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FORT WORTH, Texas -- As far as buzz goes, TCU's hiring of LSU's Trent Johnson as its basketball coach Monday didn't exactly shake the Big 12 basketball landscape.

But in fairness, probably only the hiring of hometown basketball hero Jamie Dixon could have done that. And TCU tried hard to get him, though it's unclear how close Dixon came to actually leaving his post at Pittsburgh. It wasn't meant to be (the fact that his contract is through 2018 at Pitt was one of the obstacles). They talked to Buzz Williams, one of the biggest names around thanks to his success at Marquette. They called Ben Howland.

In the end, TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte settled on a coach that fit his criteria. He wanted someone with a track record of turning around a program that was struggling (Johnson did that at Nevada) and someone who had taken teams to the NCAA tournament (he did that at Nevada, Stanford and LSU). But he also wanted someone who would run the program with honesty and integrity. Johnson has done that at every stop.

Johnson will make $1.5 million base, but I'm told he's got incentives that could push things toward $2 million. It shows much more of a commitment than TCU has made in the past (the departed Jim Christian made around $600,000).

Johnson inherited some good teams at Stanford and LSU, and in Baton Rouge, after going to the NCAA tournament his first season, Johnson's teams struggled the next two seasons before going to the NIT last year with the same number of wins as TCU had under Christian.

What does it all mean? We'll see. The bottom line: The only buzz that matters is on the recruiting trail and, consequently, on the court. TCU loses its three top players next season and the roster has players from all over the place, though not that many from the Dallas-Fort Worth area (or Houston, for that matter). Those are two fertile recruiting areas and Johnson recruited some there while at LSU. It's critical that his staff establish relationships with those coaches. Maybe the move to the Big 12 will get more players interested.

"It's extremely important that some of the best players in the area and in the state attend the university for attendance purposes, for family purposes and you look at the good programs and the good players stay home," Johnson said. "It's about relationships."

Johnson mentioned Robert Hughes at Fort Worth Dunbar and said he's going to go about establishing those relationships. Good. He needs to do that to create a solid foundation.

Johnson said all the right things at his news conference on Monday. Then again, what new coach doesn't win the introductory presser? But I thought Johnson was more impressive once he wasn't standing behind the podium. He's a bit feisty, and I like that. He's confident and I think that's important for his team to see. It sounds like practices will be closed to the media, because he feels like that's his private time with his players. Normally, that might make me suspicious. But I like Johnson's reasoning on it. He's going to run a tight ship and reports from his previous stops say his teams play very hard and with energy.

Is all of that enough to win? How is that different from Christian? We'll just have to wait and see.

The second part of the winning equation is up to Del Conte and the administration. And they're already working on it. The plan is to renovate Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in terms of locker rooms, concourses and the exterior. It's long overdue.

If Johnson can turn things around, he could be here for a long time. Or success could propel him to another job. But if he doesn't succeed, the university has at least sent a signal with the financial commitment that it is starting to get serious about basketball. That can't hurt if and when it has to make another hire.

Johnson knows it takes time but admits he's not patient.

"I'm just a grinder," Johnson said. "I'm a morning, noon and night guy. I wish I golfed. I wish I had some social life. My life is in the gym and sports and my life is based off of making sure kids get a good education and play good basketball and my family."

TCU formally introduced Trent Johnson as the Horned Frogs' new men's basketball coach Monday.

"I can't express to you how excited I am about the challenge that's in front of us," the former LSU coach said. "The challenge is one we're all going to have to do together."

Read more about Johnson's arrival in Fort Worth here.

What do you think about the hire?

An NCAA investigation of the Baylor men's and women's basketball teams has uncovered more than 1,200 impermissible phone calls and text messages that could result in sanctions against the Bears.

Read more here.

Big Blue Nation celebrated once again as the Kentucky Wildcats cruised to an 82-70 win over the Baylor Bears and advanced to their second Final Four in as many seasons. It’s the first time the Wildcats have made consecutive Final Fours since going three years in a row from 1996 to 1998.

Kentucky’s scoring spree continued with its fourth game in a row reaching at least 80 points. The Wildcats are the first team to score 80-plus in four straight games in a single tournament since the 1998 Kentucky team did it five times in a row en route to its national championship, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Kentucky confirmed its status as the favorite in the tournament, winning each of its first four games by double digits. The Wildcats are the sixth team to do that since 2000 and the first since North Carolina in 2009. Four of the previous five teams went on to win the title that year.

The last time the Wildcats played in Atlanta prior to reaching the Final Four was 1998, when they played their first- and second-round games there. Kentucky took home its seventh national championship that season, which is also the last time the Wildcats won the NCAA title.

