Here’s a breakdown of the lawsuit between Zion Williamson and his former marketing representative, Gina Ford.
Who: Zion Williamson v. Gina Ford
Where: Williamson filed suit against Ford in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Meanwhile, Ford filed her suit against Williamson in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court.
What: At or around April 15, 2019, Williamson made a deal with Gina Ford, president of Prime Sports Marketing, a sports agency. On May 30, 2019, Williamson signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which broke the contract he had with Ford. Ford threatened CAA with a lawsuit, however Williamson threw a punch of his own and sued Prime Sports (Prime) on June 13, 2019 arguing that the contract he signed with Prime was invalid because they didn’t follow the guidelines of the North Carolina Uniform Athlete Agent Act (UAAA). On June 19, 2019, Ford counter-sued Williamson alleging that he breached his contract with Prime when he signed with CAA. She is seeking more than $100 million in damages. Both parties requested each other’s lawsuits to be dismissed but both were denied. On May 10, 2020, Ford served Williamson with Requests for Admission (RFA’s).
Why: RFA’s are part of the discovery process in a lawsuit and allow one party to request that another party admit or deny the truth of a statement under oath. The RFA’s Zion have been served with could be particularly damning to him, his family, and anyone involved with Duke University Basketball. One RFA asks Zion to “fully state all facts that show how Sharonda Sampson and Lee Anderson (his mother and stepfather) found and paid for the house in which they lived during the time that you attended Duke.” Another asks Zion to “admit that you knew Lee Anderson demanded and received gifts, money and/or benefits from persons on behalf of Duke University to influence you to attend Duke University to play basketball.” Everyone knows the NCAA is incredibly stringent on what benefits an athlete and their family may receive and if Zion admits to any of these RFA’s Duke University could be facing severe sanctions from the NCAA. Likewise, companies such as Adidas and Nike who are mentioned in the RFA’s could be facing reputational damages.
What’s Next: Ford’s attorneys said they would be vigilant in discovery and would “leave no stone unturned.” This means legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski will likely be deposed. A deposition is where a person appears at a specified time and place and gives sworn testimony. This obviously isn’t great news to hear if you are a Duke fan but Coach K will have the best attorneys armed and ready for battle. Meanwhile, look for Zion and Co. to do everything possible to get these RFA’s thrown out of court, mainly by using their right to object. A party may respond to an RFA by objecting to all or part of it. Zion could claim the RFA’s are irrelevant to the case and that the interrogatories are purely used as harassment. Additionally, his legal team will likely pursue a settlement as the reputations of their client, Coach K, Duke University and two of the biggest companies in the world (Adidas and Nike) are on the line.
According to the official website of the NCAA, the Board of Governors (“Board”) supported rule changes to allow student-athletes to receive compensation for third-party endorsements both related to and separate from athletics. These recommendations will now move to the rules-making structure in each of the NCAA’s three divisions for further consideration and will likely take effect at the start of the 2021-2022 academic year.
With pressure mounting from politicians, and other leagues beginning to poach their prospective athletes, the NCAA was forced to cave to the mob and begin actively pursuing ways to allow student-athletes to get paid. Now, it looks as if actual “pay for play” is not in any immediate plans as the board emphasized that at no point should a school pay student-athletes for “Name, Image and Likeness” (“NIL”) activities. However, the new rules would allow Compensation for third-party endorsements related to athletics, without school or conference involvement, and compensation for other student-athlete opportunities, such as social media, new businesses, and personal appearances, without institutional involvement or the use of trademarks/logos.
While these recommendations are rather vague and much clear legislation is required, this is a significant step for the NCAA and student-athletes. Currently, a student-athlete could not get paid for his social media accounts or even make money signing autographs at a local restaurant. However, the Board’s suggestions would allow players to profit off their NIL. In 2017, University of Central Florida Kicker, Donald De La Haye, ran a YouTube channel that had over 90,000 subscribers. The channel had videos which featured De La Haye performing trick shots. The NCAA ruled him ineligible after he refused to stop the monetization of his videos and he eventually lost his scholarship. The NCAA believed his videos were a direct violation to its rule that prohibits student-athletes from using their status to earn money. Under these new suggestions, De La Haye would be allowed to profit off the videos as long as he did not use any NCAA trademarks or logos. Further, there are plenty of student-athletes, specifically basketball and football players, who have amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on various social media platforms. These players could now earn money off these accounts.
Sadly, unless the NCAA allows their athletes to unionize, there will not be a NCAA football video game in the future. However, athletes now have the ability to sign agents to help them make key financial decisions. The NCAA will install “guardrails” which will be heavily regulated, but good agents can be beneficial in the lives of an athlete as they can sometimes be mentors or even role models.
While the NCAA denotes players as “student-athletes”, their rules governing collegiate athletics have always signified that they are ‘athletes’ first. NCAA student-athletes are students first and ought to be treated as such meaning they should have the same liberties to profit off their NIL. The recent recommendations demonstrate that the NCAA is moving toward equity in the way both students and student-athletes can make money. While the NCAA was pressured by several external forces, the old adage ‘better late than never’ is sufficient in this situation. Student-athletes won’t be directly paid anytime soon by their prospective universities, but potentially having the ability to profit off their NIL will make collegiate athletics far more appealing.
