This Race Too Close to Call

The Big 12 Conference basketball title chase is the most competitive in years and we can thank Kansas.

The Jayhawks are reeling. They have lost three straight and have lost their hold on first place. It’s been about 6-7 years since Kansas has lost three straight.

Kansas’ neighbor, Kansas State is a top of the Big 12 with an 8-2 record. Kansas and Oklahoma State are next at 7-3 and the log jam with Oklahoma, Iowa State and Baylor at 6-4.

This race could be like a horse one—a photo finish.

Kansas State may not hold the top spot alone for long. The Wildcats visit Kansas tonight (Monday). The Jayhawks won’t lose four straight will they? Kansas has already beaten their rival in Manhattan but Kansas State is playing well. Should be a competitive game.

One team not involved in the race is Texas. What has happened to the Longhorns? They have made the NCAA tournament 14 straight years under Coach Rick Barnes. That streak will probably come to an end this season.

Iowa State University's Special Place Basketball Place

I have written about Iowa State’s Hilton Coliseum before. “Hilton Magic” is popular term in this state coined by a former Des Moines Register sportswriter. The magic seems to propel the Cyclones to victory.

The magic is working especially well this season. Iowa State has yet to loss a game in the building.

I experienced Hilton Magic again in person last week. The mission was to watch the Baylor Bears oppose Iowa State. Baylor played with Iowa State for about 35 minutes before the Cyclones pulled away. Baylor knows too well Hilton Magic as the Bears have never won in Hilton in 10 or 11 tries.

The crowd was 14,000 plus and electric. At times, you couldn’t hear yourself think or talk to the person next to you. When Baylor shot free throws, the students waved signs and made extreme noise. When Iowa State shot a free throw, a “quiet” sign went up.

Home court is talked about all the time in college basketball. There are numerous tough places to play. But once again, I was reminded that Hilton Coliseum ranks next to the toughest in America.

Just ask Baylor.

The Big 12 Conference Basketball Race Becomes Interesting

Kansas was planning to run away with another Big 12 Conference title when Oklahoma State came to Lawrence, Kansas.

The Cowboys proceeded to pull off the shocking upset and remove the don’t-touch-Kansa-tag. It was the highlight of a “positioning” day in league play.

Kansas State was the other squad with the big road win dumping Oklahoma. Iowa State grabbed a home win over Baylor. The result of all these games was a jumbled conference race.

The Wildcats trail their in-state brethren by only one game. Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are all tied for third place two games behind Kansas.

There will be guaranteed separation in third place this week.

Tonight (Monday) Oklahoma travels to Iowa State. Wednesday Baylor travels to Oklahoma State.

Not only will these games affect the league race, but the post-season as well. In a down year in the Big 12, every win is precious to enhance the NCAA tournament resume.

And with every team playing each other twice, the Big 12 crowns a true league champion. Let the fun continue.

Iowa State Men's Basketball on Rise

The Iowa State men’s basketball team is positioning for a NCAA tournament bid. If successful, it will mark the second straight year the Cyclones have qualified under favorite Iowa State son Fred Hoiberg.

Iowa State garnered a big win Saturday over previously No. 11 ranked Kansas State. It moved Iowa State’s conference home record to a perfect 3-0. The Cyclones have lost to Kansas and Texas Tech on the road. Their lone visiting win was at TCU.

So the Cyclones sit at 4-2 in the Big 12 tied for third place with Kansas State and Oklahoma. Iowa State is 14-5 overall.

Iowa State has plenty of talent on its roster. The question is always can the Cyclones play to their talent? Iowa State has looked like world-beaters in some games like a near loss to Kansas. But in other contests, it has resembled an average or marginal club. It’s still hard to fathom that loss at Texas Tech. Tech is the second worst team in the league.

The Cyclones have an upcoming rugged four-game stretch, but two of the games are at home. This Wednesday, Iowa State plays at Oklahoma State—a team some believed was the second best team in the conference at one point. Saturday, the Cyclones host second-place Baylor. Next week, it’s Oklahoma at home and Kansas State away.

It’s time for Iowa State to prove it is NCAA tournament worthy. It’s time for the talent to show up on a consistent basis.

Don't Mess With the Kansas Jayhawks

I forgot to mention Kansas the other day in my blog about NCAA basketball national championship contenders.

The only reminder I needed was watching the Kansas-Baylor game Monday night on ESPN. The Jayhawks destroyed the Bears like they do to most teams appearing in Allen Fieldhouse.

This was supposed to be a down year (don’t use the rebuilding word) at Kansas. Some down year. The Jayhawks are ranked No. 4 with just one loss. They are posed to take their ninth straight Big 12 Conference title. Can you say domination?

