need to change the fundamental basics of her game. She would have to learn to guard players on every inch of the court, not just the interior. Her scoring prowess has been predicated on muscling through defenses in the low post, being able to dunk over the usual women's NCAA ilk. Griner would not be able to do this against players like Tyson Chandler or Zach Randolph. With an improvement in lateral quickness, Griner could use her already solid footwork to score in the paint, but she could not feast there like she has while at Baylor. Even in the midst of the positional revolution, Griner would be more suited to play as a small forward than in the four or five spot in the NBA. Furthermore, she would need to greatly improve her ball-handling and extend the range of her jumper, moving outside of the 10-foot arc surrounding the basket. Griner has been reliable from 3-point range, shooting 40 percent from downtown through four years, but going two-of-five from long range through 148 games is not exactly a large sample size. If her jump shot is true, it is not unthinkable that Griner could become a spot-up option in the NBA, particularly as a complement to a slashing guard or on possessions against zone defenses.

First, though, Griner has to enter the NBA Draft and get selected. Cuban properly summed up her stock:

"Right now, I'd lean toward yes, just to see if she can do it. You never know unless you give somebody a chance, and it's not like the likelihood of any late-50s draft pick has a good chance of making it."

The hypothetical if of drafting Griner is compounded by where she would be picked. Draft picks, especially those in the first round, are more valuable than ever under the new CBA, but a "late-50s" pick relegates her to one of the last five spots, which rarely produce viable players from the droves of men's college players or the overseas stock. Fairly, if she was the best option available, this is where Griner would be chosen. It is where history would be made. She would proceed to go through the normal rigors of an NBA freshman, attending the NBA rookie symposium and possibly playing in the summer league. The latter is something Cuban is also aware of, saying "That'd sell out a few games."

He's right, of course. Assigning her to the Mavs' D-League affiliate would do the same for the Texas Legends, a team experienced in making splashy moves. Bringing her onto an NBA roster would do the same. To the general public, Griner would be a novelty until she proved she could compete and, based on Dallas' roster management in recent years, Griner could very well be an option for the Mavericks if she proved herself to Cuban.

On paper, Cuban can break down a defense. He knows what Griner would need to do to help the Mavericks win. Cuban can also break down an expense report and a budget, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he mentioned a chance of the Mavs drafting Griner. It created a buzz about a floundering franchise and executing such a plan would attract a previously unmined interest in attending games, whether they are in the Las Vegas summer league or on Dallas' home court.

Beyond the questions of "Could she compete with men?" and "Could she get drafted?" is another, less bandied but equally buzzworthy query: "Why would an NBA team draft Brittney Griner?" Cuban knows the answer to this question and he knows it is not all about which remaining player is best on draft night.

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Adidas Reveals Questionable Uniform Choices

Adidas' latest uniform design for its college basketball teams has not gotten great results so far. (darrenrovell's twitter account)

Adidas unveiled its new uniforms for a few of its college basketball-sponsored programs, which are Louisvile, UCLA, Baylor, Notre Dame, Kansas and Cincinnati. So far, the response has not been good. For Louisville, UCLA and Baylor, those are not undershirts you are seeing on the arms of the players, but rather the uniforms were actually designed with sleeves.

ESPN Sports Business reporter Darren Rovell tweeted out a picture of the uniforms and then tweeted this after receiving negative reviews from fans:

The colleges have final say in whether the uniforms will actually make an appearance in a game, so it will be interesting to see how many schools jump on board with the Adidas design. The other talking point with the picture circling through the Internet and social media is how much the shorts resemble those of the brand Zubaz.

Let us know your reaction to the uniforms by leaving a comment in the comment section.

In Light of Manti Te'o, The Top 5 College Hoops Scandals

Manti Te'o flexes after a Notre Dame dunk. Not pictured: his girlfriend. (GIF via @cjzero)

Anyone tuned into the world of sports should know the story by now: Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, the heart of the team during the Irish's recent run to the BCS National Championship, was bombarded by personal tragedy this season, playing through major stress after the death of his terminally ill girlfriend. Deadspin did a wonderful job breaking the story, adding one minor detail — that the girlfriend never existed. While nothing like this has ever happened in the realm of college basketball, which has been afflicted with numerous point-shaving incidents throughout the decades, there have been plenty of non-points, non-spousal scandals in NCAA hoops. Here are the top five:

5a. Georgia's "A" Students
5b. Memphis Knows the Rules
Neither of these is akin to Te'o's imaginary girlfriend and both are far more in-line with the usual NCAA violations than everything else on this list, but neither is a flat-out payment to a player, agent or any other party. Granting players automatic A's while they skip class, as former Georgia head coach Jim Harrick's son did, is an institutional issue that separates it from the norm. The fact that Harrick's son, also an assistant coach for the basketball team, did so in a class about basketball strategy is laughable since the Bulldogs could have probably breezed through the curriculum. The Memphis Tiger who had someone else take the SAT in order to be academically eligible is a product of the one-and-done system perpetuated by John Calipari (then the maven of Memphis hoops), if that player was Derrick Rose went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft after leading the Tigers to a national championship runner-up.

3. Larry Eustachy's Frat Party
With a contract extension in 2001, Larry Eustachy became the highest paid state employee in Iowa after leading the Iowa State Cyclones to consecutive Big 12 titles. Whether or not that played a part in Eustachy's popularity with coeds at frat parties on opposing schools campuses (or if that popularity came from pre-party Cyclone losses) is unknown, but his presence at such parties — let alone his drinking, fraternizing and being photographed all the while — violated a clause in his contract, even if it was within the bounds of the law. As Eustachy himself said, he was a "functional alcoholic" and the actions tied to that title led to Eustachy losing his job. He has since recovered, led Southern Mississippi to the NCAA tournament and earned Colorado State's head coaching job.

2. Rick Pitino's Off-Court Indiscretion
Rick Pitino's affair with a Louisville equipment manager's wife in the bathroom of a local restaurant was not an example of sound decision making, but it blew up further when Karen Cunagin Sypher, the woman in question, claimed to be pregnant and received $3,000 from Pitino in order to make sure things stayed quiet, to put it gently. In spite of the media's immense reporting on the story, Louisville retained Pitino as head coach. He has continued to bring inspired performances from his Louisville players, but Sypher was found guilty of extortion in the summer of 2010.

1. The Baylor Basketball Murder
Make no mistake: this is the clear-cut number one. It's not only the worst incident on this list, it very well may be the worst scandal in the history of college basketball, if not all college sports. Everything else on the list — and Te'o's hoax — is minor in comparison.

In the summer of 2003, Patrick Dennehy was preparing to play his first season in the Baylor front court after transferring from New Mexico and sitting out one year as a redshirt. One of his closest friends from the Bears was fellow transfer forward Carlton Dotson. Both had expressed concerns about their safety and purchased firearms in order to protect themselves, but the danger came from an unexpected party when Dotson shot and killed Dennehy during an argument that arose as the two were practicing firing the weapons.

The timeline for this terrible incident stretches more than two years, from June 14, 2003 (when the shooting presumably occurred) to June 15, 2005, when — after being declared mentally incompetent, spending time in a mental facility and being declared competent once more — Dotson received a 35-year sentence for Dennehy's murder. The sentence was handed down after Dotson unexpectedly pleaded guilty a mere five days before his trial was set to begin.

Dennehy's death was one of many incidents that plagued Baylor basketball that year and, along with the uncovering of drug use and improper payments, it led to many sanctions for the program, including a 10-year show/cause penalty on resigned coach Dave Bliss, essentially exiling him from the NCAA. Although the Bears didn't exactly thrive during Bliss' tenure, he only had two losing seasons during his four years at Baylor, which was better than the following years, as Baylor didn't record another winning season until 2008. Other penalties — such as loss of scholarships and recruiting visits, being put on probation until 2010, and a ban from non-conference play for the 2005-06 season — made this one of the harshest overall decisions handed down in NCAA history.


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Rise of the JUCO Transfer

Cleanthony Early has been integral to Wichita State's success this season. (Peter G. Aiken/USA TODAY Sports)

I am a fan of exposition. Some people want the one-sentence explanation and prefer to move on as quickly as possible, but I have no problem with taking time to get to a destination. My writing has a tendency to veer into wordy territory and I am constantly critiqued for the speed at which I eat, do work around the house and so on.

Before we get into the meat of this entry — about how the addition of traditionally non-blue-chippers, lacking five-star and often four-star ratings as high school seniors, can drastically change the on-court presence of a Division I basketball program during their relatively short stay — let me share a brief anecdote.

