Day 1: Big 12 South, 4. Big 12 North, 0.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

:ihit :ihit

[AFBlue]

Baylor Bears BABY!

[SrA Husker]

Yes. But when the Big 12 north wins the Championship, again, why does it matter?

South was only 3 games over .500 in regular season play. The conference is closer than many think.

[johngateswhiteley]

Yes. But when the Big 12 north wins the Championship, again, why does it matter?

South was only 3 games over .500 in regular season play. The conference is closer than many think.

meh, i happen to think the gap is a bit wider. as for winning the tourney...i am going with the South. A&M for the win baby!!!

[K-State Spur]

I don't know if it's that wide right now, but it's about to tighten up. K-State has the #1 recruiting class coming in. Mizzou did some good things this year with only one player (Hannah) who most other teams on the conference would be willing to take on their team - and Anderson is still recruiting the kids for his system. McDermott won at UNI (I don't know how many of you southerners have ever been up there, but if you can win at UNI, you can win anywhere). And rumor has it that the Buffs will have Bzedlik by the end of the month - we'll see on that one. We also have that little team called Kansas - who will be 2007-2008 preseason top 5 with or without Julian Wright.

Meanwhile in the south...

A&M is going to be a power as long as Gillespie is there. Texas might end up being better with more experience, but you don't lose Durant and not miss him. I like what Capel is doing at OU, but I'm not sure they'll be significantly better next year. As for Okie Lite, I don't care about their injury problems, they had one of the most talented teams in this conference and Sean turned them into an NIT squad - good luck with that Boon Pickens. Texas Tech loses a lot, but I've thought that before, and Knight has gotten them to overachieve to the dance. Baylor should be better, but they should have been better this year.

I don't think there is any doubt that the Big 12 will be better top to bottom next year. To hell with this 4 bids crap.

[MajorMike]

Its the very reason KU wins the regular season dadgum near every year. They get to play the crap north twice.

And FYI, the north has one just 1 B12 Tourney in the past 6 years, last year.

[SrA Husker]

Atleast the north knows how to win on the road.

[K-State Spur]

Its the very reason KU wins the regular season dadgum near every year. They get to play the crap north twice.

And FYI, the north has one just 1 B12 Tourney in the past 6 years, last year.

That's a misinformed opinion if I have ever heard one.

Yeah, K-State & UNL haven't done much over the past decade. But neither has Baylor or A&M (until last year).

Mizzou has had some very solid teams. Iowa State had a 5 year stretch when they were as good as anybody. If Blalock and Stinson hadn't of jumped, they would have challenged for a tourney birth this year. And despite a horrid year this year, Ricardo Patton has done a fine job at CU - he won't easy to replace.

And your south teams could have won a few titles from KU if you could have beaten KU. But you were 0 for Allen Fielhouse until the Aggies finally got one for you all this year.

Tough to argue that it was the other team's division that gave them conference championships when your team shits itself every time it walks into their building.

[leemajors]

i thought it was the top notch recruits and coaching that got kansas their conference titles?

[RonMexico]

i thought it was the top notch recruits and coaching that got kansas their conference titles?


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

"Top notch coaching" = consecutive first-round exits against Vermont and Bucknell?

Playing the (less-talented) north teams twice a year is what leads to an inflated record, inflated egos (Brandon Rush), and inflated coaching success (Bill Self has done what so far?).

[leemajors]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

"Top notch coaching" = consecutive first-round exits against Vermont and Bucknell?

Playing the (less-talented) north teams twice a year is what leads to an inflated record, inflated egos (Brandon Rush), and inflated coaching success (Bill Self has done what so far?).

bill self is a bad coach? roy williams is a bad coach?

[K-State Spur]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

"Top notch coaching" = consecutive first-round exits against Vermont and Bucknell?

Playing the (less-talented) north teams twice a year is what leads to an inflated record, inflated egos (Brandon Rush), and inflated coaching success (Bill Self has done what so far?).