Why Kentucky won
Kentucky pushed the pace against Baylor, dominating the Bears on the break en route to the 12-point win. The Wildcats outscored Baylor 17-5 in transition, including 11 points in the first half as they built a 20-point halftime lead.

Kentucky entered Sunday's game with 70 transition points in the 2012 NCAA tournament, the most in the field.

Anthony Davis led the way on both ends of the floor with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks. Davis now has 175 blocks this season, setting the SEC single-season blocks record by passing Jarvis Varnado, who had 169 in both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the most efficient Wildcat, scoring a team-high 19 points on 7-of-10 field goal shooting and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Kidd-Gilchrist has scored 43 points in his past two games, after totaling 26 in his previous four games combined.

Why Baylor lost
The Bears couldn’t find their shot in the first 20 minutes, making just 7 of 24 field goal attempts (29 percent) in their half-court offense. That was the worst half-court shooting performance in a half for Baylor in an NCAA tournament game over the past three seasons.

Baylor also failed to take advantage of its second-chance opportunities. The Bears had 16 offensive rebounds but scored only 14 second-chance points, making just 4 of 13 shots (31 percent). Entering Sunday, Baylor had converted 53 percent of its second chances in its first three games of the tournament.

What’s next
One of college basketball’s most intense rivalries is renewed as Kentucky moves on to New Orleans to face the Louisville Cardinals in a national semifinal game. This will be the 44th all-time meeting between the Bluegrass rivals, with Kentucky owning a 29-14 edge, including a 69-62 win on New Year’s Eve this season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Elijah Johnson scored a career-high 26 points, and No. 3 Kansas began pursuit of its third straight Big 12 tournament title with an 83-66 win over Texas A&M in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Thomas Robinson, the conference player of the year, finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, and All-Big 12 guard Tyshawn Taylor added 16 points for the Jayhawks (27-5).

They'll play No. 12 Baylor on Friday. The Bears beat Kansas State 82-74 in the quarterfinals.
Khris Middleton led Texas A&M (14-18) with 24 points, though he didn't get a whole lot of help. Leading scorer Elston Turner was held to eight points on 3-of-11 shooting.

The Aggies head off to the Southeastern Conference beginning next season.

Editor’s Note: Click here for Jason King’s prediction on tonight’s Kansas-Baylor matchup, as well as several other top Wednesday games.

To beat Kansas Wednesday night, Baylor forward Quincy Acy knows Baylor must play better than it did in last month’s 18-point loss to the Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse.

And to Acy, playing better means playing tougher.

Especially down low.

Acy was asked Tuesday evening if he thought the Bears were “pushed around” in the paint during their first meeting with Kansas.

“I do, I honestly do,” Acy told ESPN.com. “We stopped going inside. They got a couple of blocked shots early and we started settling for jumpers. That’s not like us. I can’t really tell you why we did it, but it happened and that’s uncharacteristic for us.”

Baylor’s frontcourt talent has never been questioned. The Bears have a pair of future first-round NBA draft picks in Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller. And Acy, a senior, has been an mainstay in the rotation since his freshman season. Baylor’s toughness and aggression, however, have been an area of concern all season.

Schools such as BYU and West Virginia controlled the glass against Baylor early in the season before Kansas out-rebounded the Bears 36-21 in Lawrence Jan. 16. All-American Thomas Robinson snared 14 of those boards and also muscled past defenders on his way to 27 points.

Acy -- the one Baylor player who has never been criticized for shying away from physicality -- said he’s done everything he can to make sure he and his teammates are better prepared for tonight’s rematch.

“Me being a senior leader, I can’t let that happen,” Acy said. “If I see someone backing down, I’ve got to do a better job of getting in their face and letting them know that they’re getting outworked. When people say our frontcourt is soft ... I take that to heart, like I’m not doing enough.”

Acy said hearing criticisms about their passive play has helped inspire frontcourt teammates, which also include reserves Cory Jefferson and Anthony Jones.

“The guys have responded well,” he said. “But remember, we’ve got a lot of guys who are pretty much threes (small forwards) trying to play the four and the five. Quincy Miller is a three, Perry is a three-four. But because they’re tall, they have to play down low for us.

“That’s still no excuse. You’ve got to go out there and compete. I make sure I go at them hard every day in practice and raise my level of physicality up.”

Even the most physical player would have a hard time stopping Robinson, who many believe is the frontrunner for the Wooden Award. A 6-foot-9 junior, Robinson averages 18 points and ranks second in the nation in rebounds with 12 per game. As much as they want to beat Robinson, Acy said he and his teammates can’t help but respect him.