Following four years in high school that yielded a good cumulative GPA in spite of effort that was often lacking, I made the decision to stay close to home and enrolled at Cowley County (Kan.) Community College (now Cowley College, for what it's worth). The same attitude paired with adequate work allowed me to float through classes while committing a majority of my time on campus to work on the student newspaper as co-editor of the sports section, eventually assuming the title of Managing Editor heading into sophomore year.

Soon, that "majority" of time spent on publication duties topped 85 percent of all school-related activities, though I found time to intern at a local radio station and parlayed that opportunity into a color commentary position with the college's basketball teams. My single season as an on-air personality during Cowley Tigers broadcasts coincided with the year of Steve Eck's arrival as head coach of the men's team. With Eck came five sophomore transfers, mostly from his former institution. It was apparent early on that they were all very good basketball players — a fact that was not lost on a group of my friends who once found themselves in a pick-up game with the most physically domineering of transfers — and this obviousness continued when all five were granted scholarships by Division I schools at the season's end.

The clear leader of these five young men was Montrell McDonald, a transfer from George Washington University. He fit the prototypical profile of a junior college player, having a scoring prowess but with a problem that offset this talent (in McDonald's case, a temper that often led to fouls). He was also lanky; a bit under-muscled, if you will. But what separated him from the two-year pack was that he was a great defender. McDonald, without hyperbole, is one of the best shot-blockers I have ever seen. His positioning and anticipation of an opponent's movements allowed him to sag a bit on defense, letting the other player get confident and attempt a shot that, inevitably, McDonald would swat, sometimes — literally — over several rows of spectators.

Before the Cowley season even began, McDonald was being recruited by several major programs including Kansas and Kansas State, fresh off Michael Beasley being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 draft. In the end, McDonald's next step led him to join the Arkansas Razorbacks, playing in four games before being suspended indefinitely. During the suspension, McDonald was also barred from practicing with the team by then-coach John Pelphrey. McDonald was a Razorback for a total of eight games before leaving the program.

Pierre Jackson plays for his juco. (Drew Nash/Times-News)

He entered the 2010 NBA Draft and went unselected, but McDonald's story is common among the ranks of junior college basketball players. Just as usual, if not more so, are the juco players who can't find an in with a program, D-I or otherwise.

That's what makes a player like Cleanthony Early so special. The 6'8" forward spent two years at Sullivan County (N.Y.) Community College before transferring to Wichita State University, racking up averages of 24.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game on his way to to being named a NJCAA Division III All-American last season. So far in 2012-13, Early is averaging 15.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 0.9 bpg for the Shockers and keeping the team afloat despite a rash of injuries to other important players. WSU is 15-2, boasting a 4-1 conference record that includes Early's 39-point firecracker in a six-point win over Southern Illinois on Jan. 9.

Just as Early's jump from a small junior college to a NCAA Division I school was supposed to be much harder than it now looks, Wichita State's was slated to endure a season in which they fell from their usual spot near the top of the Missouri Valley Conference to middling or even bottom-rung status after the departure of a group of seniors who were responsible for much of the Shockers' recent success. Head coach Gregg Marshall was seemingly prepared, having steadily brought in a slew of junior college recruits to provide veteran leadership in just such a scenario. Currently, six of the 15 players rostered by WSU are juco transfers. Impact players like forwards Carl Hall (a first-team NJCAA All-American at Northwestern Florida State College in 2010-11) and Chadrack Lufile, guards Nick Wiggins and Malcolm Armstead, and center Ehimen Orukpe all played at two-year schools before being clad in WSU's black-and-yellow gameday attire.

Early and his teammates are not the most well-known players to formerly play in the NJCAA, though. That distinction belongs to Baylor point guard Pierre Jackson, another former NJCAA All-American. Voted onto the preseason All-Big 12 Team and selected as the conference's preseason player of the year, Jackson is the undeniable leader of a Bears team that, instead of making the national noise expected from a squad ranked inside the top 20 before the season tipped off, has struggled to an 11-5 record. Going 3-1 to this point in conference play will help Baylor's regard as a team, but Jackson has been the one consistent bright spot for fans in Waco.

Jackson has yet to dip under double-digits in scoring this season while leading the Bears in minutes played (he's 75 ahead of head coach Scott Drew's second most-used player, freshman center Isaiah Austin). Maybe not surprisingly because of his position and night-in-night-out numbers, Jackson leads the Bears in assists (98) and scoring, hits the glass often enough to be the team's fifth-leading rebounder, and is three steals away from leading the team in that statistic, as well.