This past week, Jalen Green, the number one high school basketball prospect according to the 2020 ESPN recruiting rankings, made his decision on where he would play next basketball season. No, it wasn’t Memphis nor was it Auburn, schools that had been considered the frontrunners for him. Instead, it was a one year, $500,000 contract with the NBA G-League that offers an additional development program outside of the league’s traditional team structure.
This move allows for professional development from NBA personnel for an entire year while being paid, which cannot happen in college, supposedly.
The move only adds more momentum to the already swift movement that is sweeping over the high school and college basketball ranks. More and more players are leaving, or rejecting, playing at big time colleges in favor of getting paid and playing in professional leagues at home and abroad. Just in the last year, RJ Hampton (former five-star guard out of HS) decided not to go to Kansas but instead to go to the NBL in Australia/New Zealand to play (Hampton has said he would’ve gone to Kansas should he have played in college). Lamelo Ball, younger brother New Orleans Pelicans PG Lonzo Ball, went the same route as Hampton. Isaiah Todd (five-star prospect out of HS in the class of 2020) decommitted from Michigan to pursue development in the G-League, just like Green.
This new movement is good for these players. If they’re good enough to go out and play professionally and, most importantly, get paid, why wouldn’t you choose this route?
Initially, this new wave seems as if it could be extremely detrimental to big time college basketball schools like Duke and Kentucky, who consistently reel in five-star prospects year after year, but I do not believe that is the case.
While top high school players will be more enticed to earn money and get professional development now, there is no shortage of high school basketball players who desire to play college ball. Players who want to go play college basketball will get the chance, and out of that group of players, the best will still likely want to go to the traditional “blue blood” schools like Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Kansas.
Thus, if this wave of top players leaving to pursue professional opportunities continues (and I don’t see a reason why it wouldn’t continue), more and more emphasis will be placed on how well college coaches develop players who are not as good as some of those top prospects coming out of high school.
This is something that I think Jay Wright, Bill Self, Roy Williams, and even coaches like Mark Few, and Scott Drew are exceptional at especially in recent memory.
Among those coaches, they have produced a few notable players who have had significant impacts on their respective teams and made them some of the premier teams in America during their tenure in college. These guys include Ryan Arcidiacono (Villanova), Donte DiVincenzo (Villanova), Frank Mason (Kansas), Devonte Graham (Kansas), Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga), Johnathan Motley (Baylor), and Mark Vital (Baylor) just to name a few.
That list of players includes six Final Four appearances (one for Arcidiacono, two for DiVincenzo, one for Graham, one for Tillie, and one for Hachimura), three National Titles (one for Arcidiacono and two for DiVincenzo), one Wooden Award Winner (Mason), two more premier candidates for the Wooden award in their respective seasons (Motley ’16-’17 and Graham ’17-‘18), and arguably one of the best defenders and most athletic players in college basketball currently (Vital).
Now that is not to say that coaches like Mike Krzyzewski and John Calipari are not good at developing players, because they are good. It just so happens that these two coaches are at the two schools – Duke and Kentucky – that consistently reel in five-star prospect after five-star prospect. Just look at the growth that players like Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, Tyus Jones, John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, and Anthony Davis have had over their careers.
This new wave is definitely an obstacle that college coaches will have to adjust to quickly, as many for these college coaches have probably been recruiting these five-star guys for over three to five years.
But let me get this clear: not every five-star prospect will choose to go play professionally. The vast majority will still likely play collegiately because the professional teams and leagues have to have interest in the player as well as vice versa. It’s a two way street.
College Basketball will be fine. This just means that college coaches will have to adjust their recruiting tactics. And in that sense, we get to see some of the best coaches in America face a little adversity and see how they will overcome it.
As always, follow me on Twitter for more sports related content @bradyvaughan30
March 12, 2020 will live in infamy as a day in which both professional sports leagues and the NCAA decided to shut down their operations in hopes of slowing down a global pandemic. It is an unprecedented situation that hopefully we will never see again in our lives.
Receiving the news yesterday that sports were cancelled for the foreseeable future was tough to fully digest. For those that don’t know, I am incredibly passionate about sports. The way I see it, sports are one of the few things in this world that truly unites every single one of us. In an era filled with hatred of one another for differences in religion and politics, sports gives us a chance to find common ground with our fellow humans. Each day, sports stadiums are filled with people from all different walks of life: rich or poor, conservative or liberal, Christian or atheist, who go to a ballgame to cheer on their hometown teams. Even during World War II, American professional baseball players serving in the U.S. military played baseball against German prisoners of war in order to keep their skills sharp. In times of great distress, sports act as a sort of peace treaty that provides common ground. Thus, when I saw the tweet below I was infuriated that someone who was directly involved in the sports industry could make such an ignorant comment.
