Look at the non-conference resume

Bob a lot of folks up here are really scratching their heads regarding Purdue since they also lost on the road to Penn State last night. They played without Robbie Hummel last night, but they don't seem to have improved much from last year to date. Or maybe it is more that they don't sneak up on anyone this year. The class Painter pulled (largely) out of the region in NW Indiana last year was seemingly special but they already lost Scott Martin to transfer to ND. I watched the Duke game and their kids seemed over-hyped. And the Boilers will always struggle with the teams with big aircraft carriers inside like OU possesses. Etwuan Moore, Hummel, and Martin had all played AAU ball together. Maybe they came more cohesive and heady than most frosh, but have a lower ceiling due to athleticism. Michigan State looks the class of the Big 10, and Texas was right there with them.
 
A month ago, Michigan State was playing like Texas is now. Purdue's just playing with the target on the back, I think.

I still like Michigan State and Wisconsin in the B10... I'm tempted to think Michigan will finish behind them.
 
There's little doubt in my mind michigan finishes behind those two bob.

I think they are going to be a mid tier seed (between 7 & 10) and scare the crap out of someone.

I don't think Beilein has them anywhere near where they will be someday yet.
 
Wulaw, now that non-conf season has ended, I agree UT is the best team in the Big XII, with OU a solid #2.

I don't get Purdue. They beat Boston College, who just beat UNC in Chapelhill (then lost tonight to Harvard. Seriously???) & a strong Davidson, but lately, Purdue has looked like, well, to borrow your term, "poo."


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Wulaw... poorly worded on my part.

Meant to say that I think Michigan could finish third. Of course, then I went home and watched a little bit of them falling behind IU by 20.
 
Dang Dirty-

I think being the best team in this conference, this particular year, is a little bit like winning a tallest midget competition. Great that you win, but ultimately, so what.

I was selling Texas as a 1 seed earlier not b/c I think we are great, but b/c I think the level of competition in big 12 play is not great but we still will be well thought of due to past successes (and some n/c successes of UT, and to a lesser extent OU and KU and A&M and Baylor).

However, this years team simply does not work without Connor playing at a high level. He hasn't been and that explains the up and down performance (simply not enough people who can put the ball in the basket from the perimeter).

I think OU might well be able to make a run in the tourney and would put their chances at going to a final four as higher than UT's chances, as a for example, but I think both are not really great.

I'm still hopeful for a 14-2 or some such in conference, but unless and until Atchley starts playing like he did for good stretches of the season last year this team is not really good.

My opinion from last year on Griffin has seriously changed. I didn't see him as a conference MVP type but now do. The problem in college hoops (and why I think we are better than you and will beat you) is that Griffin has to rely on others to get his to an extent that DJ Augustin, or TJ Ford, or Hollis Price don't have to.
 
IMO, OU would have to get a favorable upset or two in their bracket to make it to the FF.

I'll be impressed if any Big 12 team makes it to the Elite Eight, much less the Final Four. There's always a shot, I just don't happen to think it's all that good.

I will say I underestimated how well OU's guards would play, in particular Austin Johnson.

The Sooners are still extremely thin in the frontcourt, but they're doing a superb job of taking care of business. I didn't expect them to be undefeated at this juncture. They still have some of their tougher challenges ahead of them in road games at Waco, Stillwater, and Austin, plus hosting the Jayhawks, but soundly beating the Aggies in College Station, and absolutely thumping both Texas and Baylor in Norman, were impressive in their own right.

Right now it looks like it's a battle between OU and Kansas for the conference championship.

BTW, I'm not someone who dismisses winning a conference championship as an accomplishment. I think it's a big deal --- equal in my mind to making it to a Sweet 16, which is also a big deal to me.

I haven't completely given up on this Texas team. First of all, they're a pretty good team. To say they're not is a problem of perspective --- it's either due to a comparison of past Texas teams, including last year's, or it's because expectations were too high in the first place.

A Rick Barnes' offense needs players who can take their defenders off the dribble to truly operate effectively. This team doesn't really have that. The best pick and roll player, Dogus Balbay, is not much of a perimeter shooter, and for various reasons isn't being allowed to play pick and roll basketball --- a mistake, IMO.

Dexter Pittman on the floor is detrimental to Atchley's game, because Atchley has to be so conscious of transition defense and making up for Pittman's poor rotation choices. I don't know that that's the whole reason for his perimeter shooting woes, but it has hurt Atchley in other areas. The games against Tech and A&M were the first times I've seen Atchley crash the offensive boards in a while. It didn't necessarily show up on the stat sheet, but there have been several possessions he's been instrumental in keeping alive by tapping the ball to a teammate off the offensive glass. Those aren't happening with Pittman in the game.

I like what Abrams showed against Tech and especially A&M. This team is at its best when he's shooting around 10-12 shots per game, focusing more on getting the team into its offense than making sure he's getting his shots.

This is a league where going to more 3 guard offense won't hurt them on the defensive end. It won't make them a Final Four caliber team, but I've never thought they had much of a chance of being that anyway, without a tremendous amount of luck in the tournament.

In retrospect, I still think they should have pulled out the Michigan State and Arkansas games. But I remain impressed they beat UCLA at home and Wisconsin on the road.

I will say Oregon isn't doing Texas any favors.

I think it's been a fun season. I still look forward to seeing what this team can accomplish, especially in terms of growth towards next year.

On the other hand, the complete lack of prowess on the offensive end of either Chapman or Hill has been disconcerting. I really thought Texas would be getting more out of one or the other by this time, and had included that in my expectations for this team for next year.
 
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