Big 12 Hoops: Where do the Pokes fit?

OSU could use an early statement win

Canadian flags are flying, virally, and optimism and hope for Cowboys football soars just as we’ve flipped the calendar to 2020.

Oh, Canada! Oh, Chuba!

Fun times.

More immediate fun awaits, too.

On the basketball floor.

The Cowboys open Big 12 play Saturday with a tough test at No. 22-ranked Texas Tech, followed by a quick turn visit from No. 16 West Virginia.

So much for easy openings.

But hey, in the Big 12, that’s the gig. Few if any nights off. Nail-biters. Buzzer-beaters. As many as six or seven schools battling for NCAA bids.

The Cowboys hope to be in the bidding. And a win in one of these games would help get things started.

From now until March, it’ll be fast and furious, with ups and downs all but assured. OSU seems better fitted to truly compete than the past couple of years, but how much better?

We shall see.

Isaac Likekele changes things, and his return to form figures to be a major factor going forward. The Cowboys are 8-0 with him, 1-3 without him. And the analytics with and without him are startlingly different, revealing his full impact on everyone around him.

Everything goes better with Likekele.

What about the rest of the Big 12?

Some things never change, like Kansas looking like No. 1. Or Texas appearing overrated. Some things do change, like Bob Huggins moving away from his Press Virginia reputation and Baylor emphasizing defense.

Here’s a quick take on the league:

Oklahoma State (9-3)

The Cowboys posted some strong early wins, taking out Syracuse and Ole Miss in Brooklyn to win the NIT Preseason Tip-Off. But without Likekele, they were humbled by Georgetown, Wichita State and Minnesota.

Does Likekele make that much difference? Actually, yes.

Now, he can’t go it alone. The veteran core – Lindy Waters, Cam McGriff and Thomas Dziagwa – must play hungry and shake any lingering disappointments from the past few years. Yor Anei must stay out of foul trouble. And the kids must continue to develop on the fly.

If all that happens, the Cowboys should be a tournament team.

Baylor (10-1)

The Bears are playing well, and not in traditional ways.

Once a squad that revolved around offense and long rangy and physical athletes, and regularly sagged into a zone defense, Baylor has become more of a man-to-man team.

And it’s working for them.

Watch out for the Bears, who will be a handful night in and night out.

Kansas (10-2)

“The Streak” finally ended a year ago, with the Jayhawks failing to win the Big 12 title for the first time in 15 years, with Kansas State and Texas Tech sharing the crown.

So that storyline is dead.

But the Jayhawks live on as the favorite. They may be the best team in the Big 12… and the Country.

Udoka Azubuike is a star. And not KU’s only star.

Kansas State (7-5)

The whispers calling for coach Bruce Weber’s job have halted, after the Wildcats shared the Big 12 regular season title a year ago.

But this clearly looks like a transition year.

Iowa State (7-5)

Another team seemingly in transition, the Cyclones sputtered through much of the nonconference schedule.

Then they lost to Florida A&M.

And no, I can’t tell you much about Florida A&M, other than it’s a MEAC team, which means a squad that resides in statistically the worst league in the country.

Oklahoma (9-3)

The Sooners aren’t much to look at. They lack star power. They don’t shoot it all that well.

Wichita State transfer Austin Reaves has proven to be strong and much-needed addition. But the Sooners don’t seem to be complete, and lack depth, which is an unfortunate combination.

TCU (9-3)

Jamie Dixon breathed life in the Horned Frogs… briefly.

The Frogs were picked for last in the Big 12, and little has happened to change that pick. TCU lost to the only three major conference teams they faced in the nonconference.

Texas (10-2)

Maybe there’s something to the Longhorn Network Curse.

Texas got its standard respect bump in the preseason and has played OK, winning a big early game at Purdue. But the Horns haven’t been impressive since.

They take a lot of 3s, and aren’t a great perimeter team.

Texas Tech (9-3)

If few people knew about Chris Beard when he took the Tech coaching job a few years back, they sure do now.

Beard’s teams have been good – so good a year ago they made it to the NCAA title game. And while some expected a dropoff this season, the Red Raiders are improving, a Beard trait.

West Virginia (11-1)

The Mountaineers were picked seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll, but remain a rugged contender.

Bob Huggins has backed off from his heavy full-court pressure, a bit. But his guys still play hard, defending well in a different way. They’re a surprise team that could challenge for the championship.

What hasn’t changed: nobody will enjoy playing them.