While I respect others opinions, on a day in which thousands of college athletes learned they had potentially played their last game ever, a tweet so vile and out of touch with the reality of the situation was unnecessary. “Sports aren’t *that* important” writes someone whose livelihood depends on people tuning in to watch football. Tell the senior baseball player who had two Tommy John surgeries in college and was finally getting his chance to show scouts his true potential that sports are not that important. How about the hourly worker at the American Airlines Center who works nights in order to pay their way through school? Please tell them that sports are not that important. And how about the countless softball players who just played their last game because there is no professional softball league in the United States? Go tell them that sports are not that important.
As a former athlete, sports gave me some of the most memorable moments of my life as well as lasting friendships. Additionally, the life lessons I learned along the way are invaluable. My heart goes out to all of the athletes who learned they just put on the uniform for the last time. But, once again, their sport is really not that important.
Yes, it will be challenging, but we as a society will survive without sports. However, in this time of fear and panic I truly believe sports would have made people’s days just a little bit better. It would have given some people suffering from diseases or even the Coronavirus just a bit more hope to carry on and to make it to the next day.
I started Grad School Sports to connect sports fans around the country. We all have opinions about the game, yet often don’t have a platform to truly make our voice heard. While we may be without sports for the foreseeable future, there is no reason why we have to stop talking about them. Through discussion and debates, different sports topics make people think critically and analyze different situations. It truly is remarkable how pivotal sports are to our society. So, if you are just as distressed about the news as I am and want a safe space to talk about sports, please visit our website. Although it won’t be easy, if us sports fans stick together we can make it through these volatile times.
Howdy everyone and welcome back to this week’s version of Picks from God. Well folks, it can’t get much worse than last week: Winless, 0-4, down 4 units, etc. The last 2 weeks the Picks are 1-7 and let me tell you the ego is hurting. I have friends telling me they read this stupid blog just so they know which picks not to take. Honestly, it’s just nice to know people take the time to read my hard work. I’m going to continue to give the people what they want as I have decided to start a biweekly podcast, “Highly Educated,” which will discuss sports gambling as well as the top stories around the sports world. You can thank me later. That being said, let’s get to this week’s picks.
*Grad School Sports reminds you to please gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please call 1-800-522-4700.
Arkansas vs. Texas A&M +3.5: Although the Aggies didn’t cover last weekend at LSU, they really did look good last weekend in Baton Rouge and were within 5 points with around 5 minutes to play. However, a pair of missed free throws allowed the Tigers to go on a run which put the game out of reach. Coach Buzz Williams got his first signature as head coach with win on the road at Auburn on Wednesday and the Aggies will hope to keep the momentum going when Arkansas comes to Reed Arena Saturday. Boosted by a very weak non-conference schedule, the Razorbacks 19-11 record truly does not reflect how average of a basketball team they really are. They really struggle on the road as well and I think the Aggies have what it takes to not only cover, but potentially win the game as well.
Oklahoma State vs. Texas -3.5: It pains me to say this, but the Horns are playing great basketball as of late and are a true bubble team. After losing 4 straight midway through the season, Shaka Smart’s squad has reeled off 5 straight wins and play an average Cowboys team whom they beat by 12 on the road in Stillwater in January. The Longhorns defense has been really good of late and should limit an Oklahoma State offense that has struggled at times throughout the season. I like the Horns to continue the late season momentum and get their 20th win by covering on Saturday.
Louisville vs. Virginia -1: This is one of the most intriguing games on Saturday’s slate. Louisville is one of the most talented teams in the ACC while Virginia is the hottest team in the league. While some have them cutting down the nets in April, the Cardinals are 3-3 in their last 6 and are 0-3 in their last 3 road games. The Cavaliers will be celebrating their seniors Mamadi Diakite and Braxton Key who were both very influential in last year’s national championship run. After struggling early on, the Hoos are playing great basketball and have vaulted themselves into the discussion of teams that could make a run in the big dance. I like the Cavaliers pace of play at home which will slow down Louisville star Jordan Nwora. Take the Cavaliers on senior night.
North Carolina +11.5 vs. Duke: The last time these two teams met in Chapel Hill, the Dukies barely survived in overtime. This is a huge line especially for a rivalry game. While the Tar Heels still aren’t winning games, they’ve been managing to keep them very close thanks to the play of Cole Anthony. Duke has lost 2 of 3 and has looked vulnerable yet. I still think Duke is one of the most complete teams in the country and has to be amongst the favorites to win it all if Vernon Carey Jr. can stay out of foul trouble. That being said, in a rivalry game such as this 11.5 is just too big a number for me. The Tar Heels may be under .500 but they are better than people give them credit for. I like them to keep it close in front of the Cameron Crazies.
In case you have not heard about it yet, this weekend marks the biggest game in the history of the Baylor Men’s Basketball program, and that is not an exaggeration. Baylor has NEVER hosted a top 5 opponent WHILE being ranked number one in the AP Poll.
Baylor also just recently broke the record for most consecutive wins (23 wins) by a Big 12 team in the existence of the conference, surpassing the 1996-1997 Kansas Jayhawks (22 wins).
Nobody in Waco expected this year’s Baylor basketball team to be THIS good this season. We thought they’d be good, but a Final Four contender? Given Baylor’s past in basketball I think you’d be insane to expect a Final Four run coming into this season.
