The Big 12 will provide up-to-date information, news, stories and
behind-the-scenes updates from all areas at Sprint Center in Kansas
City. Check back here often once the championship begins on Wednesday,
March 12 (with pre-championship press conferences) all the way through
the final game on Sunday, March 16.
Sunday, March 16, 2008 - Big 12 Championship Game - (1) Texas vs. (2) Kansas
So long from Kansas City.
Final: Kansas 84, Texas 74
Just caught some of Bill
Self's opening comments. He said this was one of the best games he has
ever been involved with. I know it was one of the best games I've ever
seen. I would have paid to see it. There was a stretch there in the
first half that was just incredible. As Self said, players made plays.
Rush and Chalmers joined Self in the media room. Both players agreed it was a tremendous game.
Chalmers (30 points) was 8-of-12 from behind the arc. Rush was
6-of-9 from 3-pt. land and finished with 19 points. KU shot 15-25 (60%)
from behind the arc.
I believe both teams are going to watch the selection show here in the building.
Attendance today: 19,047, the largest crowd in the Sprint Center's brief history. They got their money's worth.
Final: Kansas 84, Texas 74
Bill Self cuts down the
final pieces of the net and and holds it up to the crowd. KU band
cranks up alma mater. Many KU fans still here.
Final: Kansas 84, Texas 74
Jayhawk fans still haven't left as one-by-one the players are cutting down the nets.
That was some video presentation. I don't know how they could
have done that so quickly. There was highlights of the trophy
presentations spliced in. First class operation here.
Final: Kansas 84, Texas 74
Brandon Rush just named
Most Outstanding Player of Tournament, receives award from Big 12
Commissioner Dan Beebe. Beebe also presents the Big 12 Championship
Trophy to the KU seniors. Entire team is on the podium and the stands
are still filled.
A special video presentation is just starting to Van Halen's Right Now.
All video boards streaming, flashing: Kansas Jayhawks - Big 12 Champions. Quite a show.
Final: Kansas 84, Texas 74
Championship Awards about to be presented to KU players, staff.
They snuck the All-Tournament team to me and here it is:
Rush (KU), Chalmers (KU), Augustin (UT), Abrams (UT), James (UT).
Chalmers finished with 30 for KU.
Final: Kansas 84, Texas 74
Collins dribbles out the clock. Barnes and Self shake hands as the horn sounds. Confetti falls from the rafters.
:25.4
Crowd showing its appreciation as KU looks to ice it at the line. Collins shooting two. KU leads 82-74.
Chalmers wouldn't let Abrams free for a 3 on UT's last trip.
:35.2
Crowd not happy that UTs Mason is given time to adjust contacts. Barnes dismayed.
Arthur shooting 2 for KU. Chalmers made both FTs. James went 1 of 2 at other end.
KU leads 80-74.
:40.1
KU leads 78-73. Chalmers shooting two after steal, fouled.
1:09
Texas timeout with ball after Rush steps on in-line trying to get ball inbounds. UT band plays "Deep in the heart of Texas."
1:09
Atchley makes two FT's. So did Collins at other end. KU ball leading 77-73.
1:26
Collins shooting bonus. KU lead at 75-71 after 3 by Chalmers.
3:35
Media timeout. KU leads 72-71 with the ball.
Mason hit a tough shot to put UT up. Arthur answered with a turnaround jumper for the Jayhawks.
5:40
Timeout Texas after 3 by Collins (from Rush) puts KU up 70-69.
Arthur slamed home a pass from Chalmers on the previous KU possession and the crowd went wild.
7:40
Kansas shooting two when play resumes.
UT cheerleader urging some orange-clad UT fans to stand up and yell. They oblige.
7:53
Timeout Kansas. Texas leads 67-64. KUs Bill
Self can't wait for the media break after Texas takes the lead with 3
straight 3s (Abrams, James, Abrams)
Texas started the half just 1-of-8 behind the arc, but hit the
last 3 to extend its run to 11-0. Kansas had built its lead to 64-56 on
a 3 by Rush.
11:16
Media timeout, and I'm sure UT coach Rick
Barnes is glad to get it as KU crowd is in a frenzy after a 3 by Rush
pushed KU's lead to 60-54
Texas shooting 2 when play resumes.
Chalmers continues to light it up, hitting 3s on back-to-back
possessions. The first one gave KU the lead at 50-49. The second
extended the lead to 53-49. He scored after a nice feed from Arthur to
make it 56-52, answering a 3 from UT's Abrams.
Chalmers has 25.
15:48
Media timeout. Texas ball, leading 49-47.
Teams struggled on offense to start second half, especially
Kansas. KU had three turnovers in its first five possessions, the last
a charging call that wiped out a basket by Rush. The crowd did not like
the call.
Arthur broke the ice for KU at 16:39 with a pair of free throws. Arthur and Kaun missed gimme's on KU's next trip.
The shooting numbers were great in the first half. Texas was on
scorch from behind the arc, going 8-of-11. Augustin was a perfect
4-of-4 and led all scorers with 18 points.
KU sjhot 9-of-15 from 3 range. Chalmers was 5-of-6 and had 17 points. Rush was 4-of-7 and had 12.
Start of 2nd half
Texas ball first, and Abrams drives for a lay-up to make it 48-45, UT.
Halftime: UT 46, KU 45
Made one more run to the concourse but didn't fight the
concession lines. You can get just about anything to eat in this place.
Pizza, tacos, burritos, chicken, BBQ, pulled and sliced pork, you name
it. Not just hot dogs, burgers and popcorn anymore. Same with drinks.
Cappucinos, coffee, brewed teas, flavored water, several lemonades and
soft drinks. The concourse area is wide so that there is plenty of
room. There are also bar-style seating areas with large, elevated
flat-screen TVs.
This arena is really something special. The team staging areas
are spacious and the lockerrooms are first class. Each team has enjoyed
its own private lockerroom with seperate meeting rooms for coaches,
etc. This would be a fantastic site for NCAA Tournament play. The Big
12 Championships return here in 2010.
Halftime: UT 46, KU 45
To the crowds delight, a
Kansas fan beats out a Texas fan in an around the world syle shooting
contest and gets a years worth of free gas from Phillips 66. That's a
nice chunk of change considering gas prices these days.
Texas fan gets the consolation prize, one month of free gas. Not bad.
Halfime: Texas 46, Kansas 45
Chalmers put KU ahead with a 3 at :58, but UT's James answered by swishing a jumper just left of the paint.
KU had the last possession. Collins was rejected at the rim by Mason. Rush missed a 3 off an inbounds pass.
Can't wait to see the shooting percentages in this one. I know
they won't both get them, but these teams certainly look like number
one seeds to me.
1:24
Timeout KU after Augustin makes another deep 3. James hit a 3 on the previous UT trip and the Horns now lead 44-42.
Great stuff.
2:35
Media timeout. Texas ball. KU leads 42-38 having scored on 5 straight possessions.
This is an outstanding basketball game. The two teams heated up here in the last few minutes, especially Kansas.
The Jayhawks were forced to after Augustin put on a show, twice
scoring on fall away shot that sandwiched a 3 from NBA range. Augustin
is unbelievable.
Chalmers, Rush and Chalmers again nailed 3s for KU. Arthur
scored in the paint and Collins drove to the hoop for a lay-in to make
it 42-38.
7:33
Media Timeout. Texas ball, leading 27-26.
Kaun broke KU's drought with a 2-handed slam dunk on a nice pass from Arthur. Kaun was fouled and completed the 3-pt. play.
A layup by Chalmers pulled KU within one.
9:15
Timeout Kansas after James buries a 3 from the top of the key.
Texas now leads 24-21 having scored on its last five possessions. KU has not scored in five possessions.
10:55
Media timeout. Texas ball.
Kansas leads 21-18. Horns scored on 3 of last 4 possessions,
getting a 3 from Augustin, a follow-up by Abrams and a 3 from Mason.
Rush answered Augustin with a 3 that made it 21-13 after great
ball movement by the Jayhawks. KU did not score in its last 3 trips.
13:03
Timeout Texas to avoid a turnover.
KU lead at 18-10 after a 3 by Rush followed a slam by Kaun after a nice pass from Aldridge.
14:58
Media timeout. Kansas has scored the last 7 points to take a 10-8 lead and the momentum.
