Bleacher Report - Big 12 Basketball

Baylor's Defense Has the Potential to be an Opponent's Nightmare

Jameson Fleming — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:20:32 -0500

ORLANDO-- It's been no secret that Baylor basketball has had its issues on the defensive end of the floor during Scott Drew's tenure.

Those struggles could be on their way out as Drew has a roster that looks radically different. A much improved Josh Lomers anchors the paint at a towering seven feet. His wingman are equally impressive as small forward Anthony Jones isn't so small. The sophomores is a skinny, but absurdly long 6'10''. Ekpe Udoh plays the four and five as another wirey 6'10'' big man.

That front line makes for a perfect fit for the 2-3 zone defense.

"We've been a man team for the last couple years, but we went zone at the end of last year and it did pretty well," Drew said. "We really have a team with a lot of length so we decided to start out the year with it. So far its been pretty good."

Pretty good is the key word here. The zone was impenetrable against Xavier in Sunday's fifth place game. Against Iona it was good, not great, but when Alabama opened its Old Spice Classic against Baylor, the Crimson Tide shred it pieces.

Each night Scott Drew has been a broken record trying to explain the defense's difficulties, but also its improvement, "We are the ninth youngest college basketball team with only four upperclassmen. So it's going to talk some time to reach your potential."

That improvement is very noticeable.

After Alabama ran up-and-down the court scoring at will, Baylor clamped down on Iona limiting second chance opportunities and dominating the paint with its ridiculous size.

But against the Gaels, the Bears still struggled to identify the shooters in the zone as Iona knocked down 12-of-28 three-point attempts. Baylor also several missed assignments that led to some confusion during the post-game press conference.

I asked Drew why he went to a 1-3-1 zone defense for about two possessions and Drew confusingly laughed.

"If we went to a 1-3-1 I didn't know about it. We must have had some missed assignments."

There was no 1-3-1/2-3 hybrid zone defense Sunday against Xavier. There were few missed assignments and Baylor's thin, but tall and long front line held up nicely against Xavier's monstrous, bulky front court.

For Baylor the personnel isn't the only difference.

"Love and dedication, said senior point guard Tweety Carter. "That's the difference. It's communicating. As leaders [He and Ekpe Udoh] of this team we preach defense in practice. It's what coach preaches every practice."

That love is clear with each smile and the demonstrative body language from Ekpe Udoh each time he blocked a shot.

The green and gold's success up front starts with a man known as the Nightmare.

Michigan transfer Ekpe Udoh is a menace around the basket. The lanky power forward/center is a dangerous shot blocker, but also an offensive force. Udoh's offensive game is quickly catching up to his defense.

In just three games in the Old Spice Classic, Udoh rejected 13 shots and grabbed 30 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards.

He can play the wing in the zone or anchor the middle when seven footer Josh Lomers isn't in the game.

His versatility on offense is just as valuable as his defense as Udoh is a long range threat who can handle the ball if needed to. He has the ability to pound the glass and finish his teammates' misses. His impact and the teams' improved defense allows Baylor to win even when star guard LaceDarius Dunn posts a 2-14 shooting day.

"It's a good thing for a coach when we win like that because it shows we don't need all our players to have their best games to win," Drew said.

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Kansas Jayhawks Gobble Up Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, Improve to 5-0

Neil Powell — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:09:01 -0500

In last Wednesday night's win over Oakland, the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks got only 13 points combined from preseason All-Americans Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins, but still managed a 30-point blowout.

The Jayhawks' opponent on Friday evening at Allen Fieldhouse, Tennessee Tech didn't look to have a much better chance.

The Golden Eagles played Oakland at home earlier this season and lost by 21 points.

Also, the school had never played a No. 1 opponent in its history.

Just two of the many factors that weighed heavily in home team's favor.

Coach Bill Self's Jayhawks had no problem extending it's current home winning streak to 45, the nation's longest.

Kansas used an early 14-1 run to build a 27-9 lead.

Tennessee Tech, led by senior guard Frank Davis' 23 points, went on an 8-0 run of its own to cut the lead to ten, 27-17, much to coach Self's dismay.

After a fiery timeout Kansas finished the half on a 15-3 run to take a 53-31 lead to the break.