Kansas has always had a giant bullseye on its back during basketball season, but Baylor is slowly becoming one of those teams. Scott Drew is gaining the national attention he deserves for being one of the better and more consistent coaches in the sport over the last decade. This game has much more importance to Baylor than it does for Kansas, but its up to Baylor to go and take advantage of that opportunity.
Baylor fans are on the edge of their seats and cannot wait for Saturday to arrive. They don’t just believe they CAN beat Kansas (again); they absolutely believe they WILL beat Kansas for the second time this season, and they have every right in the world to believe they will. The winner of this game will then have the inside track to win the conference regular season title.
Furthermore, College Gameday is coming in town for the second time in the Men’s Basketball Program’s history (only other appearance was 2011 vs Texas, a game in which Baylor lost 60-54). I always have loved that show, especially guys like Jay Bilas and Rece Davis, as they have been there since the show’s inception in 2005.
Since I am a sophomore at Baylor, I am obviously super-pumped for the game this weekend, but being from Overland Park, KS, I have a gigantic interest in this specific game in particular because of one thing: I grew up a diehard fan of the Kansas Jayhawks.
Now if you know me well, you know I was on edge this entire January/early February because of the Kansas City Chiefs and their Super Bowl run. I absolutely adore the Chiefs, but as improbable as this sounds, I am a much bigger Kansas Jayhawks fan than Kansas City Chiefs fan. I don’t even know if my roommates can fathom that but it’s the truth.
When I say diehard Jayhawks fan, I mean going to basketball and football games every Saturday for as long as I can remember (yes, football games too). I mean going to almost every senior night basketball game since 2009. I mean having my mother make me a homemade “Pay Heed All Who Enter; Beware of the Phog” sign that still hangs in my room back in Overland Park. I mean attending Bill Self’s basketball camp for much of my youth. I mean getting a basketball signed by some of my favorite Jayhawks of all time in Tyrell Reed, Marcus Morris, Tyshawn Taylor, Thomas Robinson, Andrew Wiggins, and Joel Embiid. I mean blocking out the first weekend of April every year just on the off chance that the Jayhawks make the Final Four so my family and I can travel and show our support for our beloved Jayhawks.
Me and one of my good friends Lucy at the Baylor vs Kansas game Allen Fieldhouse in March of 2019. I don’t know if I could ever summon the strength to wear an opposing team’s shirt in that building ever again. This is me during my senior year of high school in San Antonio to support the Jayhawks in the 2018 Final Four.
I feel confident saying that my fandom for the Jayhawks is honestly unrivaled by anything in my life. I still text a lot of my friends that go to KU about anything and everything going on the world of sports pertaining to Kansas Athletics. I listen to a multitude of podcasts about Kansas sports, including my favorite one called the “Ain’t No Seats” podcast (Shoutout the hosts Ryan, B-Turn, and AB. You guys are amazing). I listen to every one of their episodes the minute it drops.
But because I do so and because I actively follow Kansas athletics so much from so far away, I am often ridiculed for doing so by my fellow classmates, fraternity brothers, and friends down here in Waco. My Baylor friends could call me a traitor for not cheering 100% for our school. Some of my family members have called me a traitor for not staying 100% crimson and blue.
I fully support Baylor athletics and Kansas athletics at the same time. But because of this weekend, I am caught in an extreme internal conflict.
If I could draw out any particular scenario for how this season finishes, it would be for Baylor and Kansas to win the rest of their games this season and meet in the national title game.
On one hand, I have my current university’s team, who is 24-1 on the season and ranked number one in the AP Poll, vying for their first conference championship in basketball since 1950. On the other hand, I have my childhood team who will always have a special place in my heart, who is ranked number three and just behind Baylor in the conference standings, coming off a season in which it was the first time that they DIDN’T win the conference in the last 15 years.
Both teams are special. Plain and simple. Both teams absolutely can cut down the nets come March, and I will be there every step of the way for both teams until they are either eliminated or win the national championship.
Ever since coming to Baylor, the number one question I have gotten is “Well who are you going to root for when Baylor plays Kansas?” I have always told people I will root for the home team whenever these two teams play, but I would be lying if I said it won’t be extremely hard to do so for this Saturday’s game.
I am a Baylor Bear through and through, but I will never, EVER forget where I came from.
If I had to give a prediction for the game, I will say Baylor wins by a final score of 70-67. Key matchup to watch for will be Baylor’s Jared Butler vs Kansas’ Marcus Garrett.
Given the situation, it seems as if I can’t win no matter what happens on Saturday! But maybe, just maybe, that means I can’t lose…
As always, I’d love for you to support my #brand and follow me on twitter @bradyvaughan30 for more sports related content.
College basketball is in full swing, and that means that the conference season is upon us! Big 12 play gets underway this upcoming Saturday, January 4th with a full slate of games, as everyone in the conference plays its conference opener.
Today, I’m going to preview each of the Big 12’s teams and give my projected standings and records for each team (see bottom of article).
