Projected order of finish
1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas Tech
4. Iowa State
5. Kansas
6. Oklahoma State
7. Nebraska
8. Texas A&M
9. Colorado
10. Missouri
11. Kansas State
12. Baylor
The Big Twelve has picked up a lot of recent flack because a member of the conference hasnt won a national championship in nearly two decades. This seems a bit unfair, as there is a lot more to a good basketball conference than one team bringing home the trophy at the end of the year. The Big Twelve has more depth than usual, and just to satisfy those that want to see the conference win a championship before handing out credit, might be the only league in America with two legitimate national championship contenders. Texas and Oklahoma are both primed for deep NCAA tournament runs. Texas Tech and Iowa State feature nice mixes of returnees and newcomers, and both should be able to continue their recent success. The final teams in this segment are Kansas and Oklahoma State. While both drop down several spots from last season, these two powerhouse programs are in great shape. Neither team returns much of anything, but the Jayhawks and Cowboys each pulled in impressive recruiting classes. There is a clear-cut top tier in the conference, but the competition for third place should be fierce. The fact that the conference hasnt won a title recently doesnt change the fact that the Big Twelve is likely the top conference in the nation this season.
All-Conference Teams
MVP: Curtis Stinson, Iowa State
Defensive player of the Year: Taj Gray, Oklahoma
Most Improved Player: LaMarcus Aldridge, Texas
Newcomer of the Year: Brandon Rush, Kansas
All Big Twelve Team
First Team
PG Daniel Gibson, Texas
G Curtis Stinson, Iowa State
G Terrell Everett, Okahoma
G Jarrius Jackson, Texas Tech
C Taj Gray, Oklahoma
Second Team
G Aaron Bruce, Baylor
SG JamesOn Curry, Oklahoma State
SG Martin Zeno, Texas Tech
SF PJ Tucker, Texas
C LaMarcus Aldridge, Texas
Third Team
PG Will Blalock, Iowa State
G Acie Law, Texas A&M
SG Richard Roby, Colorado
SG Joe McCray, Nebraska
PF Joseph Jones, Texas A&M
All-Newcomer Team
PG Mario Chalmers, Kansas
SG Brandon Rush, Kansas
SG Terry Martin, Texas Tech
F Julian Wright, Kansas
PF Mario Boggan, Oklahoma State
Texas
2005 Record: (20-11, 9-7)
Postseason: NCAA, lost to Nevada in 1st round
Head Coach: Rick Barnes
Key Losses:
G Sydmill Harris (6.5 ppg)
SG Kenny Taylor (10.6 ppg)
C Jason Klotz (11.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
Newcomers:
510 PG AJ Abrams, Round Rock, TX
61 SG JD Lewis, jr, Midland (TX) JC
62 SG Craig Winder, Cecil (MD) JC
Rotation
PG 62 Daniel Gibson, so
SG 60 Kenton Paulino, sr
SF 65 PJ Tucker, jr
PF 68 Brad Buckman, sr
C 610 LaMarcus Aldridge, so
PG 510 AJ Abrams, fr
SG 61 JD Lewis, jr
SG 62 Craig Winder, jr
SF 66 Dion Dowell, so
PF 67 Mike Williams, so
C 69 Connor Atchley, (rs) fr
It seems that the Texas program has been on the verge of great things for quite some time now. TJ Ford led the Longhorns to the Final Four in 2003, and the team has been knocking on the door of greatness ever since. Last season, Rick Barnes squad was ready to contend in the Big Twelve until LaMarcus Aldridge went down with an injury and PJ Tucker was sidelined due to academics. Daniel Gibson was conference freshman of the year and the team was still able to grab an NCAA tourney berth, but the Longhorn team that finished the season wasnt the one that it could have been. It is a new year, and both Aldridge and Tucker are back. Gibson is getting all sorts of All-America and NBA Draft hype, and there are plenty of intriguing options off the bench. The frontcourt of Tucker, Aldridge, and Brad Buckman looks particularly dominant. The team is experienced, deep and balanced, and this could be the season that Rick Barnes takes the Texas program to the next level. The Big Twelve is loaded this year, but Texas is the clear-cut favorite and a top five team nationally.