First, it was Bradley, not Vermond (they also went on to beat Pitt).

And this weak North bullshit? Talk about revising history.

Even this season, the DOMINANT south won a whopping 4 extra games vs. the North in the regular season. And 3 of the 6 North teams went .500 or better vs. the South.

And you didn't always have A&M down there as a quality squad. Texas, Oklahoma, and Okie Lite have had some good teams over the past decade, but so have KU, Mizzou, and Iowa State.

[RonMexico]

bill self is a bad coach? roy williams is a bad coach?

Yes.

Let's see: Roy Williams had to inherit 4 NBA first-rounders to win his first title. And the opponent in 2005? Illinois, which made its first title game AFTER they got rid of Bill Self.

Two examples of one school's overrated coaches wrapped into a single NCAA title game... now that's entertainment!

[RonMexico]

First, it was Bradley, not Vermond (they also went on to beat Pitt).

And this weak North bullshit? Talk about revising history.

Even this season, the DOMINANT south won a whopping 4 extra games vs. the North in the regular season. And 3 of the 6 North teams went .500 or better vs. the South.

And you didn't always have A&M down there as a quality squad. Texas, Oklahoma, and Okie Lite have had some good teams over the past decade, but so have KU, Mizzou, and Iowa State.


HAHAH - you use Pitt as an example??!? I think Pitt will bow out in the first weekend this year too!! Talk about an overrated Big East team.

My bad - Vermont beat Syracuse in the 1st round... I thought it was Bradley, but I couldn't remember, so I took the wrong guess.

Let's talk about your B12 North success rate:

KU - Already addressed their inflated "greatness" since Danny Manning left.

Mizzou - One Elite 8 appearence and 300 NCAA violations later...

ISU - A classic collapse as a two-seed in 2001... perhaps one of the best I've ever seen because of the amount of people who thought ISU was a Final 4 team that year. Next up on the list: Larry E. drinking Natty Light, smoking some grass, and macking on really ugly MIZZOU girls!

Big 12 North at it's best!

Guess what buddy? I'm from Phoenix, so those 7 years prior to 2002 where A&M sucked it up in the Big 12 mean nothing to me... I only had endure 2 seasons of Melvin Watkins's terrible coaching before the savior came. Now, you can cheer on "Hugs, drugs, and thugs" (sung to the tune of Warren Zevon's "Lawyers, Guns, and Money") until your school finally decides it would like to graduate a player or two.

[SrA Husker]

0-16

A record that has never been accomplished by a north team.

Yet has been done twice in the south. (3x if you count the forfeited conference season by Tech in 96-97)

Thanks for playing.

[K-State Spur]

HAHAH - you use Pitt as an example??!? I think Pitt will bow out in the first weekend this year too!! Talk about an overrated Big East team.

My bad - Vermont beat Syracuse in the 1st round... I thought it was Bradley, but I couldn't remember, so I took the wrong guess.

Let's talk about your B12 North success rate:

KU - Already addressed their inflated "greatness" since Danny Manning left.

Mizzou - One Elite 8 appearence and 300 NCAA violations later...

ISU - A classic collapse as a two-seed in 2001... perhaps one of the best I've ever seen because of the amount of people who thought ISU was a Final 4 team that year. Next up on the list: Larry E. drinking Natty Light, smoking some grass, and macking on really ugly MIZZOU girls!

Big 12 North at it's best!


I don't see the south's accomplishments on there? Maybe that's because you want to knock the jayhawks history (I would like to as well, but it's tough) since Danny Manning left, but even since his departure, they still have as many final fours as the entire south division combined.

I hate that you've got me arguing against teams in my own conference. BUT GO MORE THAN 4 GAMES OVER .500 over the course of the season before you annoint yourselves the dominant division. Especially with the firepower that is joining the north next year.

[leemajors]

Now, you can cheer on "Hugs, drugs, and thugs" (sung to the tune of Warren Zevon's "Lawyers, Guns, and Money") until your school finally decides it would like to graduate a player or two.

now that is funny.

