Friday Roundtable: Andrew Wiggins and Tanking NBA Seasons

Andrew Wiggins is a Canadian kid. Will the Raptors make a move to draft him? (blog.vstrator.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: Andrew Wiggins committed to the University of Kansas for a pit-stop before going pro. Which NBA team is most likely to pull the biggest tank job to draft the likely one-and-done talent?

Alex:
Orlando, seemingly, has already taken steps toward this after Dwight Howard forced his way to Los Angeles and the Magic jettisoned J.J. Redick to the Milwaukee Bucks for what looked like spare parts to some. Even so, Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris (in his partial season there) came on strong for Orlando while the team as a whole sank to last place in the entire NBA. Having that front court duo together for an entire season, however, will likely keep the Magic from repeating in that respect.

The team making the biggest (read: worst) play for Andrew Wiggins will be the Cleveland Cavaliers. Forget waiting for LeBron James and his potential homecoming in 2014. He's already established himself as one of the greatest basketball players of all time and has yet to hit 30 years of age, but pairing him with Kyrie Irving would marginalize the young point guard's ball handling wizardry and ability to control the pace of games with James needing to be the primary ball-handler to maximize his talents.

Would that be worth it? With the right role players, absolutely, but the Cavs don't have those kind of ancillary components right now. They have Irving, Tristan Thompson, an underwhelming-as-a-rookie Dion Waiters and Anderson Varejao, who hasn't played since December after an injury derailed his fantastic start to the season. Aside from those players, the Cavs roster looks like a scrap heap of journeymen, outcasts and Did Not Play - Coach's Decision All-Stars.

Cleveland was only four losses away from tying Orlando for the league's worst record in 2012-13. Without All-NBA numbers from Varejao in a few early outings or a couple out-of-his-gourd games by Irving, those four wins could have easily gone the other way. If we presume Irving will be better all-around from one more year of experience and Varejao will perform at a slower rate or finally be dealt for pennies on the dollar, the Cavaliers' schedule should look awfully familiar come the end of next season. The only contracts the Cavs have on the books for 2014-15 are those of Varejao (pending trade) and Alonzo Gee, with team options for Irving, Thompson, Waiters and Tyler Zeller. (Those first two are essentially automatic, the third is probable and the fourth, not so much. Sorry, Tyler.)

It isn't a stretch for Cleveland to head into that season with a core including one of the league's top point guards and Wiggins with at least two young role players in tow with Thompson and Waiters. But spurning LBJ in order to form a young team with unknown upside a la the Oklahoma City Thunder? That would be a tank job, especially if it the lottery didn't work in the Cavs' favor.

Kyle:
It seems like it was a lot longer ago than just the 2009-10 season that the Phoenix Suns propelled to a 54-28 record with Steve Nash at the helm and battled the San Antonio Spurs in those gritty playoff matchups where the two teams met three times in four years.

Those better days seem distant because since then the Suns have failed to finish above .500 and no longer have their beloved star in Nash. The Suns were last in the Western Conference with a 25-57 record and seem like a favorable pick to be in a similar position next season with New Orleans and Sacramento having young talent still adjusting to the league.

Phoenix desperately needs help at the shooting guard or small forward positions, especially looking toward the future. The Suns' two shooting guards right now are Jared Dudley (10.9 points per game) and P.J. Tucker (6.4 ppg) and those two will be 29 years old when Wiggins will likely be entering the draft next season. The Suns are slightly better off at the SF position, but Michael Beasley has had multiple off-the-field issues during his time in the NBA and only averaged 10.1 ppg this season. Beasley will also be entering the final year of his contract when Wiggins is drafted. Wesley Johnson is Beasley's backup and averaged eight ppg but only played about 20 minutes a game last season and hasn't asserted himself as a starter.

Not only does Phoenix have the need at Wiggins' positions and the situation that would likely place them in contention for the possible No. 1 draft pick, but Wiggins would also have a talented point guard in Goran Dragic to facilitate the offense. Dragic managed 7.4 assists per game for a team that was No. 21 in scoring, yet is still an scoring threat at 14.7 ppg this year. Imagine the two-man offensive schemes the Suns could develop with Dragic and a versatile, athletic swing man like Wiggins.

The Suns need a star to bring the team back to relevance and what's one more season of poor play for the prospect of Wiggins' potential? Phoenix needs the type of player and style of play Wiggins can offer because that 2009-10 season will only seem longer and longer ago.

