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Texas Tech's Casey Morrison had 21 points as the Lady Raiders beat Texas, 81-58, in the first round of the Big 12 tournament.

If I believed in ties, I’d rank Missouri alongside Kansas in this week’s Big 12 Power Rankings. But I don’t, so Kansas gets the nod after clinching at least a share of its eighth straight conference title in Saturday’s 87-86 overtime victory against the Tigers.

1. Kansas: Thomas Robinson (national player of the year) and Bill Self (national coach of the year) both enhanced their chances of some lofty postseason honors in Saturday’s win over Missouri. Robinson finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds. Self coached his team back from a 19-point deficit in the second half.
2. Missouri: It was hard not to be equally impressed with the Tigers on Saturday. Their performance in what was easily the loudest environment they’ll ever encounter was stunning. I don't care that they ended up on the losing end. This is a Final Four candidate. Period.
3. Baylor: Monday is senior night at the Ferrell Center for Quincy Acy and Anthony Jones. But could it also be the final home game for sophomore Perry Jones III and freshman Quincy Miller, both of whom are projected as lottery picks in this summer’s NBA draft?
4. Iowa State: Assuming they lose at Missouri on Wednesday, a victory over Baylor on Saturday would place the Cyclones in a tie with the Bears for third place in the Big 12 standings. That’d be quite a feat for a team that finished just 3-13 in league play a season ago.
5. Kansas State: The Wildcats are one of the toughest teams in the country to figure out. Seriously, how do you beat Missouri on the road one night then lose at home to Iowa State three days later? Frank Martin’s team needs to beat either Texas A&M (Tuesday in College Station) or Oklahoma State (Saturday in Manhattan, Kan.) to feel rock-solid about its NCAA tournament hopes.
6. Texas: The Longhorns needed overtime to defeat Texas Tech in Lubbock Saturday. That’s a reason for concern. Wednesday’s home game against Oklahoma is huge in terms of earning an NCAA tournament bid. A victory would ensure at least a .500 record in Big 12 play.
7. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys would be ranked ahead of Texas -- a team they beat -- if not for a recent hand injury to LeBryan Nash that will likely sideline the freshman for the remainder of the season. Monday’s home game against Kansas will be tough with Nash out. And winning in Manhattan on Saturday won’t be easy, either.
8. Texas A&M: The Aggies played Kansas tough on Wednesday before getting drilled by 18 points at Oklahoma State over the weekend. It’s unfortunate that injuries and off-court distractions ruined Billy Kennedy’s first season in College Station. He’s done the best he could with the hand he was dealt.
9. Oklahoma: The Sooners certainly aren’t giving in. They snapped a six-game losing streak by defeating Oklahoma State on Wednesday before giving Baylor all it could handle in a 70-60 defeat in Waco on Saturday. Oklahoma led that game at intermission.
10. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders end their miserable regular season against a pair of ranked teams in Baylor and Missouri. Don’t be surprised if Texas Tech is the Big 12’s most improved team next season, although Texas will certainly be in the mix for that accolade as well.

Saturday’s game between Kansas and Missouri will go a long way toward deciding this year's Big 12 regular-season champion. Both teams have identical 12-2 conference records, but Missouri gets the nod in this week’s Conference Power Rankings because of its victory over the Jayhawks on Feb. 4 in Columbia.

1. Missouri: Frank Haith’s squad eked out another hard-fought road victory Saturday when it defeated Texas A&M 71-62 in College Station. The win was the seventh straight for the Tigers, who will try to avenge a Jan. 7 loss to Kansas State on Tuesday.

2. Kansas: The Jayhawks had an easy time with last-place Texas Tech in Saturday’s 33-point win. Forward Thomas Robinson continues to make a case for national player of the year honors. The junior is averaging 17.7 points and 11.8 rebounds.

3. Kansas State: Angel Rodriguez scored 15 points to lead the Wildcats to their best win of the season against Baylor on Saturday. The 57-56 victory upped Kansas State’s Big 12 record to 7-7 and will greatly enhance its resume on Selection Sunday. Two more tough tests await this week. The Wildcats visit Missouri on Tuesday and host Iowa State on Sunday.

