THE BIG 12 BASKETBALL WHIP-AROUND…
In what was arguably the biggest game of the college basketball season thus far, with a Big 12 title possibly on the line, the conference’s best player took it upon himself to dominate. That player, of course, Udoka Azubuike. The two-time Blake’s Big 12 Player of the Week award winner was spectacular on the glass and even more so in the air. The Kansas Jayhawk scored 23 to go along with 19 rebounds and 3 blocks. The ending result of Azubuike’s commanding performance was a heartbroken, sold-out Ferrell Center, a snapped 23-game win streak, and a regression back toward the mean in the Big 12 conference. The Jayhawks are back on top for the time being.
Azubuike’s many air-spectacles throughout the game on Saturday were something to behold. Whether it be an alley-oop over the entire Baylor defense, grabbing the next contested rebound, rejecting a Bear’s offering, or simply getting the ball down low and slamming it home, he was always there, at the rim, while the Bears could only look up, sigh, and move on to the other end of the floor.
All of this praise for the Jayhawks is well-deserved, but the Baylor Bears put forth a valiant effort. Despite falling behind by seven or more on 5 different occasions, Baylor kept pushing back and ended up a three-ball off the front of the rim short of forcing extra time. So, kudos for winning 23 in a row (almost 24), but Kansas returns to the driver’s seat for now.
Elsewhere across the conference:
-How about those Longhorns? Two wins in a row for the third time this decade. Will Baker and Courtney Ramey with impressive performances to take down a couple Big 12 foes. A win is a win, right? Well yes, but the longhorns still have a long way to go to prove themselves. Go beat West Virginia and Texas Tech this week, then we can talk about Texas really being on the up-and-up.
-The Red Raiders took care of business this week against lesser opponents. Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Baylor are all still left on Tech’s schedule.
-Incredibly disappointing loss for the Mountaineers this week as they fall in overtime at TCU. The same TCU that had just been dealt a fourteen-point loss in Austin a few days prior. That’s now losses in four out of the last five for West Virginia. Their conference record has slipped all the way to .500.
-Speaking of disappointing losses, Oklahoma got blown out by their in-state rival 100 miles north of Norman. Oklahoma State has now surged to win three out of their last five. That, after starting conference play 1-8.
-Iowa State and Kansas State remain the doormats of the rest of the Big 12.
Can Baylor still win this thing? They have Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia still left on their schedule. That’s certainly not a murderer’s row of opponents, but KU’s final stretch might be even easier. Captain obvious then says, “Neither team can afford to slip up.”
BIG 12 CONFERENCE STANDINGS:
1. Kansas Jayhawks (13-1, 24-3)
2. Baylor Bears (13-1, 24-2)
3. Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-5, 16-9)
4. West Virginia Mountaineers (7-7, 19-8)
5. Oklahoma Sooners (6-8, 16-11)
6. Texas Longhorns (6-8, 16-11)
7. TCU Horned Frogs (6-8, 15-12)
8. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-9, 14-13)
9. Iowa State Cyclones (4-8, 12-16)
10. Kansas State Wildcats (2-14, 9-18)
Blake’s Big 12 Basketball Player of the Week:
You could probably guess after reading the first section of the wrap up… It’s Kansas’ Udoka Azubuike. Where would Jayhawks be without him? Probably second in the Big 12 standings, but I don’t see any way they beat Baylor without his presence.
Statistic of the Week:
Baylor has owned the turnover margin in conference play, averaging over 2.5 (less than their opponent) per game. Second is Texas Tech with 2.13/game. TCU is worst, averaging -3.07… woof.
Big 12 Game(s) to look forward to this week:
-Oklahoma State @ Kansas (2/24/20, 8:00 p.m., ESPN)
-Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, 2/25/20, 8:00 p.m., ESPN2)
-Oklahoma @ West Virginia (2/29/20, 3:00 p.m., ESPN2)
BURNT ORANGE BEYOND THE BRIGHT LIGHTS…
A weekly drive down the road less traveled, beyond the three major men’s sports.