Shawn:

My initial, knee-jerk reaction was to say that the Charlotte Bobcats would be the team to throw their season away and do whatever it took to be at the top with a chance to take Andrew Wiggins with the first overall pick. However, that would imply that the Bobcats knew how to do something other than lose, and that simply isn’t the case. My second thought was it could possibly be the Mavericks, given owner Mark Cuban’s tendency to do things out of the norm and his burning desire to be in the headlines. But again, while I still think it’s possible, I moved away from that notion. The team I have finally settled on that is most likely to throw its season in order to obtain the player with the most hype before ever setting foot on an NBA floor since LeBron James may come as something of a surprise.

I think the Boston Celtics are the most likely team to throw their season to have a chance to pick Andrew Wiggins.

Yes, I know, it’s blasphemous for me to insinuate that such a storied and respected franchise not only in basketball, but in all of sports, would dare sink to throwing games simply to have a chance at taking one player. However, this is not just any player, and the Celtics have an out that could provide them with a shield from scrutiny and accusations from media about taking a dive on their season.

Under the guise of rebuilding, the Celtics could potentially move all their aging players in order to acquire picks and expiring contracts to give them a chance to build a team around Wiggins, as well as lose the amount of games necessary to have a pick high enough to draft him. Players like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett could still be attractive pieces for contending teams looking for that one last element that will push them into title contention. The team has already been rumored and reported several times in the last couple of years to have been actively trying to trade the one building bock it has in point guard Rajon Rondo.

While fans would be frustrated about losing, the idea of rebuilding has already been placed in their heads as a necessity after the early exit from the playoffs this season, which was largely blamed on the declining play of aging superstars Pierce and Garnett, and the loss of Rondo to injury. The fans know they need a new centerpiece for their team, and this opens the door for the Celtics to move expensive, aging players, and put themselves in a position to lose consistently in the effort to acquire Wiggins.

Fred: 
The Sacramento Kings were founded in 1945 but have only won a single title. That was way back in 1951 as the Rochester Royals.

The Maloof brothers have been destroying the franchise and turning away fans, it's time to give Sacramento something to cheer about. What better way to make your fans happy than by drafting the soon to be college phenomenon Andrew Wiggins?

Tanking is a tricky situation for the new management. It is in their best long term interest to be as bad as possible next year as they have the opportunity to build around a player from the loaded 2014 draft. However, they must show the city of Sacramento that things are truly changing and that they are ready to make the best basketball team possible.

The Kings have a few valuable trade pieces despite winning only 28 games in the 2013 season. The new management should look to clear house and get rid of every trace of the Maloofs while stockpiling young players and draft picks. This will allow them to show their fans that they're ready to shake things up while giving them the best chance possible to land Wiggins.

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Bill Self Earns 500th Win And We Breakdown The Numbers That Got Him There

Bill Self earned his 500th career win Monday night as Kansas defeated Iowa State 108-96.

With the Kansas Jayhawks' Monday night win against Iowa State, Bill Self cemented his 500^th win as an NCAA head coach, with 293 of those wins at KU. Self's coaching resume includes time at Oral Roberts (one year), Tulsa (three years), and Illinois (three years) in addition to his nine years at KU. To recognize his achievement, here are some stats breaking down Self's career so far.

293 – Number of wins Bill Self has at Kansas

24 – Number of Jayhawks he’s coached that have gone pro

94.4% – win percentage at Allen Fieldhouse

2 – number of times I’ve imitate this dance move

8 – Big 12 conference titles in nine years

5 – Big 12 postseason titles

70% – win percentage in NCAA Tournament

8 – losses against his former alma mater, Oklahoma State University, which is the most losses he has to any school

3,641,420 – number of views the KU harlem shake video has gotten

3 – wins against teams coached by former KU coach Roy Williams - one while Self was at Illinois and two while at KU

2 – Final Four appearances

1 – National Championship

My Friend Michael Beasley

Michael Beasley has a fuzzy past, present and future. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

I have a strange connection with Michael Beasley. By no means is it unique because there are plenty of one-way relationships between spectators and athletes that have formed and progressed in the exact same manner. The Phoenix Suns forward gives a little effort and puts up a big performance, then he gets a bit of positive attention from the NBA community at large and quickly re-adapts the humdrum attitude that Beasley has held for most of his professional career.

My introduction to Beasley came in the summer of 2006, when he committed to Kansas State. "Fantastic," I thought, except with more expletives because I was fresh out of high school and had not yet undergone the significant refinements typical of attending junior college. My university of choice was going to be the last amateur stop for one of the best teenage basketball players on the U.S. basketball circuit.

