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Five-minute season preview: Big 12
Yahoo Sports will break down the top 10 leagues for the upcoming college basketball season working backward from No. 10 to No. 1. Here’s a look at our No. 3 league, the Big 12:
At the height of its dynasty almost a half century ago, UCLA set a Division I college basketball record by capturing 13 consecutive conference titles from 1967-1979.
Kansas should match that streak next spring.
In a year in which most of the Big 12’s upper-echelon programs are replacing senior stalwarts, only the Jayhawks appear to have reloaded on the fly. The return of the conference’s best backcourt duo and the arrival of an elite recruiting class has Kansas poised to extend a run of dominance in the Big 12 that began back when Carrie Underwood was a fresh face on American Idol and Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were still America’s favorite couple.
The strength of this year’s Kansas team is its deep, talented backcourt.
Starting guards Frank Mason and Devonte Graham are both back, giving the Jayhawks two reliable ball handlers who can create for themselves and their teammates off the dribble or knock down jumpers if opponents play them to drive. Joining that duo in the backcourt will be the nation’s top recruit, Josh Jackson, a fiercely competitive 6-foot-7 athletic dynamo whose skill set is reminiscent of Andrew Wiggins but with the assertive mentality of an alpha dog.
Reserves Svi Mykhailiuk and Lagerald Vick are both promising enough that Kansas coach Bill Self has experimented with four-guard lineups in the Jayhawks’ exhibition games this preseason. Look for that to continue into the regular season if Jackson proves he can exploit mismatches against opposing power forwards at one end while holding his own defensively and on the glass at the other.
When Kansas doesn’t go small, the frontcourt duo of Carlton Bragg and Landen Lucas may be the Big 12’s best. Bragg showed promise as a passer and scorer in spot duty behind Perry Ellis as a freshman and could be poised for a breakout season, while Lucas solidified the Kansas front line with his rebounding and defense when he entered the starting lineup at midseason a year ago.
Unlike years past when the Big 12 has been loaded with top 20 teams and NBA-caliber talent, identifying the top challenger to Kansas is tougher this season. Texas, Iowa State, West Virginia, Baylor and Oklahoma each have NCAA tournament potential but none possess the blend of talent and experience the Jayhawks boast.
Had guard Isaiah Taylor returned to Texas or forward Devin Williams came back to West Virginia, either the Longhorns or Mountaineers may have begun the season ranked considerably higher in the polls. Instead Texas will lean heavily on a decorated recruiting class and West Virginia will become more guard-oriented than years past.
There’s no true point guard on the Texas roster this season, but sophomore Kerwin Roach and McDonald’s All-American Andrew Jones will be the primary ball handlers for the Longhorns with sophomore Eric Davis providing outside shooting and senior Kendal Yancy bringing defense and energy. Elite 6-foot-10 freshman Jarrett Allen has the potential to emerge as the Longhorns’ frontcourt centerpiece, playing power forward next to veteran Shaquille Cleare or fellow freshman James Banks when coach Shaka Smart wants to go big or center alongside 6-foot-6 combo forward Tevin Mack when Smart prefers a smaller, quicker look.
West Virginia may have a hard time remaining the nation’s premier offensive rebounding team without Williams, but the Mountaineers also might make a few more baskets the first time around this season thanks to their three returning backcourt standouts. Jevon Carter, Daxter Miles Jr. and Tarik Phillip each averaged at least 9.3 points per game last season even though none played more than 27 minutes per game.
Iowa State’s hopes of contending in the Big 12 depend on preseason All-American Monte Morris proving he can score as well as he distributes and the rest of the roster providing him the support he needs. Sharpshooter Matt Thomas, ultra-athletic Deonte Burton and veteran Naz-Mitrou Long provide the Cyclones with capable perimeter weapons, but the frontcourt lacks experience or a proven rim protector to replace defensive anchor Jameel McKay.
For Baylor to reach a fourth straight NCAA tournament, Johnathan Motley will have to produce the breakout season everyone expects from him in the frontcourt and Miami transfer Manu Lecomte will have to solidify the point guard position. For Oklahoma to return to the NCAA tournament in its first post season post-Buddy Hield, the Sooners will lean heavily on returning standout Jordan Woodard and hope that breakout candidate Christian James and top 50 freshman Kameron McGusty help pick up some of the perimeter scoring slack.
Among the remaining four teams, Oklahoma State has enough perimeter talent to make a postseason tournament and veteran-laden Texas Tech and Kansas State could surprise. The Red Raiders return their key frontcourt players from last year’s NCAA tournament team and the Wildcats will build around sophomores Barry Brown and Dean Wade and senior Wesley Iwundu.
