Wichita Eagle: Big 12 Conference

K-State tops Texas Tech 4-3 in Big 12 baseball opener; KU wins

Kellis Robinett — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:31 CDT

For Kansas State, the hardest part of a 4-3 victory over Texas Tech on the opening day of the Big 12 baseball tournament at Bricktown Ballpark might have been waiting for it to start.

Baseball hasn’t felt like a priority for the Wildcats since arriving in Oklahoma City on Monday. Players watched news telecasts of the tornado destruction in nearby Moore, adjusted their schedules to the tournament’s new format on Tuesday and provided help and nearly $3,000 worth of supplies to the disaster relief effort on Wednesday.

Then, when they tried to turn their focus to winning the conference tournament on Thursday they were met with thunderstorms and a three-hour delay.

Kansas State may have much at stake in Big 12 baseball tournament

Kellis Robinett — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:13 CDT

The Big 12 baseball tournament is usually Kansas State’s final opportunity to prove it is worthy of an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.

Things are different this year. The Wildcats have something bigger to play for.

They are in Oklahoma City as the No. 1 seed, fully aware they will be selected for a regional next week and with a high seed. But they don’t know where they will play their first game.

Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops ignites more Big 12 vs. SEC debate

BLAIR KERKHOFF — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:08 CDT

When sharing opinions, Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops is more confident than controversial and has often defended the Big 12.

But this latest thrust into the national spotlight — Stoops seemed to question the overall strength of the Southeastern Conference in an interview with the Tulsa World at a fan gathering earlier this week — has touched a nerve nationally.

Stoops was asked about an achievement gap between the SEC, which has won the last seven BCS national championships, and other conferences.

Dallas Cowboys draft Wichita’s Joseph Randle in fifth round

Sun, 05 May 2013 08:14 CDT

The Dallas Cowboys selected Oklahoma State running back and Wichita native Joseph Randle in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday.

Randle, who scored 43 touchdowns in three seasons in Stillwater, graduated from Southeast High.

The Cowboys picked Randle with the 18th pick in the round and the 151st overall selection. Joining Arthur Brown and Chris Harper, Wichita has three players picked in the same draft of the first time.

Big 12 notebook: Third time was no charm for hyped Iowa State

Blair Kerkhoff — Wed, 01 May 2013 17:30 CDT

The emotion figured to favor Iowa State in the Big 12 semifinal.

The Cyclones had dropped both regular-season contests with Kansas in overtime, the second in a game so controversial the Big 12 saw fit to announce punishment of officials for errors made in the game that favored the Jayhawks.

So, how did Iowa State come away with its second worst loss of the year, 88-73?

Iowa State comes back to beat Oklahoma in Big 12 quarterfinal

BLAIR KERKHOFF — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:24 CDT

The Iowa State locker room was a mixture of anger and remorse after the Cyclones’ lost to Kansas last month. But mostly anger.

“Coach came in there, and he was fired up,” Iowa State guard Tyrus McGee said.

All of the Cyclones were that night, sure that an opportunity for victory had been seized by the officials. Because it was the second crushing loss to the Jayhawks, the only chance to meet KU again, short of a long NCAA Tournament run, would be in the Big 12 Tournament.

Big 12 notes: Do trendy shorts help shooters shoot? Tough call

Wed, 01 May 2013 17:00 CDT

In the minutes after Kansas’ 91-63 victory over Texas Tech on Thursday afternoon, Kansas coach Bill Self faced a minor dilemma.

His team had played well, shooting a scorching 66 percent from the field. They had achieved this while wearing shorts that could have been mistaken for any number of garish clothing items. Pick your pop-culture reference: 1990s Zubaz pants, maybe something from M.C. Hammer’s closet (C’mon Jayhawks, don’t hurt ’em!), maybe even a summer swimsuit.

“They feel like swimming trunks,” KU senior Elijah Johnson said.

Bit 12 notes: Baylor has left itself with work to do

Blair Kerkhoff — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 23:41 CDT

The participants of major conference tournaments can be broken down into several categories.

There are those looking to hold their lofty position, perhaps improve a NCAA Tournament seed, like Big 12 co-champions Kansas and Kansas State, along with Oklahoma State.

Some appear on the right side of the NCAA bubble and look to avoid slippage. That’s Iowa State and Oklahoma.

Big 12 Tournament outlook

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 23:42 CDT

1. Kansas

Record: 26-5, 14-4 Big 12

Coach: Bill Self

Jeff Withey, Ben McLemore, Rodney McGruder part of AP All-Big 12 basketball team

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:21 CDT

Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart is The Associated Press Big 12 men’s basketball Player of the Year.

And he’s also the league’s top freshman. He’s only the third player to hold both awards at the same time.

In voting by a panel of AP members released Monday, Smart got 10 of 17 votes as player of the year. He got 14 points for top freshman.

Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 report (March 11)

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:12 CDT

It’s Baylor’s time

Under Scott Drew, Baylor basketball has become notorious for two things: underachieving during the regular season and thriving in the postseason.

That seems likely to continue.

Weber, McGruder earn Big 12 honors

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 06:58 CDT

Kansas State basketball coach Bruce Weber was voted Big 12 Coach of the Year on Sunday by the conference’s coaches.

The honor came as no surprise. Weber was the front-runner heading into awards season following his successful first season with the Wildcats. He led the to a 25-6 record and their first conference championship since 1977.

Weber has now a Coach of the Year award in three different conferences. He previously won the honor with Southern Illinois in the Missouri Valley and Illinois in the Big Ten.

KU’s Angel Goodrich, K-State’s Brittany Chambers on All-Big 12 women’s team

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:22 CST

Kansas’ Angel Goodrich and Kansas State’s Brittany Chambers were named to the 10-player All-Big 12 Conference women’s team, chosen by the league’s coaches.

Goodrich, a 5-foot-4 senior from Tahlequah, Okla., averages 14.1 points and 6.9 assists.

Chambers, a 5-8 senior from Belle Plaine, Minn., averages 20.2 points and 7.5 rebounds. She was also named scholar-athlete of the year.

Big 12 Player of the Year still anyone’s guess

RUSTIN DODD — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:38 CST

Jeff Withey had an ambitious goal, something he’d been mulling all offseason. But he preferred to keep it secret, like a seasonlong covert operation as he began his final year at Kansas.

This was back in the fall, and Withey and the Jayhawks had yet to play a game. Perhaps it felt odd for the mild-mannered Withey to say anything that might be perceived as brash. So he quietly stumbled into his goal.

“I want to be the Big 12 player of the year,” Withey said. “But we’ll see. I don’t want to make any predictions or anything like that. That’s just a personal goal.”

Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 Report (March 4)

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:09 CST

IS IT SATURDAY YET?

You won’t hear any Big 12 coaches or basketball players ask that question this week. They will stick with the politically-correct approach until Kansas hosts Texas Tech on Monday and Kansas State takes on TCU on Tuesday. But they have got to be looking forward to the weekend as much as the rest of us.

That’s when the Big 12 championship will be decided in two games, assuming the Jayhawks and Wildcats, who are tied for first, take care of business at home against the two worst teams in the league.

Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 Report (Feb. 4)

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:47 CST

Oklahoma State didn’t cause a seismic shift in the Big 12 basketball standings by upsetting Kansas over the weekend at Allen Fieldhouse, but the Cowboys might as well have.

The race for a conference championship no longer seems like a coronation. Now it’s up for grabs.

The Jayhawks’ 18-game winning streak is gone and so is their aura of invincibility at home. Oklahoma State proved visiting teams can win in Lawrence. Suddenly, the five teams within two games of Kansas in the conference standings – Kansas State, Oklahoma, Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma State – all have renewed hopes of winning the Big 12.

Big 12 looking at three other conferences for alliances

BLAIR KERKHOFF — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 00:09 CST

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby has repeatedly said his league prefers its 10-team membership. Protecting it could mean alliances with other conferences.

But Bowlsby told the Austin American-Statesman on Friday that the Big 12 has had conversations with three other conferences — only the ACC was identified — to discuss scheduling, marketing, bowl games and perhaps television partnerships.

The Big 12 has an alliance with the 14-team Southeastern Conference for the Sugar Bowl, starting in the 2014 season and has had discussions with that conference about a possible basketball challenge series.

Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 Report (Jan. 21)

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:36 CST

Bob Huggins hasn’t suffered through a losing season since he was Akron’s coach in 1985. He has won 20 or more games 23 times and advanced to two Final Fours since.

But the way this season is going, with the Mountaineers off to an 8-9 start and one victory in Big 12 games, that streak may be coming to an end. Unless they get things turned around, they will struggle to finish .500.

“We find different ways to shoot ourselves in the foot,” Huggins said. “I’ve never had a season or a team like this.”

Report: Budke’s plane repaired before crash

JEANNIE NUSS — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:50 CST

A plane carrying two Oklahoma State University basketball coaches and a couple ferrying them to Arkansas for a recruiting trip was inspected and its muffler repaired about a week before it crashed, killing all four people on board, according to a report released this week.

The single-engine plane had an annual inspection on Nov. 8, 2011 — a little more than a week before it crashed on Nov. 17, 2011, near Perryville, Ark., about 45 miles northwest of Little Rock, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report dated Thursday and sent to reporters Friday.

“During the annual inspection, the mechanic noted that the muffler was inspected, removed, weld repaired, and reinstalled,” the report said.

Kellis Robinett’s Big 12 Report (Jan. 14)

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:32 CST

Longhorns short on wins

Take a look at the bottom of the Big 12 standings to find something strange.

Below struggling Texas Tech and overmatched TCU sits Texas, winless in league games and the only team in the conference without a winning overall record.