Crowd really in it for KU.
Arthur hit a soft shot on the baseline to tie it at 8, then
slammed home a pass from Chalmers to put the Jayhawks ahead. Crowd got
really loud.
Kansas really guarding Abrams and Augustin on the perimeter, which freed up James and Mason to make 3's
Chalmers hit a 3 on the games first possession.
2:15 CT
Arthur-James jump center, Kansas controls the tap.
2:12 CT
Like a World Series game, every player and staff member, trainer, etc. are being introduced today before the starting lineups.
Lights just went out. Kansas players getting huge ovations. KU fans boo's drown out the cheers for the UT players.
An overhead, searchlight style follows the starters as they are introduced.
2:07 CT
Just got some goose bumps when Kansas entered the floor. This is definitely a Championship game atmosphere.
Partisan crowd brok out in "Let's go Jayhawks" before Texas entered the floor to Texas Fight.
This one should be a lot of fun.
2:05 CT
About 5 minutes away from starting lineups.
Kansas fans are taking over with their songs and chants. No empty seats in this sea of blue.
A good bit of Texas Orange mixed in in some areas, and even some St. Patrick's Day green.
2:00 CT
Teams just left the floor. KU fans booed Texas.
Texas band plays National Anthem.
Here are today's starting lineups.
Texas: Damion James, Connor Atchley, Juston Mason, D.J. Augustin, A.J. Abrams.
Kansas: Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson, Brandon Rush, Russell Robinson, Mario Chalmers.
Officials: Curtis Shaw, John Higgins, Mark Whitehead.
1:45 CT
Still 25 minutes before starting lineups are introduced.
The introductions will be a bit different today as the lights will be turned off inside the Sprint Center this time.
An enormous 4-sided video board adjoins the overhead scoreboard
here, and a nearly 3 ft. high wrap that completely surrounds the arena
from the lower part of the upper deck, also streams video. There is
probably enough lighting from just those message boards to be able to
play.
As I notice that the upper decks are filling up I now see that
a giant curtain is blocking light from the open end zone. I bet it will
get dark in here.
1:30 CT
We are still 40 minutes away from introducing the starting lineups.
Looks like an early arriving crowd today and already a whole lot of Kansas Blue.
Both teams have already been out to stretch and warm-up. Texas players still on the floor.
Tipoff at approximately 2:15 CT. Game will be televised live on ESPN.
Saturday, March 15, 2008 - Semifinals
(1) Texas vs. (2) Kansas, 2 p.m. on Sunday
Horns won regular season meeting 72-69 in Austin.
Sunday's game is not just for the Big 12 Championship, but possibly a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Duke lost to Clemson in the ACC semifinals earlier today.
Final: Kansas 77, Texas A&M 71
Robinson got free for a layup for KU at :28.9.
Muhlbach missed a 3 for A&M, KU rebounded and ran off some time as A&M had trouble fouling.
Rush made 2 FTs to provide the final margin.
Rush finished with 28. Davis led the Aggies with 16.
:54.9
Kansas timeout with ball. Kirk made 2 free throws for A&M.
One possession game at 73-71, KU.
1:03
Chalmers shooting bonus for KU after a Muhlbach 3 made it 73-69, KU.
1:20
Timeout A&M (full) with the ball. Last TO for Aggies.
Jayhawks lead now at 73-66. Jackson layed in a pass from Chalmers on a runout, then made 1 of 2 FTs on KU's next trip.
3:41
Media timeout. Play stopped to review if shot by A&M's Joseph Jones was a 3 or 2. It was a 3.
Kansas ball, leading 70-66.
3:53
Timeout A&M with the ball. KU lead back to
70-63 after a 3 by Rush that followed a pair of free throws on KU's
prior possession.
Rush has 26.
5:13
Timeout Kansas with the ball. KU lead now down
to 65-63 after a 3 by Muhlbach. He had made 2 free throws on A&Ms
previous trip.
6:38
Media timeout. KU leads 63-57. A&Ms Davis will be trying to complete a 3-pt. play when action resumes.
Teams had traded 3s on each of thier last two possessions.
First, Davis made a wild turnaround shot that banked in as the shot
clock expired. He had ran down a miss by Kirk that didn't draw iron.
Rush answered for KU.
A&M's Carter hit from the left corner.
Again, Collins answered for KU.
11:34
Media timeout. Jayhawks lead 51-46. A&M at the line shooting 2 when play resumes.
A&M climbed within 3 on a 7-2 run, capped by Elonu going
around Arthur on the baseline to score. Roland scored the first 5
points in that run, including a 3.
Collins scored on a layup to give KU its current advantage after the Jayhawks had turned it on its previous two possessions.
15:38
Media timeout. A&M ball. KU leads 46-39.
A&M took a TO at the 15:47 mark after a steal and layup by KU's Collins made it 46-39 Jayhawks. A 9-0 KU spurt.
A&M's Turgeon again tried to wait on the media timeout but
could not. He wanted to take a TO after Rush buried a 3 at the 16:05
mark but didn't.
Rush completed a 3-pt. play to put KU up 40-39. Jackson tipped in a Rush miss to make it 42-39.
Start of 2nd half
KU ball. Tied at 34.
Halftime: KU-A&M tied at 34
RockChalk dancers and Texas Aggie dance team entertained crowd.
Crowd also got a kick out of the Chick-fil-A Quick Change, where
two kids race to put on oversize uniforms and shoes before making it
back to the finish line.
Halftime: KU-A&M tied at 34
Crowd not happy with no call (correct) in the paint on KU's half-ending possession.
Nice job by A&M to even the game with an 8-0 run to end the half.
Jones made a 12-fter on the baseline, then Kirk knocked down a 3 and another jumper that tied it.
A&M had 2 possessions to take the lead. Kirk missed from the same spot.
Three Aggies stuffed Aldridge simultaneously to force a jump ball at :43.5. A&M possession, but could not score.
2:01
Timeout KU. A&M ball, now trailing 34-29 after Jones hit a 12-footer on last trip.
Looked like A&M knocked the ball out, but official may have missed a charge call there and evened it out.
2:47
Media timeout. A&M shooting 2 when play resumes. KU leads, 34-26.
Back-to-back baskets by Joseph Jones pulled A&M within 4, 30-26.
Arthur scored in the paint and Chalmers converted a steal to
push the KU lead back to 8. Looked like Chalmers wanted to dunk but
slipped a bit and layed it in. He limped back down the floor.
4:30
A&M timeout after Robinson rebounds, scores. KU lead is now its largest at 30-22.
Rush hit a 3 off an inbounds play to make it 26-21. Kaun hit a pair of FTs to make it 28-22.
6:59
Teams go to towards their benches as another
shot clock problem stops play. There's a slight boo from the crowd as
they are becoming annoyed at this problem. Delay is only about 30
seconds.
7:29
Media timeout. KU ball underneath its basket.
KU now leads 23-20. Aldrich made it 23-18 and brought the house down when he slammed home an alley-oop from Russell Robinson.
A&M's Chinemulu Elonu buried a one-handed slam after an offensive rebound to answer.
9:55
A&M ball. KU leads, 19-18.
Play is stopped for a couple of minutes as the officials go to
the monitor to check the timing. There have been issues with the shot
clock throughout this tournament.
10:17
Media timeout. KU ball, leading 19-16.
Crowd is giving longtime broadcaster Fred White a standing
ovation as the Big 12 recognizes his many years of service to the
league. White is retiring and is presented with a watch.
A&M pushed the lead to six before a 4-pt. trip by the
Jayhawks. Kaun missed the second free throw, the rebound went long and
Brandon Rush wound up hitting a 3.
Kansas regained the lead at 17-16 when Rush slammed one down on
a runout. Crowd went wild and A&Ms Turgeon wanted to wait for the
media timeout.
When Kaun scored in the paint on KU's next trip, Turgeon burned a TO at the 10:33 mark.
On the possession following the timeout, Kirk lost his shoe and
the Aggies ran about 10 seconds of offense before turning the ball
over.
15:50
Media timeout. A&M ball, leading 9-5.
The Aggie yell leaders and pom pom girls are giving this KU
crowd a run for its money in the noise department, and A&M's Bryan
Davis is doing the same on the floor. He has 6 quick points, battling
in the paint to convert after two misses and rebounds on one trip, then
a nice spin move and bank shot that made it 9-5 on Aggies last
possession.