4. Baylor: The Bears are in a downward spiral with losses in three of their past four games. Scott Drew’s team failed to score in the final two minutes of Saturday’s home defeat against Kansas State and looked completely disorganized and lost on its final two possessions. Getting healthy at Texas on Monday won’t be easy.

5. Iowa State: Scott Christopherson scored 25 points and Chris Allen added 16 in Saturday’s 80-69 victory over Oklahoma. At 9-5, the Cyclones are now tied with Baylor for third place in the Big 12 standings. Standout Royce White has had three single-digit scoring outputs in his past five games.

6. Texas: Saturday’s 90-78 loss to Oklahoma State in Stillwater snapped the Longhorns’ four-game winning streak. Texas was outscored from the free throw line 43-14. At 7-7 in league play, Rick Barnes’ team desperately needs a home win against Baylor on Monday to enhance its NCAA tournament hopes. Texas lost to the Bears 76-71 on Jan. 28 in Waco.

7. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys are the Big 12’s most improved team; especially when they play at home. Oklahoma State has now defeated Missouri, Texas, Iowa State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma in Stillwater. They still have home games remaining against Texas A&M and Kansas. Keiton Page had 40 points in Saturday’s win over Texas, when he was 20-for-20 from the foul stripe.

8. Texas A&M: The Aggies have lost five of their past six games, and with Kansas coming to town Wednesday, things may get worse before they get better. Point guard Dash Harris hasn’t played since Jan. 23 because of a foot injury. Elston Turner averages a team-high 14 points.

9. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders didn’t do much to capitalize on their Feb. 11 victory over Oklahoma. They turned in a dismal offensive performance in a 47-38 setback against Texas A&M on Tuesday before getting stomped by 33 points at Kansas on Saturday.

10. Oklahoma: The Sooners have lost six games in a row and eight of past last nine. Wednesday’s home game against Oklahoma State looks like a possible victory, as the Cowboys have been terrible on the road. Still, it’s been quite a collapse for a team that opened the season with wins in nine of its first 10 games.

The race for the Big 12 title appears to be a two-team affair between Missouri and Kansas. The rest of the league, however, is in a state of flux. Here are this week’s power rankings:

1. Missouri: Aided by Oklahoma's porous free throw shooting, the Tigers escaped Norman with a three-point victory last week before dismantling Baylor at home Saturday. On Wednesday they get to avenge last month’s loss to Oklahoma State when they take on the Cowboys in Columbia. Marcus Denmon has made 14 of his previous 26 attempts from 3-point range.

2. Kansas: The Jayhawks looked like a totally different team last week thanks to the emergence of Jeff Withey. The 7-foot center scored a career-high 25 points in Wednesday’s win at Baylor before erupting for 18 points, 20 rebounds and seven blocks Saturday against Oklahoma State. Kansas travels to Manhattan to play Kansas State on Big Monday. Bill Self’s squad defeated the Wildcats by 18 points on Jan. 4. Expect a closer game on the road.

3. Baylor: Not many teams in the country had a worse week than the Bears, who were humiliated in blowout losses to Kansas and Missouri. Baylor looked ill-prepared in both games and cowered under the national spotlight. Leading scorer Perry Jones III accounted for just nine points on 3-of-20 shooting in the two losses. It’ll be gut-check time for Scott Drew’s team when it hosts Iowa State on Monday.

4. Iowa State: If they beat Baylor, the Cyclones will be able to make a case for being the Big 12’s third-best team. They’ve already defeated Kansas, Kansas State and Texas. On Saturday, Fred Hoiberg’s squad defeated Texas A&M by 23 points. Leading scorer Royce White is averaging just 7.7 points in his last three games, but ISU is still hanging in.

5. Texas: The Longhorns -- who count six freshmen among their top eight players -- are beginning to mature. Texas has won four of its last six games, and the two losses were by a combined six points. Freshman guard Sheldon McClellan has taken some of the pressure off of leading scorer J'Covan Brown by scoring in double figures in his last three games.