Of course, Beasley didn't disappoint when he donned the purple in 2007-08. He didn't quite lead the Wildcats to a victory over the in-state rival Kansas Jayhawks in Africa, but he could have if the NCAA sanctioned Big 12 conference games to be played on that continent. The Wildcats split the season series with the Jayhawks as each team protected its home court and Beasley totaled 17 rebounds, four blocks, two steals, two assists and 64 points on nearly 50 percent, including hitting 8-11 three balls.

In a historically one-sided rivalry, Beasley remains a major figure. He was a harbinger of things to come, as most of the contests between K-State and KU have been decided by fewer than 10 points since Beasley's departure, making blowouts like Monday night's 83-62 bludgeoning by the Jayhawks sting more for the KSU faithful than when those were expected outcomes.

Beasley's last win in a K-State uniform was in the NCAA tournament over a Southern California team featuring O.J. Mayo. The Wildcats' brightest star dropped 23 points, the same number he recorded two days later when Wisconsin ejected Beasley and Co. from championship contention.

He was expected to spend just a single season in college, even before leading the country with 12.4 rebounds per game and producing 26 regular season double-doubles (plus two in the NCAA tourney), breaking the NCAA freshman record held by Drew Gooden, a former Jayhawk. Beasley was more than welcome to quench the thirst for a win in a lopsided rivalry, collect his Big 12 Player of the Year award and declare for the NBA draft, which is precisely what happened.

Memphis guard Derrick Rose was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 draft, taken by the Chicago Bulls and immediately becoming the starting point guard. Publicly, I decried the choice, making argument after argument for Beasley being the proper No. 1 pick, despite the Bulls' crowded front court. Secretly, though, I staged a minor celebration for Rose going to Chicago because this sated a portion of the college rivalry Beasley was leaving behind. Had the Bulls selected Beasley, he would have competed with Gooden for a starting spot as the double-double record lurked in both of their minds, but Rose's draft spot meant he would single-handedly be sending former Kansas guard Kirk Hinrich to the bench.

Beasley at KSU, post-dunk. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

Udonis Haslem was the incumbent power forward in Miami and there were six small forwards — including Shawn Marion — on the team during the course of the 2008-09 season, but Beasley stilled managed to start 19 games. He could be a reserve as a rookie, though, and learn the NBA game from veterans. Beasley still landed on a team with one of the Association's best players in shooting guard Dwyane Wade; the franchise may have traded Shaquille O'Neal the previous season and missed the playoffs, but it was only three years removed from a championship season, beating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2; and, to the surprise of no Kansas State fan, Beasley finished second on the team in scoring, netting 1,123 points (13.9 ppg). Even his WS/48 was respectable (0.081) given his role.

Beasley had issues, though, even that early in his career.

He may or may not have been involved in an incident involving marijuana that saw Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur dismissed from the 2008 NBA Rookie Transition Program. Seeing two recent Jayhawks hit a small speed bump before playing in a single NBA game was fair-weather fun for me, but only to the point that Beasley's name was mentioned. To me, there was almost no question about his presence in the room with Chalmers and Arthur. It was a lucky break and perhaps nothing else, until Beasley — possibly at the behest of Heat president Pat Riley — admitted to being party to the marijuana incident, eliciting a $50,000 fine from the NBA. In comparison to the $20,000 fines levied against the other rookies, Beasley's was much heavier. Then again, he had failed to cooperate with initial investigations and he not been ejected from the program.

One more year, one more episode. In August 2009, Beasley checked into a rehabilitation facility in Houston, all but confirming his involvement in the Chalmers/Arthur incident and drawing numerous "Who gets addicted to pot?" quips from my friends with opposing college allegiances. Beasley's stay in rehab came after several concerning tweets and his posting of a photo showing off a new tattoo, which also included multiple plastic baggies in the background.

Beasley's maturity had been in question throughout his rookie year and even dating back to the pre-Kansas State days when Beasley enrolled in six different high schools. At a mere 20 years old, though, Beasley's decision to seek treatment for possible substance and psychological issues was very wise. It was a move that was supposed to put him on the right track, one which would allow him to realize his full potential and flourish in the NBA.

Incidentally, Beasley started 78 games in the 2009-10 season, upping his scoring (14.9 ppg), rebounding, assisting and WS/48 (0.095), but his field goal percentage declined, falling from 47.2 as a rookie to 45 percent, largely because of a sharp decrease in his efficiency behind the three-point line (40.7 in 2008-09, 27.5 in 2009-10).

His play fell off further during the playoffs that season, garnering a negative WS/48. With free agency on the horizon and Wade about to bring LeBron James and Chris Bosh into the loop, there was no room for such an inconsistent and seemingly troubled player. The Heat began shopping Beasley and, shortly after the Heat's free agency coup, the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired the forward for next to nothing (cash and two future second-round picks).

