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The greatest Big 12 men's basketball season ever?
It could be the one about to start, considering the talent returning and the potential stars added through recruiting.
Six likely NBA first-round draft choices returned to school:
Kansas junior center Cole Aldrich, Kansas senior point guard Sherron Collins, Iowa State junior forward Craig Brackins, Texas senior forward Damion James, Oklahoma sophomore guard Willie Warren and Oklahoma State junior wing James Anderson.
Mix in other top returnees such as Kansas State senior guard Denis Clemente, Texas senior center Dexter Pittman, Missouri senior guard J.T. Tiller and Baylor junior guard LaceDarius Dunn.
Add a few high-profile transfers such as Kansas center Jeff Withey (Arizona), Texas point guard Jai Lucas (Florida) and Kansas State forward Curtis Kelly (Connecticut).
Now, sprinkle heavily with hotshot recruits. The Big 12 signed 21 of ESPN's Top 100 high school recruits, including seven from No. 1 through 28.
“We're in an unforgiving league,'' Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik said Thursday at Media Day, “called the Big 12.''
In the league race, Kansas and Texas will battle not only for the Big 12 title but the national title. Both teams are consensus preseason top 5 picks.
“I think we have a chance to be a special group,'' KU coach Bill Self said. “We'll have to be very special because I think this league is the best since I've been in it and the best it's going to be since inception.''
Kansas State coach Frank Martin said it's a credit to the national caliber of the league that so many good players spurned the pros to return. Martin is happy about that, for now.
“It's not fun when it's late January and you get your brains beat in,'' he said. “But it's tremendous basketball.''
How good?
Iowa State has a returning first-team All-Big 12 pick in Brackins, the preseason newcomer of the year in junior college transfer Marquis Gilstrap and a Top 75 point guard recruit — and was picked eighth in the Big 12 preseason poll.
“They must not think much of the coach,'' ISU's Greg McDermott joked.
“But I think it is a testament to the league. I think you could argue — and it's an easy argument — that the seven teams picked ahead of us are there for a reason.''
Oklahoma lost national player of the year Blake Griffin to the NBA, but the Sooners are a Top 25-caliber team with the return of Warren and the addition of McDonald's All-America recruits Tommy Mason-Griffin and Keith “Tiny'' Gallon.
“The league is incredibly talented,'' OU coach Jeff Capel said. “Because of the talent level our league has been available to attract, it makes the basketball a very, very high level.''
Contact the writer:
444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com
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