6. Kansas State: Saturday’s 75-64 loss to Texas may have been the most frustrating of the season for the Wildcats, who blew a 13-point halftime lead en route to their third defeat in five games. Texas attempted 48 free throws compared to 12 by Kansas State. Once a Top 25 team, the Wildcats will fall to 6-7 in the Big 12 if they don't defeat Kansas at home Monday.

7. Oklahoma State: You won’t see the Cowboys in the NCAA tournament this season, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t hope for the future. Travis Ford’s squad has shown loads of improvement during the last month. Oklahoma State defeated Iowa State on Tuesday and cut a 29-point deficit to 12 at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday before eventually falling to Kansas 81-66. Guard Markel Brown is averaging 20 points in his past two games.

8. Texas A&M: Saturday’s 23-point loss at Iowa State was the fourth in a row for the Aggies, who are even in danger of falling at Texas Tech on Tuesday. Khris Middleton (knee) returned to the court Saturday but contributed just five points on 2-of-9 shooting. Point guard Dash Harris has missed five consecutive games with a foot injury.

9. Texas Tech: The team that nobody thought would win a Big 12 game finally pulled off a victory Saturday. Billy Gillispie couldn’t help but get emotional when talking about the Red Raiders’ 18-point win over Oklahoma in Lubbock. The victory was the first for Texas Tech since Dec. 30. Javarez Willis scored 21 points.

10. Oklahoma: The Sooners went 10-2 in nonconference play, but things have been going south for Lon Kruger’s squad ever since. Oklahoma is just 3-9 in Big 12 play -- with two of the wins coming against K-State -- and Saturday it was embarrassed by a Texas Tech squad that had yet to win a league game. The Sooners shot just 32.7 percent in the loss.

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.

Here are this week’s Big 12 Power Rankings:

1. Kansas: Saturday’s 72-64 loss at Iowa State snapped a 10-game winning streak. The Jayhawks should beat Oklahoma at home Wednesday, but then face consecutive road games at Missouri on Feb. 4 and Baylor on Feb. 8. Thomas Robinson's numbers (15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds) have been down a bit in his past two games.

2. Missouri: The Tigers’ 79-72 loss on Jan. 25 at Oklahoma State was one of the more stunning results of the conference season. Two of Missouri’s past three opponents have shot 57 percent or better from the field. Saturday’s game against Kansas may mark the last time the Jayhawks and Tigers ever play at Mizzou Arena.

3. Baylor: The Bears bounced back from a tough 89-88 home loss to Missouri on Jan. 21 with back-to-back victories against Oklahoma and Texas. Perry Jones III, who has been battling an ankle injury, averaged 21.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in the two wins. The Bears’ next two games -- against Texas A&M and Oklahoma State -- are on the road.

4. Iowa State: The Cyclones still have some work to do before they can feel good about their chances of an NCAA tournament berth, but Saturday’s 72-64 victory over Kansas certainly enhances their résumé. Iowa State had lost 14 straight to the Jayhawks before Saturday and hadn’t defeated Kansas in Ames since 2004.

5. Texas: Their record may not show it, but the Longhorns are getting better. Rick Barnes’ squad gave Kansas all it could handle on Jan. 21 before beating Iowa State in Austin a few days later. Texas battled back Saturday from a double-digit deficit to tie Baylor late in the second half before the Bears pulled away for a 76-71 victory in Waco. J'Covan Brown (19.7 points) is one of the country’s most underrated players.

6. Oklahoma: Two of the Sooners’ three Big 12 victories are against Kansas State. Guard Steven Pledger scored 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting in Saturday’s 63-60 victory in Manhattan. Things will only get tougher from here, as Oklahoma’s next three games are against Kansas, Iowa State and Missouri.

7. Kansas State: Saturday’s home 63-60 loss to Oklahoma was a huge momentum-killer for a Wildcats squad that entered the game with three straight wins. The Big 12 championship appears to be falling out of Kansas State’s reach, but this is still a Top-25 caliber team when everything is clicking. A win at Iowa State on Tuesday would be huge.

8. Texas A&M: The Aggies are improving at a rapid pace. They lost by only 10 points (64-54) to Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse this past week, before defeating Oklahoma State by 15 points (76-61) at home Saturday. Khris Middleton (knee) didn’t play in either game. Elston Turner is averaging 23.3 points in his past three contests.

