The Big 12 Knowledge Master Open.

After last nights two quality match-ups (Kansas-Kansas State and Baylor-Texas) there are two undeniable truths. Quality basketball is played here, and the officiating can make the NBA's refs look tremendous. If you ask me to break it down team by team. And considering you're here, you are? It would go something like this.

1. Kansas (They may not have the professional level talent of a Kentucky, but this is a well-coached team that can go into their rivals house and withstand their best punch. And K-State is the sort of team that matches up very well against rock chalk. They've got a deep run in them.)
2. Texas (I've always maintained that Rick Barnes is a terrible coach in terms of in-game preparations. Kansas State's loss was based on poor transition defense. Baylor was based on their big weakness (free throws) and UConn was just a total defensive breakdown. The Oklahoma swing can heal the bump in the road.)
3. Missouri (If their 3's are falling? They can beat anybody. But this years team struggles if they have to work the ball inside in a half court set. Keep them under 70 and you have them.)
4. Kansas State (Abandon all hope ye who dare attack the basket. They will hurt you for such insolence. Their rep can hurt them. But that being said? Dig their upcoming schedule (@ Nebraska, @ Iowa State, Colorado, Nebraska, @ Oklahoma, @ Texas Tech) If they don't win 5 games? Something's gone wrong.)
5. Texas A&M (A paradox. They are a great team at drawing fouls, but a poor team from the line. They have left their fair share of three the hard way upon the table. And if we're talking schedule? Two versus Baylor, a trip to Missouri, and Texas and Kansas coming to visit means we could be talking Aggies when it comes to the bubble.)
6. Oklahoma State (You would think that a Travis Ford coached team would make its bones on its work from beyond the arc. This season you would be wrong. They're barely above 33 percent from beyond the arc. It's the tag team of Marshall Moses and Matt Pilgrim that are doing work.)
7. Baylor (I know that they are currently in 7th place in the Big 12, but using the Wisconsin approved method of two quality experienced guards in LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter and the breakout post play in Ekpe Udoh? They'll climb the ladder.)
8. Oklahoma (I would say that Blake Griffin has had more of an adverse affect than originally thought. But think about it like this. If you knew you had Blake Griffin stalking the low post, you'd defend your perimeter guy a little harder than originally thought, right? I only ask because they are getting murdered from beyond the arc.)
9. Iowa State (They were never good enough defensively to find their way into winning even with the sharpshooting of Lucca Staiger. But since he's bollocksed off back to Germany? They may not even make the lesser antilles of postseason tournaments.)
10. Texas Tech (Mediocre in every aspect outside of limiting second chance baskets. Roberson-Singletary is a nice offensive combination. But they're not as offensively strong as they were last year. And that is why they are still here.)
11. Colorado (Kind of like Iowa State in terms of their offense/defense skill level. Their offense is actually pretty good. Alec Burks has been a Freshman sensation. But their defense is beyond terrible. Killed on the glass. Killed down low. They also foul a lot.)
12. Nebraska (Actually not as bad as their record would seem to be. I mean they're not great at getting second chance baskets or from the line, but they're not terrible at anything else. And they can rival Missouri in terms of steals and threes. Seems more like luck than skill.)