-No. 4 (Golfweek) Men’s Golf had an amazing week, taking home the trophy in The Prestige at PGA West. Spencer Soosman (-9) and Pierceson Coody (-5) led the charge for the Horns, both finishing in the top ten in the overall singles standings. This was not just any regular old college tournament either. The Longhorns had to fend off the no. 1 ranked team in the country, Pepperdine, to seal the deal. Texas finished 20-under in the three-day event, six strokes ahead of Pepperdine and nine ahead of third-place San Diego State.
I’m not here to say that Spencer Soosman put the team on his back, because the entire team was consistently good all three days, but his final day 6-under charge to a top-3 individual performance was the biggest difference in the contest.
Take a moment to sit back realize that Texas just beat a field of some of the best, including the best, teams in college golf, and Cole Hammer, Texas’ ace-in-the-hole, has yet to come close to his playing potential this season.
-No. 4 Texas Softball started out the week in a nail biter, when they faced North Texas in Austin. The Mean Green led all the way up until the bottom of the seventh when the Longhorns pinch runner Camilla Corona scored on a wild pitch to tie the ballgame and send it into extra innings. The Longhorns stayed undefeated when Shannon Rhoades walked it off with an RBI single in the ninth.
Over the weekend, the Longhorns hosted the Texas Invitational, where they picked up their first shutout and loss of the season to the Duke Blue Devils. Props to Duke thrower Peyton St. George for shutting down the no. 4 team in the country. I’m sure fans are disappointed in the loss, but they should still be thrilled with how well Softball is playing right now. They’ll face no. 10/11 Louisiana Lafayette in a doubleheader tomorrow, which will be a good gauge on where the Longhorns stack up with other ranked opponents. The only top-25 team Texas has faced thus far was Tennessee. The Volunteers have lost 4 of the last 6 games since then.
-No. 5 Men’s Tennis was in action on Sunday facing Nebraska early in the day, then battling UTSA that afternoon. Texas disposed of Nebraska without any issue, but the Roadrunners were able to win three of the singles matches. The Longhorns ability to win the doubles point was the difference, once again.
No. 8 Stanford will travel to Austin next Friday to battle the Horns at the Texas Tennis Center. That matchup comes less than two weeks after the Longhorns beat Stanford 4-2 at the ITA Indoor Nationals. After that, they travel to North Carolina to face no. 9 NC State.
-Speaking of Stanford tennis, no. 12 Lady Cardinal played the no. 3 Longhorn Ladies Tennis team on Saturday. In doubles, Stanford pairing of Emily Arbuthnott and Angelica Blake were able to beat the incredible Italian Turati sisters. Stanford won the doubles point, as well as three singles matches to take home a victory over the Longhorns.
-Longhorn Women’s Basketball split their two contests this week against a couple of average conference opponents. First came a six-point victory over West Virginia that gave Texas a moment of breathing room in the standings, only give that back in a defeat at home against Kansas State. Iowa State, Kansas State, and West Virginia still remain hot on the Longhorns trail. Big matchup upcoming this week when they travel to Fort Worth to play the Horned Frogs, who are currently second in the Big 12 standings.
Events upcoming, and featuring in the next edition of Beyond the Bright Lights:
--Softball:
-DH vs. #10 UL-Lafayette (2/25/20, 4:30 & 7:00 p.m., LHN)
-@ UCLA (2/27/20, 8:00 p.m.)
-Judi Garman Classic (2/28 – 3/1)
--Women’s Basketball:
-@ TCU (2/26/20, 6:30 p.m., FSSW+)
-vs. Oklahoma (2/29/20, 7:00 p.m., LHN)
--Swimming & Diving:
-Big 12 Championships (2/26 – 2/29)
--Women’s Golf:
-Icon Invitational (2/24-2/25)
--Men’s Tennis:
-vs. #8 Stanford (2/28/20, 5:30 p.m., LHN)
--Women’s Tennis:
-@ Pepperdine (2/28/20, 2:00 p.m.)
