Kansas coach Bill Self can see both sides of the argument: To expand or not to expand. But if he had his druthers, it sounds like he'd be highly selective about the kinds of schools the Big 12 would invite to join the league.
"You look at leagues that have 16 teams," Self said during the league's Monday teleconference. "What percentage of those teams are going to go to the NCAA tournament? You look at our league, which is at 10 teams, and last year we have 60 percent of our teams in the NCAA tournament. I don't necessarily think there's strength in numbers unless it's the right numbers. And certainly there are some programs, or some universities, that I'm sure would be great additions to our situation, but unless we get those type of universities, I really don't see the reason for expansion."Self, along with Baylor coach Scott Drew, appreciates the league's round-robin regular season, which gives each team a balanced, equal league schedule."I think the round-robin situation is great for men's basketball," Self said. "Ten is a good number. I think from an AD's perspective, if the money is not going to be a heck of a lot more, it's pretty nice to split it among 10 than it would be to split it between 16. So I can understand the rationale and the thinking."Said Drew: "I love it because what you have is a true champion. You play everybody twice. It doesn't come down to whose schedule is a little bit easier that year, who has an advantage that year. I think coaches love that equality part."But Self said he understands that expansion could be what's best for the league's future."I do think we need to be prepared to move forward with expansion, but this is not a situation [where] just because we have a smaller number our league is weaker," he said.Tech's tumbleAfter upsetting Iowa State on Wednesday in Lubbock, Texas Tech succumbed to Texas in Austin on Saturday for the Longhorns' first league win of the season.Red Raiders coach Chris Walker said it amounted to a lack of toughness but also praised Texas for playing one of its best games of the season."I don't think we played with the type of toughness that we needed to go in there in a road game in the Big 12," he said. "Obviously, Texas was on fire and scratching and clawing for that win. It was only a matter of time before they got that monkey off their back, and we knew it was going to be a tough game."Texas had 14 steals, forced 19 turnovers and held Tech to 37 percent shooting."Those crucial turnovers that we made against Texas -- we didn't make those against Iowa State," Walker said. "A lot of that has to do with playing at home, and a lot of that has to do with the flow of the game and Texas' defensive intensity. I just think we handled Iowa State's defensive intensity a lot better than we handled Texas'."Ray updateTCU guard Jarvis Ray is about three weeks from returning from a foot injury that sidelined him Dec. 18, coach Trent Johnson said. But Johnson isn't sure he'll rush Ray back on the court if he's not ready."We'll make a decision whether it's even worth it," Johnson said. "I won't put him back out there if he doesn't have any type of conditioning. If he can go in three weeks, and we have two weeks before the season ends, I'm not going to play him. I don't think it's worth it. I don't think it's fair to the kid, especially when you start talking about the people we're playing, how physical it is, how athletic they are and the skill level."I'm always going to err on the side of caution and a young man's health, especially when you're dealing with his lower extremities and ankle and knees."Ray, a junior, was averaging 6.2 points while starting nine of 10 games.New viewerTexas coach Rick Barnes said he had no complaints with the Longhorn Network as a coach or a viewer. In fact, he's really impressed.Barnes said he sold his house in Westlake and moved closer to Austin and is now able to get the cable channel devoted to Texas athletics."I haven't found anything bad about it at all," Barnes said. "I think it has been great. What they have done for the exposure for our players -- it has been great for us. I'm glad we're a part of it. I do have it now. And what I've watched of it, it's first-class. Everything they do is first-class."Stefan Stevenson817-390-7760Twitter: @FollowtheFrogs
Big 12 Players of the Week
Men's Player of the Week
G Pierre Jackson, Baylor: He averaged 19 points, four assists and two rebounds in the Bears' two wins over Oklahoma State and TCU. The senior made 8 of 16 3-point attempts and extended his streak of double-digit scoring to 26 games, 10 more than any active streak in the league.
Men's Rookie of the Week
G Will Clyburn, Iowa State: The senior had consecutive double-doubles in a loss to Texas Tech and a win over No. 11 Kansas State. He averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds during the week, including 24 points and 10 rebounds in the 73-67 win over K-State. He scored 17 second-half points against the Wildcats to give ISU its 18th consecutive home win.
Women's Player of the Week
C Brittney Griner, Baylor: The senior won her fourth consecutive Big 12 honor and sixth this season after averaging 18.5 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks in wins over Iowa State and Oklahoma. Griner became the NCAA's all-time leader in blocks for both women and men after collecting 14 during the week to raise her career total to 665. She needs three points to become the Big 12's all-time leading scorer. She now has 2,833.
Women's Freshman of the Week
C Imani McGee-Stafford, Texas: She averaged 13 points and 9.5 rebounds in games against Kansas and Kansas State. She made 11 of 21 shots from the field and had three assists, two blocks and a steal during the week. In the win over KSU, she collected her seventh double-double of the season with 20 points and 16 rebounds.
Key stats
10Freshmen, sophomores or newcomers to their teams among the top 20 scorers in the Big 12.
17Consecutive losses for Texas Tech at Texas' Frank Erwin Center after the Red Raiders lost 73-57 in Austin on Saturday.
Quotable
"I have no idea. You'd have to call my attorney. I had nothing to do with it." -- West Virginia coach Bob Huggins on why he has a clause in his contract giving him a $25,000 bonus if he beats Kansas.
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