BAYLOR
Jared Butler drives to the basket vs Arizona at home. Photo per Baylor Athletics
Baylor is good enough to contend for the Big 12 title and equipped to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament come March. Baylor is ranked 11th in the nation in the KenPom rankings, which measures a team’s adjusted efficiency per 100 possessions. They score about 109.1 points per 100 possessions, while giving up only 88.0 points per 100 possessions, meaning their adjusted efficiency is +21.07 points. In addition, they boast one of the better non-conference resumes in the nation thus far, as they have defeated Arizona, Butler, and Villanova (all of whom are ranked in the top 25 in the current AP Poll) – something that Kansas failed to do, as many Baylor fans will quickly let you know that they beat Nova and Kansas did not- but also dropped a game to Washington on a neutral floor in Alaska which they led most of the way. Baylor sure would like to have that Washington match up back, but nonetheless, Baylor is top ten in the AP Poll (currently ranked #6) and in excellent position to compete for a conference championship, though they have not won a regular season conference championship since 1950. One of the biggest strengths of this Baylor team is their depth in the back court. Players like Jared Butler, MaCio Teague, Davion Mitchell, and Devonte Bandoo anchor a loaded Baylor back court, as each one of them brings remarkable athleticism and the ability to shoot the ball from behind the arc, something that Scott Drew-coached Baylor teams are not well-known for. If these guards consistently knock down the 3 ball, Baylor can win the conference for the first time ever since its inception in 1994 and compete for a deep run come March.
3 Key games: @ #22 Texas Tech (January 7th), vs #16 West Virginia (February 15th), vs #3 Kansas (February 22nd)
Key player to watch: Jared Butler
IOWA STATE
Iowa State is certainly not as good as they have been in years past and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. Losing players like Marial Shayok, Lindell Wigginton, and Talen Horton-Tucker hurts big time, as they carried Iowa State to a conference tournament title last season when they beat Kansas in the Sprint Center in Kansas City to capture their fifth Big 12 Tournament championship. Good news is they bring back several guys who played key minutes last season, namely guard Tyrese Haliburton and forward Michael Jacobson. Tyrese Haliburton and Michael Jacobson are their biggest one-two punch returning from last season in my opinion, but I believe Solomon Young is a key player for them. He needs to be able to establish himself as a consistent go to option behind Haliburton, Rasir Bolton, and Jacobson. Young averages 10.2 points/game and 3.9 rebounds/game, which is good production, but I believe Young needs to step it up to average around 12-13 points/game and 5 rebounds/game in order for Iowa State to find more success. This Iowa State team has the potential to be very competitive, as seen when Seton Hall, ranked #13 in the AP Poll at the time, came into Hilton Coliseum and left with ten point loss to the Cyclones, but Iowa State just has not shown the consistency yet. At a current record of 7-4, they are probably on the outside looking in at the NCAA tournament heading into conference play, but good thing the Big 12 provides plenty of opportunities to boost the resume. There are no off nights in this conference, so Iowa State will need to bring it every single night if they want to make the NCAA tournament, which is why Solomon Young emerging as a solid go-to fourth option is all the more important for this Iowa State team. If he can do so, this makes Iowa State a much more dangerous team because the defense will have to pay more attention to Young on the block, which could open up more shots on the perimeter for guys like Haliburton and Bolton. They will catch some opposing teams off-guard when opposing teams have to visit Hilton, but Iowa State must show more consistency and be able to win on the road if they are to find success this season.
3 Key games: vs #3 Kansas (January 8th), vs #6 Baylor (January 29th), @Oklahoma State (February 29th)
Key player to watch: Solomon Young
KANSAS
Devon Dotson drives to the hoop against UNC-Greensboro in Allen Fieldhouse Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas is Kansas. They have a ton of talent coming back from last year while also introducing several freshmen who could very well end up playing three to four years for Bill Self, and were picked to win the Big 12 again. Anyone surprised? Not really.
Kansas is currently ranked #3 in the AP Poll. They boast a sophomore point guard, Devon Dotson, who is arguably one of the best PGs in America, as well as arguably the best big man in the land in senior seven-foot center Udoka Azubuike. Dotson averages 19.2 points/game and 4.7 assists/game and is the unequivocal leader of this Kansas team while Azubuike averages a solid 14.0 points/game and 8.4 rebounds/game. Kansas also flaunts a strong non-conference schedule and has shown they can hang with just about anyone on any given night, as they have two losses by a combined three points to Duke (neutral floor) and Villanova (road). They also have a road win over the Stanford Cardinal, who are ranked in the top ten of the NCAA’s NET Tool, which helps the NCAA tournament committee evaluate potential NCAA tournament teams based on result of games strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, etc, as well as a neutral site victory over the Dayton Flyers led by potential lottery pick Obi Toppin. Kansas is also coming off the first season in 15 years in which they DIDN’T win the Big 12. Last year, Texas Tech and Kansas State split the conference crown, so Kansas is out to recapture that title. If Kansas is going to recapture the Big 12 crown, guys like Ochai Agbaji, Marcus Garrett, Isaiah Moss, and David McCormack need to step up and help out Dotson and Azubuike on a consistent basis. It would be easy for me to say Dotson or Azubuike is a key player to watch, however, I believe another is freshman guard Christian Braun. He has played tremendously as of late, knocking down shots, attacking on offense, blocking shots on defense, and providing a spark of energy off the bench, especially in the Villanova game. This Kansas team is already poised to make a deep run in March, but if Braun can consistently be a spark of energy off the bench like he has been of late, I like the Jayhawks chances of reaching Atlanta.
