Toyminator's 2001-2002 Big Twelve Conference Preview

The Big Twelve will look similar this season, except for one thing: Iowa St. will not win the conference title! The Cyclones have been phenominal the past few seasons, but alas, it's time to rebuild! I'm sure it won't take long for Coach Eustachy to have them back near the top of the standings. In the mean time, Kansas and Missouri will be the teams to beat! The Jayhawks have a nice pair of bookends in Drew Gooden and Nick Collison, along with a solid PG in Kirk Hinrich. Add in an outstanding recruiting class, and this could the Coach Williams' best team in a number of years. At Missouri, this is the season where all the pieces will come together and Coach Snyder will reap the benefits of all his work on the recruiting circuit. Swingman Kareem Rush is one of the game's best scorers and will be hard to stop. Add in streaky Clarence Gilbert, who can really catch fire at times, and the Tigers will be an exciting team to watch.

The rest of the conference looks stronger as well. Oklahoma St. returns almost everyone from last season's squad and should contend for the conference title also. Oklahoma lost some key players, but Coach Sampson dipped into the JUCO ranks and got some real gems, especially Jabahri Brown, who could be one of the best centers in the country by season's end. Oh, let's not forget about Texas, who is always tough, if not consistent. That could change this season with the addition of T.J. Ford at PG, who will be one of the most exciting players in the country. His presence alone will make up for the loss of scorers Darren Kelly and Maurice Evans, and will benefit Chris Owens' inside game as well! As for the bottom half of the conference, it should be pretty competitive with coaches like Dave Bliss, Bobby Knight and Melvin Watkins roaming the sidelines. Look for at least one of those teams to have a big season.

ON THE RISE: Colorado
Coach Ricardo Patton has always had competitive teams, but is still looking to get back to the Big Dance. He may get a shot this season. Led by a powerful frontline of Stephane Pelle, DJ Harrison and freshman David Harrision, the Buffaloes will be do some damage inside against most Big 12 teams. Add in some good outside shooters, and they could really light up the scoreboard. If the PG position solidifies, the Buffs could be this season's Cinderella story.

IN DECLINE: Nebraska
Not that the Huskers program was cruising along, but they at least would be in the middle of the pack most seasons. This season, however, they could be at the bottom of the pack. Most of their "good" players have either graduated or transferred, while their recruiting classes have been pretty weak, leaving little talent for coach Barry Collier. Hey, they're still good in football!

1. MISSOURI

Strengths: High powered offense. Very quick team. Big, strong frontcourt. Good 3-pt shooting team.
Weakness: Poor ball handling & distribution. Poor team defense. Inexperienced bench.
Outlook: If Stokes & Bryant can step up, this team will be scary! Too much talent on the court to not be a Top 10 team!

2. KANSAS

Strengths: Good shooting & rebounding team. Balanced scoring. Solid backcourt & frontcourt. Good teamwork.
Weakness: No true center. Poor FT shooting team. Inexperienced bench.
Outlook: Coach Williams has a good core of players, but must rely on freshman to fill in the gaps. Will they produce? If they do, a Final Four run isn't out the question!

3. OKLAHOMA ST.

Strengths: Good rebounding team. Solid team defense. Balanced scoring. Lots of experience & depth.
Weakness: Poor outside shooting. Poor FT shooting team. Too many turnovers.
Outlook: The Cowboys responded well to last season's tragedy and that should motivate them this season. Shouldn't have to squeek in the Tournament this season!

4. TEXAS

Strengths: Quick, athletic, physical team. Excellent team defense. Solid frontcourt, who grab lots of rebounds. Good depth.
Weakness: Inexperienced backcourt. Poor shooting team. Inconsistent.
Outlook: The Longhorns will once again be a tough team, but have some holes, especially on the wings. If they want to make a serious run, somebody's going to have to make some shots!

5. OKLAHOMA

Strengths: Good shooting & rebounding team. Solid team defense - forces lots of turnovers. Good ball handling & distribution.
Weakness: Lots of newbies. Little depth in backcourt.
Outlook: The Sooners will build around Price & McGhee, with the JUCO guys filling in around them. If they're as good as advertised, this team could make noise again!

6. COLORADO

Strengths: Big, strong frontcourt that can score & rebound quite well! Good shooting team that can put up points quickly.
Weakness: Poor team defense. Questionable PG. Too many turnovers.
Outlook: Easily Coach Patton's best team in years. Postseason play for sure, but which one...NCAA or NIT?

7. BAYLOR

Strengths: Excellent team defense. Limit their turnovers. Good coaching.
Weakness: Poor 3-pt & FT shooting team. Poor rebounding team.
Outlook: Last season was a breakthrough year for the Bears as they beat Kansas and made the NIT. Look for more of the same this season!

8. KANSAS ST.

Strengths: Excellent team defense. Good rebounding team. Lots of experience.
Weakness: Very poor shooting team, thus they don't score many points. Poor ball handling & distribution.
Outlook: Defense will once again win their games, but they should be better offensively. If not, they won't be this high!

9. IOWA ST.

Strengths: Good team defense. Good 3-pt & FT shooting team.
Weakness: Little inside scoring. Poor rebounding team. Who's the PG? Very inexperienced.
Outlook: Larry Eustachy has done a great job these past few years, and will do so again this season. But the talent pool has dwindled some and it will take a little while to get back near the top of the conference!

10. TEXAS A&M

Strengths: Good rebounding team. Excellent scoring wings. Good coaching.
Weakness: Poor outside shooting team. Weak team defense. Too many turnovers. Questionable PG. Poor FT shooting team.
Outlook: If they had a good PG, this could be a solid team. Has potential to be better than this, but history doesn't say so!

11. TEXAS TECH

Strengths: Talented newcomers. Inside scoring.
Weakness: Poor shooting team. Weak team defense. Poor ball handling & distribution.
Outlook: Talk about a new team! Which is why they'll struggle early on. In time, this program may be back in the middle of the pack!

12. NEBRASKA

Strengths: Decent backcourt. Good 3-pt shooting team. Good team defense.
Weakness: Weak frontcourt. Poor rebounding team. Pitiful FT shooting team. Too many turnovers.
Outlook: Their backcourt is the only reason they'll win a few games. Otherwise, it's going to be rough this season.

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Last updated on 10/24/01 by toyminator@prodigy.net