—Track & Field:
-Big 12 Indoor Championships (2/28 - 3/1)
In what was arguably the biggest game of the college basketball season thus far, with a Big 12 title possibly on the line, the conference’s best player took it upon himself to dominate. That player, of course, Udoka Azubuike. The two-time Blake’s Big 12 Player of the Week award winner was spectacular on the glass and even more so in the air. The Kansas Jayhawk scored 23 to go along with 19 rebounds and 3 blocks. The ending result of Azubuike’s commanding performance was a heartbroken, sold-out Ferrell Center, a snapped 23-game win streak, and a regression back toward the mean in the Big 12 conference. The Jayhawks are back on top for the time being.
Azubuike’s many air-spectacles throughout the game on Saturday were something to behold. Whether it be an alley-oop over the entire Baylor defense, grabbing the next contested rebound, rejecting a Bear’s offering, or simply getting the ball down low and slamming it home, he was always there, at the rim, while the Bears could only look up, sigh, and move on to the other end of the floor.
All of this praise for the Jayhawks is well-deserved, but the Baylor Bears put forth a valiant effort. Despite falling behind by seven or more on 5 different occasions, Baylor kept pushing back and ended up a three-ball off the front of the rim short of forcing extra time. So, kudos for winning 23 in a row (almost 24), but Kansas returns to the driver’s seat for now.
Elsewhere across the conference:
-How about those Longhorns? Two wins in a row for the third time this decade. Will Baker and Courtney Ramey with impressive performances to take down a couple Big 12 foes. A win is a win, right? Well yes, but the longhorns still have a long way to go to prove themselves. Go beat West Virginia and Texas Tech this week, then we can talk about Texas really being on the up-and-up.
-The Red Raiders took care of business this week against lesser opponents. Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Baylor are all still left on Tech’s schedule.
-Incredibly disappointing loss for the Mountaineers this week as they fall in overtime at TCU. The same TCU that had just been dealt a fourteen-point loss in Austin a few days prior. That’s now losses in four out of the last five for West Virginia. Their conference record has slipped all the way to .500.
-Speaking of disappointing losses, Oklahoma got blown out by their in-state rival 100 miles north of Norman. Oklahoma State has now surged to win three out of their last five. That, after starting conference play 1-8.
-Iowa State and Kansas State remain the doormats of the rest of the Big 12.
Can Baylor still win this thing? They have Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia still left on their schedule. That’s certainly not a murderer’s row of opponents, but KU’s final stretch might be even easier. Captain obvious then says, “Neither team can afford to slip up.”
BIG 12 CONFERENCE STANDINGS:
1. Kansas Jayhawks (13-1, 24-3)
2. Baylor Bears (13-1, 24-2)
3. Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-5, 16-9)
4. West Virginia Mountaineers (7-7, 19-8)
5. Oklahoma Sooners (6-8, 16-11)
6. Texas Longhorns (6-8, 16-11)
7. TCU Horned Frogs (6-8, 15-12)
8. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-9, 14-13)
9. Iowa State Cyclones (4-8, 12-16)
10. Kansas State Wildcats (2-14, 9-18)
Blake’s Big 12 Basketball Player of the Week:
You could probably guess after reading the first section of the wrap up… It’s Kansas’ Udoka Azubuike. Where would Jayhawks be without him? Probably second in the Big 12 standings, but I don’t see any way they beat Baylor without his presence.
Statistic of the Week:
Baylor has owned the turnover margin in conference play, averaging over 2.5 (less than their opponent) per game. Second is Texas Tech with 2.13/game. TCU is worst, averaging -3.07… woof.
Big 12 Game(s) to look forward to this week:
-Oklahoma State @ Kansas (2/24/20, 8:00 p.m., ESPN)
-Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, 2/25/20, 8:00 p.m., ESPN2)
-Oklahoma @ West Virginia (2/29/20, 3:00 p.m., ESPN2)
BURNT ORANGE BEYOND THE BRIGHT LIGHTS…
A weekly drive down the road less traveled, beyond the three major men’s sports.
