Jacob Pullen tribute

Here at BIAH, we have not been shy about the fact that we were huge Jacob Pullen fans.

The kid was a competitor, and a talented one. Players like that are always fun to watch and easy to root for. We already wrote a post about him when Kansas State was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament, but that post was nothing compared to the tribute mixtape that made the rounds on twitter today:

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Jacob Pullen, you will be missed

I may only be a blogger, but I take this blogging gig seriously. I like to consider myself a journalist, even though I spend the vast majority of my time writing in the small corner of the internet I've carved out for myself.

And as a journalist, I am supposed to remain impartial. I'm not supposed to have a rooting interest. I am not supposed to root for teams or players. As difficult as it is for a person that is, first and foremost, a fan of the sport, I am not supposed to be a fan of a specific player or team.

I'll admit it -- I am a fan of Jacob Pullen. I rooted for Jacob Pullen. And it kills me to see a competitor of his ilk go out the way he did.

Pullen had 38 points against Wisconsin, but his Wildcats still lost to the Badgers 70-65 in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. But despite his 38 points, Pullen came one shot -- one free throw -- short of getting this win. Down three with less that 20 seconds left, Pullen drew a foul on Jordan Taylor while shooting a three. He hit the first free throw, but missed the second, meaning that Kansas State was still losing to the Badgers after he hit the third.

Following two free throws from Wisconsin at the other end, Pullen had a potentially game-tying three get blocked by Taylor.

Obviously, Pullen was crushed. (Jump to the 2:30 mark.)



My heart goes out to him.

Here's a kid who came in with the reputation of being a gunner, of being a bit wild, that grew and matured into one of the best guards in the country. Pullen developed the reputation of being a big-time scorer that thrived in the clutch. He was the biggest reason that Kansas State came into this season as a favorite to reach the Final Four.

Pullen didn't have the ideal senior season. With all the suspensions and the early season struggles, it took a miracle finish -- and an offensive explosion from Pullen late in the season -- for the Wildcats to even make the tournament.

He threw his team on his back and carried them all the way to a five seed.

Unfortunately, he came up one shot short of carrying them to the Sweet 16.

Pullen probably doesn't have the NBA in his future. For the casual fan, Pullen will in all likelihood slide into the depths of the memory bank, next to the likes of Mateen Cleaves and Trajan Langdon and Chris Lofton. Guy that were a tremendous pleasure to watch play in college.

So Jake, thanks for the memories, bro. Your effort competitiveness did not go unappreciated or unnoticed.

I think all of Manhattan, KS, will agree with me when I say that you will not be easily forgotten.
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Hoops Housekeeping: Jacob Pullen's wrist????

Jacob Pullen: Last night, the Kansas State all-american and the catalyst for their resurgence to national relevancy took a hard fall on a drive to the rim, landing awkwardly on his right hand and wrist. He came out of the game grimacing in pain, but was almost immediately sent back in.

"I'll be all right," Pullen said after the game, although most reports say he was still in pain. Jeff Goodman tweeted late last night that Pullen would be getting x-rays today to determine if the wrist is broken or just sore.

Let's hope for all involved that it is not serious. Talk about a tortuous way to end a career. You spark a resurgence and then break a wrist? That would just be cruel.


Cleveland Melvin: I won't blame you if you don't know who Cleveland Melvin is. (Quick refresher: DePaul freshman, leads the team with 14.3 ppg, originally committed to UConn.) Well, Melvin -- who had a shot at winning the Big East freshman of the year award -- is not done for the year after tearing a ligament in his thumb.
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Kansas State deserves all the credit they are going to be getting

Two weeks ago, if you would have predicted that, as the calender turns to March, Kansas State would be a lock to make the tournament and Texas would have played their way into second place in the Big 12, a lot of people would have called you nuts.

But after the Wildcats knocked off the Longhorns 75-70 on Monday night, that is precisely where we stand.

Kansas State's five game winning streak has been as impressive as it is surprising. They've beaten Kansas and Missouri at home and now Texas on the road. They've moved all the way into sole possession of fourth place in the Big 12. And now, not only are they a lock for the NCAA Tournament, they have a chance to play their way into a pretty good seed, like Notre Dame did last season.