[SrA Husker]

All stats from before this season...

North 54 Conference Tournament Wins, 5 Championships
South 55 Conference Tournament Wins, 5 Championships

North 484 Conference Wins, 8 Regular Season Championships
South 476 Conference Wins, 4 Regular Season Championships

All time:
North 8,216 Wins
South 7,748 Wins

Players of the Year: 8/10 North
Freshmen of the Year: 6/10 North
Coach of the Year: 6/10 North

Last place in Conference: 6/10 South

North teams forfeiting games or not being eligible for non-con play: 0
South teams forfeiting games or not being eligible for non-con play: 2


But of course, the South is so dominant and the North should be kicked out of the conference.

[leemajors]

the only thing lamer than conference pride is conference division pride.

[K-State Spur]

by the way husker, I didn't mean to leave Doc off my earlier list of Big 12 North coaching changes, it's just that the jury is still out on him overall. Although I would think that most of you would have to be at least mildly happy with his first season.

We'll see what happens after Maric leaves, but I did see that UNL has 4 of the top 50 JC players coming in next season.

[RonMexico]

Um, you can keep throwing out all the stats you want because I'll still call them "inflated."

[SrA Husker]

by the way husker, I didn't mean to leave Doc off my earlier list of Big 12 North coaching changes, it's just that the jury is still out on him overall. Although I would think that most of you would have to be at least mildly happy with his first season.

We'll see what happens after Maric leaves, but I did see that UNL has 4 of the top 50 JC players coming in next season.

You're the first person I've heard that says the jury is still out on Doc. Everyone I've talked to seems to think Doc is a very solid hire, and will do good things for the school. With only being on the job since August and with the severe talent gap Barry Collier left him with, there was only so much he could do this year. He did outperform expectations (7th in conference finish, most predicted last place) and beat in-state rival and tourney team Creighton which NOONE thought was possible.

Next year he should his lineup, and Maric returns. Things look very promising for Husker basketball with Doc Sadler at the helm.

[SrA Husker]

Um, you can keep throwing out all the stats you want because I'll still call them "inflated."


It's kind of hard to inflate 0-16 seasons.

[K-State Spur]

Um, you can keep throwing out all the stats you want because I'll still call them "inflated."

That's the rationale of a reasoned and sound argument. :lol

[K-State Spur]

You're the first person I've heard that says the jury is still out on Doc. Everyone I've talked to seems to think Doc is a very solid hire, and will do good things for the school.

I agree that it was a solid hire, but I say that the jury is out on him because he hasn't built his own program yet. His success at UTEP was done with mostly Gillespie's team. And Nebraska wouldn't have won much this year with Maric, and he is Collier's player.

You have every reason to be optimistic, don't take this as me trying to talk him down, I just don't see him as proven as Anderson, Huggins, or even McDermott (each of whom have already built an NCAA tournament team from the ground-up).

[SrA Husker]

I agree that it was a solid hire, but I say that the jury is out on him because he hasn't built his own program yet. His success at UTEP was done with mostly Gillespie's team. And Nebraska wouldn't have won much this year with Maric, and he is Collier's player.

You have every reason to be optimistic, don't take this as me trying to talk him down, I just don't see him as proven as Anderson, Huggins, or even McDermott (each of whom have already built an NCAA tournament team from the ground-up).


Sound reasoning.

I'll change one thing though, when Barry Collier announced he as leaving Nebraska, Alecs Maric announced that he would not be coming back to Nebraska, and reiterated that fact when Doc Sadler was atop the rumor list. The very first thing that Doc Sadler did when he was hired was get on a plane to Australia, sit down with him and his family, and convince him to come back and play. For that reason, I think it's fair to call Maric his first recruiting victory.

[K-State Spur]

Fair enough. I would say that it is always easier to keep a player that to lure him in the first place, but I can see your reasoning and I do remember that he was an NBA lean at one point.