Offseason news and notes from the Big 12.
Baylor
Hard to believe that just two years before Baylor made a breakthrough appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Bears were dealing with NCAA sanctions prohibiting them from playing a nonconference schedule.
The penalty was the result of violations committed under former coach Dave Bliss as the program was rocked by the murder of former player Patrick Dennehy. A teammate, Carlton Dotson, was convicted of the crime.
Scott Drew agreed to take over the program and vowed to only look ahead. Although the entire Baylor athletic program reeled from the men's basketball scandal, national championships in women's basketball and tennis proved the Bears could compete.
Additional support from the athletic department, under the direction of a new director, Ian McCaw, included a doubling of the compliance staff. Solid prospects, whom Drew didn't hesitate to recruit, were drawn to the hoops program despite its recent troubles.
"I had a friend say, 'Are you really going to Baylor?"' guard Curtis Jerrells related to the Waco Tribune-Herald. "He told me someone got murdered there. But I knew that was in the past and they only had a few scholarship players and I would get the opportunity to play. I'm a competitor, and I love challenges."
Jerrells, Kevin Rogers and Henry Dugat were all top-100 national recruits when they signed in November 2004. Last season they helped Baylor record 20 wins for just the fourth time in history. That trio returns, along with all but one regular, guard Aaron Bruce, giving Baylor a chance to contend in the Big 12 after going 9-7 and tying for fourth last season.
Colorado
The most intriguing offseason development for Colorado was the interest the Chicago Bulls showed in Jeff Bzdelik.
The Buffaloes coach spoke with Bulls general manager John Paxton for several hours before Chicago eventually offered the job to Vinny Del Negro. The situation, however, emphasizes the respect Bzdelik commands in his profession.
Anyone who watched the Buffs grow last season seems certain Bzdelik will -- provided he's in Boulder long enough to see it through -- turn around the moribund program, which stagnated under previous coach Ricardo Patton. Colorado still finished last in the Big 12, going 12-20 overall and 3-13 in the conference, but showed steady improvement.
A deliberate offensive attack enabled the Buffs to hang with more talented teams. The need to upgrade the talent level is obvious, and the brief flirtation between Bzdelik and the Bulls is something that caught the attention of recruits.
Newcomers figure to play a huge role whatever rise Colorado hopes to mount. Three of the five freshmen who signed with the Buffs, Austin Dufault, Trey Eckloff and Ryan Kelley, arrived on campus for summer courses. Another signee, Toby Veal, represented a Team USA youth squad in France. And Nate Tomlinson spent the summer in his native Australia, where his father coaches a professional team.
This will be a team that figures to carry Bzdelik's stamp after he relied heavily in his first season at CU on a pair of existing guards, seniors Richard Roby and Marcus Hall.
Complete Buffaloes team report
Iowa State
Although transfers are common in the nomadic culture of college basketball, no program in the Big 12 was hit with as big an offseason stunner as Iowa State.
Wesley Johnson, a versatile standout who was the program's biggest star, elected to transfer to Syracuse, though the reasons he left remain mostly a mystery and create the perception outsiders may have tampered with the 6-foot-7 junior-to-be.
"He told me it was our relationship," said Iowa State coach Greg McDermott. "He doesn't have very good examples as to why that was, which to me makes it sound a little fishy. To me, it doesn't sound like Wes."
Defections have been an ongoing problem for Iowa State and certainly pre-date the arrival of McDermott, who stands 29-34 in two seasons with the Cyclones finishing 14-18 overall and 4-12 in the Big 12 last season.
A year ago the Cyclones pressed Johnson, who suffered from a bone bruise in his foot that still linger when he announced he was transferring, into backcourt duty when depth in that area was thinned out.
He figured to play a more natural position in 2008-09, particularly with the addition of German sharpshooter Lucca Staiger, who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA last season because of his participation on a club team.