Start of KU-A&M
Kansas starters: Arthur, Jackson, Rush, Robinson, Chalmers.
A&M starters: Carter, Jones, Davis, Kirk, Sloan.
Officials: Tom O'Neil, Mark Whitehead, Scott Thornley.
Kansas starters got strong ovations from this partisan crowd.
Catfish is outstanding. I wanted another mango iced tea but the line was too long.
3:27 p.m.
Introductions just getting started. About 5 minutes to tip.
Battled the crowds in the concourse to get a Catfish basket and
I'm getting ready to dig in. Looks good, and not nearly as messy as the
KC BBQ hot dog.
3:00 pm. CT
No doubt about who this crowd wants to see win the next one.
The crowd greeted the Jayhawks loudly as the team entered just as the UT band neared the end of 'The Eyes of Texas.'
The crowd booed loudly moments later when Texas A&M took the floor.
Tipoff should be about 3:30 p.m.
Final: Texas 77, Oklahoma 49
Texas Fight plays loudly as the teams shake hands.
They say its hard to beat a team three times but it's happened several times in the league this year.
3:37
Media timeout. Texas ball, leading 72-49.
Texas lead reached 25 after another 3 by Abrams at the 4:22 mark, his 7th. The Horns guards have worn down the Sooners.
Crowd moans as it's announced that North Carolina defeated Va. Tech.
5:24
Bob Stoops may want to look at Blake Griffin
as a DB. He just took down Atchley at midcourt on an inbounds pass in a
play that looked more like it should have been at the Cotton Bowl.
Atchley made 1 of 2. UT lead at 69-47.
5:40
Play stopped after Taylor Griffin goes down unforced. Arena is awful quiet for a semifinal game.
6:38
Media timeout. Texas ball after Longar turns it over on the baseline.
Horns lead 68-47.
OU players look tired. Texas lead reached 22 before Crocker hit a 3 for the Sooners.
Augustin fell hard to the floor after getting fouled by Longar.
He completed the 3-pt. play before being taken out of the game after
scoring 7 straight points. Augustin has 17 for the afternoon.
9:14
Game getting away from OU. Now they foul Augustin on a 3 and he makes all the freebies.
UT leads by 20, 62-42.
10:01
OU may own the boards, but they are not guarding on the perimeter.
Abrams just hit another 3. He has 21 pts., 6 3's. UT lead is 57-42.
11:01
Media timeout. Texas ball, leading 54-42.
Taylor Griffin scored after an offensive board on OU's last trip.
I can't believe how quiet it was a few minutes ago when UT's James shot free thows.
11:47
Timeout OU. Capel can't wait for media break as UT lead is now 14 (54-40) after James slams one home.
Capel urging his guys to get back on defense.
14:10
Timeout OU after Augustin scores on a drive to the basket.
An 11-0 run has given UT its largest lead at 47-36. Mason hit a 3 before the Augustin bucket.
Crowd cheers the announcement that North Carolina trails. Big 12 winner is hoping for a one seed and that might help.
15:15
Play interrupted as Blake Griffin loses his shoe. Longhorn mascot flirting with ESPNs Holly Rowe.
15:59
Media timeout. OU ball.
Davis tied it at 36 with a 3, capping a 7-0 start to the half by OU.
Abrams has since hit a pair of 3s to put the Horns back up by 6, 42-36.
18:08
Break in play as clock malfunction is corrected by the officials.
OU continues to own the boards. They outrebounded UT 22-14 in the first half.
I was right (for once) about the offensive rebounds. OU had 11
in the first half and Blake Griffin already has another 2nd chance
bucket in the second half.
Griffin has scored twice for the Sooners in the second half.
Texas leads 36-33.
Start of 2nd Half
Oklahoma ball. ESPN's Holly Rowe letting the viewers at home know what the coaches told her during the break.
There is a lot of Kansas blue in the crowd today, another packed
house. The Jayhawks face Texas A&M in the second semifinal tilt.
Halftime
That OU dance routine kept folks in their
seats. It was about five minutes long. I never knew there were so many
songs about Oklahoma.
Halftime: Texas 36, Oklahoma 29
Oklahoma Bombsquad dance team takes.
Texas scores the last seven points of the first half to hold the lead at the break.
OU's Davis tied it at 29 with his second 3 of the game, but Abrams answered with his third triple.
3:59
Media timeout. Texas ball after OU turnover.
OU coach Jeff Capel still upset about the technical and he spends about 30 seconds in a heated exchange with ref John Higgins.
Don't have the numbers but the Sooners are having a lot of success on the offensive glass. Blake Griffin has 10 points.
Damion James gave UT the lead with a 3, 29-26.
5:30
UT's Abrams hits 1 of 2 after a technical foul was called on the OU Bench. Tied at 24.
6:10
Media timeout. OU ball when play resumes.
Abrams just put UT back ahead 23-22 with his second 3.
The lead has been see-sawing.
After at least six trips without a hoop, OU has scored in the paint on its last four possessions.
11:19
Media timeout. UT's Alexis Wangmene will try to put the Horns ahead with 2 free throws when play resumes.
Horns have scored the last six points to pull within one. OU leads 13-12.
OU band, cheerleaders and dance team entertaining during the break.
15:54
First media timeout. Texas ball underneath its basket.
The pace of the game was just starting to pick up before the deadball.
OU leads 11-6. Tony Crocker has scored six points, including the
last 4. OU has scored on each of its last three possessions starting
with a 3 point shot off of an inbounds play by Cade Davis.
Texas Fight plays.
1:02
Gettting settled in for what should be a couple of great games.
Intros have just begun for these two rivals.
I had to get another one of those mango iced teas ($4.50) from
up on the concourse. You can get just about anything to eat or drink in
this arena, other than alcohol. I'll go a little more into that later.
12:40 p.m.
A little over 20 minutes until the introduction of the starting lineups. Here they are.
Texas: James, Atchley, Mason, Augustine, Abrams
Oklahoma: B. Griffin, Longar, Crocker, Davis, Johnson
Officials: Curtis Shaw, John Higgins, Terry Davis
Friday, March 14, 2008 - Quarterfinals
Saturday's Semifinals
1:00 p.m. (1) Texas vs. (4) Oklahoma
3:20 p.m. (2) Kansas vs. (6) Texas A&M
FINAL: A&M 63, K-State 60
No KSU-Kansas matchup. A&M will face the Jayhawks instead.
KSU got 2 shots at it, but couldn't hit a 3.
Beasley led all scorers with 25. Kirk led A&M with 19.
Win should seal A&M's tournament resume.
:07.9
Timeout A&M (full). KSU ball, trailing 63-60 after two FTs by A&M's Carter.
Beasley took the shot and missed, wanted foul. KSU fans upset.
KSU's got to take a 3.
:20.6
KSU timeout with ball trailing by one.
Jones missed, Beasley rebound on previous A&M possession.
Wonder who's taking this shot?
:36.1
Timeout A&M with ball. Shot clock at :14.
Beasley layup made it A&M 61, KSU 60
1:16>
Timeout KSU (full) with ball. Tip-in by A&M's Gainous makes it 61-58, Aggies.
3:28
Media timeout. A&M's Jones will be at the line shooting 2 when play resumes.
Beasley just picked up his 3rd foul.
Crowd advantage is definitely with KSU. They have a large contingent of fans here.
3:49
Timeout A&M after Walker gives KSU the lead at 57-56.
4:23
Beasley completes 3-pt. play to make it 56-55, A&M.
Another Aggie (Elonu) to the bench with four fouls.
5:58
Three straight fouls on this KSU possession. Beasley makes two FTs to cut deficit to 5.
Jones sits with four fouls for A&M.
6:42
A&M's Davis forced to the bench with his 4th foul.
7:25
Media timeout after KSU's Walker gets called for a charge and the basket is not allowed. Cat fans not happy.
A&M 55, KSU 48
7:44
TImeout KSU.
Kirk silenced the Wildcat fans by banking in a three from the
top of the key as the shot clock ran out. He knocked in another triple
on the Aggies next possession to extend A&M's lead back to 7,
55-48.
9:18
Timeout A&M with the ball.
Clent Stewart has scored last two hoops for KSU. A&M lead down to 3, 49-46.
