For the last couple of weeks, you probably have heard the college basketball media writing and talking about how the Kansas Jayhawks are vulnerable this season to be dethrone as Big 12 Champs. For 14 straight seasons KU has won the Big 12 regular season title. Yet, with the injury bug striking Udoka Azubuike and with the Jayhawks not just crushing the competition in conference play they look to be more susceptible than usual.
ESPN has been blasting the fact that the KU program is not their normal powerhouse self. Social media and other outlets have been pumping the fact, and all signs point at Texas Tech to be the squad to oust Kansas from their title this season. Others that are getting some recognition are mainly Iowa State and to a much lesser degree Oklahoma. Well, ISU just showed last night that they are legit. Even with 2 losses in the Big 12, the Cyclones have now beaten the Jayhawks and our Red Raiders already in early conference play. Still, this Big 12 competition is still wide-open for any team to take a seat at the top of the conference.
As Chris Beard stated after the win against the Longhorns in Austin when asked about winning the Big 12 Title –
“It’s so early. I’ve always said this, until you make the turn, until we’ve played about eight, nine or 10 games, nothing even really matters. Could we? Yes, we could be.”
So, we are now 5 games into it and we sit at 4-1 with the lone loss last night to a good ISU team. The gut punch was that we suffered a crucial loss at home. We all know how hard it is to win on the road in the Big 12. We are now faced with our next two games in Waco and Manhattan as the road squad against Baylor & Kansas State. We have not faced the Bears yet this year, but we know how difficult it is when we travel outside of Lubbock in conference to snatch a victory. We have proven that we can do it in Morgantown and Austin, so we know that we can win anywhere if we focus and play our game. Yet, Waco and Manhattan are not going to be an automatic W.
To make matters worse, here is a fact to know… the two teams that ISU had lost to in the Big 12 before beating us last night – Baylor & Kansas State. So, I am deeming that it is going to be critical to keep our Big 12 title hopes alive to beat both these teams away from home. Getting into 7 games on the Big 12 regular season at 6-1 would be a beautiful thing to accomplish. Can we do it? I think we can and we must if we want to continue to have a push towards that alluring Big 12 Champ status. Wreck ’em Tech!!!
The first loss in Big 12 play is always the hardest… how we respond in the next one will be telling to how strong the squad really is this season. #TexasTech will rebound back just fine and show we belong at the top.#WreckEm #GunsUp #4to1 https://t.co/5LPlCA8Chn
— DanSwany (@DanSwany) January 17, 2019