Pullen was the catalyst, going for a career-high 38 points against Kansas and averaging a robust 29.0 ppg, hitting 15-23 from three, and getting to the free throw line 47 times in the four games coming in. And while he finished with 20 points tonight, Pullen did not dominate.

Curtis Kelly was terrific early in the game, keeping the Wildcats close despite 18 first half points from Tristan Thompson, while Rodney McGruder scored a team-high 22 points while playing excellent defense. Pullen was the closer, scoring 16 of his 20 in the second half -- including a couple of dagger-esque jumpers down the stretch -- despite falling on his right hand and wrist late in the half.

Its been a remarkable turnaround for the Wildcats.

They've been through a lot this season, with the suspensions and the defections, but the talent in that locker room has never been the issue. Frank Martin's kids are finally playing focused, passionate basketball, and he deserves all the credit in the world for getting that locker room concerned about what happens on the court.

Now can you see why this team was a trendy pick to make a Final Four in the preseason?

For Texas, the issues seem to run deep.

After not allowing an opponent to score more than 63 points throughout their first 11 games of conference play and going 11-0 in that stretch, Texas have given up 70 points in three of their last four, losing each of those three games. That includes Saturday, when they blew a 22 point lead to Colorado in a 91-89 loss.

There's more. Against Kansas State, Jordan Hamilton, J'Covan Brown, and Cory Joseph combined to go 9-40 from the floor and 4-17 from three while Tristan Thompson was spending his 37 minutes on the court dominating the Kansas State front line.

Hamilton has been cold for a while. He's just 15-58 from the floor in those three losses and, at times, appears to have reverted back to the old Jordan Hamilton. Its a catch-22 for Rick Barnes, as he needs Hamilton to be an aggressive scorer for the Longhorns to succeed. But there is a big difference between aggressive and wild, and Hamilton has been more wild than aggressive of late.

Its time to start asking the question -- are we going to be seeing another late season collapse from a Rick Barnes coached team.
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2/27 - College Hoops Week in Review: Derrick Williams, E'Twaun Moore, and Jacob Pullen shine

Game of the Week: Arizona 87, Washington 86

This was about as entertaining as basketball can get. Washington was down by as much as 12 points in the second half, but Isaiah Thomas and Matthew-Bryan Amaning took over in the second half. Thomas finished with 12 points and nine assists with just two turnovers, absolutely shredding the Wildcat's half court defense with a series of gorgeous passes off of a pick and roll. Bryan-Amaning, for the most part, was the guy on the receiving end of those pick and roll passes, as he finished with 18 of his 24 points in the second half while adding nine boards, six blocks, four assists, and three steals.


The ending was just as exciting. Derrick Williams hit a contested three to give Arizona the lead, and after the two teams traded buckets, Washington had the ball on the final possession with a chance to win. Bryan-Amaning was called for a travel, but Arizona turned the ball right back over with 2.2 seconds left. It set up this finish:



Williams finished with 26 points and 11 boards and the game-saving block, but more on him later in this post.

St. John's 60, Pitt 59: The Panthers looked as if they had taken firm control of this game, opening up a 56-51 lead late on St. John's in the Garden. But the Red Storm was not ready to give up. After five free throws tied the game up, Paris Horne grabbed the offensive rebound when Dwight Hardy missed a free throws. He got the ball back to Hardy, who was fouled and knocked down two free throws to give the Johnnies the 58-56 lead. Travon Woodall answered with a three pointer, setting up this final possession:



Now, based on screen caps from the ESPN broadcast using the camera above the back board, it appears as if Dwight Hardy's heels are out of bounds on that last move:


Look at the referee's head in the video. Look at it in the picture. He is staring right at Hardy's feet, standing three feet away. He would have seen if Hardy's heels had touched the baseline. Hardy didn't step out. But he did finish with 19 points and the Johnnies knocked off their fifth top 15 team at home.

Cal 76, UCLA 72 OT: Cal provided another piece of evidence to the folks that believe you should automatically foul when you are up three with under five seconds left. After blowing a 12 point lead in the second half, Cal allowed Malcolm Lee to take a tough, fadeaway three from the top of the key that hit the front of the rim, bounced two feet into the air, and fell through the hoop for the game-tying basket. In overtime it was the Jorge Gutierrez show, however, as he finished with 34 points, six assists, and three steals, including finding Brandon Smith for a three with 14 seconds left that clinched the game.