11:42
Media timeout. KSU ball after A&M turnover.
State fans back on thier feets after 4 straight points by Beasley pulls the Wildcats within five at 47-42.
Noticed that the KSU basketball mascot wears a uniform like the
players and a Wildcat head, not the rest of the mascot suit. Not sure
why.
14:08
Timeout KSU. A&M has scored five straight points after a 3 by Fred Brown pulled the 'Cats within two.
Muhlback hit a three that was reviewed and Elonu scored on the Aggies next possession.
A&M lead back to 7 at 45-38.
15:39
Media timeout. Sluggish start to 2nd half. A&M leads 40-35.
20:00
Second half underway. KSU ball.
Halftime: Texas A&M 38, Kansas State 33
Aggies chart into the break with a five-point lead.
3:39
Media timeout. Tied at 31. A&M ball.
Beasley has 14 points for KSU. Kirk leads Aggies with 11.
6:00
Media timeout after play was stopped with KSU's Bill Walker on the floor holding his elbow.
Beasley just put the Wildcats up 28-26. He has 13 points already.
K-State scored 8 points on 3 possessions to force an A&M timeout a little earlier.
Finished with the hot dog. Ran out of napkins and could only eat half. Not bad for $7.
11:44
Media timeout. Texas A&M leading 20-14 and will have the ball.
Aggies playing much better on offense tonight.
I almost can't eat this hot dog without a fork and knife. I'm
sure BBQ sauce will be all over me before I just call it quits. A taste
of KC. Not bad.
15:47
Media timeout. Texas A&M out strong, leading 11-7 behind 9 points from Dominique Kirk.
I missed most of the early action while standing in the
concession line. I have been eating the food in the press room but I
have heard some much about all of the choices here in the arena. I
toured the concourse earlier and found some must try's. The first is
the KC 1/2 lb. BBQ Hot Dog. That's right. It's a 1/2 lb. hot dog,
topped with BBQ pork, onion rings and BBQ sauce. I also picked up a
cherry lemonade. I'll fill you in later.
Starting lineups
Kansas State: Walker, Sutton, Beasley, Young, Stewart.
Texas A&M: Carter, Jones, Davis, Sloan, Kirk
Officials: Curtis Shaw, John Higgins, John Hampton
8:35 CT
Michael Beasley is presented the Big 12
Player of the Year Trophy at midcourt by Commissioner Dan Beebe. A
highlight video accompanies the ceremony and the many K-State fans in
the crowd show their appreciation.
8:30 CT
About 15 minutes to tip.
Fans at the Big 12 Championships can test their skills right
here at the Sprint Center, home to the National College Basketball Hall
of Fame and the College Basketball Experience at Sprint Center.
The 41,500 square foot facility has two floors that "celebrate
the history of men's collegiate basketball, honoring deserving coaches,
players and contributors who have made significant impacts on the
game."
The CBE "educates and entertains fans and visitors through
interactive and experiential exhibits that test a visitor's basketball
skill level and knowledge."
It's a fantastic facility for all ages, but especially for the
kids. There must be 25 basketball goals in the building, which is
attached to the Sprint Center. Visitors travel through a maze of sorts,
stopping to take a few shots or to read the many banners that describe
the history of college basketball.
Just about anyone can see what it feels like to slam dunk the ball as there are goals as low as 7-ft.
You can shoot free throws with a simulated crowd behind the
basket, play 3-on-3, test your 3-pt. shooting skills against the clock,
etc.
I found out I can still make free throws, but I also learned
that my vertical leap is only 16 inches. My hands are half the size of
Wilt Chamberlain's and my feet fit with plenty of room inside Shaq's
size 23's.
Makes for a great compliment to the tournament and a nice outlet for restless kids, like I once was.
8:20 CT
Kansas State and A&M will tip at approximately 8:45.
FINAL: Kansas 64, Nebraska 54
Kansas was dribbling
out the clock and players were standing around when NU's Sek Henry
stole the ball. He was fouled and made both FTs. KU fans booed.
Just heard here on press row that Doc Sadler said before the
game that his team would play from the first second until the last.
They did.
Kansas will play in Saturday's semifinals against the winner of tonight's nightcap, K-State vs. Texas A&M.
1:15
Timeout NU with ball. KU leads 60-50.
Chalmers made 1 of 2 for the NU technical foul. Velander made
both for the KU technical. Collins then successfully completed the
3-pt. play opportunity as a resumption of play.
1:19
Things have gotten a little wild. Velander
missed a three in front of NU bench. KU's Collins got a breakaway layup
and was fouled hard by Dagunduro. Official waited for play to finish
and Tee'd up Sadler, who thought Velander was hit. Collins then got
Tee'd up as well. Officials are at the table trying to sort things out.
KU leads 58-48.
3:21
Timeout Nebraska, with ball. Chalmers makes both free throws to extend KU's lead to 55-46.
3:25
Media timeout. KU shooting two when play resumes, leading 53-46.
Chalmers 3-pt. play at 4:32 gives KU its biggest lead of the night at 53-43.
Strowbridge answered with a 3 on NU's next possession.
Crowd really pays attention when they play the shuffling
basketball game on the video board. #3 won for the second straight
game.
7:23
NU's Velander hits 3, fouled, completes rare 4-pt. play. 47-42, KU.
7:37
Media timeout. Jayhawks lead now at nine, 47-38.
Arthur picks up his fourth foul.
Very physical play inside, especially at Huskers end.
KU outscoring Nebraska 25-11 this half.
11:49
Media timeout. KU leading 40-36.
Ryan Anderson just picked up his 4th foul and KU will be shooting 2 when play resumes.
Anderson hit a three on the Huskers last possesion to cut KU's lead to 4.
14:16
Timeout Nebraska's Doc Sadler after another NU turnover and a 3 by Brandon Rush makes it 37-31, Kansas.
Kansas crowd is really into it now. Whatever Bill Self said at
halftime is working as this appears to be a different level of play.
14:30
Media timeout. Nebraska ball. KU leads 34-31.
Kansas has taken the lead with great defense and second chances on the offensive end.
A 3-pt. play by Brandon Rush put the Jayhawks up 30-29.
The half started with a steal by Chalmers, who fed Jackson for a layup. Then Chalmers hit a 3 to cut NU's lead to 29-27.
Halftime: Nebraska 27, Kansas 22
Great game. There
have been some incredible blocked shots in the first half, the last a
rejection by Chalmers of Strowbridge on a 3 at the buzzer.
The bigs are playing physical inside.
Nebraska used a 14-4 run capped by a Paul Verlander 3 to go up 27-18 before KU scored the last four points of the half.
3:20
Media timeout. NU has the ball and leads 23-18 after a KU hoop by Mario Chalmers.
These teams are really battling every possession. Darnell
Jackson rejected Aleks Maric on the NU end, then Maric stuffed Jackson
at the other end on the next trip down.
Just earlier, Dagundro climbed to slam home a miss and spark the crowd but was called for basket interference.
4:19
Timeout Kansas. NU leads 23-16 on a 10-2 run. Jay-R Strowbridge has the Huskers last five points from the perimeter.
7:37
Media timeout. Nebraska has the ball and the lead at 16-14 on another Dagunduro 3. He has 10 points already.
KU's Arthur is having a tough night. Not only did he lose his shoe, he got rejected by Dagunduro from behind on a dunk attempt.
The Nebraska cheerleaders entertained during the last break.
They wear unique outfits, made to look like the hoops teams uniforms
complete with numbers (08). Of course, the cheerleaders uniforms are
much tighter than those the players wear these days. They also wear red
knee high socks with 3 white stripes at the top. Not that I noticed.
11:07
Media timeout. NU ball. Kansas leads 11-8.
Steve Collins tied the game at 8 on a 3, but KU's Sherron Collins answered from behind the arc on the other end.
12:49
Kansas takes a timeout as Darrell Arthur lost
his shoe while the Jayhawks were getting in their offensive set. As
Arthur was making his cut his shoe just went flying off toward the
Husker bench. Strange.
I'm sure there are more pro scouts here, but I have spotted Pat
Riley (Heat) and Memphis Grizzlies VP Kenny Williamson in the stands
tonight.
14:05
Media Timeout. Nebraska ball at its end.
Kansas leads 7-5. Ade Dagunduro has all of NU's points. He tied the game at 5 with a trey before Sasha Kaun put KU ahead.