“He plays with an aggression, like he has something to prove,” Acy said. “The tragic story about his family plays a part in it. He’s on a mission. He has to provide for his family. I admire that about him. He’s a great dude. I like the passion he plays with.”

Tonight's game is huge for both teams. At 8-2, sixth-ranked Baylor and No. 10 Kansas are a half-game back of Missouri (9-2) in the Big 12 title race. The Jayhawks should be full of motivation following Saturday’s 74-71 loss to Missouri in Columbia.

Kansas -- which is vying for its eighth straight conference championship -- hasn’t lost consecutive games since the 2006 season.

“We always come back with a good attitude and learn from our mistakes,” point guard Tyshawn Taylor said.

Added Robinson: “You still have the bad taste in your mouth from the last game. Going into the (next) game, you want to get that taste out of your mouth.”

That’s probably how Baylor feels about its 92-74 loss to Kansas on Jan. 16.

Baylor played well early but went into a funk after Jones -- Baylor’s leading scorer -- tweaked an ankle injury late in the first half. Jones had been aggressive early but, much like the rest of his teammates, he began settling for jumpers the rest of the way.

Now healthy, Jones has averaged 17.8 points in Baylor’s past four games, all of which were victories.

“This is definitely the most consistent stretch that he’s had,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “If you just go back and look at that Kansas game, once he tweaked the ankle, we were up three or five ... the momentum and everything changed at that point. And as a coach, I probably should have gotten him out, because laterally he couldn’t move nearly as effective on the defensive end, and that affects you in a lot of different areas.”

Tonight’s game is the first of two for Baylor against top-10 opponents, as the Bears travel to Columbia Saturday to take on Missouri. The Tigers defeated Baylor 89-88 on Jan. 21 in Waco. Victories in each of these contests would put the Bears in a great position to win their first conference title since 1945.

“When I came here, I just wanted a chance to help turn this program around and help put us on the map,” Acy said. “Our guys in the past have helped put us on the map, now it’s our job to help keep us there by bringing a Big 12 championship to Waco. That’s on our mind and on our agenda every time we step on the court.”

With one month remaining in the regular season, the battle for the Wooden Award appears to be a two-man race between Kentucky’s Anthony Davis and Kansas’ Thomas Robinson. Right now I’m leaning toward Davis, the projected No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA draft. But you could definitely make an argument for Robinson, too. There are still plenty of opportunities for each to impress -- or regress. Here’s how I’d vote if the season ended today.

1. Anthony Davis, Kentucky - The 6-foot-10 Davis averaged 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 blocks in the Wildcats’ most recent victories over South Carolina and Florida. He shot a collective 17-of-23 from the field in those two games. Davis’ presence alone affects the game on the defensive end.
2. Thomas Robinson, Kansas - Robinson had 20 points and 17 rebounds in a victory over Oklahoma before erupting for 25 and 13 in Saturday’s 74-71 loss at Missouri. When he’s playing his best, Robinson might be the toughest player in the country to stop in the paint. He’ll be tested Wednesday by Baylor’s Quincy Acy and Perry Jones III.
3. Kevin Jones, West Virginia - The senior forward continues to post gaudy stats - he’s scored 20 or more points in nine consecutive games - but his team is struggling. The Mountaineers have lost three of their past four contests, with the only victory coming in overtime against Big East bottom-feeder Providence. Impossible as it might seem, West Virginia may need Jones to do even more.
4. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State - The versatile Buckeyes forward averaged 21 points and 8 rebounds in victories over Wisconsin and Purdue. College basketball fans - and Wooden Award voters - have grown used to seeing Sullinger post impressive stat lines. It’d be a shame if they started taking him for granted.
5. Doug McDermott, Creighton - The Bluejays sophomore has averaged 21.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in the three games since the last Wooden Award ballot was released. Creighton, though, lost back-to-back contests at Northern Iowa and Evansville during that span. The setbacks certainly aren’t McDermott’s fault — but it’s definitely on him to make sure they don’t become a trend. Saturday’s home game against Wichita State is huge.

On the cusp:

Perry Jones III, Baylor - Jones has scored 15 or more points in each of his past four games, but he’ll need to be more assertive than ever if the Bears have any hope of defeating Kansas in Waco, Texas, on Wednesday.