For all intents and purposes, Jackson is the essence of Baylor basketball at this point in time. It is only his second year with the program, which, given past success, could have found a fresh-faced high school senior to come in and run the show last season.

Steve Forbes — who began coaching at NWFS just before Hall left the school to become a Shocker — summed up Jackson's experience best in a tweet after the Bears upset Kentucky, 64-55, in Rupp Arena, ending the Wildcats' 55-game home court winning streak.

You see, Forbes knows what it's like to manage a basketball program that does not have the financial luxuries afforded to a Kentucky or a Duke. So do Early and Jackson, and so did I, as as college sophomore sitting at watching tape from the back of a bus as Eck called his Cowley players out for miscues and celebrated them for instances of excellence. Montrell McDonald knows that after a game — win or lose — juco players get off the bus and line up to get food served with the purpose of speed instead of quality.

For every player that finds themselves under the lights in crunch time, surrounded by a roaring crowd, there exists a McDonald. But, with the likes of Early and Jackson propelling their respective teams to meaningful victories, junior college transfers are steadily becoming a more important facet of recruiting to Division I programs big and small.

Gonzaga Proves It Can Compete In Any Conference

Gonzaga has shut out the Big 12 this season and has proven it belongs in a major conference. (examiner-enterprise.com)

Gonzaga should be included in the Big 12 conference standings, and in the top third no less.

Don't mind that the Bulldogs don't play in the Big 12; they've still accomplished more than most of the teams in the conference will. Gonzaga scheduled five Big 12 teams and beat them all. That's impressive.

More impressive is only two of those wins were by 10 points or less (Baylor and Oklahoma State on the road in a difficult arena) and two (Oklahoma on a neutral site and West Virginia) were by 25 points or more. The Zags also defeated Kansas State in a neutral-site game in Seattle by double-digits.

That's nearly half of the conference suffering a loss to Gonzaga, and most of those teams should end up in the top half of the Big 12 at the end of the year. It'll be tough to find a more impressive performance against a conference this year. I can only assume Gonzaga fans were drunkenly calling the Big 12 offices asking "who's your daddy?" Until Kansas or another team (maybe OSU or KSU) has its shot at the rest of the conference, the answer is Gonzaga.

But it doesn't end there. Thanks to an always brutal non-conference schedule, Gonzaga has also beaten Clemson (from the ACC), Washington State (from the PAC 12) and mid-major darling Davidson. The only loss of the season came to No. 13 (and then undefeated) Illinois of the Big Ten, the country's best conference.

No offense intended to the West Coast Conference (Gonzaga's current home) because along with Gonzaga, St. Mary's and BYU have been very good programs of late and Santa Clara has a good team this year, but if there was any question of Gonzaga being able to hang with the big boys of a power conference, that question has now been answered.

Eventually Gonzaga will grow too big for the WCC. It's a shame, because it's a fine conference, but it just can't offer the national publicity, strength of schedule and RPI boosts a team like Gonzaga deserves. We just saw the same thing this offseason when Butler left the Horizon league for the more prominent Atlantic 10. People will continue to point to the Zags' weaker conference schedule as a means to excuse the Bulldogs' record.

It shouldn't be hard for Gonzaga to find a new home. Not having a football team will make it more difficult, but the (former) Big East (R.I.P.) proved a great basketball conference could exist without football. Now the seven Big East catholic schools without football are breaking away, and (cough, cough) Gonzaga is also a Catholic school without football. Sure, the geography doesn't make sense, but since when has that stopped realignment?

Gonzaga has the means necessary to make it work. The original "Cinderella" team is now a stable competitor, but still has the fans that fell in love with the mid-major darling. Support? Check. Coach Mark Few has proven he can recruit elite players to Spokane. Talent? Check. Thanks to Gonzaga, WCC games are shown on ESPN2 every Thursday night during conference play. And an appearance in the NCAA Tournament every year doesn't hurt. Recognition? Check.

Whether intentional or not, Few's non-conference scheduling has prepared the program for a jump to a higher level of conference competition. Power-conference teams should welcome Gonzaga into their ranks with open arms. That is, of course, until the Zags start winning.


