Wendell Barnhouse is a nationally-known and respected columnist who has spent over 20 years covering collegiate athletics. He has reported from 24 Final Fours and more than three dozen bowl games and has written about the Big 12 and its schools since the conference's beginning. Barnhouse will be updating the Big 12 Insider on happenings and behind-the-scenes information about the conference.
TCU
coach Trent Johnson after his team's second loss to Baylor, an 82-56 outcome at
Daniel-Meyer Coliseum:
"That's as talented a team as there is in this league from my standpoint,"
Johnson said. "This is the most talented [team] in the country. They've got
length, they've got size, they've got quickness to the ball. (Point guard
Pierre) Jackson, he's special. ... "We don't have to see them anymore the rest of
the year, and that's fine with me."
Kansas
State's Bruce Weber on his team's second-consecutive Big 12 loss, a 73-67
decision at Iowa State:
"Both of us were coming off disappointing losses. It's a maturity game. It's a
determination game. Who is more determined? I think they made more determined
plays when it counted ... We could never get enough momentum to really change the
game. They cause problems for you."
Kansas
coach Bill Self on his team occasionally lacking focus:
"This team has less of a margin for
error, so that's why it disappoints me. Because they know. We've had seven NBA
players on one team. And if those guys didn't have their 'A' game, then their 'B'
game or 'C' game focus-wise could still be OK. We're not like that now."
Oklahoma
State coach Travis Ford on Phillip Jurick grabbing eight rebounds and scoring a
career-high eight points in the Cowboys' 88-66 victory over West Virginia:
"He was a terrific. His rebounding was great and the 8 points is great, but
it's just a bonus for us. It's great when we can get 8 points from him, but I
really loved the rebounds he was getting early in the game - especially above the rim. He brought us a big
presence inside."
Oklahoma
coach Lon Kruger on Kansas' defense which is anchored by shot blocker Jeff
Withey:
"They've got a lot of guys on the perimeter that guard the ball very well, and
Withey changes everything on the interior and does a terrific job. I thought he
really set the tone early in the ballgame. ... He's a unique player, not only in
our league, but in college basketball in terms of ... you don't play against
those types of players very often. He erases any mistakes on the perimeter,
plus he guards his own guy inside. He not only blocks a lot of shots but
changes a lot of shots and does that to a lot of people."