3 Key games: vs #6 Baylor (January 11th), vs #22 Texas Tech (February 1st), @ #16 West Virginia (February 12th)
Key player to watch: Christian Braun
KANSAS STATE
Kansas State has not been getting the treatment of a regular defending conference champion. The Wildcats have been looked down on to start this young season, but their play thus far has not exactly strengthened their case to be a contender in the Big 12 this season. They have been playing better of late, but they will need to kick it into another level if they are to challenge the likes of Kansas, Baylor, West Virginia, and Texas Tech for the conference crown. Now that guys like Barry Brown and Dean Wade are gone, a lot of the weight for this team falls on the shoulders of returners Cartier Diarra and Xavier Sneed. Both are very capable scorers and shooters and have plenty of experience at this level of play, but if K-State is going to get back to where they were last year, look for guys like Makol Mawien and Mike McGuirl to play a big role. Mawien leads the team in rebounds and blocks per game, at 5.1 rebounds/game and 1.1 blocks/game while McGuirl averages the third most minutes of all players among everyone who has played in all of the Wildcat’s games thus far. Somewhat similar to Iowa State, Kansas State does not flaunt an impressive non-conference schedule, as the best team they’ve played in Marquette came into Manhattan and had their way with the Wildcats, earning a 73-65 win over K-State. Fortunately, the Big 12 is filled with great opportunities to prove yourself. At this moment, K-State is not in the NCAA tournament, but that could all change with a good start to the conference season. Bruce Weber is more than a capable coach and has proven he can win and win at the highest level, but this year might be one of his toughest coaching jobs yet. One key player to watch is junior forward Levi Stockard III. In the limited minutes he’s gotten this season, he is shooting over 50% from the floor. If he can find more minutes and be a consistent presence on the floor for the Wildcats, this team will become that much better.
3 Key games: @Texas (January 11th), vs Oklahoma State (February 11th), vs #3 Kansas (February 29th)
Key player to watch: Levi Stockard III
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma is a unique team this year. They don’t have any one dominant player like they have in recent memory (see Blake Griffin, Buddy Hield, and Trae Young for example), but they are a solid team. Head coach Lon Kruger always seems to do a good job of getting his guys ready to go, whether his team is especially talented, like the 2015-2016 Oklahoma team that went to the Final Four on the backs of Wooden Award winner Buddy Hield and his back court mates Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard, or if they are obviously out-manned. Oklahoma has three players currently averaging 14 points/game or more in senior Kristian Doolittle (16.7 points/game) and juniors Austin Reaves (16.6 points/game) and Brady Manek (14.2 points/game). Oklahoma is ranked #51 in the current KenPom rankings with an adjusted efficiency margin of 13.91 points per 100 possessions, which isn’t great but they have beaten teams like Minnesota, who is ranked #42 in KenPom as well as Missouri, who is ranked #53 in KenPom. Oklahoma has also lost to several tough teams like Creighton (road), #24 Wichita State (road), and Stanford (neutral site). Oklahoma has played a pretty good non-conference schedule thus far, it’s just that the results in their bigger games have not been there. Both games against Creighton and Wichita State were 10 point losses in hostile environments, but playing those type of non-conference games get a team ready for Big 12 play. With a three headed trio of Doolittle, Reaves, and Manek, Oklahoma is bound to get a few quality wins in the Big 12, but I don’t know if it will be enough for them to make the Big Dance come March. As far as key players go, watch out for freshman guard De’Vion Harmon out of Denton, Texas. Harmon averages 8.1 points/game, 2.4 rebounds/game, and 2.3 assists/game while shooting approximately 38.3% from the field. Harmon also averages 27.5 minutes/game, meaning the opportunities for him to grow and succeed on the court is present. If he consistently performs at his current production level given the minutes he is averaging, he will grow and become a big part of the offensive attack for this Oklahoma team in the near future, and could be the difference between a couple more wins for this Oklahoma team.