When Tucker and Aldridge went down, Daniel Gibson (14.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.9 apg) was given the unenviable task of carrying a team to the NCAA Tournament as a freshman. While Gibson would have been more efficient with a bit more help around him and definitely wore down late in the season, he clearly established himself as one of the nations best point guards. Gibson is nearly impossible to guard, both deadly off the dribble and a 40% 3-point shooter that isnt afraid to hoist up a lot of shots. He has an NBA body, and only needs to become a bit better as a floor general before ascending to true superstardom. Gibson was playing nearly 40 minutes a night from mid-January on, but that wont be a necessity this season. Freshman point guard AJ Abrams is known mostly as a shooter, but after some impressive exhibition play it looks like he is capable of giving Gibson a quick breather every now and then.
The Longhorns would have been downright scary with the presence of McDonalds All-American CJ Miles, but the lure of the NBA was too strong. Barnes has other options, but there might be a lack of a traditional wing presence here. At the moment, it looks like senior combo guard Kenton Paulino will get the starting nod next to Gibson. However, junior college transfers JD Lewis and Craig Winder will push for playing time. Both should contribute, with Lewis a shooting specialist and Winder offering both defensive prowess and athletic ability. The wildcard here could be small forward Dion Dowell (2.1 ppg), who might be the best natural athlete on the team. However, Dowells freshman campaign was disappointing due to injuries and inconsistency, and he must continue to develop the necessary polish to play on the perimeter.
Rick Barnes will roll out one of the biggest, toughest lineups in the nation, and that is largely due to his frontcourt. Small forward PJ Tucker (13.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg) started his career as an undersized power forward, but has quickly developed enough skill to take his game outside. Tucker is either stronger or quicker than nearly everybody that will attempt to guard him, and was on his way to a true breakout year when he was declared academically ineligible for the second semester. Tucker is back on track with the books, and is ready to dominate the Big Twelve with his special blend of toughness, athleticism, and scoring craft.
Other frontcourt options abound. Super sophomore LaMarcus Aldridge (9.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg) saw his freshman season cut short due to a back injury, but is currently healthy and actually bulked up significantly in the offseason. Aldridge was likely talented enough to head to the NBA right out of high school, but decided to try out college for a couple of years anyway. He has been drawing comparisons to Chris Bosh since his days as a prep, and should dramatically improve his freshman year numbers. The other starter in the paint will be scrappy senior Brad Buckman (12.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg), who is as tough as any post player in the country. Over the years, Buckman has added a deadly jumper to his repertoire. Sophomore Mike Williams (3.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg) didnt impress as a freshman, but should develop into a standout once the players ahead of him in the rotation move on.
While one tries to give a balanced view of a teams strengths and potential downfalls in an article like this, it is hard to find anything to gripe about with the Longhorns this year. A sizeable scoring wing like CJ Miles would have been nice, but Barnes is going to be just fine on the perimeter. He has been splitting the minutes evenly in the preseason, but at least one of Abrams, Paulino, Lewis, Winder, and Dowell will step up. The frontcourt is downright scary, as this group can beat you in almost every imaginable way. The Texas Longhorns are truly stacked, and this is Rick Barnes best chance for a championship yet. As good as Oklahoma should be, it would be a big surprise if any other team wins the Big Twelve this season.
Recruiting Update: Barnes pulled in a star-studded class in 2004, and may have matched that feat with his 2006 haul. Kevin Durant is as advanced offensively as any big man to enter the college ranks in recent memory, and is considered the clear-cut number two senior in the country behind Greg Oden. Barnes recently wrapped up the class with another gem in point guard DJ Augustin, a New Orleans native that moved in-state after Hurricane Katrina. While just those two would have been a headline-making haul, there is more. Dexter Pittman is a 300-pound behemoth, and Matt Hill is a finesee big man with size. Both are considered top 100 recruits. Wing Harrison Smith is also on board, along with in-state wing Justin Mason.