baylor looks to be the class of the conference heading into their game tonight in austin. number of big games this week among the teams clustered in the middle of the pack. not sure if we are going to see much separation this year aside from the top and the bottom.
here are your big 12 standings and games this week
bay 16-0 (8-0) @ texas, vs tcu
tex 11-3 (5-2) bay, @ ok state
ou 11-5 (6-4) lost @ tech 52-57, isu
wvu 11-5 ( 4-3) @ isu, ku
tech 13-5 (5-4) beat ou 57-52, @ ksu
ku 11-6 ( 5-4) ksu, wvu
okst 11-4 (4-4) @TCU, tex
tcu 9-7 (2-5) okst, @ baylor
ksu 5-13 (1-8) @ ku, tech
isu 2-9 (0-6) wvu, @ ou
frogs won early in conference play in stillwater and mid week we get round 2 this year. cowboys have gotten better over conference play, but can they win on the road?
both tcu and ok state need to win the mid-week game as they both face very tough games on saturday
Ok St beats Texas and is now 12-5. If not for 2 losses vs TCU they'd be 14-3 and ranked in the top 10. Even with those 2 losses they may jump up to around 15 this week.
That's pretty much how it is every year imo. The college game is very rarely pretty. There are always some exceptions but it's overwhelmingly bad basketball for the most part.In the last few days I've had the opportunity to do something I haven't done in quite some time...watch non-TCU basketball. From my limited observation, the whole lot of it is putrid. Ranked teams from other conferences, unranked teams from other conferences...it's rank. I get the discontinuities and practice limitation and I'm sure that has a lot to do with it but it's not good basketball. Even the "good games" seem to be more of a function of both teams sucking to similar extents. Hopefully some teams will get it figured out in time for a decent March. Just my opinion.
That's pretty much how it is every year imo. The college game is very rarely pretty. There are always some exceptions but it's overwhelmingly bad basketball for the most part.
I think all of us Baylor haters better get ready for the outstanding possibility that they will be cutting down the nets in April. They are very good and deep plus outstandingly coached.
The AAU culture that most of these kids grow up in doesn't help either. Guys come into college with almost zero knowledge of the game and all think they're the next Curry or Durant as 18 year olds.Thank the 3-point line and the 30-second shot clock for a large part of that. The analytics say don't bother shooting the ball from 10-20 feet when a 22-footer counts 50% more. And the 30-second shot clock forces a bunch of low-quality shots being jacked up.
We'd see a hell of a lot more "good" basketball IMO over time if the line was moved back another 3-4 feet, or just removed altogether. Off-the ball screens, cuts, passing, post play....real basketball.....it would all come back over time (and it would take some time), because it would have to if teams wanted to be good. Dribble drives with 3 or 4 guys standing outside the arc waiting for a kick-out pass is ugly, and that's about all we see now.
The AAU culture that most of these kids grow up in doesn't help either. Guys come into college with almost zero knowledge of the game and all think they're the next Curry or Durant as 18 year olds.
Maybe. I don't know.There's no doubt. But IMO the cause and effect is that the 3-pointer and shot clock encourages the kind of play that we see. If guys can knock down 3-pointers at somewhere between a 30-40% clip, there's no point in playing anything else than what amounts to a dribble-drive offense with guys camped around the 3-point line. That IS the best offensive strategy.
Move the line back a few more feet and add some time to the shot clock, and all the analytics that say the isolate and spread the floor, constant high pick and roll offenses are the most efficient would no longer say that. Passing, cutting, screening, post play and working for shots closer to the basket would be what everyone would work toward and then we'd see the game for the better. IMO.
Maybe. I don't know.
Ultimately I think the problem with the college game from an entertainment perspective is that the gap between the pros and the college kids is so much more noticeable in that sport because the missed shots and turnovers are so glaring. I think people don't notice the gap quite as much in college football because the differences are more in the subtleties of the game that most fans don't pay attention to anyway like line play, route running, pre snap reads, etc.
I watch college football on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday and there's not a massive difference between the two from a viewing experience. College basketball vs the NBA might as well be a different sport these days.
The modern nba game is garbage.skill level of the individual players is fairly significant in terms of ball handling and shooting. i really don't like watching the modern nba game, but there is no doubt on the skill of the players especially some of the bigs.
gonzaga by far is the leading offensive team in the country, but statistically are not a great 3-pt shooting team. they have a few players who are very good at 3's, but there offense isn't built around the 3 and they emphasize ball movement, players moving without the ball, and pushing the ball up the court.
all of those things could be done by other teams, but i think it takes a great degree of trust by few and his staff as they don't micromanage possessions
Can't remember the last time I watched even a minute of an NBA game. Years and years.The modern nba game is garbage.
Maybe. I don't know.
Ultimately I think the problem with the college game from an entertainment perspective is that the gap between the pros and the college kids is so much more noticeable in that sport because the missed shots and turnovers are so glaring. I think people don't notice the gap quite as much in college football because the differences are more in the subtleties of the game that most fans don't pay attention to anyway like line play, route running, pre snap reads, etc.
I watch college football on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday and there's not a massive difference between the two from a viewing experience. College basketball vs the NBA might as well be a different sport these days.
Agree. I watch almost no NBA basketball until the playoffs. But I think casual basketball fans who have no specific college team allegiance likely find the NBA to be a far better viewing experience than college because the skill level is so noticeably higher.Agreed that difference in college and professional is much worse in basketball than football. I find college basketball hard to watch. Not that NBA is much better.
I think there is different reasons why the game isn’t as enjoyable as it has been. One is a segment of coaches don’t know how to coach at a faster pace which leads to teams that look like they have no clue. Another is that kids are not taught the basic skills needed to play the game. Us and Canada are the only countries that don’t use the 24 second shot clock in games at the youth level.
I enjoy watching Gonzaga and Baylor because they are well coached not just talented. I’m an unabashed Jay Wright fan because he plays an entertaining style on offense and is strong on defense. Honestly I don’t think coaching across the board is very good but there’s a few that are good.