Wichita Eagle: Big 12 Conference

Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 report (Feb. 7)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:41 CST

Capable Cyclones

Iowa State is looking more and more like a NCAA Tournament team.

Thanks to recent wins over Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma, the Cyclones are beginning to earn national respect and are on the verge of breaking into the Top 25.

Big 12 race tightens up

DAVE SKRETTA — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:26 CST

Kansas coach Bill Self is sticking by the prediction he made back in October, before the season began and long before the Big 12 race started heating up.

Four losses will still mean a chance to win the league. Three may be good enough to do it outright.

The eighth-ranked Jayhawks had a two-game lead heading into last weekend, but a loss at Iowa State on Saturday bunched up the standings.

Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 Report (Jan. 31)

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:57 CST

Given Billy Gillispie’s history, it’s easy to see how the man in charge of the Texas Tech basketball program could be frustrated with the way things are going.

Not only are the Red Raiders (7-13, 0-8) without a Big 12 win, they are struggling to stay competitive. Their closest defeat against a conference opponent is eight points. Three losses have come by more than 20.

But despite those struggles, he is staying upbeat.

Big 12 expansion still in play

Blair Kerkhoff — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:03 CST

More growth for the Big 12?

The subject gained steam on Wednesday when the league’s four-member expansion committee met during a teleconference.

According to a report in the Chronicle of Higher Education, which quoted two anonymous sources, Louisville and Brigham Young were back in play for league membership.

Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 report (Jan. 17)

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:53 CST

No college basketball coach enjoys watching his team lose three of its first four conference games, but Kansas State’s Frank Martin knows how to handle it better than most.

“It seems like a yearly occurrence, doesn’t it?” said Martin following the Wildcats’ 82-73 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. “We sit here and we’re 1-3 in league play.”

Since starting the conference season with five straight wins in 2008, K-State must battle back from a sub-.500 record in Big 12 play for the fourth straight year. First came an 0-4 start in 2009, then came a loss at Missouri to start 2010 and then there was a 2-5 opening last year.

Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 Report (Jan. 10)

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:47 CST

Look who’s hot

It didn’t take long for Iowa State to emerge as the Big 12’s most surprising basketball team.

One week after conference play began and already the Cyclones own two wins over teams that were picked to contend for a league championship when the season began. First came a solid 77-71 home victory over Texas. Then came a jaw-dropping 74-50 blowout win against Texas A&M at Reed Arena.

Iowa State falls in Pinstripe Bowl

Associated Press — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:32 CST

Chas Dodd hit Brandon Coleman for an 86-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter and Jawan Jamison ran for two scores to lead Rutgers over Iowa State 27-13 in the Pinstripe Bowl on Friday in New York.

The Scarlet Knights (9-4) ran their bowl winning streak to five and improved to 2-0 this season at Yankee Stadium, where they beat Army last month. Rutgers, which played in one bowl game before 2005, is 5-1 in the postseason under coach Greg Schiano.

The Cyclones (6-7) finished the season on a three-game losing streak, their last win coming on Nov. 18 in Ames, Iowa, when they pulled off the biggest upset of the season against Oklahoma State.

Mizzou survives scare from ODU

Associated Press — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:36 CST

Marcus Denmon scored 17 of his 19 points after halftime and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 61 seconds to play Friday night as No. 8 Missouri survived a scare against Old Dominion with a 75-68 victory at Norfolk, Va.

Kim English added 16 points for the Tigers (13-0), who continued their best start since opening 19-0 in 1981-82. They got all they could handle in their first true road game under first-year coach Frank Haith from the Colonial Athletic Association power.

Old Dominion (6-7) was spurred on by a raucous sellout crowd and able to match the Tigers physically. The game was tied 67-all before Denmon hit his fourth 3-pointer with 1:01 to go. He added both ends of a one-and-one with 42 seconds left to make it 72-67.

OSU's Blackmon a vibrant option

JOHN MARSHALL — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. —Even sitting behind a table, Justin Blackmon looks the part of the nation's best receiver.

Graceful and confident, Blackmon is almost coiled into the chair, appearing as if he's about to spring up to blow past a defender or power through a tackler at any moment.

He's even more impressive on the field and in film.

Sooners look to finish positively

JOHN MARSHALL — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

TEMPE, Ariz. —As Oklahoma's defensive captain and one of the most eloquent players on either side of the ball, Travis Lewis had become a go-to guy for reporters, someone who could provide a non-slanted assessment of the team.

So when the senior linebacker zipped up over the final six weeks of the season, it was a pretty good indication of just how disappointing the year had gone for the Sooners.

"Everybody knew the expectations going into this season — the fans did, we did, the coaches did," Lewis said after breaking his silence on Wednesday. "The most disappointing thing is we felt like we had that team. We felt like we had all the pieces in place this year. And we didn't meet expectations."

OU's Stoops has many Iowa ties

JOHN MARSHALL — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. —The banquet before bowl games can be an awkward dance, the coaching staffs of two teams about to play each other forced to mingle in a semi-public setting.

The shindig for the Insight Bowl on Tuesday night wasn't the typical small-talk affair, filled instead with belly-laugh stories, slaps on the back, mutual admiration.