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Upsets Underscore the First Month of College Hoops

Baylor couldn't hang onto a lead against College of Charleston. (USAToday.com)

First Colorado handed Baylor a loss, then the College of Charleston did it. Of course, the Bears followed up the Charleston loss by coming one point short of beating Kentucky by double-digits. Out west, UCLA has fallen to Georgetown and Cal Poly. Oklahoma State even walloped North Carolina State, 76-56.

Just like that, four of the most hyped teams in the country have dropped from the Top 25 entirely. The Wildcats' tumble comes after sitting at No. 3 in the preseason polls, and falling from No. 8 to holding the almost-doesn't-count designation of top vote-getter outside of the rankings. UK's most recent vanquishers, Baylor, are now seventh in the waiting line for a national ranking after coming into the season at No. 19, but neither of those teams have fallen the farthest.

N.C. State was originally given the No. 6 spot thanks to the Wolfpack's forceful conference play and a strong showing in the NCAA tournament. Many people wondered whether this might be an optimistic projection by voters longing to introduce a new contender into the Duke-North Carolina scrum that is the perennial pinnacle of ACC action.

Ben Howland's Bruins planned on having a resurgent year, but ran into eligibility trouble before the season even began. Several players have departed before even getting into conference competition, with center Josh Smith being the most recent expatriate. A loss at the hands of San Diego State is completely understandable — the Aztecs are currently ranked No. 23 —but the Hoyas are supposed to be having a down year (although they have taken top-rated Indiana to overtime on a neutral court and eeked out a one-point victory over Tennessee in a 37-36 snoozefest) and Cal Poly is not a traditional national contender.

Questions arose last year over Howland's leadership at UCLA, so perhaps a No. 13 preseason ranking was a tad lofty. John Calipari's newest freshman-heavy squad could have been given too much credit, too. After losing Alec Burks to the NBA then faltering in their inaugural Pac-12 campaign, the Buffaloes were bound to pick up their play and would have to find a big win somewhere — they just happened to play Baylor before encountering an also-falling Murray State team.

As for the Charleston loss? The Bears gained an experience that many teams don't get until single-elimination play in March. Any group of players can beat their opponents on the hardwood on any particular day of the week.

What's the next upset special? Tell us in the comments.


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What We Learned From The First Weekend Of College Basketball

Playing on an aircraft carrier is great, if the weather cooperates. It didn't for Florida/Georgetown and Ohio State/Marquette. (usatoday.com)

Nearly every team now has a game under its belt after the opening weekend of college basketball, but the important thing to remember is we've got a long way to go before March. Now is not the time to make brash assumptions about a team after 40 minutes of play, like that Kentucky's freshman system is a failure since they nearly lost to Maryland and now they're not longer title contenders and might not make the tournament even and it's that's probably the reason for the Mayan Apocalypse. OK, that's a bit of an over exaggeration, but you get the point. Instead, we're going to be rational and patient - two approaches many in the sports industry refuse to try - while explaining this opening weekend.

Playing outdoors doesn't always go smoothly:
The near perfection that was the first Carrier Classic last year in San Diego between UNC and Michigan State sent the expectations through the roof. Then reality settled in and we realized there's a reason basketball is played in a gym. 
Syracuse and San Diego State were able to play outside Sunday, but that's only because the game, originally scheduled for Friday night, was postponed due to rain. In the two other games set on aircraft carriers Friday, One game wasn't able to finish (Florida lead Georgetown 27-23 at the half) and the other (Ohio State vs. Marquette) wasn't even allowed to start due to weather and condensation on the courts. The experience is remarkable if the conditions allow it to be, but Mother Nature doesn't always let that happen.

Freshmen are still freshmen
ESPN college basketball writer Jason King tweeted Monday morning that eight of the top-10-ranked freshmen according to ESPN played over the weekend and collectively averaged 7.6 points. Probably the freshman performance most surprising to people in a negative way was Kentucky's Nerlens Noel, who scored just four points in 26 minutes. The No. 1 player in the 2012 class did grab nine rebounds, but expectations are high for the freshman, who is assumed to be a star from his first minute on the court. But let's not forget, this was his first taste of college basketball, against a good opponent, where the play is quicker and more physical. It's going to take time. Some adjusted quickly, like Baylor's Isaiah Austin, who scored 22 points in 17 minutes against Lehigh, but there's still going to be a learning period for freshmen to get adjusted. It doesn't mean that Noel or others are suddenly a wash; they just needs time to adapt and get comfortable in a new system.