Fans are still making their way to the seats for tonight's session.
5:30 p.m.
30 minutes until the introduction of the starting lineups for Kansas vs. Nebraska. Fans are slowly filtering in.
I hit the streets outside the Sprint Center during the break.
The area around the arena is blocked off so fans can mingle in the
streets and pop in and out of the bars and restaurants. The area is
called the Power and Light District and it is as new as the Sprint
Center (Oct. 2007) itself.
It is a great atmosphere out there with fans from all the teams
hanging out. The weather is still OK, overcast and not too cool, though
I hear it may be snowing by the time tonight's session is over.
With Kansas and Kansas State both playing tonight, there will
be no empty seats. The arena seats 18,482 for basketball but Big 12
officials are expected more than 19,000 for tonight's session.
Ticket scalping is legal here in Missouri, but you have to have
a license. There were arrests made on Thursday. Tickets for tonight's
session are going for $250-$300 each out there right now. There are not
that many tickets out there to be had.
If Kansas and K-State both win tonight there is no telling what tickets for Saturday's semifinals might bring.
4:00
Arena clearing out after the first session. CU
band member informs me that OU band played "Boomer Sooner" 17 times
during the game.
Kansas vs. Nebraska at 6:00 CT.
FINAL: Oklahoma 54, Colorado 49
:16.0
OU shooting 2. Leading 53-49 after two free throws by Crocker and a missed 3 by CU's Thorne, II.
:30.2
Timeout CU (full) after a 3 by Thorne, II. OU leads 51-49.
Not over yet. Sooners have missed 4 straight free throws.
:45.5
CU Timeout after Higgins makes 2 free throws.
OU ball, leading 51-46. Crocker it a big 3 for the Sooners that pushed
the lead to 7.
3:08
CU Timeout. Austin Johnson put OU up 48-44.
The crowd quieted during the last break for another playing of
the basketball shuffle on the video board. Finally, 2 didn't win this
time. It was 3.
3:45
Media timeout. Roby at the line to complete a
3-point play. OU lead is down to a bucket, 46-44. CU answered four
straight points by Taylor Griffin with a Hall 3-pointer and Roby's
basket that also drew a foul.
Figured out what the Buff Basketball Band was chanting at the
last break. Sung to the tune of Boomer Sooner: "It's the only, it's the
only, it's the only, song we know." (Repeat)
6:43
Media Timeout. OU leads 41-37 after a 3 by Tony Crocker.
8:26
OU timeout. OU leads 38-37.
The CU band is having fun with its own words to OU's Boomer
Sooner fight song being played during the break. The Buff Basketball
Band also let's the opponent know when a fouled has been called with a
"You, you, you, you, you are REAL BAD! in unison."
11:28
Media timeout. CU's ball. OU leads 36-33.
Roby hit his 2nd 3 of the half to make it 34-31. One point shy of 2,000.
15:12
Media timeout. OU leads 32-28.
The crowd is congratulating CU's Richard Roby, who with his last
basket became the schools all-time leading scorer. He needs just 4 more
points to top the 2,000 point plateau.
The half started slow but the pace picked up in the last
minute. Roby and Higgings scored on consecutive trips to cut OUs lead
in half.
Halftime: Oklahoma 26, Colorado 21
David Godbold's 3 for the Sooners was the last points of the half.
CU's Levi Knutson missed a 3 at the buzzer.
3:40
Media Timeout. CU will be shooting bonus when play resumes.
14:36
Timeout OU after Marcus Hall tips in his own miss, pulling CU within 3 at 20-17.
7:45
Media timeout. CU ball. OU leads 15-11.
11:49
Media timeout. CU ball. OU leads 12-9.
The Buffs broke the ice on a 3 by Dwight Thorne at the 14:52 mark and have scored the last six points.
15:21
Media timeout. CU ball.
All Oklahoma so far. Sooners lead 10-0. A Cade Davis 3 forced CU coach Jeff Bzdelik to burn a timeout at 16:47.
The Buffs are 0-4 from the floor and have turned the ball over 3 times in six scoreless possessions.
2:00 p.m.
Just a minute away from tip as the
starting lineups are being introduced. The intros begin with highlights
of the teams on the video board, another nice touch here at the Sprint
Center.
1:43 p.m.
About 20 minutes to tip. I mentioned the
CU Express dance team yesterday. As they were entering the floor area
just now a fan came down to have his picture taken with the group. I'm
not sure if he was a CU fan or not as he was not wearing the teams
colors, but the group is certainly worth a photo keepsake.
Starting Lineups
Oklahoma: T. Griffin, Longar, Crocker, Davis, Johnson
Colorado: Jackson-Wilson, King-Stockton, Hall, Higgins, Roby
Officials: Mark Whithead, Mike Thibodeaux, Gerry Pollard
1:33 p.m.
Oklahoma-Colorado tips in 30 minutes.
FINAL: Texas 66, OSU 59
Augustin led UT with 24. James had 23. Thomas had 19 for OSU.
:12.8
Texas leads 64-57 with Augustin at line shooting bonus.
1:19
Texas leads 62-57. OSU timeout after not being able to get the ball inbounds.
2:13
Media timeout. OSU ball. Texas has scored the last four points to lead 62-55.
The Cowboy faithful were back in it for a while. OSU cut UTs
lead to 58-55 after 3-pointers on 3 straight trips by Eaton, Anderson
and Muonelo forced Rick Barnes to take a timeout.
James answered with a bucket and Justin Mason scored on a strong move to push the Horns lead back to 7.
5:47
Media timeout. Texas leads 56-46. OSU ball.
The game felt like it was starting to get away from the Cowboys before Harris hit a 3.
Atchley has UTs last four points. The Horns are running a lot of clock on their possessions.
11:50
Media timeout. Texas leads 46-38 and Damion James will be at the line shooting two when play resumes.
OSU finally scored on a pair of free throws by Thomas after an
intentional foul call on UTs Connor Atchley. Obi Muonelo hit a
3-pointer for the Cowboys.
15:12
Media timeout. Texas has started the second
half on a 12-0 run and now leads 44-33. Augustin canned another 3 since
the last timeout and now has 20 points.
OSU is stagnant on offense and mostly taking perimeter shots or turning the ball over.
18:40
OSU's Sutton takes a timeout after Texas
starts second half on 7-0 run. Augustin hits a 3, then two free throws,
then grabs an OSU turnover and feeds Abrams for a lay-up.
Texas leads 39-33.
Halftime: OSU 33, Texas 32
OSU's Terrel Harris
nailed a 3 at the buzzer to give the Cowboys their first lead in over
12 minutes. Harris tied it at 30 with a 3 with just under a minute left
in the half.
Thomas leads OSU with 15. D.J. Augustin scored the last nine
points of the half for UT and has 12 points. Damion James leads the
Horns with 13.
3:46
Media timeout. OSU fans, Sutton upset at lack
of foul called on a Cowboy turnover before this break. Sutton spends
about 30 seconds with official Tom O'Neil on the floor at the start of
the timeout.
Texas leads, 30-24. Game is playing out just about like the two regular season meetings, both won by Texas.
4:34
Sean Sutton takes another timeout after a 3 by Augustin. He has scored the last seven points in the game at UT leads 30-23.
Good game, packed house, bands playing, great atmosphere. Feel's like March.
7:32
Media timeout. Texas leads 23-20 with OSU's Thomas at the line shooting 2 when play resumes.
9:46
OSU Timeout after James hits another 3, his second in three trips. He has 13 points.
Texas leads 21-16.
11:40
Media timeout. Texas leads 15-14.
Ibrahima Thomas scored 10 straight points in the game on four
consecutive Cowboy possessions, hitting 3 pointers on back-to-back
trips to put OSU up 13-9.
UT's Gary Johnson scored the next four points to tie the game before being helped off the floor with an injury.
15:54
First media timeout. Texas leads 9-5. OSU's Thomas at the line to complete a 3-point play when action resumes.
Damien James has 5 points for Horns, including a 3.
11:37 a.m.
Seconds away from tip.
OSU Starters: Anderson, Dove, Thomas, Eaton, Muonelo
Texas Starters: James, Atchley, Mason, Augustine, Abrams
Officials: Steve Welmer, Tom O'Neil, Randy Heimerman
11:20 a.m.