BIG 12 CONFERENCE PROJECTIONS
1. Kansas
2. Texas
3. West Virginia
4. Iowa State
5. Baylor
6. Oklahoma
7. Oklahoma State
8. Kansas State
9. Texas Tech
10. TCU
FIRST-TEAM ALL-BIG 12
G Monte Morris, Sr., Iowa State
G Frank Mason, Sr., Kansas
G Jawun Evans, So., Oklahoma State
G/F Josh Jackson, Fr., Kansas
F Johnathan Motley, Jr., Baylor
BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Monte Morris, Iowa State
MAKING A LIST
Best shooter: Devonte Graham, Kansas. It’s hard to believe that Graham was Appalachian State-bound before a breakout senior season in high school brought interest from other suitors. The 6-foot-2 combo guard averaged 11.2 points per game last season, shot 44.4 percent from behind the arc and sank two or more 3-pointers in 22 of Kansas’ games. His ability to blow by defenders and create off the dribble forces them not to overplay his outside shot.
Best playmaker: Monte Morris, Iowa State. Of all the players in this year’s senior class, Morris may have the best opportunity to make a Buddy Hield-esque leap. The Iowa State point guard posted an assist-to-turnover ratio of better than 4-to-1 last season, but he’ll be asked to do far more than distribute this season with George Niang, Jameel McKay and Abdel Nader all gone. Look for Morris to evolve into a greater threat to score this season while still keeping talented wings Matt Thomas, Naz Mitrou-Long and Deonte Burton involved in the offense.
Best defender: Khadeem Lattin, Oklahoma. While Lattin will be asked to contribute more offensively this season with Hield, Ryan Spangler and Isaiah Cousins all having graduated, defense will still be his primary strength. The 6-foot-9 junior was an all-Big 12 defensive team member last season because of his rebounding, shot blocking, athleticism and activity. Lattin averaged more than two blocks per game last season despite logging an average of just 22 minutes.
Top NBA prospect: Josh Jackson, Kansas Some guys have ideal physical tools. Others have a motor that never quits. Jackson has both. The ultra-athletic, fiercely competitive 6-foot-7 wing was Rivals.com’s top prospect in the 2016 class. He should start right away for Kansas and make a case to be taken No. 1 overall in next year’s draft with his ability to defend multiple positions, create off the dribble and finish in transition.
Best backcourt: Kansas. There’s a reason Kansas coach Bill Self is dabbling with the idea of unfurling more four-guard attacks this season. The strength of this Jayhawks team is in the backcourt with five guards possessing a combination of outside shooting, experience and athleticism. The key to the experiment is Jackson’s ability to hold his own guarding bigger guys at power forward. That would enable Kansas to get experienced point guard Frank Mason, sweet-shooting Devonte Graham and either junior Svi Mykhailiuk or sophomore Lagerald Vick on the floor at one time.
Best frontcourt: Kansas. The Big 12 is guard-heavy next season, which is why Kansas can also claim the conference’s best frontcourt even though the Jayhawks’ strength is clearly on the perimeter. Skilled sophomore forward Carlton Bragg showed soft touch and excellent high-low passing ability in spot minutes as a freshman, suggesting he could be ready for a breakout sophomore season as Perry Ellis’ replacement. Landen Lucas won the starting center job by midseason last year because his presence improved Kansas’ interior defense and rebounding. Physically imposing freshman Udoka Azubuike should be the first big man off the bench and fellow freshman Mitch Lightfoot could also crack the rotation.
Best recruiting class: Kansas or Texas. While the addition of Jackson makes Kansas’ class the strongest in the Big 12, Texas is not far behind. Shaka Smart reeled in a pair of Rivals top 25 freshmen who should both make an impact from day one. Guard Andrew Jones is a terrific shooter who can score in other ways too. Forward Jarrett Allen is an athletic big man who runs the floor well and has soft touch around the rim. He can play power forward alongside veteran Shaquille Cleare or freshman James Banks when Smart wants to go big or center alongside forward Tevin Mack when Smart wants to go small.
Coach on the hot seat: Bruce Weber, Kansas State. As Kansas State staggered its way to a 5-13 record in the rugged Big 12 last winter, many Wildcats fans decided they had seen enough of Weber. They spent March lobbying administrators to hire Stephen F. Austin coach Brad Underwood, a Kansas State alum coming off an 89-14 three-year run with the Lumberjacks. The #bringbackbrad hashtags subsided in late March when Underwood went to Oklahoma State but the unrest remains in the Little Apple. For Weber to get fans back on his side, he needs to halt the trend of Kansas State getting worse each year of his tenure and guide a veteran roster into NCAA tournament contention.
FACTS AND FIGURES
New coaches: Jamie Dixon, TCU; Chris Beard, Texas Tech; Brad Underwood, Oklahoma State
Regular-season winner last season: Kansas
Tourney winner last season: Kansas
League RPI rank in each of past 3 seasons: 2015-16: 1st, 2014-15: 1st, 2013-14: 7th
NCAA bids the past three seasons: 21 (Kansas 3, Baylor 3, Oklahoma 3, Iowa State 3, Texas 3, West Virginia 2, Oklahoma State 2, Texas Tech, Kansas State)
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
