The Big 12 needed six years to become comfortable with its unlikely rivalries and new identity before the league could produce a basketball team worthy of a Final Four appearance.
Now, however, the Big 12 can almost book reservations, having sent five teams to the Final Four in the last three seasons, though it has yet to crown a champion. The Atlantic Coast Conference has sent three, the only other league with more than two Final Four representatives in that span.
“We’ve gone to new heights,” Kansas State coach Jim Wooldridge said. “We’ve got some very strong teams again and some teams that could go to the Final Four again. That speaks to the level this league has risen.”
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Formed when the Big Eight and Southwest Conference merged for the 1996-97 academic year, the Big 12 experienced Final Four fun for the first time in 2002 when Kansas and Oklahoma qualified. Kansas and Texas made it in 2003, Oklahoma State in 2004.
With the first full day of conference play Saturday, second-ranked Kansas (10-0), seventh-ranked Oklahoma State (10-1) and 15th-ranked Texas (10-2) appear to have the talent, depth, experience and coaching to make a long NCAA run, possibly to St. Louis for the Final Four. And counting out Oklahoma (10-2) may be foolish.
The Big 12 has become top-shelf in all the categories needed to make noise in the NCAA tournament.
– Talent: Kansas’ Wayne Simien and Keith Langford and Oklahoma State’s Joey Graham and John Lucas made various preseason All-America lists. Oklahoma’s Kevin Bookout and Texas’ P.J. Tucker also made the preseason Wooden Award list.
Oklahoma forward Taj Gray may be the nation’s best junior-college transfer. And Aaron Bruce of Baylor, Joe McCray of Nebraska and Richard Roby of Colorado are making early bids to be considered for freshman All-America mention.
– Coaching: Big 12 coaches have combined for more than 3,500 victories, led by Texas Tech’s Bob Knight, first among active coaches with 840, and Oklahoma State’s Eddie Sutton, third with 765. Ten league coaches have at least 100 victories.
– “The thing that’s always impressed me about this league is how good the coaches are,” Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said. “There are maybe some more glamorous leagues in. But the coaching in this league, from top to bottom, is as good as it is anywhere else.”
– Experience: The Big 12 was not hit hard by NBA defections last year. Seven teams returned at least three starters, with Kansas and Oklahoma State returning four. Kansas features four seniors: Langford, Michael Lee, Aaron Miles and Simien. Oklahoma State has six seniors, unusual for a powerhouse team.
“Having our four seniors is one reason we feel we have a special team,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.
Miles, who earned the starting job at point guard as a freshman, said completing his college career without a national championship would be a disappointment.
“I believe all four of us [seniors] have that same mind-set,” he said. “We have been to two Final Fours and an Elite Eight. Anything else [but a national title], we wouldn’t be satisfied at all.”
Oklahoma State, meanwhile, watched tape of its two-point Final Four loss to Georgia Tech many times since spring for motivation.
– Tradition: Since the start of the 1999-2000 season, the Big 12 has the most NCAA tournament victories with 49, ahead of the ACC’s 47, the Big East’s 45 and the Big Ten’s 45.
Oklahoma State (1945, 1946) and Kansas (1952, 1988) have won national titles, and current Big 12 members have finished as national runner-up 10 times.
– Fan support: Six Big 12 teams averaged more than 10,000 fans per home game last season, and Texas Tech just missed at 9,731. Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse ranks as a shrine. And new or remodeled facilities at Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Missouri are considered state of the art.