9. Oklahoma State: So much for capitalizing on momentum. Less than a week after upsetting then-No. 2 Missouri in Stillwater, the Cowboys reverted back to their old ways in Saturday’s lopsided defeat at Texas A&M. This team needs to prove it can win on the road.

10. Texas Tech: Don’t be surprised if Texas Tech doesn’t win a Big 12 game. There simply aren’t enough Division I-caliber players on the roster. Give the Red Raiders and first-year coach Billy Gillispie credit, however, for keeping things close in Saturday’s 13-point loss at Missouri. Tuesday’s home game against Oklahoma State may be Texas Tech’s best remaining opportunity for a league victory.

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.

Here are the latest Big 12 power rankings, which feature a few changes from last week.

1. Baylor: The Bears notched one of the best road wins in school history Saturday when they knocked off BYU 86-83 in front of 22,700 in Provo. Perry Jones III scored a career-high 28 points, but things will only get tougher from here. Baylor plays St. Mary's and West Virginia in this week's Las Vegas Classic before taking on Mississippi State in Dallas on Dec. 28. Baylor needs to get tougher in the paint -- the Bears were outrebounded 41-26 by BYU.

2. Missouri: The Tigers' biggest test to date comes Thursday when they play Illinois in the annual Braggin' Rights game in St. Louis. The showdown lost a bit of its luster when the previously unbeaten Illini were stomped by UNLV in Chicago on Saturday. Don't be surprised if Missouri wins in a blowout.

3. Kansas: Just eight days removed from a minor knee injury, point guard Tyshawn Taylor is expected to return to the court when the Jayhawks face Davidson on Monday in Kansas City. Kansas, which is getting 17.8 points and 11.4 rebounds from Thomas Robinson, visits USC on Thursday to take on the undermanned Trojans.

4. Kansas State: The Wildcats' 71-58 victory Saturday over Alabama was one of the best nonconference victories of the season for a Big 12 squad. Point guard Angel Rodriguez (13 points, seven assists) and forward Jordan Henriquez (17 points, eight boards) provided a huge spark off the bench for a K-State squad that opens play in the Diamond Head Classic on Thursday against struggling Southern Illinois.

5. Texas: The Longhorns are getting better -- fast. Saturday's win over Temple was the seventh in a row for Texas, with each of the victories coming by double digits. After a somewhat slow start, freshman point guard Myck Kabongo is starting to catch on. He's averaged 12.2 points and 6.5 assists in his past five games.

6. Texas A&M: Injured forward Khris Middleton (knee) has returned to the lineup, but it didn't make much difference in Saturday's 20-point loss to Florida. The Aggies, who have yet to beat anyone of any significance, continue to have trouble scoring. They've averaged just 60 points in their past seven games.

7. Oklahoma: Steven Pledger is averaging 19.5 points for a Sooners squad that has been the surprise team of the league. Last week's victories over Arkansas and Houston should provide a huge momentum boost for a team that's adapted quickly to first-year coach Lon Kruger.

8. Iowa State: The Cyclones have just two games between now and Jan. 4. Coach Fred Hoiberg hopes to use that time to find the cohesion that has been missing from his team. Forward Royce White leads Iowa State in points, rebounds and assists.

9. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys have lost four of their past seven games. Highly touted freshman wing LeBryan Nash is shooting just 37.4 percent from the field and 30 percent from beyond the arc. Oklahoma State will be hard-pressed Wednesday to beat an athletic Alabama team that will defend the Cowboys harder than they've been defended all season.

10. Texas Tech: Billy Gillispie's rebuilding project continues in Lubbock, where the Red Raiders are preparing for a huge game Wednesday at Oral Roberts, which is coming off a blowout win at Xavier. A victory would give Texas Tech a much-needed jolt of momentum, which they'll certainly need for Gillispie's intense practices during winter break.

The Baylor Bears just don't have much experience to draw upon when it comes to recharging the emotional battery the week after celebrating a hugely meaningful victory.

That's the test Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium when the Bears (7-3, 4-3 Big 12), fresh off last week's incredible takedown of the Oklahoma Sooners, face a Texas Tech Red Raiders squad (5-6, 2-6) desperate to end a death spiral that started the week after its shocking upset of the Sooners more than a month ago.