Most Impressive Win: Kevin Ollie and UCONN
Kevin Ollie didn't have the easiest first game to prepare for as a collegiate head coach. Replacing Jim Calhoun with only a seven-month contract and having basically a new team from last year, Ollie's first test was No. 14 Michigan State and a future hall-of-famer in Tom Izzo while traveling to Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Ollie had been Calhoun's pick for his replacement since his retirement, and Calhoun's judgement looks to be correct so far.
Ollie's Huskies left Germany with a 66-62 victory over the Spartans after shooting 46 percent from the field and from 3-point range. Guard Shabazz Napier is the biggest piece leftover from the Calhoun era, and he stepped up with a huge 25 points on 8-16 shooting.
UCONN was not expected to do much this season, being picked to finish ninth in the Big East, but this early win over a ranked opponent could be the kind of confidence this team needs to "overachieve" this season. Ollie just proved in his preparation that he deserves the faith his team needs to have in him, and that is a great way to spark a team starting a season.


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Kansas Jayhawks Remain Big 12 Favorites

The long wait will soon be over when the first official NCAA basketball game of the 2012-13 season will tip-off on Nov. 15. Some of our favorite players have moved on the ranks of professional athletes, new recruits have been polishing their games in gyms with recognizable logos on the court, and schools have switched conference allegiances. Through a series of conference previews, the BDD crew will do its best to prepare you for the next 4.5 months of collegiate hoops.

Jeff Withey blocks; Myck Kabongo has bad dreams. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)

Favorite: Kansas Jayhawks

Of all the information in BDD's conference previews, this should be the least surprising. If they haven't been the sole holders, the Jayhawks have won at least a share of the last eight regular season titles in the Big 12. Kansas is not a stranger to the NCAA tournament — 1989 was the last time the 'Hawks failed to participate — and tends to use conference play as a warm-up.

Questions remain about how head coach Bill Self will find adequate minutes for his current players and what scheme he has devised to deal with the losses of now-professionals like forward Thomas Robinson and point guard Tyshawn Taylor, but there are no concerns about Kansas' current roster. The No. 10 recruiting class, 2011 recruits Ben McLemore and Jamari Taylor, and the experience of Jeff Withey, Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford. These are Self's tools and he is too good of a coach not to utilize all of their abilities.

Baylor is stacked, too, but not quite as much as Kansas, and with three NBA draft picks gone, the Bears will reel a bit more than their (relatively) northern counterparts. Head coach Scott Drew's teams tend to rely on their stars enough to appear disjointed as a team, and that is a big reason they got just one first-place vote — eight fewer than than the Jayhawks —in the Big 12 preseason poll.

Dark Horse Team to Watch: Kansas State Wildcats

Since Frank Martin said goodbye to his office in the Little Apple, there has been much contention around exactly how much the Wildcats can achieve in 2012-13. Their new head coach, Bruce Weber, was fired from Illinois after nine years of mostly mediocre finishes. Compounding the issue is the loss of Jamar Samuels, a senior last year who was suspended shortly before his team was vanquished from the NCAA tourney by Syracuse.

It makes sense that Kansas State was picked to finish fifth in the Big 12. KU and Baylor are perennial powerhouses; LeBryan Nash is expected to lead a young but talented Oklahoma State team; and Texas will be solid unless the NCAA hammers sophomore shooting guard Myck Kabongo for his alleged indiscretions.

That said, it would be wrong to forget the Wildcats were a Sweet 16 team in March. They were a tough defensive draw under Martin and that shouldn't change under Weber, who has had success with players recruited by other coaches. Save Samuels, all of last year's roster is back, including the backcourt tandem of sophomore Angel Rodriguez and Will Spradling, a junior. For the second year, guard Rodney McGruder will be the Wildcats' most dynamic scorer and could earn All-American honors if his issues with inconsistency don't resurface. And if 6'7", 270-lb., sophomore Thomas Gipson is has grown his game to match his frame, he could be a problem for any opponent in the post.

The mantra "defense wins championships" is old, but it's worked for the man down the hall from Weber and could bring the basketball 'Cats to the conference's forefront if Weber and the team can produce an offense — both have sketchy histories on that end of the court — effective enough to match with the toughness of their projected defense.


Player of the Year: Pierre Jackson, Baylor

Realistically, this title could go to players from four different schools. Of the preseason All-Big 12 selections, three were unanimous selections — Jackson was not.