3 Key games: @Iowa State (January 11th), @Oklahoma State (February 22nd), vs Texas (March 3rd).
Key player to watch: De’Vion Harmon
OKLAHOMA STATE
Oklahoma State has shown they are a decent team this year. Projected to finish sixth in the conference, I believe head coach Mike Boynton has his guys heading in the right direction. They have taken care of business against the teams that they are clearly better than, but they have lost to tough teams like Minnesota, Georgetown, and Wichita State who are all better than Oklahoma State, however some of these games the Cowboys have been without sophomore guard Isaac Likekele as he has missed some time with an illness. Some of those results need to start changing and going in favor of OSU if the Cowboys expect to go dancing come March, and the return of Likekele should help swing some of those results in favor of the Cowboys. As it stands right now, they are projected in the “Last Four Byes” part of the NCAA tournament according to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi. The Cowboys are led by Issac Likekele (13.1 points/game), senior guard Lindy Waters III (12.9 points/game), and senior forward Cameron McGriff (6.6 rebounds/game). All three have played very well throughout this young season and have been supported by senior guard Thomas Dziagwa, six-foot ten-inch sophomore forward Yor Anei, and a cast of freshman in forward Kalib Boone and guards Avery Anderson III and Chris Harris Jr. The Cowboys are a very young team and are in a position to make the NCAA Tournament, but with all young teams going forward, there will be some growing pains. One key player to watch the rest of this season for the Cowboys is Likekele. If he is able to stay healthy, he brings a whole new dynamic to this Cowboys team and makes them a very capable opponent.
3 Key games: @Iowa State (January 21st), vs #3 Kansas (January 27th), vs #22 Texas Tech (February 15th)
Key player to watch: Isaac Likekele
TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
I’ll be honest, this TCU team is not as good as most other teams in the Big 12 this season. Head coach Jamie Dixon has a lot of work in front of him if he wants to get his Frogs to go dancing. TCU has beaten a ton of mediocre opponents but their three losses have come to Clemson, Southern California, and Xavier. TCU is ranked #67 in KenPom and is only ranked above one other Big 12 team in the KenPom rankings (K-State is ranked #89). The Horned Frogs are led by senior guard Desmond Bane (15.9 points/game, 7.1 rebounds/game, and 3.5 assists/game) and sophomore forward Kevin Samuel (11.7 points/game and 8.6 rebounds/game). Desmond Bane is one of the better guards in the conference, as he won player of the week for the conference once last season and was named to the all-conference second team at the end of the regular season. As far as key players go for this TCU squad, it has to be Bane. If he goes down with an injury at any point, I don’t believe TCU has any shot at the NCAA Tournament. Bane will need to keep up his all-conference play if TCU has any shot to make the postseason.
3 Key games: @Oklahoma (January 18th), vs #16 West Virginia (February 22nd), vs #6 Baylor (February 29th)
Key player to watch: Desmond Bane
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
Texas basketball has been a weird situation when looking from the outside ever since Shaka Smart arrived in town. I feel like Shaka is still hanging his hat on his surprise run to the Final Four in 2011 as the head coach of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) when they beat one-seeded Kansas in the Elite Eight in San Antonio to go to the Final Four. Smart has not been able to produce teams with similar success to the Texas teams of the 2000’s under Rick Barnes. However one thing Smart has been able to do is land high profile recruits, after having players like Myles Turner, Mo Bamba, and Jaxon Hayes come through his program. Its no secret he can send guys to The League, but even with those high-profile players, they have not found much postseason success. This Texas team has shown flashes of potential, as seen when they beat the then ranked #23 Purdue Boilermakers, but have also shown lapses in effort, as seen when getting curb stomped by Providence. The Longhorns are led by guards Matt Coleman (junior, averaging 12.8 points/game and 4.5 assists/game) and Andrew Jones (sophomore, averaging 11.4 points/game). Coleman is also shooting a scorching 47.6% from three point range this season. The Horns were predicted to finish fourth in the conference, but in order to do so they will need consistent play from guys like guard Courtney Ramey and forward Jericho Sims. Sims leads the team in rebounds/game at 6.9 and blocks/game at 1.3. I believe Sims is the key to the Longhorns finishing high in the standings at the end of conference play. If Sims can step up and become a very real post threat on the offensive end (he only averages 8.5 points/game) and become a better rim defender, the floor will open up so much more for the athletic guards that Texas has in Coleman, Ramey, and Jones on the offensive end while also making Texas a much better defensive team. If Sims becomes a better post player, the Horns could surprise some people in conference play.
3 Key games: vs @Oklahoma State (January 15th), #3 Kansas (January 18th), vs Texas Tech (February 8th)
Key player to watch: Jericho Sims
TEXAS TECH
Freshman guard Jahmi’us Ramsey rises up for a jumpshot vs Long Island University during their matchup on November 24th in Lubbock, Texas. Photo per Texas Tech Athletics
Texas Tech has emerged as one of the premier teams in the Big 12. Reaching the Elite Eight two seasons ago and getting to the National Championship game last season, it’s no secret that Chris Beard can coach. This season is a whole different animal though. His first season in Lubbock, Beard had standout senior point guard Keenan Evans and future NBA First rounder Zhaire Smith. Last season he had Big 12 player of the year Jarrett Culver, who now plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves. This season, it doesn’t appear that Texas Tech has someone who can completely dominate a game like Evans/Smith did two years ago or even like Culver could last year. Freshman Jahmi’us Ramsey is certainly an excellent player, but he isn’t a Jarrett Culver (yet), and nobody should expect him to be, as of right now. Good news is Ramsey is an outstanding player and can score in a variety of ways. Combine him with returning senior guard Chris Clarke, junior guard Davide Moretti, sophomore guard Kyler Edwards, freshman guard Terrence Shannon Jr, and senior transfer forward T.J. Holyfield, Tech has an outstanding array of players that Beard can throw at any opposing defense. This team is a guard-dominated team, which bodes well in the modern version of college basketball. However, I believe if Tech wants to win the Big 12 for the second consecutive season, they need to improve their outside shooting ability. Among players who play significant minutes (15 minutes or more/game in my opinion), only Ramsey (46.3%) and Moretti (38.8%) shoot above 35% from three. If Tech as a team can get more guys to consistently shoot the rock, they will be a very tough out. One of their key players is T.J. Holyfield. We all know Ramsey and Moretti are good, but Holyfield was a highly coveted transfer who chose Chris Beard and Texas Tech over the likes of Kansas, but Holyfield has not lived up to all the hype quite yet. He averages 9.5 points/game, 4.9 rebounds/game, and shoots 57.3% from the field as a whole, He has played in all 12 of Texas Tech’s games, but only averages about 6.25 shots/game while playing about 22.9 minutes/game. If he is going to shoot this well from the field, I think Holyfield has to find a way to get more minutes so that he can get more shots up. If he can become another consistent double digit scorer for this team, look to see Tech fight for a spot in Atlanta for the Final Four at the end of the year.
