Big 12

In recent weeks, the Rise & Fall series has chronicled the progress (or regress) of college basketball's major conference teams. But if I equated each team to a civilization, I was mistaken. It is really the NCAA conference that equates to a burgeoning civilization or nation, each with its sometimes stable and sometimes rotating member states. Like civilizations, the prestige and power of conferences wax and wane..

 

Like civilizations, all great basketball programs eventually fall.. replaced by an upstart newcomer. In this week's Rise & Fall series, we'll take a look at which BCS programs are rising, falling, or merely treading water. Up today, the:

 

BIG 12

 

 

We'll be rolling out our annual 144 Teams in 144 Days preview in just a couple weeks.. so it seemed like a good time to throw out my offseason Top 50 picks. With Draft entries settled, we have a clearer look at what is already shaping up to be another wild and exciting season of college basketball!

Irving, Texas - The Big 12 and Pacific-10 Conferences have announced the dates and matchups for the 2008 Big 12 / Pac-10 Hardwood Series.   The series is in its second year after beginning competition during the 2007-08 season.

We're only one day beyond the 2008 National Championship Game.. but its never too early to start thinking about next year's Tournament. Here's an early projection of the 2009 NCAA Tournament field:

A companion to our daily Three Stars of the Day, we present the top three Games of the Night.

 

ACC

Big 12

Big East

Big Ten

Pac-10

SEC

Kansas State’s Michael Beasley headlines the Big 12’s All-January Team. You’re not surprised by that, are you?!

Guard – Martin Zeno – Texas Tech – SR
16.0ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.9apg
Best game – Jan 23rd- Missouri – 33 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals, three blocks, 19-24 free throws

Zeno had a killer January, pouring in at least 25 points in three games and averaged a very solid 20 points, four boards and three assists for the month. Now hopefully he doesn’t decide to resign on his team midway through the season!

With the New Year brings clarity. Not only has the excruciating bowl season come to an end, allowing us to focus solely on college hoops, with the occasional Patriots hatefest NFL football game mixed in here or there, but with the start of ’08 comes conference play for the BCS leagues. This means no more North Floridas or Sacramento States or Prairie View A & Ms on the schedule. No, this means we will be treated to a bevy of decent matchups on a nightly basis, providing a meaningful way to discern between squads, rather than wild guessing, or even

Some talk that Oregon State is the worst BCS team ever.. we'll see below in my monthly 73-team BCS Power Ranking. This follows u

 

1. UNC 14-0 (ACC)(1)