Hoops Insider Inside One of College Basketball’S Premier Conferences | Compiled by Patrick Stevens, Special to Gatehouse Media
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HOOPS INSIDER INSIDE ONE OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL’S PREMIER CONFERENCES | COMPILED BY PATRICK STEVENS, SPECIAL TO GATEHOUSE MEDIA STORY OF THE WEEK RANKING THE LEAGUE * TCU’s run continues: The Horned Frogs’ winning streak sits at 13 dating back to the start of last year’s NIT after 1. Kansas (7-0): The Jayhawks smashed bolting to an 8-0 start this season. Jamie Dixon’s team has received a couple scares — a five-point defeat of South Toledo and Syracuse to remain perfect on Dakota and a one-possession victory over New Mexico — but has largely lived up to its preseason billing. TCU the season. Bill Self’s team has done nothing brought back its entire starting lineup this season, and it is blending the high-efficiency offense and stingy defense to suggest it won’t again be the team to beat that defined so many of Dixon’s teams at Pittsburgh. in the Big 12 race. (Last week: 1) STOCK RISING STOCK FALLING 2. Texas Christian (8-0): While Jamie Dixon’s late-stage Pitt teams didn’t endure brutal Devonte’ Graham: It turns out Kansas Baylor: It remains difficult to pick nonconference schedules, the Horned Frogs had a tested, veteran guard already on any Big 12 team given the quality get credit for taming quality mid-majors like in place to handle the responsibilities start to the season, but the Bears Belmont and Yale last week. (LW: 3) Frank Mason held last season. That have to be disappointed they couldn’t Graham is a capable guard who was get a split out of a brutal week. Baylor 3. West Virginia (7-1): The Mountaineers going to take some sort of step forward isn’t a surprise. lost at Xavier in the precisely the sort of intersectional have rattled off seven victories since an But it’s unlikely many saw his immediate star turn game that both rewards fans and prepares teams for opening night setback against Texas A&M coming in quite this way. After back-to-back 35-point March, then got knocked off at home by an exceptional and can honestly claim to be undefeated on nights last week, Graham is averaging 18.6 points, 4.6 Wichita State team. The Bears are far from a disaster this continent. (LW: 5) rebounds and 8.0 assists while shooting 47.3 percent — they did beat Wisconsin and Creighton just a week for the Jayhawks. Keep this up, and he’ll be in the same earlier — but this serves as a bit of a correction for Scott 4. Oklahoma (6-1): In Trae Young the Soon- national player of the year discussion Mason was in last Drew’s team. ers trust, and for good reason. It’s already season. clear Oklahoma will go as far as the talented freshman can take it. (LW: 6) 5. Baylor (6-2): The Bears had a tough week, WEEKEND SPOTLIGHT losing first at Xavier and then at home to Wichita State. Those opponents are both capable of deep postseason runs, and the losses will probably benefit Baylor in the long run. (LW: 2) 6. Texas Tech (6-1): An unbeaten run in nonconference play is out of the question as the Red Raiders lost to Seton Hall in a semi- road game in New York. They won’t leave Lubbock again until Big 12 play. (LW: 4) 7. Kansas State (7-1): No one should knock K-State for going on the road and winning a game against a power conference foe. At the same, it’s wise to recognize Vanderbilt had endured some early struggles and isn’t the same team it was last year. (LW: 9) 8. Texas (5-2): The Longhorns had a well- earned breather last week, defeating Florida A&M handily in their only game of the week. Michigan visits early next week in a curious test. (LW: 7) 9. Iowa State (5-2): Tied for the worst win- ning percentage in the Big 12 — at .714. In other words, it’s been a heck of an opening month for the conference. (LW: 8) 10. Oklahoma State (7-1): The Cowboys scheduled wisely with their untested team, and a loss to Texas A&M is nothing to worry about. Still, the competition stiffens with Wichita State arriving in town. (LW: 10) * Records through Dec. 4 NUMBERS OF NOTE Kansas’ Devonte Graham drives to the basket past the defense of Syracuse’s Frank Howard during the first half 254 at the HoopHall Miami Invitational tournament Dec. 2 in Miami. The Jayhawks won 76-60. [Gaston DE CARDENAS/ Career steals for West Virginia’s Jevon Carter (below) THE associated PRESS] who passed early 1980s Mountaineer Greg Jones for the top spot on the school’s all-time list Arizona State vs. Kansas Weekend slate All times CST 10 Sunday, Noon CST, Allen Fieldhouse, Time Game TV Years since a freshman led the country in scoring in Lawrence, Kan., ESPN SATURDAY November. Oklahoma’s Trae Young did that, becoming This will not be boring, not with the Jay- 3 p.m. Wichita State at Oklahoma State ESPN2 the first freshman to do so since Indiana’s Eric Gordon hawks rolling along with five players 6 p.m. Baylor vs. Randall in 2007 averaging in double figures through seven 7 p.m. West Virginia at Pittsburgh ESPN2 games. While Devonte’ Graham is the 7 p.m. Kansas State vs. Tulsa FSKC headliner, both Svi Mykhailiuk and Lagerald 3 SUNDAY Vick are both averaging more than 16 points Double-doubles on the season for Iowa State guard 5 p.m. Alcorn State at Iowa State Cyclones.tv and and Kansas is dropping 92 points per Nick Weiler-Babb, whose latest came in a 12-point, contest on its largely overmatched foes. In 11-assist outing against Northern Illinois on Monday other words, it seems like a typical year is underway in Lawrence. It’s definitely not business as usual for the Sun Devils, who have blossomed into one of the best offensive teams in the country in coach Bob Hurley’s third season. The player to watch for Arizona State is guard Tra Holder, who scored 40 points in an upset of Xavier and has helped the Sun Devils surpass the 90-point plateau in all but one game. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK • G Jevon Carter, West • G Devonte’ Graham, • G Kamau Stokes, • G Trae Young, Okla- Virginia: Had 25 points, Kansas: Scored a Kansas State: Averaged homa: Dropped 32 points nine rebounds, six assists career-high 35 points 16 points, 3.5 rebounds and 10 assists on North and five steals in a blow- in back-to-back games and 5.5 assists as the Texas to help the Soon- out defeat of NJIT. against Toledo and Syra- Wildcats defeated Oral ers win their only game cuse while averaging 5.0 Roberts and Vanderbilt. of the week. West Virginia guard Jevon Carter. [PHELAN M. Ebenhack/ assists and 4.0 rebounds. 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