Players of the Week: Just like last week, there is more than one player deserving of getting credit in this space:

Jacob Pullen, Kansas State: For the first time all season, Jacob Pullen looked like the all-american we expected to see this season. He went for a career-high 38 points in the Wildcat's win over Kansas, a win that thrust Frank Martin's club right back into the NCAA Tournament. Then on Saturday, Pullen had 27 points as K-State knocked off Oklahoma.


Derrick Williams, Arizona: We already talked about the 26 points, 11 boards, and two blocks that Williams had in Zona's win over Washington, but that wasn't his only impressive performance this week. He also went for 26 points and eight boards in a win over Washington State. Throw in UCLA's loss to Cal on Sunday, and Arizona now owns a commanding two game lead in the Pac-10 standings. Williams, to his credit, threw himself into the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick come June.

E'Twaun Moore, Purdue: Moore was good in Purdue's win over Wisconsin, going for 19 points. He was great in their win over Ohio State, however, finishing with 38 points and five assists and 13-18 shooting and 7-10 from deep. More on Purdue and Moore in a bit.

The all they-were-good-too team:

• G: Tu Holloway, Xavier: Holloway had 14 points, seven assists, five boards, and three steals in a win over St. Joe's, but that wasn't his most impressive stat line of the week. Against Fordham, the Xavier junior had his second triple double of the season, finishing with 26 points, 11 boards, and 10 assists.
  
• G: Dwight Hardy, St. John's: Hardy, who is making a late-season run at Big East player of the year, had 28 points, six boards, and five steals in a win at Marquette and followed that up with 19 points and the game-winning layup against Pitt.
  
• F: Kenny Faried, Morehead State: The Eagles notched two road wins this week, and Faried -- as usual -- was a huge reason why, averaging 20.0 ppg and 13.5 rpg. He also passed Tim Duncan as college basketball's all-time leading rebounder in the process.
  
• F: Tony Mitchell, Alabama: Alabama keeps churning out wins in the SEC West and moving closer to an at-large bid. Mitchell had just 13 points and four boards against LSU, but he went for 27 points, nine boards, and about three vicious dunks in 'Bama's comeback win over Arkansas.
  
• C: Nikola Vucevic, USC: Vucevic may be the best big man that no one ever talks about. In two road wins this week, he averaged 20.0 ppg and 12.0 rpg.
  
• Bench: Ramone Moore, Temple (24 points in 73-53 win over Richmond); Norris Cole, Cleveland State (16 points, 10 assists, six boards vs. Wright State, 35 points at Old Dominion); Corey Fisher, Villanova (34 points in OT win vs. DePaul); Jorge Gutierrez, Cal (34 points, six assists in OT win vs. UCLA); Scotty Hopson (averaged 27.5 ppg in a 1-1 week); John Jenkins, Vanderbilt (21 points in final 13 minutes in win over Georgia);
  

Team of the Week: Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue avenged losses to both Wisconsin and Ohio State when they visited Mackey Arena this week. Against the Badgers, Purdue got 20 points and 10 boards out of JaJuan Johnson, but the star was Lewis Jackson, who outplayed Jordan Taylor with 18 points, five assists, and no turnovers in the win. Against Ohio State, it was the E'Twaun Moore show, as he went for a career-high 38 points.


Purdue did two things this week. They threw themselves right back into the mix for a Big Ten regular season title. They are now just a game behind the Buckeyes. Ohio State has a much easier road down the stretch -- they get three games at home while Purdue has to go on the road three times -- but being one game back with four games left is a much easier task than sitting three games back with four games left.

Purdue also legitimized this argument I made back in the preseason. This is still a team that can make the Final four. They have two all-americans on their roster, Lewis Jackson and Kevan Barlow are both developing into quality role players, and guys like Ryne Smith, DJ Byrd, and Travis Carroll are playing more and more valuable minutes. The Boilermakers aren't going to be able to power through opponents to make a Final Four like the top four or five teams in the country, but with some favorable matchups, this is absolutely a team with the horses to make the Final Four. (Do I even need to make the mention of how nasty this team would be with Robbie Hummel? I dont? Good.)