It’s difficult to stop Kansas because it has a sold inside-outside game. Center Jeff Withey is a solid inside scorer who also blocks shots. The outside game comes from the likes of Elijah Johnson, Ben McLemore and Travis Releford. McLemore is the prize of that group and he went down with an injury against Baylor, so we’ll see if that has an effect on the Jayhawks. I think they have enough weapons to withstand a brief McLemore absence.

The long-term question is does Kansas possess the toughness to survive a grinding NCAA tournament? Are they tested enough in a league this year having a down cycle? Are they susceptible to a hot mid-major team in the NCCAA tournament?

Iowa State's Gut-Wrenching Loss

As basketball losses go, this one had to be near the top of disappointment, frustration, pain—you get the idea.

Iowa State outplayed No. 6 Kansas on its home floor for most of the game. The Cyclones looked like they were going to upset the Jayhawks and stun college basketball.

The Cyclones held a three-point lead with less than a minute left but Kansas had one last chance to tie. Ben McLemore three-point bucket with 1.3 seconds remaining put the dagger in the visitors. It wasn’t like McLemore wasn’t capable because he was scoring all the night. But a bank shot to tie the score? Come on.

I knew right there that Kansas would win the game in overtime. And unfortunately, my prediction was correct. Kansas dominated the overtime. The Jayhawks had been on the brink of defeat and they weren’t returning there.

Iowa State played probably its best game of the season. The Cyclones haven’t been impressive until Wednesday. But a loss is a loss.

Kansas escaped with the win. Style points aren’t necessary. Good thing for Kansas.

Big 12 Conference Should Step Up

Conference realignment is again a hot topic with the announcement of Maryland and Rutgers moving to the Big Ten.

I thought this conference realignment stuff was on hold for a time, but the Big Ten move shocked me. Now, the league will expand to 14 members and qualify for the “super” conference tag.

This action obviously has a ripple effect on other conferences and schools. The so called quiet time in collegiate athletics has become the nervous time again. What will happen to the Big East and ACC? Will more conferences raid their schools?

One conference that should take action is the Big 12. The league needs two more teams to return to the magic number of 12. This will enable the league to host a conference football championship again. The Big 12 is currently the only major conference without a championship game.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby stated this past summer that he was comfortable with the 10-team league, but the realignment game has changed again. Unfortunately, the game is either pick your new members or be in danger of having your members picked. The Big 12 needs to use the pick strategy.

Pierre Jackson: Big-Time at Baylor University

Baylor point guard Pierre Jackson is simply enjoyable to watch. Well, maybe not if you are the opposing team’s coach or fans.

Jackson is Baylor’s most valuable player and makes the Bears a dangerous team.

The Las Vegas native has already garnered Play-of-the-Year Preseason Honors in the Big 12 Conference. Jackson, a junior college transfer, put together a solid season a year-a go for Baylor. He quarterbacked the team, made key shots, made scoring assists and hit critical free throws. The guy averaged 13.8 points per game last season.

Yesterday, I watched Jackson destroy Boston College in one of those holiday-type tournaments. He was all over the floor and scored 31 points. He shot 10-of-15 field goals including 6-of-10 behind the three-point line. Not bad for a senior who is only 5-10.

One play he made in the Boston College game highlights Jackson’s talent. He tapped the ball away from an opponent but couldn’t directly go to the ball. So, he darted around the player and picked up the ball on the other side. It was like he was tapping the ball to himself. Amazing! Or by the way, this short guy can dunk too.

Keep your on eyes on No. 55. He promises to be involved in most of the Baylor activity on the court.

Something Special in the Little Apple

Don’t look now but Kansas State is marching to an appearance in the BCS title game. The Wildcats (8-0) are second in the BCS standings behind Alabama.

If you enjoy wide-open football, Kansas State isn’t your pleasure. If you appreciate a blue collar approach that stresses solid defense and limited turnovers, then the Wildcats are a delight.

Kansas State coach Bill Snyder will never coach sexy football. He will never draw attention to himself. He will never attractive a stable-full of blue-chip athletes to Manhattan, Kansas—known as the Little Apple. But what Snyder will do is win plenty of football games.

Snyder is 167-83-1 in his 21st year at Kansas State. The guy retired once and then came back for a second stint in 2009. Coaching twice at the same school is a rarity but it fits Snyder.

The 73-year-old doesn’t look like a coach but rather a high school teacher. His players enjoy playing for a guy who is a disciplinarian. He models his program after former Iowa football coach Hayden Fry who Snyder served under for a number of years as offensive coordinator. For example, have you noticed the Kansas State uniforms? They are exactly like Iowa uniforms except for the color scheme and logo.