A scan of the college basketball box scores each night guarantees all kinds of statistical oddities and standout performances. Here are some we found from Tuesday:

Kansas State 65, Texas Tech 46
The two teams combined for 26 made field goals, matching the fewest in a Division I game this season (Cal Poly and USC combined for 26 in a 42-36 Cal Poly win Nov. 19). Texas Tech and Kansas State also combined for 53 fouls Tuesday. It’s the first time this year two teams combined for at least twice as many fouls as field goals. The differential of 27 more fouls than field goals is three more than in any other game this season.

For more than seven years, Texas, Pittsburgh and Villanova have been staples in the NCAA tournament. However, as of now, none is in Joe Lunardi’s bracket. Texas, Pittsburgh and Villanova each have at least eight losses and RPIs of 59, 75 and 90, respectively.

Currently, the Longhorns are the fifth team out as they hope to extend their 13-year streak of making the tournament. As for Pittsburgh and Villanova, both schools likely will not be so lucky.

Texas Longhorns (13-9, 3-6, RPI: 59; 13-year NCAA tournament streak)

What’s gone wrong: Many of Texas’ problems can be traced to the offseason. Between graduation and Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph and Jordan Hamilton leaving for the NBA, the Longhorns lost 84.6 percent of their minutes and 83 percent of their scoring from last season. No returning player started a game last year, and only J'Covan Brown averaged more than 2.3 PPG. As a result, Texas is the 324th most-experienced team in the nation, averaging less than a year’s experience per player, according to kenpom.com. That inexperience manifests itself in the team’s 1-6 record in road/neutral-site games. It also forces Brown (19.7 PPG, 3.9 APG) to shoulder most of the scoring load. He takes the most shots per game (16.1) among major conference players (minimum 16 games).

Reasons for hope: With a .207 adjusted points per possession advantage over its opponents (24th in D-I), Texas statistically should be a tournament team. However, one reason Rick Barnes’ squad is the fifth team out is Texas’ 0-7 record in games decided by six points or fewer, including Monday's one-point loss versus fourth-ranked Missouri. With an RPI of 59 and no bad losses on their résumé, the Longhorns can easily make the tournament if they can win close games. Road games against Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech give the Longhorns several opportunities to improve their record away from Austin.

Player of the Night - Perry Jones III
For all of the hype surrounding Jones in his two years in Waco, he'd never had a 20-point, 10-rebound game. Until last night. He helped Baylor snap a two-game losing streak with a 77-65 win at Oklahoma. Jones finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Baylor had been 3-18 in Norman going into this one.

Ugly Stat Line of the Night - J'Covan Brown
The good news for Texas? The Longhorns beat Iowa State, 62-55. The bad news? J'Covan Brown went 3-for-16 from the field with five turnovers. Over the past three games, Brown has a 25.7 field goal percentage. That includes 22.0 percent from two-point range.

Here are this week’s Big 12 power rankings:

1. Kansas: Bill Self said Saturday’s 69-66 victory at Texas was his team’s best win of the season. Not because the Jayhawks played particularly well against the struggling Longhorns, but because they found a way to grind out a victory in a tough road environment. Kansas is 36-7 in Big 12 road games in the past five-plus seasons.

2. Missouri: Ricardo Ratliffe scored 27 points in Saturday’s 89-88 win at Baylor, but many of those came on easy baskets against the Bears’ soft interior defense. The bigger story was the performance of point guard Phil Pressey, who had 18 points, seven assists and six steals in the Tigers’ most impressive victory of the season.

3. Baylor: Saturday’s 89-88 loss to Missouri was more lopsided than the final score indicates. The Bears were outscored 14-0 on second-chance points in the first half, when they were out-toughed and out-hustled in the paint by the undersized Tigers. The Bears trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half. Perry Jones III has a nagging ankle injury that has limited his performance the past two games.

4. Iowa State: Success in its next three games (at Texas and at home against Kansas and K-State) would go a long way toward improving the NCAA tournament hopes of a Cyclones team that is 14-5 overall and 4-2 in league play. Juco transfer Tyrus McGee had six 3-pointers in a 20-point effort in Saturday’s win at Texas Tech.

5. Kansas State: The Wildcats have won their last two games (against Texas and Oklahoma State), but their free-throw shooting has been abysmal. Frank Martin’s squad has made just 44 of its last 79 attempts from the foul stripe (55.7 percent). Center Jordan Henriquez has been suspended indefinitely.

6. Texas: The Longhorns are improving, but it hasn’t shown up in the win column. Texas’ last two losses (to K-State and Kansas) have come by a combined seven points. Freshman guard Sheldon McClellan is averaging 15 points in his last two games.