Good Morning. Yes it is still morning. We are about 20 minutes
away from tip in today's first game. Texas and Oklahoma State are on
the floor and the fans are filing in.
I may do things a little bit different today, spending more
time taking in the atmostphere and fan perspective, concessions, etc.
If the games are as good as they were yesterday, and I expect they will
be, it will be tough not to just sit and watch.
Thursday, March 13, 2008 - First Round
Friday's Schedule
11:30 a.m. (1) Texas vs. (9) Oklahoma State
2:00 p.m. (4) Oklahoma vs. (12) Colorado
6:00 p.m. (2) Kansas vs. (7) Nebraska
8:20 p.m. (3) Kansas State vs. (6) Texas A&M
FINAL: Texas A&M 60, Iowa State 47
Aggies advance to take on No. 3 seed Kansas State Friday night at 8:20.
ISU fans gave senior Rahshon Clark a nice applause as he left
the floor with seconds remaining. When the Cyclones exited many fans
came down to greet him.
:36.1
ISU Timeout. A&M leads 56-47. Aggies have hit 6 of 10 from the charity stripe in the last minute.
1:09
A&M trapped in corner and takes a timeout. Aggies lead 53-45.
1:21
Kirk made the two shots. ISU missed another 3. Sloan at the line shooting 2.
1:38
A&M's Kirk shooting two FTs. Aggies Sloan just missed a pair, but ISU missed a 3 at the other end.
1:59
Timeout ISU after Peterson drains a 3. A&M leads 50-43.
2:07
Timeout A&M after Jones makes a pair of free throws. A&M leads 50-40.
2:35
ISU Timeout.
A&M's possession out of the last break resulted in a shot
clock violation. ISU's Peterson answered with a quick 3. Lead down to
48-40.
They played the shuffling basketball game on the video board during the last break and #2 won again.
3:23
Media timeout. A&M leads 48-37
A&M is using up a lot of clock on its possessions. Kirk hit
a jumper as the shot clock expired to make it 44-36. Later, A&M got
a long rebound and an ISU foul to keep the ball for more than a minute.
A&M just missed a shot as the shot clock expired but will keep possession as ISU knocked the ball out of bounds.
The frustrated Cyclones have now scored just four points in 8 and a half minutes.
7:53
Media timeout. A&M leads 42-36.
Cyclones will be shooting free throws when play resumes.
Every time ISU makes a dent in the lead and the Cyclone fans start to get into the game, A&M quiets them.
A 3-point play by Wesley Johnson got ISU within 40-36, but Beau
Muhlback went by his man for a layup at the other end to keep ISU from
taking the momentum.
10:24
A&M's Jones picks up fourth foul. A&M leads 40-33.
11:56
Media Timeout. A&M leads 37-31.
Donald Sloan scored five points in 15 seconds to up A&M's
lead to 11, but ISU answered with a Bryan Peterson 3 and a bucket by
Brackins.
Teams are playing much better on offense in the second half.
15:06
Media Timeout. A&M leads 29-23.
Chinelmelu Elonu quieted the ISU fans with a monstrous dunk
after Craig Brackens scored six points in the first four minutes of the
second half to get the Cyclone fans in the game and pull ISU within
four points.
There are several thousand ISU fans in attendance, including
the womens' hoops team. The ISU men were on hand Wednesday when the ISU
women downed top-seeded Kansas State in the semifinals of the women's
tournament.
Halftime: Texas A&M 25, Iowa State 17
I'm sure
the Cyclones will be happy to change ends at the break. I was beginning
to believe there was a lid on the goal at this end after ISU could not
get numerous chip shots and tips to fall before Craig Brackins drained
a 3 as time expired in the first half.
That shot ended another scoring drought of more than 5 minutes
by the Cyclones, who had fallen behind 25-14 after A&M scored 11
straight points.
ISU shot just 7-for-33 in the first half, 21.2%. The two teams
combined to miss 41 shots, go 0-3 from the foul line and commit 16
turnovers.
2:49
Final media timeout of the first half. A&M leads 18-14.
Two A&M baskets forced ISU coach Greg McDermott to burn a timeout at the 3:14 mark instead of waiting on the media break.
ISU will shoot the bonus when play resumes.
5:43
Media Timeout. Game tied at 14.
A&M coach Mark Turgeon could not wait for the media timeout
and burned one of his own at the 5:52 mark after another 7-0 ISU run.
The Cyclones went more than 8 minutes without a point and were just
3-for-21 from the floor before scoring on 3 of 4 possesions, including
a 3 by Corey Johnson.
That 8-minute stretch was tough for ISU. The Cyclones could not
make a shot, had several turnovers and Wesley Johnson actually tipped
in a miss for A&M. The basket was credited to Derrick Roland.
p
11:33
Media Timeout. Now Iowa State has gone cold. A&M has scored the last 8 points and leads 10-7.
15:41
First media timeout. Iowa State is on a 7-0
run and leads 7-2 after a 3-pointer by Craig Brackins. A&M hit its
first shot and has not made a basket in nearly four minutes.
Tipoff
Texas A&M vs. Iowa State, round two is underway. A&M's women defeated ISU earlier today in the Big 12 semifinals.
Starting lineups
Texas A&M: Carter, Jones, Jordan, Sloan, Kirk
Iowa State: Brackins, Clark, Hubalek, Johnson, Petersen
Officials: David Hall, Gerry Pollard, Terry Oglesby
A&M won the regular season meeting, 69-51 on Feb. 5 in Ames.
8:10
Looks like the Texas A&M-Iowa State game will tip around 8:35
FINAL: Nebraska 61, Missouri 56
Mizzou missed two contested shots in the paint and the coaches wanted a foul call.
The Huskers iced it at the line with two free throws with 8.8 seconds remaining.
Nebraska advances to play Kansas Friday at 6 pm.
:21.1
Mizzou takes its final timeout. The Tigers have the ball, down by 3. The shot clock is off.
1:01
Timeout Mizzou, who has the ball.
Nebraska leads 59-56 after a lay-up by Harley.
Baskets by Carroll and Holton pulled MU within one.
After a Husker turnover, Mizzou had a chance to take the lead but misfired.
3:45
Media Timeout. We have a one possession game and probably another contest that will be decided in the final minute.
Jason Horton's 3 pulled Mizzou within 3, 55-52.
Nebraska's Maric is headed to the line for a one-and-one when play resumes.
5:38
Nebraska takes a timeout to keep from having a held ball. Mizzou got within two on a bucket by K. Lawrence.
Maric followed with a pair of free throws to make it 53-49, NU.
6:54
Media Timeout. Nebraska 49, Mizzou 45.
Crowd is reacting to the various Big 12 award winners being
displayed on the video board, like Player of the Year Michael Beasley,
who got a nice ovation.
Maric will be at the line shooting two when play resumes. Matt
Lawrence made another 3 for Mizzou after Harley had a 3 rim out at the
other end - a 6-point swing.
11:45
Media Timeout. After the Huskers upped their
lead to 10, Mizzou got a 3 from Matt Lawrence (his third) off an
inbounds play. Mizzou's Keon Lawrence is headed to the line to shoot a
pair when play resumes. Nebraska leads, 44-37
14:14
Mike Anderson takes a timeout after Maric slams home a feed from Ryan Anderson, who nailed a 3 on the previous possession.
Nebraska now has its largest lead, 41-32
15:07
Media Timeout. Nebraska leads 36-31.
Harley hit a 3 for the Huskers. Mizzou's DeMarre Carroll has a chance to complete a 3-point play when action resumes.
17:20
Timeout, Nebraska. Huskers lead 33-29.
Start of Second Half
Just chatting with ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla at the half. He
pointed out the great crowds for the opening rounds. This event has
been sold out for some time and tickets have been hard to come by.
There are few empty seats tonight in the Sprint Center.
Halftime: Nebraska 30, Missouri 28
Steve Harley's
10-footer in the paint at the buzzer gave Nebraska the lead at the
break. Officials went to the monitor first and counted the basket.
2:28
Media Timeout. Mizzou now leads 25-20 after Keon and Matt Lawrence hit back-to-back 3's for the second time in the game.
6:11
Media Timeout. Nebraska 18, Missouri 17.