Kansas State has a fairly favorable schedule the rest of the way. The Wildcats have home games remaining with Oklahoma State and Texas and road games with TCU and Baylor. They also benefit with no Big 12 Conference Championship game.

But can Kansas State function as a hunted team? Don’t count Snyder and his disciplined Wildcats out. They aren’t looking for style points just hard-working victories.

Bad Weekend for Iowa Major College Football

If you are a fan of either Iowa State or Iowa and somehow missed the games last Saturday, count yourself privileged.

In simple terms, the results were plain ugly.

Iowa State started fast against Oklahoma State scoring a touchdown on its first possession. But Cyclone fans had little to cheer about the rest of the way. Iowa State could muster only three more points as the Cowboys thumped Iowa State 31-10.

Iowa State has some serious offensive problems and that doesn’t help matters in a point-crazy Big 12 Conference. The problem starts at quarterback. Neither Steele Jantz nor Jamie Barnett has moved the offense consistently week-after-week. Jantz started the year at quarterback and Barnett then took over. Saturday, Jantz replaced Barnett in the second half. The spark didn’t happen. The Cyclones have had quarterback problems for two seasons now and it appears the merry-go-round isn’t over yet. Stay tuned for who receives the start next Saturday against Baylor.

Over in Iowa City, the visiting Penn State Lions built a 38-0 lead against Iowa. The Hawks put together two meaningless scores and the final was 38-14. The fans were dressed in black-and-gold according to sections in the stadium. They departed black-and-blue. Fans booed Iowa and senior quarterback James Vandenberg didn’t have a problem with the reaction. I’m not a big supporter of booing college athletes, but the fans were apparently extremely frustrated.

Both Iowa State and Iowa have decent chances of victory this Saturday (Iowa at Northwestern), but both opponents are hungry too. Momentum is a strange component in sports and the Iowa in-state teams need “old mo” back on their sides.

Did I Really Watch a Football Game or a Basketball Game?

Big 12 Conference newcomer West Virginia will play Baylor at least twice in the upcoming basketball season. If you took a peak at the West Virginia-Baylor football game Saturday or at least saw the score, you might have reasoned the “hoop boys” started early.

Final score: West Virginia 70, Baylor 63.

If you enjoy scoring, this game was for you. If you enjoy football, this game was not for you. Memo to both West Virginia and Baylor: play some defense.

I get the fact that in this age of spread offenses, the scores will become elevated. But come on guys, play some defense. Have some pride. This isn’t a video game. This is real football.

West Virginia’s quarterback Geno Smith is a Heisman Trophy contender. The senior threw for seven touchdowns Saturday. I don’t know whether to congratulation Smith or pity the Baylor defense.

Baylor quarterback Nick Florence’s arm received a workout too. I think the senior tossed five or six touchdown passes. I lost count. Shame on the West Virginia defense.

If you are the defensive coordinator at West Virginia or Baylor this week, where do you start? You probably should burn the game film and go back to the basics. “This is a football and our goal is to keep it out of the end zone.”

Billy Gillispie's Sad Tale

You knew the hammer would fall on Texas Tech’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie. It was just a matter of time.

The announcement came late Thursday that Gillispie was done.

Was he fired or did he resign? It doesn’t really matter. Gillispie will receive his parting money and the divorce will be final.

Gillispie was in trouble when reports revealed players were not happy with the coach. He was tough, he was demanding. Don’t people remember Bobby Knight coached at Texas Tech?

But Gillispie’s major sin apparently was practicing over the limit the NCAA allows. These athletes have a life beyond basketball.

Gillispie was on medical leave for stress/high blood pressure. The condition does happen in the coaching world. But this was a different case. Gillispie coaching style and practices were on trial. In this days of the Internet world, that means the coach is in serious trouble.

People will say Texas Tech should have seen this coming. Gillipie’s coaching career starting to head downward when he lasted only two years at Kentucky. But before that, Gillispie helped turn around programs at Texas-El Paso and Texas A&M. The Red Raiders were hoping for the old Gillispie, not the previous one.

Will Gillispie rebound? If he does, look for the coach to land a job with a smaller program. No matter what the cause, he needs to restore his reputation and coaching ability.

As for the specific basketball job at Texas Tech, that’s a blog for another day.

Week No. 1 College Football Impressions

It seems a while ago (with the Labor Day holiday mixed in) but three cheers for college football returning last week.

Since I live in Big 12 and Big Ten Conference territory, I tend to focus on schools from those leagues.