Teams deserving of a shoutout:

• Kansas State: The Wildcats are now right back into the thick of the NCAA Tournament race, as they blew out both Kansas and Oklahoma at home this week. Not only is Jacob Pullen finally playing like the Jacob Pullen we all expected to see this season, the rest of the Wildcats are doing the same. They are playing with energy, they are defending, they are diving on the floor, and they are finally getting some production from their front court. The question will be whether or not this holds up the rest of the season. If you are a college basketball fan, then you hope that it does.
  


• Utah State: The Aggies picked up an enormous win against St. Mary's on Saturday in Bracket Busters. The Gaels, believe it or not, are the first top 90 win that Utah State has earned this season. They are certainly not a lock for the NCAA Tournament yet, but if they win out in the regular season and avoid being upset early in the WAC Tournament, Utah State should be able to feel pretty comfortable about getting an at-large bid.

• CAA: Obviously, the headline of this group is George Mason, who extended their nation's-best win streak to 13 games with a 20 point win at VCU and then going into Northern Iowa and knocking off the Panthers. They have all but locked up an at-large bid as well. A big part of that is that during Bracket Busters, the Colonial separated themselves from the rest of the mid-major leagues. Old Dominion put themselves into a good position to get an at-large bid by knocking off Cleveland State despite a 35 point outburst from Norris Cole, while VCU got a bit lucky in their win over Wichita State on the road. Its possible that the CAA can get three bids into the NCAA Tournament.


• Nebraska: The Cornhuskers may have gotten lucky twice this week, but in the end a win is a win, and Nebraska notched two of them. Against Oklahoma, a game-tying three by Cade Davis turned out to only be a two when his toe was on the line. In a win over Texas, the Huskers were able to hold on despite doing their damnedest to give away a late 11 point lead with turnovers, missed free throws, and fouled three-point shooters. Regardless, the Huskers are now officially in the bubble picture, which is more than anyone expected this season.


• Temple: After knocking off Richmond by 20 points and getting a bit of help from Dayton when the Flyers beat Duquesne, a 2-0 week from the Owls put them all alone in second place in the Atlantic-10.
  

Matchups of the Week:

• 2/21 - 7:00 pm: Syracuse @ Villanova
• 2/22 - 7:00 pm: Illinois @ Ohio State
• 2/22 - 9:00 pm: Tennessee @ Vanderbilt
• 2/22 - 9:00 pm: Michigan State @ Minnesota
• 2/23 - 7:00 pm: Temple @ Duke
• 2/23 - 8:00 pm: Colorado State @ BYU
• 2/24 - 9:00 pm: West Virginia @ Pitt
• 2/24 - 7:00 pm: Marquette @ UConn
• 2/24 - 7:00 pm: Georgia @ Florida
• 2/26 - 12:00 pm: Syracuse @ Georgetown
• 2/26 - 12:00 pm: Missouri @ Kansas State
• 2/26 - 1:00 pm: Wichita State @ Missouri State
  
• 2/26 - 2:00 pm: BYU @ SDSU
• 2/26 - 2:30 pm: St. John's @ Villanova
  
• 2/26 - 4:00 pm: Florida @ Kentucky
• 2/27 - 2:00 pm: Pitt @ Louisville
• 2/27 - 7:45 pm: Maryland @ UNC
  

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Basketball's Best Beards

There aren't many things more manly and masculine than a full-beard. All the great historical leaders had them: Jesus, King Leonidas, Blackbeard, Gandalf, Rasputin, ZZ-Top, Brian Wilson, Brett Keisel, etc..

But a full-beard in college basketball is quite the site-to-see.

A full-beard is a sign of hard-work, commitment, and determination.

Personally I've never understood how an athlete can perform with all that facial hair tugging and pulling and getting itchy and sweaty.

But there are some college basketball players that this doesn't seem to bother. Not only have the brave men decided to grow beards, they have decided to take it to the next level.

And that's why I'm here: to applaud these men for their hard work, commitment to excellence and determination.