This is possible because of Baylor's aforementioned dependence on relatively few players. Playing point guard also allows Jackson to be the spark plug of the Bears' offense. This particular situation makes him ripe for a POY award.

His 223 assists last season were good for second-place all-time in school record books, but he is also an adept scorer, averaging 13.8 points per game and putting up 10 or more points in 27 games.

Jackson is multi-talented; an equal threat to get points or set up his teammates. Coming off a loss to eventual-champions Kentucky in the regional round of the NCAA tournament, Jackson's leadership will help Baylor in a big way come conference competition. His importance to Baylor may outweigh that of any other individual player in the Big 12 and, if he continues to build on that reputation, Jackson will run away with POY recognition.

Newcomer of the Year: Perry Ellis, Kansas

Texas center Cameron Ridley could take a role of increased importance and Newcomer of the Year if Kabongo does miss the season, but Perry Ellis has too many dimensions to be counted out even then.

The 6'8" Kansas native has post play reminiscent of Thomas Robinson, KU's standout forward from last year, but Ellis is also a legitimate threat to make baskets from the perimeter. Alone, either of those skills would be beneficial; they might be downright scary together, especially if opposing forwards are a second late to realize Ellis can shake them with his ball handling and go for either option.

As for the Jayhawks' deep bench? It should have little impact on Ellis' numbers, as he is expected to start. Any highlight tape of the forward will include several dunks, but if viewers stick around for more than the eye candy, the three-ball shows up and shows a game refined beyond that of most freshmen college basketball players.

That is why Ellis is the Big 12's best newcomer.

Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas

A three-peat — Self won outright in 2010-11 and split with Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg last season — is well within reach with the roster Self has in place. The Jayhawks will drop few games in conference play, as usual, but it will be more impressive as Kansas relies on eight players who have no experience playing collegiate basketball.

Going into '10-'11, the Self's team was unheralded. They lost their Morris twins frontcourt and point guard Sherron Collins.

A 16-2 record in the Big 12 followed, as did an appearance in the national championship game.

The Jawhawks are not nearly as experienced this year. However, Self is expected to get his young team to coalesce enough to warrant a unanimous first-place vote before a single game is played. Why would Self not win COY?


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If Myck Kabongo Is Ruled Ineligible, Texas Will Suffer

Texas sophomore Myck Kabongo is being investigated for receiving improper benefits from an agent. (burntorangenation.com)

Texas sophomore guard Myck Kabongo is the latest college athlete to be investigated for his involvement with an agent, and if wrong-doing is found, it will be the team that will pay the biggest price.

The NCAA is reviewing Kabongo's relationship with agent Rich Paul, who represents LeBron James, and if Paul paid for a trip to Cleveland and a workout for Kabongo last May. Kabongo has yet to be ruled ineligible and is practicing with the team.

But should the NCAA find that Kabongo received improper benefits from Paul, he could be ruled ineligible for a portion of the season. This is a punishment the Longhorns can't afford.

Kabongo is just a sophomore, but on a team with only two seniors and no juniors, Kabongo will be looked at as one of the leaders. His numbers as a freshman were good, but many expected him to blossom in his second year. He averaged 9.6 ppg last season — good for the third highest on the team — and lead the team with 5.2 assists per contest.

One of the reasons his numbers should improve is there will be more shots to go around with the departure of leading scorer J'Covan Brown. Brown averaged 20.1 ppg and in doing so took 535 shots, nearly double the amount of any other teammate.

Without Kabongo in the lineup, Texas could have trouble finding people to score, and with their non-conference scheduling, this could lead to losses. The chances are if Kabongo is suspended, it will not be for the majority of the season, which is good for Texas with Kansas and Baylor waiting early on in conference play. But Rick Barnes likes to challenge his team early in the season, and Kabongo will need to be on the floor.


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The Longhorns' December schedule looks like a murderer's row of blue-blood programs. After facing Georgetown and UCLA in a four-day span in early December, Texas has back-to-back games just two games later against North Carolina and Michigan State before Christmas. It's tough enough to survive that stretch at full strength, but without Kabongo, the Longhorns might be happy coming away with two wins.

A ruling has not yet been made, so right now this is all a worst-case scenario. But Texas fans should hope a ruling comes quickly if the decision holds Kabongo out of games. That way maybe he just misses the month of November.

Because the longer the ruling takes, and the closer it gets to that December gauntlet, the more worried Texas should be to make it into conference play without a few L's.