Tyshawn Taylor, who had been struggling coming into the contest (27 percent shooting), had 13 of his team-high 18 points in the first 20 minutes.

The second half was much of the same as the Jayhawks got contributions from everyone.

Of the 13 players that got in the game, 12 of them scored including five in double-figures.

Team leaders Collins and Aldrich had big games. Collins hit four three-point shots and Aldrich posted a double-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and three assists.

Freshman phenom Xavier Henry added 15 points and has scored in double figures in the first five games of his career.

Even seldom used sophomore guard Jordan Juenemann, who had yet to score a point in his career as a Jayhawk, got his moment in the sun with six points in two minutes of action.

Kansas shot 60 percent from the field and 47 percent from behind the arc in the 112-75 victory.

Seven players hit three-pointers in the win.

Notes: Sophomore forward Markieff Morris, who was 2-2 from behind the arc on the evening, is 14-15 from the field on the season.

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Star-Studded Jayhawks Feast on Grizzlies 89-59

Neil Powell — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:14:18 -0500

As Kansas coach Bill Self sits down for Thanksgiving dinner, one would have to assume he will be thankful for the collection of talent that he has assembled this season.

Wednesday night, the top-ranked Jayhawks took to the Allen Fieldhouse court to face a credible Oakland squad some have predicted to win the Summit League this year.

The Golden Grizzlies return five starters from last year's 23 win team and boast the preseason conference player of the year, point guard Jonathon Jones, and 6'11" junior center Keith Benson, a potential NBA first round pick.

Benson, who was a roommate of Kansas center Cole Aldrich at last summer's Amare Stoudemire Skills Camp, showed why he came into the game with such hype.

He outplayed Aldrich all night, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds and four blocks.

Aldrich, on the other hand, had one the more forgettable offensive performances of his Kansas career. He scored just four points, hitting on two of his 10 attempts from the field.

Having your star player completely dominated would lead to big problems for most teams.

Not Kansas. They were cool like pumpkin pie.

The Jayhawks cooked, sliced and smeared gravy all over the Grizzlies before devoured them.

KU used a 13-2 run to put Oakland at arms reach and Marcus Morris' team high 11 points helped Kansas build a 37-22 lead at the half.

Freshman forward Xavier Henry ignited the run with an awesome, high-flying, alley-oop dunk courtesy of Sherron Collins, prompting the crowd to cross their arms to make an "X" in celebration of what's to come from this budding superstar.

Both Henry and Collins had nine points at the break.

Despite seemingly having momentum, the Jayhawks came at flat to start the second half.

Oakland took advantage, cutting the lead down to 39-28 before coach Self called of his "hide-tanning" time outs.

The Jayhawks responded by immediately going on a 14-5 run, extending a comfortable lead that would not be relinquished.

The Jayhawks would cruise to a 89-59 victory.

Marcus Morris displayed his continued improvement and looked like the best player on the court.

He finished the game with a career high 19 points to go with a team high 11 rebounds.

Xavier Henry tied Morris for the team lead with 19 points as both players scored in a variety of ways.

Despite the poor offensive effort, Aldrich finished with nine rebounds and three blocks.

Tyrel Reed had 11 points off the bench and six different Jayhawks made three–point shots.

Coach Self and Jayhawk fans had to be a little satisfied even before sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner.

NOTES: When evaluating talent, the experts look for players who can create "special" plays.

Whether it be off the dribble moves, eye-popping athleticism, fantastic footwork or great anticipation, these are the qualities that separate the best from the best.

In the game with Oakland, Kansas players provided many of these type of plays, from a multitude of the teams roster.

Here's some examples:

Aldrich blocked a shot, to himself, then made a sweet outlet pass to Tyshawn Taylor. Taylor drove the bucket and mad a strong lay-up at full speed while switching hands in mid air with a defender all over him.

Xavier Henry soared like a future dunk champion, twice for massive alley-oop dunks on pin-point passes from crafty veteran Collins.

Reed drove hard to the basket on a fast-break, then made a hesitation move reminiscent of Chris Paul to score.