7. Texas A&M: Billy Kennedy’s team got a huge confidence boost when it defeated Oklahoma in overtime Saturday in College Station. It may be short-lived. Three of the Aggies’ next four games are against Kansas, Baylor and Kansas State. Khris Middleton, who is regarded as Texas A&M’s top player, missed most of Saturday’s game after bumping knees with a teammate and is questionable for Monday’s game at Kansas.

8. Oklahoma: The Sooners have a huge chance to regain some momentum when they host Baylor on Tuesday. Forward Romero Osby is averaging 17.3 points in his last three games, but he may have trouble against the Bears’ size and length. Upcoming road games at Kansas State (Saturday) and Kansas (Feb. 1) won’t be easy.

9. Oklahoma State: The undermanned Cowboys turned in an impressive performance before losing at Iowa State on a buzzer-beater last week. Saturday they fell at home to Kansas State for their third straight loss. Missouri visits Stillwater on Wednesday. The Cowboys are 9-10 overall.

10. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are 0-6 in Big 12 play, and their losses have come by an average of 17 points. Billy Gillispie’s squad averages just 63.1 points per game. The biggest question the rest of the way will be whether Texas Tech can get a conference win. Its best chance may be at home against Oklahoma State on Jan. 31.

Coaches and teammates have spent all season heaping praise upon Kansas forward Thomas Robinson. Now some opposing players are getting into the act, too.

Shortly after Robinson scored 27 points and snared 14 rebounds in Monday’s 92-74 victory over Baylor, Bears forward Perry Jones III was asked about his counterpart in the paint.

“He’s an All-American,” Jones said. “He played like he’s supposed to play, like an upperclassman. He delivered for his team.”

With a slew of NBA scouts watching from the sideline, Robinson connected on 11 of his 18 field-goal attempts against Baylor’s vaunted front-court and helped hold the Bears in check defensively.

Now averaging 17.8 points and 12.3 rebounds, Robinson gets the easy nod for the No. 1 spot on my Wooden Award ballot this week. Here’s how’d I’d vote if the season ended today.

1. Thomas Robinson, Kansas — Robinson is the main reason Kansas is the only Big 12 team that has yet to lose a conference game. He’s shooting 54.4 percent from the field and has recorded double-doubles in four of his last five contests.
2. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State — Sullinger helped the Buckeyes avenge last month’s loss to Indiana by scoring 16 points and grabbing nine rebounds in Sunday’s rematch with the Hoosiers. He’s averaging 17.3 points and 9.3 rebounds on the season.
3. Kevin Jones, West Virginia — Jones recorded his seventh double-double in nine games in a 24-point, 14-rebound effort against Rutgers Saturday. How anyone can look at his numbers against quality competition and leave him off their ballot is beyond me. I almost bumped him up to No. 2. Jones averages 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds.
4. Anthony Davis, Kentucky — The 6-foot-10 freshman continues to improve. He averaged 16 points and seven rebounds in narrow victories over Auburn and Tennessee last week and is a game or two away from breaking the Wildcats’ single-season record for blocks. Davis is swatting an average of 4.6 shots per contest.
5. Doug McDermott, Creighton — The sophomore averaged 22.5 points and 10 rebounds in wins over Illinois State and Southern Illinois. The most impressive thing about McDermott is his shooting percentage from the field (62.1) and 3-point range (53.2)

On the cusp (listed alphabetically)

Will Barton, Memphis — The Tigers have won their last six games thanks to Barton, who leads Memphis in points (18.2) and rebounds (9.0)

Marcus Denmon, Missouri — The senior will take a team-high 17.8-point scoring average into Saturday’s showdown against Baylor in Waco.

Draymond Green, Michigan State — With 14 points and 14 rebounds, the senior was one of the Spartans’ few bright spots in Saturday’s loss to Northwester.

Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette — One of the country’s most-underrated players is averaging 19 points in the Golden Eagles’ last three wins.

Perry Jones III, Baylor — The ultra-talented Jones is becoming more and more assertive in the paint. Jones had 18 points and two blocks in Monday’s loss at Kansas.

Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut — The sophomore guard was cold in Saturday’s win over Notre Dame but still managed seven assists.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky — The most versatile player for a Kentucky squad that still has an incredibly-high ceiling.

Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State — With averages of 16.5 points and 10.9 boards, the UTEP transfer should be in the SEC Player of the year conversation.

Mike Scott, Virginia — Averages 16.9 points for a team that scores just 65 points a game; shoots 58.8 percent from the field.

Tyler Zeller, UNC — Potential lottery pick averages 14.4 points and 9.2 rebounds; one of the few Tar Heels who didn’t fold in Saturday’s debacle at Florida State.