"It won’t be hard at all," quarterback Robert Griffin III said of his team's ability to put OU behind and focus on the task at hand. "The thing is the guys immediately after the game were talking about the next game because we know how it is. You can enjoy the victory the next night and all Sunday when you wake up and you come to lift weights and watch film; it’s onto the next one. That’s the way we look at it."

The Bears have some monumental goals ahead of them in the final two regular-season games, plus a bowl game. A win Saturday gives this team an eighth win for the first time since 1991. Think about that, a 20-year span between eight-win seasons. Baylor finishes the season next week at home against a Texas Longhorns team that seems to be regressing offensively and could have all kinds of problems keeping up with the Bears' Heisman Trophy candidate.

Not to get too far ahead, but a 10-win season is a possibility. A Baylor team hasn't done that since it won the Southwest Conference in 1980 (A nine-win season was last accomplished in 1986). That's a lot to think about for these Bears, who were 7-2 a year ago and then closed the season by losing four in a row. The last game they won in 2010 was in Austin against the Horns and the next week Baylor was crushed in Stillwater by the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Bears nearly let a huge opportunity slip away a few weeks ago. After a big Homecoming win over the Missouri Tigers, Baylor played at the downtrodden Kansas Jayhawks and surprisingly needed overtime to get a 31-30 win.

"Our guys are doing a great job of making sure they stay focused," Griffin said. "They came back to work on Sunday ready to go and that’s a big thing. It shows a lot of maturity and leadership, so Texas Tech will not be taken lightly, and we realize that the most important game, the next important win is the next one and that’s what we’re going to go and do."

Twice this season Baylor Bears quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Robert Griffin III has been surrounded by serenading students that swarmed the field at Floyd Casey Stadium after magical victories.

The first was the season-opening, 50-48 win over recent nemesis TCU. The second happened Saturday night after a remarkable, 45-38 victory over then-No. 5 Oklahoma. Griffin led a five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in just 43 seconds to put the Bears ahead with 50 seconds to play. His 34-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Williams sealed it and gave Baylor its first-ever win over the Sooners in 21 meetings.

Griffin threw for 479 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. As fans chanted, "Heisman-Heisman-Heisman," what moment could be finer?

Well, Griffin, said he can think of one.

"The best moment I’ve had since I’ve been here was last year when we beat K-State to get bowl eligible (for first time since 1994) because it was more than about just this team," the junior for Copperas Cove said this week. "It was about all of the guys that had come through who didn’t get to experience the bowl game and just to get that burden off of Baylor Nation."

With a 7-3 record (4-3 in Big 12), Griffin and the Bears will be bowling again, but more team goals are within their grasp. They can finish as high as tied for second in the conference, and a 10-win season is a possibility for the first time since 1980 when the Bears won the Southwest Conference.

They'll seek to post an eighth victory for the first time since the 1991 season Saturday night at Cowboy Stadium against Texas Tech before closing the regular season at home against Texas on Dec. 3.

Perhaps if Griffin guides the Bears through those two final traps after stunning the Sooners, he'll have to reconsider his most memorable moment. Or at least reclassify it in the plural, as his most memorable moments.

Ted Emrich and Carter Strickland break down Texas' dominant performance against Kansas. Which Texas Tech team will the Longhorns see this Saturday? And William Wilkerson jumps on from the road to discuss UT's newest commitment, Tatum QB Jalen Overstreet.

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Here are some observations after spending Thursday at Big 12 media day:

1. Texas freshman Myck Kabongo is going to be successful. How do I know without seeing him play a single college game? Just call it a hunch. Kabongo was introducing himself in such a polite and engaging manner Wednesday night and then again Thursday. He had such a presence about him, answered his questions and even avoided some about other players in the Big 12 without sounding disrespectful. He might be one of the most impressive freshmen I’ve seen at a media day in terms of the way he carried himself. Kabongo understands the importance of a first impression.