-No. 4 (Golfweek) Men’s Golf had an amazing week, taking home the trophy in The Prestige at PGA West. Spencer Soosman (-9) and Pierceson Coody (-5) led the charge for the Horns, both finishing in the top ten in the overall singles standings. This was not just any regular old college tournament either. The Longhorns had to fend off the no. 1 ranked team in the country, Pepperdine, to seal the deal. Texas finished 20-under in the three-day event, six strokes ahead of Pepperdine and nine ahead of third-place San Diego State.
I’m not here to say that Spencer Soosman put the team on his back, because the entire team was consistently good all three days, but his final day 6-under charge to a top-3 individual performance was the biggest difference in the contest.
Take a moment to sit back realize that Texas just beat a field of some of the best, including the best, teams in college golf, and Cole Hammer, Texas’ ace-in-the-hole, has yet to come close to his playing potential this season.
-No. 4 Texas Softball started out the week in a nail biter, when they faced North Texas in Austin. The Mean Green led all the way up until the bottom of the seventh when the Longhorns pinch runner Camilla Corona scored on a wild pitch to tie the ballgame and send it into extra innings. The Longhorns stayed undefeated when Shannon Rhoades walked it off with an RBI single in the ninth.
Over the weekend, the Longhorns hosted the Texas Invitational, where they picked up their first shutout and loss of the season to the Duke Blue Devils. Props to Duke thrower Peyton St. George for shutting down the no. 4 team in the country. I’m sure fans are disappointed in the loss, but they should still be thrilled with how well Softball is playing right now. They’ll face no. 10/11 Louisiana Lafayette in a doubleheader tomorrow, which will be a good gauge on where the Longhorns stack up with other ranked opponents. The only top-25 team Texas has faced thus far was Tennessee. The Volunteers have lost 4 of the last 6 games since then.
-No. 5 Men’s Tennis was in action on Sunday facing Nebraska early in the day, then battling UTSA that afternoon. Texas disposed of Nebraska without any issue, but the Roadrunners were able to win three of the singles matches. The Longhorns ability to win the doubles point was the difference, once again.
No. 8 Stanford will travel to Austin next Friday to battle the Horns at the Texas Tennis Center. That matchup comes less than two weeks after the Longhorns beat Stanford 4-2 at the ITA Indoor Nationals. After that, they travel to North Carolina to face no. 9 NC State.
-Speaking of Stanford tennis, no. 12 Lady Cardinal played the no. 3 Longhorn Ladies Tennis team on Saturday. In doubles, Stanford pairing of Emily Arbuthnott and Angelica Blake were able to beat the incredible Italian Turati sisters. Stanford won the doubles point, as well as three singles matches to take home a victory over the Longhorns.
-Longhorn Women’s Basketball split their two contests this week against a couple of average conference opponents. First came a six-point victory over West Virginia that gave Texas a moment of breathing room in the standings, only give that back in a defeat at home against Kansas State. Iowa State, Kansas State, and West Virginia still remain hot on the Longhorns trail. Big matchup upcoming this week when they travel to Fort Worth to play the Horned Frogs, who are currently second in the Big 12 standings.
Events upcoming, and featuring in the next edition of Beyond the Bright Lights:
--Softball:
-DH vs. #10 UL-Lafayette (2/25/20, 4:30 & 7:00 p.m., LHN)
-@ UCLA (2/27/20, 8:00 p.m.)
-Judi Garman Classic (2/28 – 3/1)
--Women’s Basketball:
-@ TCU (2/26/20, 6:30 p.m., FSSW+)
-vs. Oklahoma (2/29/20, 7:00 p.m., LHN)
--Swimming & Diving:
-Big 12 Championships (2/26 – 2/29)
--Women’s Golf:
-Icon Invitational (2/24-2/25)
--Men’s Tennis:
-vs. #8 Stanford (2/28/20, 5:30 p.m., LHN)
--Women’s Tennis:
-@ Pepperdine (2/28/20, 2:00 p.m.)
—Track & Field:
-Big 12 Indoor Championships (2/28 - 3/1)
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