3 Key games: vs #6 Baylor (January 7th), @ #16 West Virginia (January 11th), @ #3 Kansas (February 1st) (Bonus game: vs #17 Kentucky on January 25th as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge).
Key player to watch: T.J. Holyfield
WEST VIRGINIA
Death, Taxes, and a Bob Huggins coached-team being good defensively. The three guarantees of life. WVU is ranked #17 in the KenPom rankings and is allowing only 87.5 points/100 possessions, which is good for the seventh best in the country. WVU is an excellent defensive team and always has been. The question is whether their offense can step up to the task. Their leading scorer is freshman forward Oscar Tshiebwe at 11.8 points/game. WVU also only has one player averaging more than 25 minutes/game (sophomore forward Emmitt Matthews Jr. who averages 26.5 min/game). What does that tell you? WVU has depth and Huggins isn’t afraid to use it. Ten different players average double digit minutes per game. This allows Huggins to keep up his team’s defensive intensity that WVU basketball has become known for over the last several years. Having fresh bodies late in games is a big luxury and WVU definitely has that. Projected to finish fifth in the conference, the Mountaineers are already exceeding expectations as they are currently ranked #16 in the AP Poll and just beat then ranked #2 Ohio State in Morgantown this past Sunday. One key player for the Mountaineers in my opinion is sophomore forward Derek Culver. Culver averages 11.0 points/game and 9.4 rebounds/game and has experience in beating tough opponents. Culver played significant roles last season on a WVU team that beat Kansas in Morgantown and bested league champion Texas Tech in the Big 12 tournament. Culver while only a sophomore, can provide some leadership for an up and coming WVU roster that has lots of freshmen and sophomores. If Culver is able to become the leader for this WVU team and provide consistent scoring and defensive intensity, watch out for the Mountaineers as they could challenge for the Big 12 title.
3 Key games: vs #22 Texas Tech (January 11th), vs #3 Kansas (February 12th), @ #6 Baylor (February 15th)
With the release of the latest AP poll, Baylor men’s basketball is sitting at #11. Ranked #16 in the preseason, they have climbed up five spots sitting right outside of the top-10. They are the 2nd highest ranked Big 12 team behind #2 Kansas. Despite losing a close game to Washington in the beginning of the season, Baylor has stormed back to an 8-1 start. They have 3 ranked wins so far including #17 Villanova winning the Myrtle Beach Invitational, #12 Arizona, and #18 Butler.
For some context, Baylor has only beaten 3 ranked teams prior to Big 12 conference play once in the past five years in their 2016-2017 season where the Bears finished 27-8, and #12 in the rankings. The Bears have done that again this season, so fans can only hope that Baylor has that much success or more this year.
Leading the way for the Bears is sophomore guard, Jared Butler, from Lousiana. Butler won the MVP award in the Myrtle Beach invitational, and has continued to play exceptionally well. The 4-star recruit has averaged just over 17 points a game all while shooting 44.4% from three. For comparison, Steph Curry shot 45.4% from three in his NBA MVP season.
Additionally, Baylor has guard, MaCio Teague, averaging 14.8 ppg, and Devonte Bandoo averaging 8.9 ppg while shooting 40.6% from three. Junior, Mark Vital, is continuing to be an excellent utility player and leader making places on the defensive end with over 2 steals a game, and meaningful blocks including a massive one that prevented Butler from taking the lead last week in the final seconds.
Baylor has been playing all this well without an 100% Tristan Clark. Clark is a 4-star forward who missed the season last year with a knee injury, and is currently dealing with a minor foot injury. Once Clark is more healthy, expect this Baylor team to improve as Clark adds a talented rim protector on the defensive side, and another offensive weapon on the offensive side.
With their next games against UT Martin and Jackson State, Baylor has a good chance to be 10-1, and maybe even a top-10 team before Big 12 Conference play that starts in January.
Baylor plays next Monday, December 18th against UT Martin at 9 P.M. CT on ESPNU.
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