Without Johnson, the Cyclones lack a consistent performer, though F Craig Brackins did record five 20-point outings and started every game as a freshman.
That's obviously a place to build, but the problem is Iowa State is still building as McDermott enters his third season. Many questions remain and not all pertain to Johnson and his alarming departure
Kansas
Coming off its first national championship in 20 years, and the third in its tradition-rich history, Kansas begins its title defense in ... drum roll, please ... Canada.
Actually, the three games the Jayhawks scheduled there in late August are pure exhibitions. Most importantly for sixth-year coach Bill Self, it provides a chance for seven newcomers on the Kansas roster to get acclimated to the college game.
"They will be shell-shocked," Self told the Lawrence Journal-World. "We plan to practice twice a day several days because we will not be in great shape. ... We'll do as much teaching as we can so we'll be more prepared to practice come Oct. 17."
Self will become a richer man coaching the Jayhawks. His contract was revised over the offseason and will pay him $3 million a year through March 2018. His previous deal was worth $1.6 million annually.
"I felt the administration always has been fair with me since I've been here," Self said. "They looked out for me when we had back-to-back losses in the first round to Bucknell and Bradley, and are looking out for me after our success the last couple years."
Self promises the Jayhawks will be tough again, despite losing three underclassmen (Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers) to the NBA. But the rebuilding process could include some bumps.
Eight veterans return, though junior Sherron Collins is the only player remaining from the seven-man rotation Self primarily used during a 37-3 run that culminated in an overtime victory against Memphis in the NCAA title game.
Collins underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on April 22 and figures to play limited minutes in Canada. In addition, the 5-11 guard is involved in legal proceedings involving allegations he assaulted a woman on May 18 in a campus housing unit. Criminal charges were not filed against Collins, but civil counterclaims are pending.
Kansas State
The greatest player in Kansas State history was one and done.
No surprise, really, that Michael Beasley sought NBA riches after his freshman season and was picked second in the draft. The magnificently talented forward -- 6-10 by K-State's count and 6-7 according to some scouts -- averaged 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds, the best marks ever by a Wildcat, or a Big 12 player.
His presence, coupled with another early draft entrant, forward Bill Walker, boosted Kansas State to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 12 years as the Wildcats finished 21-12 overall and 10-6 in the Big 12.
So now, what does coach Frank Martin accomplish in his second season?
Throughout the 2007-08 season, Martin's credentials were questioned as his hire was considered the only way Kansas State could protect Beasley, the most highly acclaimed recruit in the program's history.
Now, Martin definitely must prove he can get solid play out of his squad. Some choose to forget, however, that he delivered an NCAA berth despite giving extended minutes to seven newcomers and losing a top veteran, David Hoskins, to a preseason knee injury. With Beasley, it was easy to assume Kansas State should just roll out the basketballs and win games, but there is a higher degree of difficulty to the sport.
That difficulty manifests itself now in another way as Martin attempts to plug role players from last year's team, such as point guard Jacob Pullen, swingman Dominique Sutton and power forward Ron Anderson, into key roles. Newcomers may not provide a huge lift, though junior Denis Clemente could provide some backcourt firepower after transferring last season from Miami.
Missouri
There was once a time when there was no need to pencil in Missouri as a conference contender in basketball when an ink pen worked just fine.
Those days, however, are beginning to seem like a distant memory after the disjointed firing of former coach Quin Snyder led to the hiring of Mike Anderson, with few signs of progress.
Anderson and the Tigers are coming off a 16-16 finish, including a 6-10 mark in the Big 12. During the offseason, a player who was considered to be a key figure among the returnees, guard Keon Lawrence, announced his desire to transfer. Apparently, his decision stemmed from problems with Anderson.
"It's not my teammates, and it's not the fans. That should tell you something," Lawrence told the Columbia Tribune.