Elijah Johnson drove hard to the hoop and took it right at the 240 pound Benson. Benson fouled Johnson hard, but Johnson managed to power the ball through the contact for the hoop and the foul. He made the free throw.

6-9 forward Markieff Morris swatted a shot into the third row then later stepped back to drain one from behind the arc.

Freshman forward Thomas Robinson showed great feet catching a pass 12 feet from the basket, faced-up his defender, gave a ball fake and blew by him for a flush.

On his way to a double-double, Marcus Morris scored every way imaginable including turn-around, face-up, step-back, fade-away, behind the arc and at the charity stripe.

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Six Things to Be Thankful For in the Big 12 North

Chase McCarthy — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:32:09 -0500

When family and friends come together on Thanksgiving, many give thanks to good health, a good job, and a happy family. Today, give thanks to what has been an already exciting four months of football and basketball in the Big 12 North.

6. Colorado's Alec Burks

Colorado football fans have not had much to cheer for this year, but many have much to be excited about in basketball. Colorado came into the season with low expectations, but one freshman named Alec Burks has made a huge difference. In six games, he is averaging 16 points, including a 19-point performance against Arizona.

With Burks, Colorado has two scoring threats on the floor, which will make it tough for any defense to key in on one shooter the entire game. Burks is the spark coach Bzdelik needed to jump-start this program.

5. Iowa State's Paul Rhoads

After Gene Chizek left Iowa State for Auburn, athletic director Jamie Pollard knew he needed a football coach who understood what it takes to win at Iowa State. When he hired Paul Rhoads, who knew what type of turnaround he would have in his first year? A four-win difference in his first year at Iowa State has coach Rhoads as a hot commodity in the college football world. Since he is from the Ames area, don't expect him to leave anytime soon.

4. Kansas' Xavier Henry

Kansas was already going to be a preseason No. 1, returning everone from the 2008-2009 squad, but adding Xavier Henry to the team adds more depth to the Jayhawks. Not only does he lead the Jayhawks in PPG, but now Tyshawn Taylor and Tyrel Reed can come off the bench and still give the Jayhawks a talented backcourt while giving Henry a rest. The addition of Xavier gives the Jayhawks an edge to win the title in 2010.

3. Nike's Recognition of Missouri's Football Program

Missouri has been a very consistent football program that may not have gotten the recognition it deserves. Nike has changed that this weekend, at least. Missouri is one of 11 programs that Nike has chosen to introduce its new pro combat uniforms. Now this wouldn't be a big deal, but the company wanted to recognize what they considered to be the 11 elite programs in the country.

Even though Mizzou hasn't won a national championship, Nike believes that Missouri has a bright future ahead. This added creditability to Pinkel and his staff for what they have done will help Mizzou continue to recruit well and be a top-tier program.

2. Bo Pelini's Defense

In two years, Bo Pelini has taken the worst defense in the Big 12 to No. 2 in the Big 12, behind Texas. Bo Pelini has brought back the Blackshirts to dominance once again and developed players like Suh and Crick into top defensive lineman. Bo Pelini has captured his first Big 12 championship game appearance and with the improvement he has made on defense, don't expect it to be the last. Nebraska being back gives the Big 12 north more creditability as a top-tier football division.

1. Bill Snyder's Return to Kansas State

Bill Snyder was one win away from winning the north in his first year back at Kansas State. Even though the Wildcats will not play in a bowl game, Snyder has gotten the them back into the spotlight again. With Snyder back, it gives the Big 12 North three great programs in Missouri, Kansas State, and Nebraska that will garner national recognition in 2010 as part of the toughest division in college football.

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Texas's Dogus Balbay Is Quietly Making a Name for Himself

Dino Nicandros — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:39:58 -0500

He isn't one of the better shooters on the floor.

He's not the tallest guy on the floor, either.

However, junior point guard Dogus Balbay may very well be the hardest working player on Rick Barnes's squad.

Texas's 78-62 win over Pitt on Tuesday night was a coming out party for Texas's athletic point guard. For anyone who has never really watched Balbay play, they got a pretty good idea of just how ferocious he is.

Balbay had 10 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals on the night, easily the most complete performance of anyone on the court.