MANHATTAN, Kan. — For years he has been hailed as a future NBA lottery pick. Baylor’s Perry Jones III is a phenom, professional scouts have said, an athletic freak.

Lately, though, the 6-foot-11 forward whom some have labeled as the most talented player in America has heard a new set of adjectives to describe his game.

Timid.

Passive.

Soft.

“Every day someone asks me, ‘Is Perry going to get any tougher?’” Bears coach Scott Drew said. “I think he answered that question tonight.”

Indeed, in one of the most intense games of the college basketball season to date, Jones put on his best scowl and muscled up when Baylor needed him most in a 75-73 victory over Kansas State at Bramlage Coliseum.

Jones scored a team-high 17 points, but his biggest moment came when he fought off K-State forward Jamar Samuels to rebound a missed 3-pointer by teammate Brady Heslip with 26 seconds remaining and Baylor leading 74-73. Jones was immediately fouled, and he split a pair of free throws to give the Bears a two-point cushion.

Drew couldn’t help but scream and pump his fist when time expired after Kansas State failed to score on its final possession. At 16-0, fourth-ranked Baylor remains one of three undefeated teams in college basketball. And as for Jones, who snared a game-high 8 rebounds?

“No one can say he’s not tough now,” Baylor forward Quincy Acy said. “For people to call him soft ... he just [has] taken that and ran with it.”

In some ways, Baylor has, too.

Much like their All-America candidate, the Bears have spent much of the past two seasons listening to fans and pundits question their focus and heart. Last season they were ranked as high as ninth but floundered down the stretch and failed to make the NCAA tournament.

Even during the early portions of this season there were times when it seemed as though the Bears needed to develop a mean streak -- especially in the paint, where Baylor boasts one of the most talented front lines in college basketball with Jones, Acy and Quincy Miller. Getting outrebounded by undersized squads such as BYU was inexcusable.

“It seems like every time we’re picked to lose, it’s because we’re not tough enough,” Jones said.

No. 18 Kansas State -- which was fresh off a blowout of then-unbeaten Missouri -- probably begs to differ after Tuesday.

Much like Baylor, Frank Martin’s squad boasts excellent size and depth in the paint, and the Wildcats are regarded yearly as one of the country’s most physical teams. But Kansas State outrebounded Baylor by only 28-26 on Tuesday, and the Bears outscored the Wildcats 36-32 in the paint.

Acy, though, said Baylor’s mental toughness -- and not the physical kind -- is the biggest reason for the Bears’ 16-0 start.

“Tough isn’t about going out and elbowing someone,” Acy said. “It’s about how you respond in certain situations when the crowd is against you. We’ve done a good job of persevering.”

A year ago, Baylor was 3-10 in games played outside of Waco, Texas. This season, the Bears are 7-0 in road and neutral-site games. Their points per game (65.8 to 73.1) and field-goal percentage (42.3 to 49.2) in those contests have improved dramatically from season to season.

Four of Baylor’s past five victories -- against BYU, West Virginia, Mississippi State and Kansas State -- have been decided by three points or less. None of those games were in Waco.

That’s poise, that’s toughness. Especially considering the added pressures that come along with being undefeated.

“We have a target on our back,” Jones said. “We’re getting everyone’s A-game. It’s difficult, but it feels a lot better than losing, definitely.”

The reasons Baylor is playing with more moxie are plentiful. With a 10-man rotation, BU has one of the deepest benches in America. Fresh legs and spirits are always a good replacement for a worn-down teammate who is upset with himself because of a turnover or missed shot.

The Bears also have two strong tone-setters in Acy and junior-college transfer Pierre Jackson, a point guard who had 11 assists Tuesday. Jackson’s fearlessness and spunk -- he often lets out a “Woooo!” after a big play -- have been infectious to his teammates, many of whom are beginning to take on his swagger.

Acy is the senior veteran who has reveled in the glory of advancing to the Elite Eight and felt the disappointment of missing the NCAA tournament one year later.

“We try not to pay too much attention to [our rankings],” Acy said. “Last year we got a little fame and we got embarrassed a couple of times. I stressed to the guys that we shouldn’t get caught up in the rankings and all that. Every game, we’ve got to play like we’ve got something to lose, like we have a target on our back.”

The Bears certainly did against Kansas State, when they trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half. Baylor fought back and trailed by only two at intermission.

Numerous Baylor players came up with clutch plays in the second half of a game that featured six ties and 10 leads changes.

Moments after K-State’s Will Spradling hit a 3-pointer to put his team ahead 63-62, freshman Miller responded with a 3-pointer on the other end to help Baylor regain the lead and quiet the crowd.