A bucket by Steve Harley capped a 10-0 run by Nebraska and forced a Mizzou timeout at the 7:54 mark.
Missouri's Marshall Brown drained a 3 on the next possesion and then fed J.T. Tiller for a layup to cut the deficit to one.
Mizzou's Darryl Butterfield is going to the line to shoot 2 when play resumes.
11:06
Media Timeout. Game tied at 12.
Those watching on ESPNPlus are hearing a familiar voice for one
of the final times. Longtime broadcaster Fred White, whose days as TV
talent dates back to the Big 8, is retiring after the Big 12
Championships. Fred has also called Kansas City Royals games over the
years. He will be missed.
14:19
Timeout taken by Nebraska after the Tigers got back to back 3s from Matt Lawrence and Keon Lawrence. Mizzou leads 10-6.
14:51
First media timeout. Nebraska leads 6-4.
Slow, physical start to this one. Huskers 6'11" center Aleks Maric is
working hard in the paint on the offensive end. He has four points and
is headed to the line to shoot a pair when play resumes.
6:00 p.m.
About five minutes to tip. Here's the starting lineups.
Nebraska: Maric, Dagunduro, Harley, Anderson, Henry
Missouri: Carroll, Lyons, M. Lawrence, Tiller, K. Lawrence
Officials: Steve Welmer, John Hampton, Terry Moore.
The teams split their regular season meetings, with both teams
won on the opponents home floor. Missouri's win in Lincoln came in OT.
FINAL: Colorado 91, Baylor 84 (2 OT)
The 12-seed
has knocked out the 5-seed for the first time in Big 12 Men's
Championship history. The same happened here in KC on Tuesday in the
women's tournament as Missouri beat Oklahoma.
At 22-9 (9-7 conference regular season), Scott Drew and Baylor may have to answer bubble questions the next few days.
Roby finished with 32 for CU. Hall added 25. Jerrells and Dunn each had 20 for Baylor. Dugat scored 19.
:25.4
Timeout CU. Baylor ball after Hall scores to make it 85-81. Hall has 23 in the game, 7 in the second OT.
1:01
CU 83-81
Baylor's Rogers misses 2 free throws after CU's Thorne fouls out.
2:16
Pace has picked up. CU leads 83-79. Roby now has 28 pts. Jackson-Wilson has fouled out.
End of 1st OT
Baylor, CU tied at 74. At least five more minutes of free basketball ahead. The first 2OT game in Big 12 Championship history.
As Yogi would say, it was DeJaVu all over again. CU's Hall tried
to take Jerrell's to the hoop for the final shot and missed. More good
D.
Baylor forced OT when Dunn slamed home a Jerrell's miss.
:15.4
Tied at 74. CU can take the last shot again.
:52.1
Timeout CU. Baylor 72, CU 71.
Dugat goes coast to coast and hits a floater off the glass to
put Baylor ahead for the first time since about the 7-minute mark of
the first half.
Marcus Hall scored the first four points of OT to put CU up 69-65. Baylor has scored the last five points, 4 of those by Dugat.
End of Regulation
CU, Baylor tied at 65. Marcus Hall missed a 3 at the buzzer. Good man defense by Jerrell's.
The ESPN grip to my left is now wide awake.
:21.6
We're tied at 65. Colorado TO (full). The Buffs can take the last shot after Baylor's Jerrell's missed a 3 at the other end.
2:54>
Media Timeout. Baylor's Dugat will be at the line shooting two to try to even this game.
It's as quiet as can be as the crowd follows the shuffling
basketballs on the video board to see which ball the prize is under.
Most got it right, #2.
3:38
Timeout CU. A 3 by Henry Dugat capped a 13-1 Baylor run and the Bears are now down by just two, 61-59.
6:47
Media Timeout. Baylor has scored the last six points to cut its deficit
to eight, 60-52. The last basket was a 3 by Tweety Carter, who has 16
points. CU's Roby leads all scorers with 20.
8:57
Timeout CU. CU leads 59-45.
It's obvious that this game is not nearly as exciting as the
first one. An ESPN grip sitting on press row to my left keeps nodding
off. Hard to believe with the CU Express dance team right in front of
him. I guess these can be long days for the television production
folks.
11:32
Media Timeout. CU leads 53-42.
Baylor
is playing much better on the defensive end. The Bears forced a
shot-clock violation just before this break. CU has cooled
considerably, 4 of 14 from the floor in the second half, 0-for-4 behind
the arc.
15:43
Media Timeout. Colorado 48, Baylor 34.
Second half starts slow and sluggish. Before this break, CU's
Roby was fouled as he layed the ball in the basket and he will have a
free throw coming.
Big 12 Director of Communication Rob Carolla has just informed
me that CU's 72% shooting in the first half was the highest FG% in a
half in Big 12 Championship history. Texas Tech shot 69.2% in the
second half of an 80-71 win over Texas A&M in 2002.
Halftime: Colorado 44, Baylor 31
On the final
possession of the first half, CU guard Marcus Hall penetrated the paint
and dished to Dwight Thorne for a slam dunk as the horn sounded.
The 12th-seeded Buffaloes won just 3 conference games this year
but they lead 5th-seeded Baylor by 13 at the break, thanks in large
part to 72% shooting from the floor (18 of 25). CU is 6-of-10 behind
the arc.
Hall has six of CU's 13 assists.
CU's 44 points are the most in the first half this year. The
Buffs averaged only 61 points per game and scored only 57 in a loss to
Baylor in late February.
LaceDarius Dunn leads BU with 11 points.
2:44
Media Timeout. CU leads 36-28 with three players already in double-figures (Roby 13, Thorne 11, Hall 10).
5:03
Scott Drew has to take another TO as Colorado
is lighting it up from behind the arc. The Buffs have hit 6 3's and
lead 32-24 after a layup by King-Stockton.
7:22
Media Timeout with Baylor's inflatable bear mascot entertaining the crowd by jumping up and down on his head.
Baylor and CU are tied at 21.
Colorado has scored 5 straight points, including a 3 by Marcus
Hall that tied the game and forced Baylor HC Scott Drew to burn a
timeout at the 7:46 mark.
10:41
Media Timeout. Baylor leads 16-14. The Bears have knocked down 4 3-pointers, 2 by Carter.
CU's Thorne has countered with a pair of 3's.
Behind the Scenes
Caught Tech head coach Pat
Knight's opening comments to the media. As expected, he is
disappointed, but mostly frustrated with what he calls his players
casualness with possessions. He mentioned that the Red Raiders missed
eight layups in the second half and then missed four straight free
throws down the stretch.
Also between games, mingling in the media area I was to talking
with a gentleman wearing an OSU jacket and was just about to
congratulate him on the win when I had to do a double-take. I noticed
on his credential that he was a member of the Tech radio crew. He
explained that he was an OSU grad but had no connection to the school
now so he was rooting for Tech.
15:45
Media Timeout. Baylor leads 8-6. Jerrells and Carter have hit 3s for the Bears.
2:10 CT
Game two is underway.
Baylor started Rogers, Shepherd, Dugat, Jerrells and Carter.
CU started Jackson-Wilson, King-Stockton, Hall, Roby and Higgins.
Officials: Curtis Shaw, Kelly Self, Randy Heimerman.
Baylor won the regular season meeting 68-57 in Boulder.
FINAL: OSU 76, Tech 72
Anderson hits the second free throw and Tech misses a desperation 3 at the buzzer.
Baylor-Colorado will tip at 2:07 CT.
:04.8
Timeout OSU (Full) after James Anderson hit the front end of the bonus to put the Cowboys up 75-72.
:21.9
Timeout Tech. OSU leads 74-72 after a layup by Tech's Burgess.
Eaton scored five straight for OSU, twice putting the Cowboys up
by 3 on jumpers and then extending the lead to four going 1 of 2 at the
line.
2:20
OSU Timeout. OSU 69, Tech 68. Tech missed four straight free throws on its last two possesions.
3:54
Media Timeout. Great game, tied at 65. Terrel Harris will shoot 2 when play resumes.
Just noticed that the Tech and OSU logos are on the padding underneath each basket. Nice touch.
5:45
Eaton puts OSU up 62-61. Pat Knight calls a timeout after six unanswered by Oklahoma State.
7:58
Media Timeout. Tech will have the ball and leads 61-58.