In fairness to Anderson, many of the problems he is trying to correct were inherited, though a rash of arrests and legal matters off the court during his watch destroyed the possibility of a quick fix. Those issues also make it easier to wonder whether a turnaround is possible, though Missouri gets an early start this season with an August exhibition swing in Ontario, Canada.
The roster Anderson turns to this season includes some decent veterans, and features forwards DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons, but it probably lacks the depth needed to play the up-tempo style once promised by the third-year coach.
The pressure Anderson wants his teams to create over the entire court requires stout defenders, and he has not yet been able to incorporate that quality into many of his Missouri players. Too often, a full-court press creates easy fast-break opportunities for opponents.
Nebraska
Although Nebraska coach Doc Sadler figures to upgrade the talent level in the program with his recruiting contacts, the Huskers were denied a chance to bring back a former prospect.
A Big 12 rule was violated when Nebraska allowed Roburt Sallie to briefly enroll at the school in August 2006. The conference then denied a waiver request, which would have allowed Sallie to return as a transfer in 2008-09.
"I wanted to play for Nebraska so bad. My heart was there," Sallie told the Lincoln Journal Star.
Without Sallie, the facelift Sadler is giving his program will continue. It's just that Sallie, a 6-5 junior college guard, could have provided an immediate lift, but was forced to settle with reigning national runner-up Memphis.
The error, coupled with the loss of the Huskers' top scorer and rebounder, center Aleks Maric, leaves Nebraska with a small lineup and myriad questions. Sadler worked around height issues the past two seasons and may have to again, though 6-foot-9 forward Alex Chapman possesses some strong upside after redshirting last season.
That gamble by Sadler, who opted not to insert several newcomers who may have helped the Huskers, could pay off this season. Still, consistency remains an issue for returnees such as Ryan Anderson, Steve Harley, Sek Henry and Ade Dagunduro. The loss of two players, center Shang Ping to Emporia State and guard Jay-R Strowbridge to Jacksonville State, won't be a blow.
Complete Cornhuskers team report
Oklahoma
Too often last season, Jeff Capel was left patching together a rotation as Oklahoma constantly battled injuries.
Nonetheless, the results were impressive. The Sooners reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finished 23-12 overall after tying for fourth in the Big 12 at 9-7.
With the return of Blake Griffin, a sophomore forward who is already being touted as a potential No. 1 pick in the next NBA Draft, Oklahoma could improve on its conference finish as long as newcomers progress quickly.
Inexperience could plague the Sooners early on, though Capel hopes to insert several junior college transfers who could provide quick impacts, including Orlando Allen, Kyle Cannon and Juan Pattilo.
Another transfer, 6-8 forward Ryan Wright (UCLA), will contribute underneath after sitting out last season. And freshman guard Willie Warren is one of the most heralded prep guards to ever sign with Oklahoma, and figures to play considerable minutes from the outset.
The return of Griffin, however, is what excites everyone the most in the Oklahoma camp. After leading the team in scoring (14.7), rebounding (9.1) and field goal percentage (.568), Griffin's potential appears limitless. His mind is right, too. He passed on a deep draft to return to the Sooners and build his credentials.
Oklahoma State
Say this about new Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford: he doesn't let the summer heat effect his recruiting efforts.
Although it took him until mid-August, Ford added some much-needed height to his roster by luring 7-foot center Teeng Akol, a native of Sudan who most recently attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Akol may be raw, but Ford will gladly take on such a project after the transfer of Martavius Adams left the Cowboys with just one player taller than 6-8, sophomore Ibrahima Thomas.
This was the hand dealt to Ford, who left Massachusetts to take over at Oklahoma State following the dismissal of Sean Sutton, who went 39-29 in two seasons as coach and lost first-round games in the NIT each of the past two seasons.
It didn't take Ford long to exercise control. He suspended Terrel Harris, informing the veteran guard to take care of academics. Harris' summer progress has been encouraging enough for Ford to predict the suspension will be lifted.
