PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH 1. Kansas2. Texas3. Kansas State4. Oklahoma5. Texas A&M6. Oklahoma State7. Missouri8. Iowa State9. Baylor10. Texas Tech11. Nebraska12. ColoradoEXHIBITIONISTS Catching our attention in preseason games•Iowa State has had capable guards and a terrific big man in Craig Brackins in Greg McDermott’s first three years, but not enough of the wing types. That changes with Marquis Gilstrap, a junior college transfer who in Iowa State’s first exhibition game stepped outside to swish a three and came inside for a monster put-back slam.•Oklahoma was a middle-of-the-road three-point shooting team last season. Freshman guard Tommy Mason-Griffin will help change that. He hit four of six in the Sooners’ preseason opening game, helping the team go 13 of 23 from behind the arc. •Kansas guard Elijah Johnson went for a high-percentage shot in his first career attempt — a slam against Fort Hays State. It got better from there and pretty much ended any thoughts of Johnson redshirting for the talent-loaded Jayhawks.PRE-XMAS GAMES TO WATCH Dec. 6 Kansas at UCLADec. 8 Xavier at Kansas StateDec. 19 Texas-North Carolina (Cowboys Stadium)NCAA BOUND Kansas, Texas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, MissouriNIT BOUND Iowa State, BaylorSETTING THE BAR Big 12 season standards in the league’s 13-year historyNCAA finish: First (Kansas, 2008)Final Four: Two teams (twice)2002: Kansas, Oklahoma2003: Kansas, TexasElite Eights: Three2002: Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma2003: Kansas, Oklahoma, TexasNCAA Tournament victories: 14, 2003NCAA Tournament teams: six (seven times, most recently, 2009)NIT finish: Second (Baylor, 2009)Top-ranked teams: One (Kansas, 96-97, 01-02, 03-04, 04-05, 09-10)Overall victories: 37 (Kansas, 2008)Conference victories: 16 (Kansas, 2002)National player of the year: 2 (2003, T.J. Ford, Texas; Nick Collison, Kansas)Consensus All-Americas: Two (four times)1998: Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce, Kansas2003: T.J. Ford, Texas, Nick Collison, Kansas2007: Kevin Durant, Texas, Acie Law IV, Texas A&M2008: Michael Beasley, Kansas State; D.J. Augustine, TexasScoring average: 28.9 (Kevin Durant, Texas, 2007)Rebounding average: 14.2 (Blake Griffin, Oklahoma 2009)Assists average: 8.7 (Doug Gottlieb, Oklahoma State, 1999)<hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE <table border="0" class="story-table"> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>F Cole Aldrich</td><td>6-10</td><td>Jr.</td><td>Kansas</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td colspan="4">Coming off a triple-double</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>F Craig Brackins</td><td>6-10</td><td>Jr.</td><td>Iowa State</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td colspan="4">Cyclones are better, so he won’t score as much</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>F Damion James</td><td>6-7</td><td>Sr.</td><td>Texas</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td colspan="4">Bruiser can play inside and out</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>G Sherron Collins</td><td>5-11</td><td>Sr.</td><td>Kansas</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td colspan="4">Job is to keep Jayhawks on track</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>G Willie Warren</td><td>6-4</td><td>So.</td><td>Oklahoma</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td colspan="4">Becomes Sooners’ top offensive threat without Griffin</td></tr> </table> </div>

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Posted on Sat, Nov. 07, 2009 10:15 PM

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Big 12 men’s preview

By BLAIR KERKHOFF | THE KANSAS CITY STAR

The Jayhawks’ Sherron Collins (left) was named to the AP preseason All-America team.

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PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. Kansas

2. Texas

3. Kansas State

4. Oklahoma

5. Texas A&M

6. Oklahoma State

7. Missouri

8. Iowa State

9. Baylor

10. Texas Tech

11. Nebraska

12. Colorado

EXHIBITIONISTS
Catching our attention in preseason games

•Iowa State has had capable guards and a terrific big man in Craig Brackins in Greg McDermott’s first three years, but not enough of the wing types. That changes with Marquis Gilstrap, a junior college transfer who in Iowa State’s first exhibition game stepped outside to swish a three and came inside for a monster put-back slam.

•Oklahoma was a middle-of-the-road three-point shooting team last season. Freshman guard Tommy Mason-Griffin will help change that. He hit four of six in the Sooners’ preseason opening game, helping the team go 13 of 23 from behind the arc.

•Kansas guard Elijah Johnson went for a high-percentage shot in his first career attempt — a slam against Fort Hays State. It got better from there and pretty much ended any thoughts of Johnson redshirting for the talent-loaded Jayhawks.

PRE-XMAS GAMES TO WATCH
Dec. 6 Kansas at UCLA

Dec. 8 Xavier at Kansas State

Dec. 19 Texas-North Carolina (Cowboys Stadium)

NCAA BOUND
Kansas, Texas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Missouri

NIT BOUND
Iowa State, Baylor

SETTING THE BAR
Big 12 season standards in the league’s 13-year history

NCAA finish: First (Kansas, 2008)

Final Four: Two teams (twice)

2002: Kansas, Oklahoma

2003: Kansas, Texas

Elite Eights: Three

2002: Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma

2003: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas

NCAA Tournament victories: 14, 2003

NCAA Tournament teams: six (seven times, most recently, 2009)

NIT finish: Second (Baylor, 2009)

Top-ranked teams: One (Kansas, 96-97, 01-02, 03-04, 04-05, 09-10)

Overall victories: 37 (Kansas, 2008)

Conference victories: 16 (Kansas, 2002)

National player of the year: 2 (2003, T.J. Ford, Texas; Nick Collison, Kansas)

Consensus All-Americas: Two (four times)

1998: Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce, Kansas

2003: T.J. Ford, Texas, Nick Collison, Kansas

2007: Kevin Durant, Texas, Acie Law IV, Texas A&M

2008: Michael Beasley, Kansas State; D.J. Augustine, Texas

Scoring average: 28.9 (Kevin Durant, Texas, 2007)

Rebounding average: 14.2 (Blake Griffin, Oklahoma 2009)

Assists average: 8.7 (Doug Gottlieb, Oklahoma State, 1999)

PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE

F Cole Aldrich	6-10	Jr.	Kansas
Coming off a triple-double
F Craig Brackins	6-10	Jr.	Iowa State
Cyclones are better, so he won’t score as much
F Damion James	6-7	Sr.	Texas
Bruiser can play inside and out
G Sherron Collins	5-11	Sr.	Kansas
Job is to keep Jayhawks on track
G Willie Warren	6-4	So.	Oklahoma
Becomes Sooners’ top offensive threat without Griffin

| Blair Kerkhoff, bkerkhoff@kcstar.com

Posted on Sat, Nov. 07, 2009 10:15 PM

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