OSU fans are celebrating as the band plays and the video board shows highlights of the Cowboys this year.
9:25
Timeout OSU after Tech has scored the last seven points and now leads 61-56.
10:54
Media Timeout. Tech leads 57-56 after Cook's
third 3 of the half. He scored 10 straight points for Tech and now has
13 in the second half.
What a game this is turning into. I spoke with ESPNs Ron
Franklin at the half and he said this just shows the depth of the Big
12, with an 8 vs. 9 game pitting teams that either beat the No. 1 seed
or took them to the wire during the regular season.
The Sprint Center continues to fill. This is a really nice
venue that reminds me a lot of the Pepsi Center in Denver. The fabulous
setting and this back-and-forth game has all the feel of March Madness.
15:36
First media timeout of the second half. OSU leads 45-44.
Tech came out of the break on scorch, hitting 4 3's in five
possessions. Voskuil hit 3's on consecutive trips, then Trevor Cook
banged in back-to-back 3's before OSU's Byron Eaton answered with a 3
of his own.
Voskuil is 5 of 6 behind the arc and leads all scorers with 15 points.
Halftime: Oklahoma State 36, Texas Tech 32
We've
reach the break in the first of today's four games. OSU took a 32-31
lead on a 3 by Terrel Harris with 1:22 to play and scored the last four
points of the half.
3:38
Media Timeout. Tech leads 27-23 after another Voskuil 3-pointer. Tech will be shooting two free throws when play resumes.
6:57
Media Timeout. Tech leads 22-16. Alan Voskuil
hit 3-point shots from the right wing on consecutive possesions, the
first prompting a timeout from Sean Sutton.
As the arena continues to fill, there appears to be more orange-clad OSU fans than Red Raider faithful.
10:10
The momentum changes quickly. OSU comes out
of the last break and reels off seven straight points, including a
three by James Anderson that forced Pat Knight to call his second
timeout. Tech leads 14-13.
11:34
Media Timeout. Tech leads 14-6. The Red
Raiders have scored 14 unanswered points after OSU scored the first six
points of the game.
Sean Sutton was trying to wait for the media timeout as the turnovers mount for the Cowboys.
14:40
The first media timeout. OSU leads 6-4. The
Cowboys have missed a lot of shots right around the basket or the lead
could be nearing double-digits.
Tech coach Pat Knight took an early timeout after OSU led 4-0.
Starting lineups
Texas Tech: Damir Suljagic, John Roberson, Martin Zeno, Alan Voskuil, Charlie Burgess
Oklahoma State: James Anderson, Marcus Dove, Thomas Ibrahima, Byron Eaton, Obi Muonelo
Officials: Ted Hillary, John Higgins, Terry Davis
11:20 a.m.
We're 12 minutes away from the starting lineups in the first
game of the 2008 Phillips 66 Big 12 Basketball Championships. The
lid-lifter has Texas Tech and Oklahoma State squaring off. The two
teams split their regular season meetings.
The bands are playing, the teams are on the floor and the fans are starting to file in.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
5:20 CT
Iowa State has taken the floor for the last of the practice
sessions. The Cyclone players and coaches were in attendance earlier
today at the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium when the ISU women's team
knocked off top-seeded Kansas State in a thrilling finish.
That win set up an Iowa State-Texas A&M double-header on
Thursday. The women's teams will battle in the Big 12 Tournament
semifinals at 6 p.m. (Municipal Auditorium) and the men's teams have an
opening round matchup at 8:30 p.m. at the Sprint Center.
ISU head coach Greg McDermott said the women's game today was
"one of the funest games I've ever watched." He is hoping that a large
contingent of Cyclone fans will be on hand for both games on Thursday.
McDermott was asked about Texas A&M's up and down play of
late, from scoring 10 points in the first half in a loss to Oklahoma,
to winning at Baylor. "We only scored 11 in a half this year, so I
don't judge teams on that."
The Cyclones did come back to win that game at home after
trailing Nebraska 24-11 at the break. McDermott said he still has not
figured out how his team won that one.
About A&M, McDermott said "I've seen what they are capable of. If they shoot the 3 well, they are difficult to beat."
A&M was 8-20 from behind the arc in a 69-51 win over Iowa State in Ames in February.
4:30 CT
Texas A&M enters the postseason having lost five of its last
seven starts. Head Coach Mark Turgeon is hoping a return to some
familiar surroundings will change his teams luck.
The Aggies are staying at the same hotel (Mariott Country Club
Plaza) his Kansas Jayhawks were lodged for the 1988 Final Four. Turgeon
was an assistant coach on that national championship team after playing
in four straight NCAA Tournaments for KU from 1984-1987. A&M will
also have its shoot-around on Thursday in the same place as the '88
Jayhawks, Rockhurst College.
When asked about coaches being notoriously superstitious, Turgeon replied, "we all get a little wacko this time of year."
He said the Big 12 Conference assigned the hotel and one of his assistant is friends with the head coach at Rockhurst College.
"I'm excited to be back in Kansas City. I have a lot of good
memories here. I just want our team to relax and play well," Turgeon
added.
The Aggies will have plenty of time to relax on Thursday with an 8:30 tip vs. Iowa State.
"It is what it is," Turgeon said about playing the late game.
"If you've been in the postseason enough, you've played in this game."
Turgeon said his guys will probably watch a lot of basketball on TV on
Thursday.
3:30 CT
Today's practices are open to the public and about two hundred
or so fans are currently watching Nebraska go through some shooting
drills inside the beautiful and spacious Sprint Center.
This new venue opened in October of 2007 with an Elton John
concert. Garth Brooks played nine sold out events here. Seating for
basketball is listed at 18,482.
When speaking with the media earlier today, Baylor head coach
Scott Drew said he was not sure if there is a nicer facility in the
country.
When asked if his team had done enough to get into the NCAA
Tournament, Drew said that the experts are saying they have, "and they
know more about it than I do."
"As a coach, I know the more we win, the better things are,"
Drew said. "We want to make sure we're playing good basketball and be
able to advance and do some things in this tournament."
Missouri head coach Mike Anderson just finished up in the
interview room. Only Texas A&M and Iowa State, who will square off
in Thursday's finale, still have to meet with the media.
1:10 CT
Colorado head coach Jeff Bzdelik and seniors Marcus Hall and
Richard Roby just finished a brief session with the media. The
12th-seeded Buffaloes play Baylor Thursday at 2 p.m.
Texas Tech head coach Pat Knight met the media earlier and
answered a wide range of questions, from his father's new role as a TV
commentator to his friendship with Oklahoma State's Sean Sutton, the
head coach of Tech's first round opponent on Thursday.
Knight and Sutton are not only sons of legendary coaches, they
are also very good friends. Both spoke today about their friendship.
Knight said that Sutton called him last night after he was asleep.
Sutton left a message saying their friendship should allow them to
speak to one another two days before they play. Knight called back this
morning and left Sutton a message saying that he turns his cell phone
ringer off when he goes to bed.
Knight said he and Sutton have always been close. The
friendship blossomed when he was a senior playing for his father at
Indiana and Sutton wrote him a letter "out of the blue" about how to
deal with the fan criticism that comes with playing for his father.
Sutton played for his dad, Eddie, at both Kentucky and Oklahoma State.
"I consider Sean an older brother," Pat Knight said. "I don't
enjoy coaching against him. Like my dad always said, it's not fun to
play friends and former players."
About his father's debut as a commentator, Pat said he would
not be surprised if he loved it, or if he lasted one day. He told his
dad to be nice to people.
12:15PM CT
The 2008 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championships are underway here at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.
Well, not the games, just the pre-tournament press conferences.
Oklahoma State was first up and head coach Sean Sutton was joined on the podium by student-athletes Byron Eaton and Marcus Dove.
The eight teams that play on Thursday will practice inside the Sprint Center and also meet the media today.
Here is the schedule of events.
Pre-Championship Press Conferences
11:20 - Oklahoma State
12:05 - Texas Tech
12:50 - Colorado
1:35 - Baylor
2:20 - Nebraska
3:00 - Missouri
3:50 - Texas A&M
4:30 - Iowa State
Practices
Noon - OSU
12:45 - Texas Tech
1:30 - Colorado
2:15 - Baylor
3:00 - Nebraska
3:45 - Missouri
4:30 - Texas A&M
5:15 - Iowa State