Soon after, KSU looked as though it may pull away when Henriquez swished a pair of foul shots that made it 71-67, but Heslip did a nice job of drawing contact on the Bears’ ensuing possession. He went to the free-throw line and made it a two-point game again.

“Guys didn’t get mad at each other,” Jones said. “We still played basketball the way we know how to play. When we see someone down we say, ‘C’mon, we’ve got to do this for 40 minutes. We’ve got to grind. There’s no time for sulking.’”

Acy scored five consecutive points -- four of which came as a result of his own steals -- to turn a 71-69 deficit into a 74-71 lead. A basket by Kansas State’s Rodney McGruder made it 74-73 with 2:04 remaining.

The only other point of the game came on Jones’ free throw with 20 seconds remaining following his heroic rebound.

Kansas State still had a chance to win or force a tie, and it looked as though it would happen when freshman point guard Angel Rodriguez broke free for what appeared to be an easy layup. But at the last moment, Baylor’s A.J. Walton ripped the ball away from Rodriguez with 3 seconds remaining.

The ball sailed out of bounds, and the Wildcats’ hopes died moments later when Acy got a hand on Rodriguez’s high-arching entry pass to Samuels and batted toward the other end of the court. Time expired as Kansas State chased down the loose ball.

“We assumed they were going to throw a lob because of the time,” Acy said. “They had run that play a couple of other times earlier in the game. I was fortunate to tip it and let the clock run out.”

Martin, whose team fell to 12-3 overall and 1-2 in Big 12 play, couldn’t have been more dejected after the game, mainly because the Wildcats had 20 turnovers.

“The guys wearing our uniforms threw the ball to the guys wearing their uniforms so they could go down and dunk,” Martin said. “For us not to protect our home court and not close this game out because of a comedy of plays is embarrassing.”

The win was easily Baylor’s biggest of the season -- and possibly one of the monumental of the Scott Drew era. Bramlage Coliseum is regarded as one of the toughest places to play in the country. Other than Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse, the Bears won’t encounter a louder, more difficult road environment all season.

Drew also realizes his squad beat an exceptional team in Kansas State, whose only two losses before Tuesday were to West Virginia (in overtime) and Kansas.

“I’d put them up against anyone we’ve faced or up against any top-10 team in the nation,” Drew said. “They’re that good.”

People would’ve said the same thing about Baylor before Tuesday’s game. But now the narrative is different. Perry Jones and the Bears were always one of the nation’s most-talented teams.

Now they’re one of the toughest.

After an eventful week in the Big 12, here are my latest power rankings:

1. Baylor: At 15-0, the Bears are one of just three remaining undefeated teams in the country. But just how much longer will the streak last? Scott Drew’s squad will face its toughest test to date when it enters Kansas State’s Bramlage Coliseum Tuesday night. Freshman Quincy Miller has scored in double figures in four of his last five games.
2. Kansas: Thomas Robinson is the Jayhawks’ best player, but the biggest story in Lawrence lately has been Travis Releford. The junior small forward scored a career-high 16 points in Wednesday’s win over Kansas State before erupting for 28 points in Saturday’s road victory over Oklahoma.
3. Kansas State: The Wildcats bounced back from an 18-point loss to Kansas by thumping previously-unbeaten Missouri Saturday in Manhattan. Rodney McGruder has been solid all season, but he took his game to a different level in a 20-point effort against the Tigers, when he was in attack mode from start to finish.
4. Missouri : Frank Haith’s squad got exposed a bit in Saturday’s 75-59 loss at Kansas State. The undersized Tigers shot a season-low 32 percent from the field and were outscored 42-16 in the paint. Missouri’s lack of size could also be a factor in games against Big 12 title contenders Baylor and Kansas. Winning at Iowa State Wednesday won’t be easy.
5. Iowa State: Saturday’s 74-50 victory at Texas A&M marked the seventh straight win for the Cyclones, who may be starting to figure everything out. Royce White had a triple-double (10 points, 18 rebounds, 10 assists) against the Aggies. He’ll have to continue to play well if Iowa State has hopes of beating either of its next two opponents (Missouri and Kansas).
6. Oklahoma: The Sooners lost their first two Big 12 games by an average of 24.5 points, but no one expected Lon Kruger’s squad to beat Missouri or Kansas. Leading scorer Steven Pledger combined to make just seven of his 22 field goal attempts in those contests. Oklahoma is better than Oklahoma State, but Monday’s game against the Cowboys is on the road. Saturday’s home game against Kansas State should be a good one.
7. Texas: The Longhorns have made the NCAA tournament in each of Rick Barnes’ 13 seasons, but that streak could be in jeopardy this year. Texas dropped its Big 12 opener at Iowa State before bouncing back with a home win over lowly Oklahoma State. After Wednesday’s game against Texas A&M, the Longhorns hit the road for back-to-back games at Missouri and Kansas State. Uh-oh.
8. Texas A&M: What in tarnation is wrong with the Aggies? Losing to Iowa State at home is bad enough, but falling by 24 points is inexcusable. Khris Middleton is shooting just 38 percent from the field and 23 percent from 3-point range. Texas A&M is the Big 12’s most disappointing team.
9. Oklahoma State: Give the Cowboys credit for beating Texas Tech in Wednesday’s Big 12 opener just days after third-leading scorer J.P. Olukemi was lost for the season with an ACL injury. Still, this is an incredibly thin team (in terms of numbers) that will struggle to win more than four or five conference games. The Cowboys’ shot selection must improve. They’re making just 41 percent of their field goal attempts.
10. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are obviously getting better. They trailed unbeaten Baylor by just one point at halftime in Lubbock Saturday but floundered after intermission. Kansas comes to town Wednesday, but the most anticipated game on the schedule occurs Saturday, when Billy Gillispie returns to Texas A&M to face his former school.

