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Men's Big 12 Basketball
by CHUCK CARLTON , THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Body of work: Underdogs no more, the Bears have cracked the top 25 and should be primed for a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The next question: can they contend for a Big 12 title?
Player to watch: Senior guard Curtis Jerrells has produced some great stat lines in nonconference games, including two double-doubles and just the fourth triple-double in school history. He's shooting 47.3 percent from the field and averaging 16.7 points game.
The big picture: The Bears are still a guard-oriented team that loves to push the basketball. The biggest change? The Bears are allowing nearly 10 points less a game and holding opponents to 40.2 percent shooting.
Body of work: The Cowboys are just 3-3 away from Gallagher-Iba Arena. Two of those losses were to Michigan State and Gonzaga, both ranked at different times this season, so detecting a trend is difficult.
Player to watch: Even more so than most point guards, senior Byron Eaton of Lincoln has significant responsibility running Travis Ford's up-tempo offense. Eaton needs just 11 assists to move into second place all-time at OSU. Ford said that "we have a point guard at any point in time that can be as good as anybody in the country."
The big picture: Surprisingly, the undersized Cowboys have been able to battle opponents to a near standstill on the boards despite starting four guards and one forward. Obi Muonelo, a 6-5 junior, leads OSU with 9.6 rebounds a game, which ranks third in the Big 12 .
Oklahoma (14-1)
Body of work: The preseason Big 12 favorite has played like a Top 10 team, outside of that hiccup at Arkansas. The 14-1 start is the school's best since the 1987-88 team started 14-1 under Billy Tubbs and reached the NCAA championship game.
Player to watch: However you want to define it, 6-10 sophomore Blake Griffin has been productive. He leads the Big 12 in scoring and the nation in rebounding. And in 16 percent of the team's minutes played, Griffin has been responsible for 27 percent of Oklahoma's points and 37 percent of its rebounding.
The big picture: Perimeter shooting will become even more important when teams sag and key on Griffin. After a slow start, OU is shooting 39.2 percent on 3-pointers the last five games. Freshman Willie Warren and junior Tony Crocker will be the keys to keeping defenses honest. They are combining for 26.9 points a game.
Texas (11-3)
Body of work: Against a demanding schedule, Texas beat UCLA and Villanova and won at Wisconsin. Two of the three losses were to ranked teams: Michigan State and Notre Dame by a combined five points.
Player to watch: While Damion James' production has increased this season, he hasn't posted the breakout numbers as a junior that some expected - yet. James has been impressive in the last four games - including contests with Michigan State, Wisconsin and Arkansas - averaging 16.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in that span.
The big picture: As evidenced by the 15 turnovers in a loss at Arkansas, the Longhorns still need to work on ball-handling and the point guard rotation. A.J. Abrams can play the point well but is way too valuable without the ball in his hands. Justin Mason has had his own moments, good and otherwise, as has Dogus Balbay.
Texas A&M (14-1)
Body of work: The Aggies have shown the tendency to play to the level of their competition, occasionally struggling in wins but holding nice victories over Arizona, Alabama and LSU.
Player to watch: Senior Josh Carter of Lake Highlands has set the school record for 3-pointers (254) and leads the team in scoring (13.9 ppg). He has been at his best against top teams, with 23 points against Alabama and 19 vs. LSU.
The big picture: Nobody quite knows how good the Aggies are. They went 14-1 last season in nonconference and finished 25-11. The first five Big 12 games - against
Texas TECH (10-5)
Body of work: Pat Knight, in his first full season replacing his legendary father, Bob, is trying to put his mark on the program. The Red Raiders are just 1-4 away from Lubbock, including losses to No. 1 Pittsburgh, as well as Lamar, UTEP and Stanford.
Player to watch: Senior Alan Voskuil, an L.D. Bell product, might be the most dangerous deep shooter in the Big 12 . He's hitting 45.7 percent of his 3-pointers after making 50 percent last season. Voskuil hit four from the behind the arc in the final 1:12 against TCU.
The big picture: The Red Raiders can score. What will determine their Big 12 fate is defense or the lack thereof, which represents the biggest challenge for Knight. Tech has allowed an average of 91.4 points in its five losses.
NORTH
Missouri (13-2): The Tigers might be stalking an NCAA Tournament bid.
Kansas (11-3): Sherron Collins has provided leadership for depleted national champs.
Kansas State (11-3): Guard play has made life after Michael Beasley a little easier.
Nebraska (10-3): All guards all the time will create matchup problems at both ends.
Iowa State (11-4): Sophomore Craig Brackins (6-10, 230) already has two 30-point games.
Colorado (8-6): Cory Higgins has made 45 consecutive free throws, a Big 12 record.
SUPERLATIVES
RULING THE PAINT
HARDEST COVER
A.J. Abrams, Texas
SCARIEST SHOOTER
Alan Voskuil, Texas Tech
MOST TENACIOUS DEFENDER
Derrick Roland, Texas A&M
IMPACT NEWCOMER
MOST IMPROVED
Dexter Pittman, Texas
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