In addition, Ford delivered an ultimatum to Byron Eaton about losing weight. The productive point guard, who was the Cowboys' most influential player down the stretch last season, lost 28 pounds during the summer, though at 5-11 he first weighed in at a whopping 243.
The message Ford hopes to convey is the Cowboys will play faster in his system.
"I know in this one you cannot survive unless you are in the best shape of your life," Ford told the Tulsa World.
Texas
Rick Barnes has long been recognized for his ability to recruit, but the Texas coach also knows how to compose a worthwhile schedule.
The Longhorns could be considered the Big 12 favorites, as well as a national contender, and will be tested by a strong nonconference schedule featuring UCLA, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Villanova and Arkansas.
"I've said all along, if you are going to be a top program, you have to play the part," Barnes told the Austin American-Statesman.
No question, Texas is among the top programs in the Big 12, posting a 120-40 record in conference play in 10 seasons under Barnes, while claiming at least a share of the title two of the last three years.
It reached the championship game of the South Regional as a No. 2 seed last season in the NCAA Tournament, falling to eventual runner-up Memphis.
The first order of business for Texas will be to find a backcourt leader. It's doubtful anyone can match up to D.J. Augustin, who left after his sophomore year and was drafted ninth overall by the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. He became the fourth top-10 pick in the past six years for Texas after winning the Bob Cousy Award by averaging 5.8 assists and 19.2 points.
That's a lot of production to account for, yet the Longhorns do return the remainder of their starting five, including forward Damion James, who averaged a double-double (13.2 points, 10.3 rebounds). Guard A.J. Abrams will again give Texas a dangerous outside threat.
Complete Longhorns team report
Texas A&M
Whether the disappointing freshman season turned in by DeAndre Jordan could be attributed to a young player in need of development or poor coaching, we'll never know.
Jordan followed his dream, and the inflated opinions of some analysts, and applied for the NBA Draft, where he was selected in the second round with the 35th pick overall.
He will forever be a player who never lived up to his billing in college after averaging just 7.9 points and 6.0 rebounds while playing just half the minutes allotted in a game.
Jordan could have used more seasoning, and Texas A&M would have found it could use a lot more of Jordan's upside. But now, everyone must move on, including coach Mark Turgeon after a bumpy first season ended in a 25-11 finish and a controversial two-point loss against UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The more difficult departures for Turgeon were a pair of invaluable seniors he inherited, guard Dominique Kirk and forward Joseph Jones. Together, they rank No. 1 and 2 at Texas A&M in career starts with 132 and 131, respectively.
Without them, the 2008-09 team will certainly carry Turgeon's stamp, but could include some rocky times with Alabama, LSU and Arizona on the nonconference portion of the schedule.
Turgeon, however, isn't standing still. Over the past year he's attracted three recruits ranked among the top 75 nationally, including two from Florida who will break in this season, forward David Lobeau and guard Dashan Harris.
Texas Tech
Attention this season will be squarely focused on one man in the Texas Tech program, coach Pat Knight.
That's not so unusual. When Knight's famous coaching father, Bob, was in charge of the Red Raiders, his presence often generated sellouts when the Red Raiders went on the road. Everyone, of course, wanted to witness some kind of spectacle should he go on a tirade.
It rarely happened and when Bob Knight grew tired of his position at Tech, he handed the reins to his son at midseason last year. Pat Knight went 4-7 in the games he directed, and will now be scrutinized even more in his first full season.
Before that process begins, however, Pat Knight deserves some credit for being his own man. He will differ from his father, in how he orchestrates a game, how he relates to players and even in how he accommodates the media.
"When a new guy takes over, he has to be his own man and do things to his liking," Pat Knight told the Odessa American. "But it's always nice to know you have a Hall of Fame coach in the background to help you out."
Of course, Knight also needs his players to deliver. The Red Raiders lost their top scorer, guard Martin Zeno, though the emergence of long-range bomber Alan Voskuil gives them a potential leader for the upcoming season.