2. If Kansas wins the Big 12 yet again this season, it could go down as one of Bill Self’s most impressive coaching performances. The Jayhawks legitimately don’t have a star or a stud on this roster that you can guarantee will be a first-team all-league player or an NBA first-round pick. But Self is relishing this roster. This is a collection of players who are just like him, players who have to earn their keep and will need to win by ensuring they are one team with one agenda.

3. Kansas State’s media guide cover may go down as one of the best I’ve ever seen. You can’t watch Frank Martin on the sidelines and not be drawn to his facial expressions. So the KSU marketing department captured the many faces of Frank from the scowl, to the growl, to the shock, to the euphoria. K-State wrestled with what to do and whether or not to put a player on the cover. They ended up picking Martin and thankfully he went along with it.

4. Texas Tech coach Billy Gillispie has had quite a run, from Self’s bench at Illinois to head-coaching gigs at UTEP and Texas A&M to the tumultuous time at Kentucky to some personal failings to dealing with the recent death of his mother. Gillispie can be quirky and hard to read. But he was genuinely in as good a mood Thursday as I’ve ever seen him at this point in the season. He does seem to be at peace with his position. We’ll see if that lasts. But he is embracing this latest second chance.

5. I’ve seen Missouri coach Frank Haith twice in the past week -- once in New York and again in Kansas City -- and he’s handled himself quite well dealing with the speculation of the Tigers’ conference affiliation, the Laurence Bowers ACL injury and of course the NCAA investigation into an allegation that he knew of a $10,000 payment to the family of Miami's DeQuan Jones. Haith has lost weight, but no longer sounds as stressed as he did when the story first broke. He’s locked into making this season work. He was essentially popped by the Yahoo! Sports report and was staggered by the news flow from the story. But he has settled down. The NCAA has talked to him and while he waits what could be months before the entire investigation is complete because of all the football allegations, he continues to plow ahead.

6. Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford made some late decisions with OSU's schedule, like adding a game against Pitt in New York on Dec. 10. It's because he really believes he has a sleeper team that could cause serious problems in the Big 12. He expects this team to be more up-tempo, and if freshman LeBryan Nash is as much of a stud as projected, the Cowboys could be in play for an NCAA berth in March. Ford had to replace the Sutton family and is still trying to find his footing. If he can get on a consistent streak -- and his recruiting is trending that way -- then he has a chance to have long-term success in Stillwater.

7. Texas A&M associate head coach Glynn Cyprien expects head coach Billy Kennedy to be back soon, but wouldn’t give a specific date. Cyprien said that there was no sign that Kennedy was ill before taking a leave of absence for an undisclosed medical condition. Cyprien has been in contact with Kennedy since practice started a week ago and said that “any time there’s a job change, we all go through a transition period and he had to go through it. He’s doing fine and he’ll be ready to roll.’’ Sources close to the program have said that the leave is stress-related.

8. Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg has the right personality to deal with multiple transfers. Usually the rule of thumb is not to go with too many high-maintenance players. I saw it first hand at Fresno State under Jerry Tarkanian. You can’t have multiple second-chance players. But Hoiberg's background is in the NBA. He has had to deal with players from a variety of backgrounds. He seems absolutely convinced that there won’t be an issue in meshing in Royce White (Minnesota), Chris Babb (Penn State), Korie Lucious and Chris Allen (Michigan State). Hoiberg absolutely loves White and thinks he’ll be a star.

9. Baylor forward Perry Jones III gave a mature, genuine answer when discussing why he chose to go to Baylor. He said that his mother had a heart condition and that Waco was an hour away from his home in Duncanville, Texas. He also pulled a major surprise by deciding to return to school despite five games to go on his NCAA suspension. But Jones talked Thursday about his love for his mother, his admiration for his father and how he got him into basketball at a young age and how much he wanted to be close to them. Sometimes players say things just to say them and see how they sound. But Jones had legitimate reasons for staying close to home and he’s not deviating from them. He’s saying the right things about being a good son and he’s acting like a devoted one so far in college.

10. Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger could be coaching anywhere -- and he's certainly been around the block -- and he would sound exactly the same. The man never changes. He has been about as consistent a person as I’ve found in the coaching business. He has his way of trying to develop a defensive mentality. And he never seems to be too high or too low. He had a health scare a few years ago, but he appears to be in good shape these days. And now he’s off to a new challenge in Norman. The one thing the Sooners can bank on is that Kruger won’t put them through an emotional roller-coaster.