Not much has changed in this week’s Big 12 power rankings. But with each school beginning conference play, next week’s list could look quite a bit different. Be sure to check back.

1. Baylor: The Bears are off to their best start in school history at 13-0, and no one can say they accomplished the feat because of a weak schedule. Baylor touts wins against five top-50 teams, with the most recent triumph coming in a two-point victory Wednesday against Mississippi State. The Bears open Big 12 play Monday against struggling Texas A&M in Waco.

2. Missouri: The Tigers had to come from behind in the final two minutes Friday to beat an Old Dominion team with a 6-7 record. Still, all road wins are big, and the close win against the Monarchs will help the Tigers down the road. Missouri faces a pesky, well-coached Oklahoma squad in Tuesday’s conference opener in Columbia.

3. Kansas State: The Wildcats have won six in a row since an overtime loss to West Virginia on Dec. 8. But tough times could lie ahead. Kansas State opens Big 12 play at Kansas on Wednesday before hosting Missouri and Baylor. Then comes a tough road game at Oklahoma. Does any school in the country have a tougher league-opening stretch than the Wildcats?

4. Kansas: An eighth straight Big 12 title isn’t out of the question -- especially if forward Thomas Robinson continues the dominance he displayed in Saturday’s win over North Dakota (30 points, 21 rebounds). But the Jayhawks’ bench continues to struggle, as Connor Teahan was the only non-starter to score against the Fighting Sioux.

5. Texas: J’Covan Brown is averaging 19 points for a team that got back on the winning track Saturday against Rice. The Longhorns could establish a ton of momentum by beating Iowa State on the road in Wednesday’s Big 12 opener, especially considering they have what should be two home wins after that against Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. A 3-0 start is definitely possible.

6. Oklahoma: The Sooners dropped their second game of the season Thursday when they squandered a 12-point lead with six minutes remaining in a 56-55 loss at Cincinnati. Still, with a 10-2 record, Oklahoma has been the league’s biggest surprise thus far. Mississippi State transfer Romero Osby is averaging 9.1 rebounds for a team that opens Big 12 play Tuesday at Missouri.

7. Iowa State: The Cyclones survived a scare Saturday before pulling off a two-point home win against Mississippi Valley State. But it should be noted that leading scorer Royce White (flu-like symptoms) played just three minutes. Iowa State has been mildly disappointing thus far. The team appears to lack chemistry.

8. Texas A&M: Highly touted freshman Jamal Branch announced last week that he was leaving the team, which certainly wasn’t a good thing for an already struggling program. The Aggies had gone nine straight games without breaking the 70-point barrier before Saturday’s 76-58 win over Arkansas Tech.

9. Oklahoma State: This team is bad. The Cowboys needed double overtime to defeat SMU in Dallas last week before suffering a home loss to Virginia Tech on New Year’s Eve, their second to the Hokies this season. It will be interesting to see what Oklahoma State’s administration decides to do with fourth-year coach Travis Ford if things don’t get better.

10. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders have won four of their past six games and are steadily getting better. They’re playing weak competition, sure. But that’s just what this rebuilding program needs as new coach Billy Gillispie attempts to instill discipline and confidence in his players. Wednesday’s game at Oklahoma State will be interesting.