A new start, they said. A chance to come into his own, they said. Playing small forward next to an All-Star like Kevin Love would afford Beasley plenty of room to operate, and he started 73 games, scoring more points than he had in his short career (1,401 at a 19.2 ppg clip) but using 28.3 percent of the Timberwolves' plays when he was on the floor. Beasley's scoring uptick clearly flew in the face of efficient play and earned him a spot on the bench in 2011-12.

Before the season started, Beasley was fined and ticketed by Minnesota police for speeding and possessing marijuana. No one was surprised. Not the Heat, not the Timberwolves and not even the Kansas State fans that were so loyal to Beasley in return for a sole season of excellence. The same sentiments apply for Beasley's altercation with a heckler at a streetball game in late 2011, and the reactions were even less of shock and more of groaning and head shaking.

Before this mess. (MassLive.com)

The highlight of Beasley's season was a 34-point performance at Houston, commanding the court on 10-14 shooting (2-3 from three) and going 12-12 from the free throw line in a 120-108 T-Wolves win. It happened in late January 2012, just over a month after the lockout-shortened season began, and Beasley's name began appearing in trade rumors — some pundits were proposing the Los Angeles Lakers make a play for him — but that Beasley showed up only once more that season, in a road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Two out of 66 games didn't do it for the Timberwolves, as GM David Kahn's plan of making the franchise into a contender became more actualized with the pairing of Love and Spanish point-savant Ricky Rubio. Beasley was allowed to walk in free agency and found a home with the Phoenix Suns, getting an $18 million, three-year deal in spite of his past.

This brings us more or less up to current day. The occasional big game, the sporadic off-court detriment and the all-too-familiar aloofness that accompanies Beasley to every stop he has made in the NBA. On Jan. 25, Beasley was handcuffed by police in Arizona after being pulled over for going 71 in a 45 mph zone, among other infractions. This time, however, he was given leeway and released for cooperating with authorities. Blatant speeding? Not mature. Possessing a loaded handgun and replying with "slow speech and slow responses," as the police report states? Not mature. But cooperating? Mature, and smart.

There has been less hoopla over this incident than anything in Beasley's career. The novelty is gone. Long gone. But five days later, his talent crept back into the frame and reignited the idea that Beasley could one day be a star. He ruined Steve Nash's first return to Phoenix as a Laker by recording 27 points (12-20 FG%), six rebounds and five steals, all of which catapulted the lowly Suns to a 92-86 win over the reeling Los Angeles crew. Since that night in the desert, Beasley has yet to explode again, coming close in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and his friend Kevin Durant but without the same fanfare.

These big games are the exceptions to the rule. Beasley is scoring at the lowest per-36 minutes and per-game rates of his career and was made a reserve when the idea of playing him as a starter flamed out after 20 games. His WS/48 is currently -0.047 for the season, meaning he is usually worth more to the Suns on the bench than on the hardwood.

This is the story: the exemplary (his year as a Wildcat, a few NBA games in each season since), the incorrect (mistake after mistake away from basketball) and the inconsistent (every other NBA game in which he plays). The talent is there but the commitment is questionable. His self-given nicknames — B-Easy, Super Cool Beas — are tattooed on his skin, but maybe if he lets them fade, if he doesn't give them any audience, and just focuses on being Michael Beasley, he can be the superstar everyone knows he can be.

Not everyone knows that, I guess. But I do, even if the odds are against such a transformation. Even if, on my hard drive, this file is titled "Super Cool Beas."


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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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Latest Conference Realignment: Two Points We've Learned And When It Will Stop

You won't see this image much longer, as Louisville is off to the ACC. (sbnation.com)

It all seemed so clear three years ago.

The Big East was the powerhouse of college basketball conferences, with the ACC and Big 12 not far behind. Now the thought of who will be a member of the Big East in two years seems like a question fitting for Jeopardy! or a Magic 8-Ball.

As of this post's publishing, Louisville was the latest large athletic department to jump ship and head to the ACC. (I said "at the post's publishing" because it seems like a move happens every 12 minutes; I said "large athletic department" because Tulane's not shaking up people's lives like Syracuse; and I said "athletic department" because we all know this isn't about academics. It's about money generating from football and basketball.)

Fans want to know when it will stop, and most likely, the answer isn't any time soon, and not until one of the six major conferences no longer exists. The Big East is trying to stay above water after losing West Virginia and the eventual loss of Syracuse, Pitt and Louisville, but its emergency plan has turned it into Conference USA 2.0.

