Five Burning Basketball Questions: Big 12 Style

1)      Will Kansas start and end the year as the top-ranked team in the country?

This is always a tough task, but the Jayhawks are built to win their second national title in three years. Bill Self has one of the best guard-center combinations in guard Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich. If Oprah Collins can stay at his current weight (200 pounds), he will continue to be a tough matchup for opposing defenses. The key to this team is top-10 recruit Xavier Henry. Henry has the NBA size and is a very good three-point shooter. Freshman center Jeff Withey adds size (7’0”) and Elijah Johnson is a freak of an athlete. If Collins and Aldrich stay healthy, this team is guaranteed to make the Final Four.

2)      Are the Sooners better without Blake Griffin?

ARE YOU NUTS? HOW COULD THE SOONERS BE BETTER WITHOUT THE TOP OVERALL PICK IN THE NBA DRAFT?

Those are all responses that people will think when they read that question, but hear me out for a second. Willie Warren is one of the best guards in the country and he finally is playing a style that fits his game. Now that the Griffins are gone, Jeff Capel will rely on Warren, Tony Crocker and highly-touted guard Tommy Mason-Griffin. Expect Warren to make a push for Big 12 Player of the Year and keep an eye on freshman center Keith “Tiny” Gallon. The 6’9” 300-pounder is expected to start for the Sooners and is a better version of Oliver Miller. Capel is slowly becoming one of the best recruiters in college basketball.

3)      Will Clemente be the Wally Szcerbiak/Steph Curry of this year’s NCAA Tournament?

Kansas State’s Denis Clemente plays in a better conference than former Miami of Ohio forward Wally Szcerbiak and former Davidson guard Steph Curry, but he is capable of carrying his team far in the tournament like Szcerbiak and Curry did when they were in college. The second cousin of Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente came up big last year with 44 points in a win over Texas and 33 points in a road win against Missouri. Clemente plays like a smaller version of Jamal Crawford and is capable of scoring 50 points on any given night. He is helped this year by a great recruiting class, led by Wally Judge. The Wildcats are one of the most underrated teams in the country.

4)      When will the rest of the country jump on the Craig Brackins’ bandwagon?

Look at these stats: 6’10”, 230 lbs, 20.2 ppg,  9.5 rpg, 15 double-doubles.

NBA scouts drool over a prospect like Iowa State power forward Craig Brackins and the future pro could help this team get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. The junior forward will compete with Collins, Warren and Clemente for Big 12 Player of the Year. Brackins finally has more help this year in junior college forward Marquis Gilstrap. Expect the Cyclones to be one of the last teams to  make the NCAA Tournament. If NBA general managers drafted on production instead of potential, Brackins would be one of the highest players drafted. Buy your Craig Brackins stock now.

5)      Is Avery Bradley the missing piece for the Texas Longhorns?

Rich Barnes is always blessed with talent at Texas, but this is one of his deepest teams. Barnes had a huge smile on his face when Dexter Pittman and Damion James returned to school and the two stars want to lead the Longhorns to a national title. While both of these players are important for the Longhorns, a one-and-done freshman might be the player that Barnes has been missing. McDonald’s All-American Avery Bradley is a lockdown defender and a freak of an athlete. James will stay fresh with Bradley taking some of the pressure away from him and this team will be able to compete with all types of styles that opposing teams throw at the Longhorns. The Big 12 should have two teams in the Final Four.