Consider this list as an addendum to our analysis of the best hairdos in college hoops


Evan Fjeld - Vermont

This is by far the best mustache in the history of college basketball, and possibly the best mustache in the history of college athletics.


I'm well aware it's not a beard, but I mean, god-damn that's a mustache. I'm talking "a real man's mustache". The mustaches of Burt Reynolds and Tom Selleck can't even compare to what this baby-faced assassin is growing on his upper-lip. If Vermont can win the America East Tournament, I am sure you will all be hearing a lot more about this 'stache come March Madness.


Marcus Jordan - Central Florida

"Heir Jordan" clearly wants to create his own imagine. Unlike his father, who was always clean-shaven, Marcus has decided to take an entirely different route.


His beard/goatee is accentuated by the headband and rec-specs. The beard is unkempt and somewhat all-over-the-place, but because of all the accessories used to compliment it, Marcus is able to pull-off this look. But if I didn't know any better, I'd think he was the son of Kimbo Slice and not "His Airness".


Deniz Kilicli - West Virginia

The "Turkish Terror" is having an outstanding season thus far. he was unable to play most of last season, so this is technically his first full season of college hoops. But the Mountaineer big-man can spot up from anywhere, has nice low-post moves and is a rebounding machine. But his beard/mohawk combo is equally impressive.


What makes Deniz's beard so interesting is that it is an entirely different color than his hair. The Turkish native has a jet-black mohawk, but from sideburns down, his facial hair is light-brown.


Dallas Lauderdale - Ohio State

The Ohio State enforcer is the owner of one of the fiercest neck-beards in the country.


The senior power-forward received the most votes in a Sports Illustrated preseason poll for "The last player you would want to get into a fight with". Seriously, he' looks like he's got "old-man strength". I would not want to mess with Dallas "Fort" Lauderdale or his robust man-mountain.

Lauderdale kinda reminds me of Suge Knight, and that's a guy you definitely don't want to mess with.


Joe Latas & Jeremy Montgomery - Cleveland State

These guys must have been competing in a beard-growing contest a la DaShawn Stephenson and Drew Gordon. I mean god-damn look at these beards.




The Cleveland State duo is certainly embodying the "viking" culture, and I love it.


Jacob Pullen - Kansas State

"The People's Champ" has hands-down the most famous beard in college hoops.


Thanks to the fans at the Bramlage Colliseum, the "Fear the Beard" campaign exploded and swept the nation. There are "Jacob Pullen fake beards" for sale, and even his head coach Frank Martin donned one during a post-game interview. It might not be the best beard in the country, but it is certainly the most popular.


Lucas O'Rear - Nothern Iowa

It could be argued that O'Rear has the best beard in the country. O'Rear donned mutton-chops for much of last season, but decided to go all out this season. He is known for his hustle, his character and his personality. And by looking at this picture, I don't think you can doubt his character and personality.


Aside from being the leader of the Northern Iowa basketball squad, he is also a standout pitcher and was drafted last year by the Cincinnati Reds.



Take another look at O'Rear and tell me he doesn't look kinda-like Kenny Powers.

And you know what Kenny Powers said?

"Missouri Valley Conference, you're f***ing out!"


Benzor Simmons - UT-Martin

The Skyhawk senior rocks one of the best, most-robust goatee-beards in the country. I mean look at this thing. I would hate to get get a face-full of that during a rebound attempt. It could take your eye out or strip layers of skin off like a brillow pad.


Benzor is one of the most unique names in the country (yes, he was on the B.I.A.H All-Name Team), and so is his beard.


Kenton Walker II - St. Mary's

I won't fault you if you are unfamiliar with Mr. Walker. After laying at Creighton for two seasons, where he logged roughly 11-mpg, he transfered to Moraga and had to sit out last season. But the junior guard is trying to make up for lost time by rocking one of the thickest beards in the game.


He's only averaging six-points-per-game, but his contributions to the game of basketball cannot be measured strictly by statistics.


Chris Warren - Ole Miss

Last, but certainly not least, is Chris Warren, the main in-charge of the best beard in the Deep South. The undersized point guard has an oversized beard, and in-gym range as well.


Warren is the leader of the Ole Miss basketball team, and his dedication to keeping his beard fresh is a tribute to his leadership skills.