Instead of predicting the future, which is nearly impossible when involving conference realignment, let's talk about two points that we do know.

1.  ACC basketball is the new Big East
Think about where the Big East was a couple of years ago. The eighth and ninth best teams in the conference could still get into the NCAA Tournament (or win the National Title, if you're Big East Tournament ninth-seeded UCONN circa 2011) and the Big East Tournament was amazing to watch because great teams like Georgetown and Notre Dame could square off in a quarter-final game.

The ACC isn't quite as stacked from top to bottom, but this is not a league that will have a clear favorite every year. It already had arguably the greatest rivalry in the game with Duke and North Carolina, and now throws in Syracuse, Louisville and Pitt, who have all been near the top in the country in the past five years. Maybe even more impressive is the list of coaches now in the conference. Krzyzewski, Boeheim, Williams and Pitino all coaching against each other? If you're looking for a better group of Hall of Fame coaches, good luck finding it.

2. The old conference lineups are not coming back
We all get nostalgic thinking about the conference and the teams in it we grew up watching. While I wish the Big East wasn't crumbling and the Big 12 could have remained with 12 schools like it was when I was a kid, it will never be the same again. But 10 years after all this settles down, what we now view as new and weird will seem familiar. Until then, try not to get too attached. It really doesn't feel like many teams are safe from a move, and we've definitely learned that geography doesn't matter anymore (San Diego State in the Big East?). It doesn't seem right for Maryland to be in the Big Ten or Pitt to be in the ACC, but new opportunities and benefits will arise and new rivalries will form.

To expect the unexpected is the easiest mindset to be in as we wait and see what else shakes up, and until then, enjoy the conference your favorite team is in and try to find a silver lining in a possible move.


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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.

Billy Gillispie Resignation Best For He and Texas Tech, But Leaves Both In Worse Shape

Billy Gillispie resigned Thursday as coach of Texas Tech. (bleacherreport.com)

This is how it had to end. It was the only way that made sense.

And yet while Billy Gillispie resigning as the head coach of Texas Tech Thursday — citing health as the reason although he may not have had a job much longer anyway — was probably best all around, everyone involved in the situation is now worse off.

Billy Gillipsie will have trouble finding a new job. Gillispie was accused of mistreating and overworking his players, causing many of them to leave the program. Gillispie did not defend himself against the accusations because he was in the hospital dealing with stress and other health issues.

Coaching shouldn't be on Gillispie's radar until his health is in order, but even when he's ready, it won't be an easy comeback. This is the coach's second failed stop (the first being at Kentucky) and now it is going to be hard for players to trust him and buy into his system. Both his coaching and personal reputations are bruised and will need time to heal, if they ever do.

The Red Raider basketball program is in just as bad of shape. Texas Tech was steamrolled throughout the season — finishing 8-23 overall and 1-17 in Big 12 play — and bringing in a third coach in as many years will delay the rebuilding process.

I wrote earlier how Texas Tech had no choice but to part ways with Gillispie, especially after what happened with the school and former football coach Mike Leach. This outcome was inevitable, but it is far from a happy ending.

Texas Tech is not the easiest place to recruit players. The school is in Lubbock, located in the middle of west Texas — not exactly a metropolis area — where football is still the king. The prestige of being in the Big 12 helps, but is then countered by the fact the in-state recruiting competition is more talented Baylor and Texas, not to mention conference foe Kansas, who has found success recruiting in the conference's southernmost state.

The focal point of the player mistreatment allegations has been Gillispie, but there are those who have placed blame on the players, calling them soft. Others have come to Gillispie's defense, including former players who say they would play for him again. Coaches interested in being Gillispie's replacement might be hesitant to enter the situation for fear of receiving the same reputation. The new coach may even change his coaching style, easing up on practices and preparation out of precaution. If allegations arise for a second time, the Red Raider job will look like a career death sentence.

Gillispie will spend time away from coaching to restore his health, which is his first priority. Coaching is on the back burner, and maybe time will help heal his reputation.

Texas Tech is now in the hunt for a new coach. The rebuilding process has started over, and fans will have to sit through another long winter of losing. Gillispie's first season with the team did not amount to many wins, but often the second year is more successful. Now success is at least three or four years away.

The players were able to part with their coach, but three coaches in three years is never successful for players. Regardless of fault, they too have a stigma attached to them.

Then there's the new coach, whoever he may turn out to be. The Texas Tech job has now become possibly the most difficult job in the country. Who wants to inherit a controversial program that could barely compete on the court last year? This is not a quick fix. It will take time, patience and strong will.

This is as close to a happy ending as the situation could get in Lubbock, but no one is left smiling.


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