Even with their teams facing each other three days later, the coaches at Oklahoma and Iowa treated the banquet as if it were a reunion, which, in many ways, it was with all the ties between the two staffs.

Missouri exits Big 12 with win

DAVID BRANDT — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

SHREVEPORT, La. —James Franklin's hard running and timely passing led Missouri to an easy win in its final game as a member of the Big 12. It also gives the Tigers plenty of hope heading into their new home in the Southeastern Conference.

Franklin ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, and the Tigers easily beat North Carolina 41-24 in the Independence Bowl on Monday night.

Missouri (8-5) ends the season on a four-game winning streak for the first time since 1965. The Tigers will join the SEC next fall and showed one reason they should be a factor immediately: The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Franklin, a sophomore who generally did as he pleased in both the running and passing games.

Heisman hasn't changed Griffin

Kate Hairopoulos — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

SAN ANTONIO — Hotel guests in Orlando and New York City earlier this month might've had the rare opportunity to pump iron with an imminent Heisman Trophy winner if they hit the gym while Baylor 's Robert Griffin III was working out during the college football awards circuit.

Griffin said he carved out time on the road to keep up with his training regimen during the buildup to his Dec. 10 Heisman win, so that he'd be ready for Thursday's Valero Alamo Bowl game against Washington.

"I was in there with the rest of the hotel people," the quarterback said Monday. "The (gym) in Florida was open, so everyone could see in.... People were saying 'what's he doing? It's 12 at night. Why isn't he sleeping?'"

Missouri ready for move to SEC

DAVID BRANDT — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

SHREVEPORT, La. —Big changes are coming for the football programs at Missouri and North Carolina. Before they happen, there's one more football game to play.

The Tigers and Tar Heels meet today in the Independence Bowl, and both teams have become quite experienced at juggling questions about their long-term future with the upcoming matchup. Players and coaches are adamant the focus will be squarely on the field.

"We're expecting to play our best game," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "And we expect North Carolina to play their best game."

TCU slips by Lousiana Tech

BERNIE WILSON — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

SAN DIEGO — Casey Pachall highlighted a record-setting game with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Skye Dawson with 4:26 left to lift No. 16 TCU to a 31-24 victory against Louisiana Tech in the Poinsettia Bowl on Wednesday night.

It was the eighth straight victory for Mountain West Conference champion TCU (11-2), which moves to the Big 12 next year. It was the third time this season TCU overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to win, including a 36-35 victory at Boise State on Nov. 12, the Broncos' only loss.

Pachall was 15 of 29 for 206 yards. He set school single-season records with 228 completions, 2,921 yards and a completion percentage of 66.5, breaking marks previously held by Andy Dalton.

Baylor holds on for win at BYU

Associated Press — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:05 CST

Perry Jones III scored a career-high 28 points, Brady Heslip hit six three-pointers and No. 6 Baylor edged Brigham Young 86-83 on Saturday at Provo, Utah.

Brandon Davies had a chance to force overtime but his three-point attempt at the buzzer was blocked by 5-foot-10 Pierre Jackson.

The Bears are off to the third 9-0 start in school history and best under coach Scott Drew. The Cougars absorbed their second nonconference loss in their last 50 home games.

Okla. State Cowboys rally to beat Missouri State

Associated Press — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:53 CST

Oklahoma State overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to beat Missouri State 72-67 on Wednesday night in Springfield, Mo.

Le'Bryan Nash led the Cowboys (6-2) with 19 points, and Kelton Page added 15. Jean-Paul Olukemi had 13 and Michael Cobbins 10.

Kyle Weems led Missouri State (5-3) with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Jarmar Gulley had 19 points.

Bedlam rises to new level in tonight's game

JEFF LATZKE — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:04 CST

STILLWATER, Okla. —In more than a century's worth of Bedlam games, the stakes have never been higher for Oklahoma State.

The Cowboys (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) are No. 3, matching their highest ranking ever heading into the annual rivalry game against No. 13 Oklahoma (9-2, 6-2), and they still have an outside chance at getting into the national championship game with an impressive win tonight.

At the least, the in-state showdown is a substitute for the Big 12 championship game, which went away when the league shrank to 10 teams this year.

Kellis Robinett's Big 12 Report (Nov. 29)

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 06:51 CST

Even though the Big 12 championship game is no more, the conference will end the football regular season with a bang this weekend.

Instead of one game determining who wins the league title, Big 12 fans will be blessed with two.

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (7 p.m.) is the main event. Their annual Bedlam matchup will decide who earns the Big 12's automatic berth to a BCS bowl. If the Sooners win, they will head to the Fiesta Bowl. If the Cowboys win, they will hold out hope for a spot in the BCS title game.

Sooners roll by ISU, into Bedlam

Associated Press — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:05 CST

With an assist from Mother Nature, No. 12 Oklahoma got its defense back in order and set up a Bedlam showdown for the Big 12 championship.

Landry Jones threw for 256 yards, Wichitan Blake Bell punched in two short touchdown runs and the host Sooners limited Iowa State to a season-low 245 yards in a 26-6 victory on Saturday.

Rebounding after allowing a school-record 616 yards allowed last week in a 45-38 loss at Baylor, Oklahoma allowed points only when James Winchester's snap sailed over the head of OU punter Tress Way in the first quarter.