Before we get to the Blue Ribbon team-by-team previews for the Big 12, here is Eamonn Brennan's wind sprint through the league:



Blue Ribbon's in-depth previews of all 10 Big 12 teams:

Baylor
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Missouri
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech

More Big 12 content:

-- Andy Katz and Jason King empty their notebooks with thorough coverage from Big 12 media day in Kansas City.
-- King with Five Things I Can't Wait To See in the Big 12.
-- Fran Fraschilla examines five burning questions in the league.
-- Katz with 10 observations at Big 12 media day.
-- King on how Texas is counting on the mature Myck Kabongo to lead an extremely young team.
-- Katz takes a team-by-team look at the league's nonconference schedules.
-- Katz's Daily Word looks into the future of the Big 12 and what the current basketball coaches would like to see.
-- John Stovall with a look at the recruiting picture in the conference.
-- Chad Ford analyzes the top draft prospects in the Big 12.
-- Video: Baylor coach Scott Drew talks about both of his parents being diagnosed with cancer.
-- New Faces, New Places: Profiles of Oklahoma's Lon Kruger, Texas A&M's Billy Kennedy, Texas Tech's Billy Gillispie and Missouri's Frank Haith (Video interview of Haith can be found here).
-- Eamonn Brennan recaps a wild offseason in the conference.
-- Summer Buzz series: Brennan takes an in-depth look at Kansas, Baylor and Texas.
-- For more coverage of the Big 12 in the Nation blog, click here.

No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 4 Oklahoma State try to stay on track as their Bedlam matchup down the line looms large with mega-BCS-title game implications. The Sooners will host Texas Tech on Saturday, while the Cowboys visit Mizzou.

ESPN Dallas expresses you through the big college matchups of local interest. Watch above.

The most eye-popping quarterback in the Big 12 that nobody knows has got to be licking his chops at the passing yardage the Texas A&M defense has surrendered the last two weeks.

PODCAST
ESPNDallas.com's Landry Locker is joined by Chris Level to talk about Texas Tech's 4-0 record, their sluggish starts, why a win against Texas A&M would mean a lot to the Red Raider fan base and what to expect in Lubbock this weekend. Listen

Texas Tech (4-0) seeks its second conference win and will try to keep the A&M (2-2, 0-2) farewell tour a somber one behind the red-hot arm of first-year starting quarterback Seth Doege. The 6-foot-2 junior hasn't received the fanfare of Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden or A&M's Ryan Tannehill or Oklahoma's Landry Jones or even Texas' new duo Case McCoy and David Ash.

Part of that is due to Tech's relatively weak schedule to date, but a big game against the reeling, SEC-bound Aggies, losers in consecutive second-half collapses, can begin to change that.

First, a look at the Aggies' imploding defense. The unit ranks last in the Big 12 in pass defense, giving up 336.8 yards a game while allowing 65.7 percent of pass attempts against them to be completed. Two weeks ago the aforementioned Weeden threw for 438 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Last week Arkansas' Tyler Wilson went even better with 510 yards and three touchdowns without a pick.

You can practically see the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Doege licking his lips.

All he's done through four games is throw for 1,315 yards (third-best in Big 12), complete 73.3 percent of his passes (118-of-161), rack up a league-best 14 touchdowns and tie for a league-low in interceptions with his one and only coming last week.

In Week 2 against New Mexico, Doege set an NCAA record for completion percentage, connecting on 40-of-44 passes -- 90.9 percent -- for 510 yards and five touchdowns. In last week's Big 12 opening win at Kansas, Doege threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns.

In the Big 12 he ranks fourth in passing efficiency, ahead of Jones (fifth) and Weeden (seventh) and he ranks fifth nationally in points responsible for, accounting for, on average, 21.0 of Tech's 47.2 points a game, which is tied for tops in the conference with Baylor.

While Big 12 eyes will focus on No. 11 Texas taking on No. 3 Oklahoma at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Cotton Bowl, some four hours after its completion, the Doege air show in Lubbock (6 p.m.) just might be must-watch TV.