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The suspension of Pullen and Kelly highlights a bigger issue

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

Just minutes before the tip between Kansas State and UNLV at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, word came down that Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly were both to be suspended. Pullen got three games, including Tuesday night's tip, while the length of Kelly's suspension has yet to be determined. Its the second time this season that Kelly has been suspended from the team.

The cause of the suspension revolves around the purchase of clothing at a department store. Apparently, Pullen and Kelly received clothing at a discount price from a woman that works at the store.

"These young men have worked hard to represent themselves and Kansas State in a positive manner," KSU coach Frank Martin said in a brief statement. "Having said that, they made a mistake in judgment and have to pay a price."


Tonight it cost them. Kansas State lost 63-59 to the Rebels in a game where the Wildcats simply could never find any kind of rhythm on the offensive end of the floor. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that losing the best two offensive weapons on a team that doesn't have many of them could yield some ugly results.

And it did. K-State turned the ball over 22 times. They shot 3-12 from three and 14-26 from the line. The 40.4% they shot from the field is much better than one would assume they shot after watching that team try to execute in the half court. And despite all of that, the Wildcats only lost to a good UNLV team by four points.

That should give you an idea of the talent level of this Kansas State team.

The problem is leadership.

The problem is the example being set by the guys that are supposed to be leaders on this team.

"I don't want to hear anything else about leadership about anyone other than the guys on the basketball court," Martin said in a fiery press conference after the loss. "I do not want you to refer any questions again about anybody who was not dressed and in uniform here today."

"Until this team doesn't find that character and that leadership, we're going to continue to flounder around."

There is no way to sugarcoat it -- Pullen and Kelly knew what they were doing was wrong. Its not that they should have known better, its that they did know better and did not care. These players are schooled time and time again about the dangers of accepting gifts. They know how serious the NCAA takes this kind of thing, even if it was as innocent as a female cashier hooking up the two of them one time because she knew who they were and wanted them to like her.

Hey, I was once a broke college student myself. I certainly wouldn't have turned down an offer of a discount on anything, and I probably still wouldn't today. But I also didn't have a basketball scholarship and, potentially, a basketball career that could be put into jeopardy by accepting such an offer.

The lack of leadership was evident on the court the past two games. It was evident every time Pullen struggled to find an open look against Florida on Saturday. It was evident every time Martavious Irving or Nick Russell or Rodney McGruder dribbled into a turnover on Tuesday. It was evident when K-State had no one capable of stepping up and making a big shot.

Denis Clemente may not have been a more talented back court player than Pullen. But he was a better leader. A more natural point guard.

And if this season has proven anything, a more valuable piece to K-State last season than we originally thought.
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Who is really leading the Big XII Player of the Year race?

At the end of the Longhorn's win over Arkansas on Tuesday, right after Damion James scored a couple big buckets down the stretch to ice the game, ESPN.com writer (and BIAH favorite) Dana O'Neil tweeted this:

Damion James has to be the Big XII player of the year right now in a runaway

This was quite a statement, considering that Damion James wasn't really thought to be a contender for the award when the season started.

So I got to thinking: does he? Is James really the Big XII Player of the Year right now? Is it really a "runaway"?

Let's take a quick peek into the Big XII's POY race:

The Preseason Favorites: For my money, there were really only four guys that I thought had a chance to win the Big XII POY before the season started.

• Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, Kansas: Both Collins and Aldrich were preseason all-americans picks. That's what happens when you were arguably the best center and the best point guard in the country the year before. But neither Collins nor Aldrich has been spectacular this season. Collins is averaging just 15.1 ppg and 4.1 apg while Aldrich is post 11.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg, and 3.7 bpg, a far cry from what they averaged last season, and even farther from what most expected them to do this season.
  
  The problem with just looking at numbers is that they don't take into consideration the rest of the talent on the team. As you know, the Jayhawks are loaded this season. All the youth on last year's roster are now the "experienced" sophomores schooling another group of talented freshman. Collins and Aldrich simply have not needed to carry the load offensively. Collins has orchestrated the offense and Aldrich has own the paint defensively while the two have allowed others, like Xavier Henry and the Morris twins, to get their buckets. But if last night's dogfight with Cornell is any indication, don't write these two off yet. Collins had a career-high 33 points, and Aldrich hit a number of big baskets and made some key defensive plays down the stretch.


