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Saturday, March 8, 2008
Kansas, Texas vie for Big 12 title; tourney seeds undecided
By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer
LAWRENCE (AP) -- Nobody can remember this happening before: With everyone having one game to go in the regular season, not one seed has been set in the Big 12 tournament.
After two months packed with rebounds, free throws, 3-point shots and three-point plays, every team still has something concrete to play for in its regular-season finale.
At the top of the standings, No. 5 Kansas (27-3, 12-3 Big 12) and No. 9 Texas (25-3, 12-3) will be vying for the regular-season Big 12 championship. At the bottom, Colorado (11-18, 3-12), can still forge a last-place tie with Iowa State (14-16, 4-11).
Kansas State, with national player of the year contender Michael Beasley, has already assured itself of a coveted first-round bye in the conference tournament, which starts Thursday in Kansas City, Mo., at the new Sprint Center. But the Wildcats (19-10, 9-6) would love to cruise into the postseason with 20 wins and nail down the No. 3 seed, which would almost ensure their first NCAA tournament berth in a dozen years.
Last year, despite 21 regular-season victories, the Wildcats were still shuttled off to the NIT. But they believe this season, things are different.
''Last year we were excluded because we had some bad losses,'' said coach Frank Martin. ''This year we shouldn't have that problem.''
Kansas ends its regular season Saturday on the road at Texas A&M (22-8, 8-7). Mark Turgeon will be facing his alma mater for the first time as Aggies coach.
Texas would seem to have the easier path to the title. The Longhorns are home on Sunday against Oklahoma State, although the Cowboys (16-13, 7-8) have won six of their last eight.
Kansas coach Bill Self, whose team lost at Oklahoma State, has no disagreement with anyone who says the Longhorns are the favorite to clinch the top spot in the Big 12.
''If we'd have won at Oklahoma State, I'd tell you we would be the favorite because we'd have two losses and Texas would have three,'' Self said. ''But how can you say we're the favorite? They play at home, and we don't.''
In other games Saturday as the regular season draws to a close, Baylor (20-9, 8-7) is at Texas Tech (16-13, 7-8), which is coming off a school-record 58-point loss at Kansas; Missouri (16-14, 6-9) visits Oklahoma (20-10, 8-7); and Iowa State (14-16, 4-11) hosts Kansas State. On Sunday, Colorado is at Nebraska (17-11, 6-9).
Kansas will be going for its fourth straight championship and its eighth since the league began play in 1996-97. If the Jayhawks wind up winning the regular-season title or sharing it with the Longhorns, it probably won't impress fans as much as other coaches.
''I know it's happened before, and it's happened with different leagues. But to win four in a row in a high major league where other guys are recruiting comparable-type players is a great accomplishment,'' said Self. ''Of course, we haven't done that. We have to win Saturday to do that. But that would be a big feather in this program's cap, and primarily in those seniors' cap, to have a chance to do that.''
Kansas also won the title in 1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02 and 2002-03.
''There's one secret: That's to have really, really good players,'' Self said. ''There's no coach with bad players winning conference championships. There are coaches with good players winning conference championships because his talent is comparable to the other best teams in the league.''
''But nobody takes players here,'' he said holding his had waist-high. ''And gets them to play here,'' he added, raising his hand head high.
''You take players here and get them to play a little bit better.''
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