Let’s just say the rumors about the Big Ten being down this season probably aren’t rumors. It may be a hard cold fact. Wisconsin escaped a talented FCS (Football Championship Series) in the University of Northern Iowa. The Badgers miss quarterback Russell Wilson who can make up for glaring weaknesses on a team. Iowa was just happy to escape a pesky Northern Illinois squad late. The Hawkeye offense appears to be a continual work in progress. Then, how about Michigan? I thought the Wolverines would at least provide Alabama a competitive game. It wasn’t pretty, but rather ugly.

Over in the Big 12, Iowa State played good football at home against Tulsa. Tulsa provided a firm punch in the first half, but the Cyclones responded and were the aggressor most of the remaining way. Quarterback Nick Florence won’t remind Baylor fans of Robert Griffin III (RG3), but the senior played solid against SMU. The Bears will continue to score points and the wide receivers will continue to play a large role.

An Interesting Football Marriage

I said at the time Kansas announced its hiring of football coach Charlie Weis that it was an interesting hire. As Weis prepares his first Jayhawk team for the season, I still believe it is an interesting hire.

But I better define the word “interesting.”

Interesting could mean bad or good.

But in this case, my definition means strange. Why did Kansas really hire Weis? Was it for his average 35-27 overall college record? Was it because he is known as an offensive guru? Was it because he had notable success as New England’s offensive coordinator with a guy named Tom Brady as quarterback? Was it because of Weis’ name recognition?

I think it was the last one.

And why did Weis take the job? Was it for love he received from Kansas? Did he realize this job was coaching football at Kansas not basketball? Did he realize Kansas is a tough job in itself and made tougher in the rugged Big 12 Conference? Is he trying to remake his coach reputation after his difficult time at Notre Dame?

Again, I choose the last option.

The bottom line is we don’t know if Weis can become a successful college head football coach. One thing is sure: his Kansas experience will go a long way in determining the answer.

Talking College Championship Football

Phil Steele’s college football magazine is loaded with lists. He starts off on page 3 predicting every major bowl game opponents and the national championship participants.

For the national championship game (drum roll, please), he matches Oklahoma against Florida State.

Some predicted the Sooners to be the national champions last season. But a few key injuries derailed that pursuit and Oklahoma finished a “disappointing” 10-3.

The Sooners are usually a safe pick for the championship, playing their most recent final game in 2008 losing to Florida 24-14. They return eight starters on offense and seven on defense. Oklahoma should contend but must outlast a rugged Big 12 Conference slate where all 10 teams play each other.

Florida State is an interesting pick. The Seminoles were a respectable 9-4 last season and return eight starters on the offense and nine on the defense this year. Florida State advantage is a favorable schedule and membership is the traditionally so-so Atlantic Coast Conference. Two of the three challenging games are at home against Clemson and Florida. The one possible real trap is at Virginia Tech. Coach Jimbo Fisher is trying to carve out his own niche at Florida State, but he has a long road to match former coach Bobby Bowden’s success.

I’m fine with Steele’s Oklahoma pick, but not warm-and-cuddily regarding Florida State. The Seminoles need to win some big games AND avoid the upsets. I don’t see that happening.

Who is your national championship game pick?

This Basketball Rivalry Heats Up

College basketball player Jared Uthoff’s transfer from Wisconsin to Iowa this week just added more spice in the border state’s rivalry.

Uthoff’s story became a national one when Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan placed major transferring restrictions on a guy that never played a minute for the Badgers. Originally, Ryan said Uthoff couldn’t transfer to any Big Ten or ACC school or places like Marquette or Iowa State. For all we know, Ryan could have added all universities in Iceland and Spain too to the “Don’t Even Think About It” list. But Ryan was viewed as Dr. Evil in the national media and eventually loosened his iron hand.

If Ryan thought Uthoff would eventually end up at Iowa, his hunch was correct. Now in a couple years, the former Iowa Mr. Basketball can suit up against old team and try to beat them.

Uthoff must really want to play for the Hawkeyes. Not only must he sit out the usual one year for transferring, but he will also pay for his own schooling the first year.

My question is why Uthoff didn’t select Iowa out of high school. If it was based upon former Iowa coach Todd Lickliter's win troubles and style of play, I say, “hello.” Yes, Ryan wins at Wisconsin but he plays that same dull controlled offense style Lickliter was using.

Uthoff better bring some earplugs the first time he plays in Madison. The friendly place could become unfriendly in a hurry.

Aren’t rivalries fun?

Fred Hoiberg and the Iowa State Marriage

Fred Hoiberg has come a long way since his days as Iowa State’s ball boy.