Balbay was flat out outstanding on defense as he was able to make life incredibly hard for Pitt's guards Travon Woodall and Ashton Gibbs.

Dogus's key play came with just over four minutes left in the game, when he stole the ball from Woodall in transition and dished it to Damion James. James capitalized with a Layup, pushing Texas's lead to 71-59 and essentially putting the game out of reach.

That was just one of many timely plays Balbay made over the course of the game.

Balbay was able to drive in to the lane and finish around the rim (four for six from the field), something he struggled with last season.

With Balbay keeping Pitt's aggressive defense honest with his driving ability, J'Covan Brown and Jordan Hamilton were able to knock down some big shots from three point range.

While Balbay has always been a good athlete, it is clear that he put in a great deal of work in the offseason.

A year ago he was a bit wild with the basketball, thundering in to the lane with no control.

Tonight he was in complete control and made some good plays around the rim whether he was scoring or dishing it off to someone else.

A year ago he would often hold the ball too long and then throw up a foolish shot.

Tonight he got Texas running up and down the court and made smart, quick passes to players who had clear mismatches down low.

With players like Damion James, Dexter Pittman, and a host of talented freshmen gracing the roster, it's easy to overlook the Turkish point guard.

That may be the very reason he could be one of Texas's greatest assets this season.

Teams will be loading up to stop James and Pittman down low and Bradley and Brown on the perimeter. If Balbay is able to improve his shooting slightly and continue his brilliant play driving in to the lane, he will make life easier on the other players.

Balbay is also good for getting to the free throw line four to five times a game (making the free throws is a different story, however).

Knock down-drag out games like the one Texas played against Pitt play to Balbay's strengths. He's not afraid of contact and he flat out gets after every loose ball. I have never seen a guard of his size (6'0", 175 lbs.) so keen on getting in on the action with the big boys down low.

Dogus Balbay's incredible athleticism and improved offensive skill set makes him one of the more complete players on the roster.

His progression this season will be key for Texas's run through the non-conference and Big 12 schedules.

If defenses continue to ignore Balbay, rest assured he will make them pay one way or another.

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Missouri Tigers' Hoops Class Climbing the Rankings

Ryan Faller — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:20:07 -0500

Ask and thou shall receive.

In the wake of the conclusion of the early signing period in college basketball, the question to which everyone sought an answer was this: How high would Missouri's class for 2010 rise in the eyes of recruiting evaluators, particularly considering the supersized splash that was made when the Tigers announced the signing of five-star swingman Tony Mitchell last week?

Propelled by Mitchell's commitment, as well as the September signing of four-star point guard Phil Pressey , Missouri's class for 2010 was recently ranked as the 12th-best in America, according to Rivals.com.

Meanwhile, ESPN.com recruiting service Scouts, Inc. has the Tigers listed at No. 14 , one slot above Big 12 rival Oklahoma.

The Memphis Tigers nabbed the No. 1 spot in both sets of rankings.

Prior to Mitchell's signing, which was made official on Nov. 17 , neither recruiting service had MU ranked in the top 25. However, both Scouts, Inc. and Rivals.com now consider the Tigers' class to be the best in the Big 12 .

The foursome of Mitchell, Pressey, shooting guard Ricky Kreklow , and forward Kadeem Green is Missouri's highest-rated recruiting class since 2004. That year, Marshall Brown, Glen Dandridge, Jason Horton, and Kalen Grimes combined to form a class ranked No. 13 by Rivals.com, although that group turned out to be a rather unproductive and troubled bunch.

As a whole, the 2004 class averaged a modest 4.4 points a game, with two of the four encountering legal turmoil during their tenures at MU.

Horton was suspended by head coach Mike Anderson toward the latter stages of his senior season in 2008 after assault charges were filed against him stemming from an altercation at an on-campus nightclub .

Grimes was dismissed from the program prior to his senior season after similar charges were brought against him for an incident that occurred in his hometown of Florissant, Mo., in July of 2007.

Dandridge, widely regarded as a Top 100 recruit, transferred to Lambuth University in Tennessee following his junior season.

With four players signed for next season, Missouri—barring a decommitment from a recruit or defection of a current player—does not have a scholarship available for the spring signing period, which begins on April 15.

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