Conference Winner: Kansas
I went back and forth on this one as I’d really like to pick
Oklahoma to finally unseat the Jayhawks at the top of the Big 12 but I just
can’t do it. Last year was a disappointment for Kansas as their freshmen
didn’t seem to mesh well with the upperclassmen. Well, those freshmen are
gone but Wayne Selden, Perry Ellis, and Frank Mason III all return and get
another go round with a respectable freshman class. Cheick Diallo is the
best of the incoming class spurning home school St. John’s to mix it up in the
Midwest. This team is solid top to bottom and has Final Four potential
At-Large: Oklahoma
Buddy Heild surprised some by coming back but I think it was
a smart move. The Sooners have a solid bunch of players with experience
and I really think they can push Kansas for the conference title. This is
one of my preseason sleeper Final Four picks
At-Large: Baylor
It’s a bounce back year for the Bears after being upset in
the 1st round by Georgia State. Rico Gathers is back and is an
all-conference player. A couple younger players are going to have to take
a step up in minutes but this is a defense first team that is going to be able
to lock down just about anybody. Can they score enough to hang with the
big boys though?
At-Large: Iowa State
Fred Hoiberg is gone but Steve Prohm steps in and the
Cyclones shouldn’t miss a beat. Monte Morris and Georges Niang are as
potent as any 1-2 punch in the nation and there is quality depth with transfers
becoming eligible. Watch for Marquette’s Deonte Burton to make some noise
right away.
Possible At-Large: Texas
It all depends how quickly the Longhorns adapt to Shaka’s
style
Possible At-Large: West Virginia
I’m a bit more bullish on Huggy Bear’s team than most.
I think he did a good job of covering up his weaknesses with his crazy full
court pressure team but he got exposed terribly by Kentucky. I see teams
adapting quicker this year and this being a bubble team
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