Hoiberg recently agreed to an eight-year contact to continue as Iowa State’s coach. His new deal will take effect after the 2013 season and pay him about $1.5 million per year. Not bad for a guy who previously tracked down player’s basketballs and helped clean-up the floor.

If there is such a thing as a perfect match, Hoiberg and Iowa State are one. Hoiberg grew up in Ames and handled ball-boy duties at a young age. He later starred at Ames High School in both football and basketball. He chose to play basketball at Iowa State, spurning former Iowa basketball coach Lute Olson at Arizona. He was such a popular player for the Cyclones he was nicknamed the “Mayor.”

He returned to Ames a couple years ago as the Cyclones new basketball coach. It didn’t matter that Hoiberg had zero head coaching experience. The philosophy “he is one of us” trumped any misgivings of how the wonder boy would perform as coach.

Two years into this project, the fans love affair with the local boy couldn’t be greater. Hoiberg’s first team was competitive and developed great fan interest. The second team exceeded all expectations. The Cyclones tied for third place in the Big 12 Conference standings and won a game in the NCAA tournament. They lost to eventual champion Kentucky in the third round.

The Mayor has Iowa State fans thinking big things. The Iowa State athletic administration is thinking big things too. That’s why it gave the local boy an eight-year contract.

There is much joy in Iowa State basketball land. You got to believe, Hoiberg is the most joyous of the group.

Florida State and the Big 12 Conference

If we have learned one thing over the years about collegiate sports, it is this: forget about conference loyalty.

Last week, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) member Florida State made quite a stir. Is Florida State really satisfied in the ACC or does it have eyes for the Big 12 Conference?

This controversy all started when a Florida State Board of Trustee member said that he was unhappy with the ACC’s television contract. That sparked rumors of the Seminoles’ possible interest in the Big 12. Florida State officials denied any interest in moving to the league that features football powers Texas and Oklahoma.

So this rumor is either simply Internet-generated material or possible Florida State positioning. Could the Seminoles be playing this rumor to increase their power and possible revenue in the ACC? Or behind closed doors, is Florida State secretly interested in the Big 12 and hopes the affection is mutual.

Some say Florida State is upset with the ACC’s basketball focus. The Seminoles are mainly a football school and are working on getting back to national relevancy under coach Jimbo Fisher. But their men’s basketball program is quite competitive too. Just ask Duke and North Carolina.

So will this rumor die or continue to sprout? From the outside, I think Florida State is a good ACC fit. The Seminoles are geographically close to other conference members and they compete well athletically.

But really what do I know? I’m still trying to sort out why West Virginia decided to join the Big 12 Conference. I guess I just don’t understand geography.

Big 12 Conference Needs to Step Up

Last week, I applauded the Big 12 Conference for hiring Bob Bowlsby as its new commissioner.

This week, I am thinking the Big 12 should act like a big-time conference.

The Big 12 signed a new television deal in the not-the-too-distance past. But let’s hope it provides the league with some big-time exposure. This has definitely not been the case in past arrangements. Every football and men’s basketball contest should be available somewhere on television. For example, Iowa State did not have all of its football games on TV last season. A key game with Missouri was not shown. There was really no excuse for that occurring.

Missouri will have all its games televised this season as it joins the SEC. The Big Ten makes sure its terrible football teams are even on television. That’s the beauty of having your own network.

Step up to the plate, Big 12 Conference. This is 2012 and the college sports arms race is leaving you behind. Get into the game.


P.S. The college sports scene is pretty thin in terms of news this time of year. If you follow my blog, you realize my postings have been thin too. I still hope to post 1-3 times a week but plan to become more frequent when the football season begins to spark interest in the late summer/early fall time period. Thank you for reading All About College Sports---Paul.

Bob Bowlsby is a Great Choice

The Big 12 Conference hit a home run last week when it hired Bob Bowlsby as new commissioner.

Twelve to 18 months ago it seemed everybody was fleeing the Big 12, now the conference lands one of the country’s most respected college athletics leaders.

Bowlsby did an outstanding job as athletic director at Stanford. He helped lead a program that stresses academics and athletics. Bowlsby could have stayed at Stanford probably for a long time, but apparently he wants the challenge of guiding a league that is finally heading in a positive direction.

Many wondered if the Big 12 would survive after Colorado and Nebraska left. Then Missouri and Texas A&M did the same. There were rumors that if Texas and Oklahoma left, it was the end of the league. But both schools recommitted. Now, TCU and West Virginia are coming on board this year. The skies are turning blue in Big 12 land.

Interim commissioner Chuck Neinas had a big hand in saving the conference. Bowlsby’s job is to make the Big 12 an elite league again. All signs point to that happening with this home run hire.