It’s March and I’d be remiss if I did not take the opportunity to crow about how the Big 12 Conference is making good on its claim to be the best basketball conference in the NCAA.
Scott Drew, coach at Baylor in CBS’s studio because his top-seeded Bears were upset early held up his defending March Madness Championship ring and crowed proudly “BIG 12!”
Drew has something to crow about because when Kansas qualified Sunday for the Final 4 it made four straight years a Big 12 team was in the final grouping solidifying the conference’s claim as being the best.
The proof is in the pudding. Kansas was in the Final 4 in 2018, Texas Tech reached the championship game in 2019 and of course, Drew’s Baylor team were NCAA Champions last year. There was not a tournament in 2020 but KU would have been the Top Overall Seed.
The RPI Rating Percentage Index used by the NCAA to rate teams for seeding during March Madness has had the Big 12 ranked first 7 times in the past 9 years.
And with the new members being added the Big 12 appears to only get stronger in basketball. Houston has made nice runs the last 2 years and Cincinnati and BYU have strong hoops resumes and do not forget Cincy was in the NCAA Football Final 4 this past season.
The Big 12 when realigned will be a beast, especially in roundball. Heck, I think K-State will return to its rightful place as a basketball threat with the addition of Jerome Tang as head coach.
If it was up to me I’d send Texas and Oklahoma packing sooner rather than later and get on with the new stronger group.
Bottom line? THE BIG 12 is the best conference in NCAA Basketball and poised to contend in other sports too! Rock Chalk Jayhawk this week!
Do you know what’s really cool? I’ve been discussing March Madness with factual data and haven’t even mentioned Duke.
Nuff said I’m Steve Sauder.