• Willie Warren, Oklahoma: Warren is another guy whose numbers will deceive you. After coming back to Oklahoma (despite being considered a lottery pick), Warren has posted much better numbers this season, averaging 18.5 ppg and 4.5 apg. But Oklahoma has struggled as a team, sitting at just 9-5, while Warren struggles with the burden of being a leader. It got to the point that he was suspended for a game during the Great Alaska Shootout by head coach Jeff Capel. Unless Warren can turn around his, and the Sooners', season, he likely won't even be first team all-conference.


• Craig Brackins, Iowa State: It was a bit of a shock that Brackins headed back to Ames this season. He was a first round lock, and the Cyclones were terrible last season. And while ISU is still a long way away from making the tournament, they are a much improved team as the play of Marquis Gilstrap and Diante Garrett makes this team appear, at least on paper, capable of competing in the league. But unless Brackins becomes more aggressive and makes ISU relevant in the conference, I have a tough time seeing him win the award, especially when his numbers are down to 17.0 ppg and 7.9 rpg.

The Freshman

• Xavier Henry, Kansas: All the talk this season about freshman (well, about anyone really) has centered around a young man down in Lexington. But the one that got away from Coach Cal (if you remember, Henry was going to Memphis before Cal left, and almost ended up at Kentucky when Cal arrived) is putting up pretty impressive numbers this year as well. At 16.1 ppg, Henry is the Jayhawk's leading scorer while also posting 4.7 rpg and hitting 47% of his threes. While he has posted some impressive numbers, Henry has feasted on some of KU's lesser competition, struggling in games against Michigan, Memphis, and Cornell. The biggest reason he won't win the award? He may not even be the Jayhawk's best candidate when its all said and done.

The Sleeper

• Ekpe Udoh, Baylor: There's no other way to put it: Udoh has been a monster for the Bears. Ask Morgan State, they learned the hard way. Udoh tore them up to the tune of 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 blocks. In actuality, you can ask pretty much ask anyone that has played Baylor, as Udoh has been more than just a flash in the pan. The Michigan transfer has flourished under Scott Drew, averaging 14.2 ppg, 11.5 rpg, and 4.5 bpg. Baylor is currently sitting at 12-1 this season, and Udoh's play in the paint has been one of the biggest reasons why. If Baylor continues to play this well in conference, Udoh has an actual shot to win.

The Favorites

• Jacob Pullen, Kansas State, and Damion James, Texas: For my money, I can't pick between these two right now. Let's talk Pullen first. He has been nothing short of sensational this season. He's averaging 20.1 ppg (in just 28.2 mpg) while dishing out 3.6 apg and shooting 46% from three. More importantly, however, he has stepped up in Kansas State's biggest wins. In victories over Xavier, Dayton, at UNLV, and at Alabama, Pullen is averaging 25.0 ppg. In their loss to Ole Miss, he had his worst performance of the season, going just 5-15 from the floor and 2-8 from three, finishing with just 17 points. When Pullen is playing well, Kansas State is very, very good. If he continues to play like this, and Kansas State makes a run at the regular season title, he has to be considered a favorite to win.
  
  That said, Damion James has been absolutely fantastic as well. He's posted the best numbers of his career, averaging 16.7 ppg and 10.8 rpg. And, like Pullen, he's stepped up in the biggest games. In the Longhorn's two wins over UNC and Michigan State, James averaged 24.0 ppg and 14.0 rpg. On Tuesday night against Arkansas, he went for 20 points and 9 boards in just 17 foul plagued minutes, which included a number of huge baskets down the stretch, and also went for 20 and 9 against Pitt. With seven double-doubles already this season, James has been the best and most consistent player for one of the best teams in the country.
  

Dana's right. James has been the player of the year in the Big XII. But calling it a runaway is not fair to Jacob Pullen and Ekpe Udoh, because they have best just as good. This award, as is usually the case, is going to be won in conference play.

Just another storyline to follow in what is guaranteed to be an exciting season of hoops.
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