Big 12 Bracing for Best Season Yet

It's about this time each season that leagues and their coaches begin touting their respective conference as "the best that it's ever been."

The natural inclination is to take the wait and see approach.

But when the Big 12 begins thumping their chest as league play gets underway Saturday, there may be something to their claim. The numbers certainly seem telling.

The Big 12 has posted a 140-29 non-conference record so far, has the nation's second-highest RPI, its .828 winning percentage is the country's best, boasts the nation's best home record of 105-1, is 8-4 versus Top 25 teams and is 28-10 against other "Big Six" conferences.

Sure, having undefeated No.1 Kansas and undefeated No.2 Texas at the top of the league doesn't hurt. But it's been the usual middle of the pack and bottom feeders that are really setting the stage for memorable Big 12 season.

"This is our best league, I think it shows in our win-loss percentage," Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon, whose team has been in and out of the Top 25 so far this season. "We have two teams 1 and 2 in the country and we have a lot of teams I think can be Top 25 teams before the year is over. It's going to be a heck of a challenge. I'd imagine we are going to beat each other pretty good over the next nine weeks but it should be a lot of fun."

Much of that comes from the fact that teams like Colorado, Iowa State, Texas Tech and Baylor have made vast improvements with an influx of talent this offseason. Then there are teams like Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M that have all seemed to reload.

The Bears, for instance, appeared to be in a rebuilding mode with loss of a couple key seniors, but the addition of 6-foot-10 Michigan transfer Ekpe Udoh in the frontcourt combined with the return of star guards LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter has made them one of the hottest teams in the country. They take an eight-game winning streak into Sunday's opener against Oklahoma.

Similar examples can be found all over the conference in places like Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Kansas State.

The Big 12 has four teams in the Associated Press Top 25 this week with 13-1 Kansas State at No. 11 and 12-2 Texas Tech at No. 22. Texas A&M and Baylor are receiving votes. Neither the Wildcats nor the Red Raiders entered the preseason in the Top 25.

"I think everyone knew that Kansas and Texas were going to be two teams that when everything was said and done would have a legitimate chance to play for the national championship," said Nebraska coach Doc Sadler. "But I also, even in preseason I made the statement, thought teams such as Colorado, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Baylor, the bottom of the league was by far going to be the strongest that it's ever been. I think it's proven to be that."

There are impressive wins all over for the Big 12 in non-conference.

Texas Tech has been three Pac-10 teams this season, including then No.12 Washington. Baylor has proven it can win on the road, beating Arizona State 64-61 in the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series and then going to SEC country and thumping South Carolina 85-74 last week.

"I think there have been some teams in our league that are better than what people thought and maybe a team or two that has the potential to play to a high level but the record is not as good as maybe what they would have hoped for," said Kansas coach Bill Self, whose team plays Tennessee on Sunday before starting Big 12 play next week. "But still it's been a very good non-conference for our league based on what I can see."

Because of that, Self is already counting on it paying off for the Big 12 when NCAA Tournament Selection time comes around. Six has been the customary number for the conference. Perhaps that will jump to seven or eight this season.

"Maybe there has been a game or two that maybe you go back and say if we played that team another time maybe we could get them," Self said. "But there haven't been very many.

"Our winning percentage is the highest ever. I don't know where our league stands in the RPI nationally, but we are going to get our due. I really believe that on Selection Sunday."