The proving ground is here.The Big 12 season gets underway for Colorado against a young but formidable opponent on a day when six games involving conference teams will be played.
The Buffs tangle with Texas at the Coors Event Center in a game worth seeing, not only to support CU but to get up close and personal with the Longhorns' young talent. The objective is winning but this game might prove to be more entertaining than anything, with the athleticism and skill level on display.
The Black and Gold Truth: If you don't know UT freshman forward Kevin Durant, you likely are caught up in a vacuum. He was one of the mega recruits last year at this time and has dominated at the college level (21.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.1 blocks). He is a future NBA All Star and likely gone from the college game in a few months.
Sophomore guard A.J. Abrams loves to bomb away and does so well (16.6 points-per-game) and freshman point guard D.J. Augustin is a special player on a national level already (13.5 ppg, 6.4 assists, 52 percent FG, 45 percent 3-pointers, 86 percent FT).
Freshman forward Damion James can't shoot, either from the floor (39 percent) or the foul line (51 percent) but he is athletic and a board hog (8.2 per in 25 minutes per game).
CU will not likely stop the points from piling up. It has to try, however. Maybe staying with their man will be a good starting point. In the end, however, its' only chance is hoping the Longhorns are off their game while itself running, forcing turnovers and shooting the lights out.
Richard Roby (pictured) must lead by example and bust out big. Dominique Coleman could get some attention with an equally effective outing. Kal Bay and Marcus King-Stockton have to build on their last performance, proving it wasn't a one-time thing. Jermyl Jackson-Wilson has to outwork his man and be a warrior on the boards while Jeremy Williams and Xavier Silas have to be making shots, boarding and being aggressive. UT is not a great team but they are going to be mighty difficult to defend and beat based on talent and Rick Barnes' coaching. It could get ugly if the Horns get off early.
Kansas State takes solid talent to College Station to meet eleventh-ranked Texas A & M but it will take the Wildcats more than Bob Huggins' presence to play with the Aggies. Kansas State is capable of winning but it will have to play the complete game it has yet to do so far this season.
BGT: For the Wildcats to take a step up in stature it needs senior forward Cartier Martin to be the impact player he was last year and is capable of being. He hasn't meshed well with Huggins' coaching to this point. David Hoskins, on the wing, and freshman Bill Walker, a projected star by most experts, give the team a solid nucleus of talent but the parts haven't become a functionable whole yet. For the home-town boys, everyone knows about guard Acie Law and forward Joseph Jones, the foundation of the team, but do they yet know of freshman guard Josh Carter, a tall, thin, but talented shooter and scorer, who has averaged 18 points over his last five games? He's going to be a big-time player in the Big 12.
Baylor travels for just its' second road game of the season and it's a big one, down in Stillwater to face no. 12 Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are 9-0 on their home court this season.
BGT: The Bears are a solid offensive team but haven't played the firepower of OSU, which boasts two of the premium players in the conference in short and stacked forward Mario Boggan and smooth-scoring shooter JamesOn Curry from the guard spot. This really is a game where Baylor will be tested, and likely, swatted back to Waco. They have talent but are small, guard dependent and in over their heads if the Cowboys come to play and get after it on defense from the start.
New Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel takes his Sooners to Lubbock to face Bobby Knight's Texas Tech team, only OU's second road game of the season. The Red Raiders have lost only once on their home court this season. Neither team has done much to show it will be a factor in the Big-12 race.
BGT: Jarrius Jackson and Martin Zeno are talented, potent scoring guards for Knight and they will be a handful for the Sooners to handle. If OU can't slow them, they lose. Where it does have the advantage is in the middle with center Longar Longar. He has to play big and get help from hotshot freshman guard Tony Crocker, who has averaged 14.2 points and six rebounds over his last six games, to stay competitive.
Iowa State hits Columbia to play Missouri. The Tigers' 11 wins have all come at home while the Cyclones are just 1-3 on the road.
BGT: ISU is led by guard Mike Taylor, a versatile talent and capable junior forward Rahshon Clark but the name to watch, someone mentioned here before, is freshman forward Wesley Johnson, reed thin but with seven double-doubles already this season. Johnson is a star in the making. Missouri guard Stefhon Hannah is an all-around talent and ballhawk (four steals a game) and the team's best player while bulky Kalen Grimes is solid in the middle. This contest will be a good measuring stick for both schools.
Nebraska hosts Western Kentucky in a game worth checking on, as the Cornhuskers are unbeaten at home and the Hilltoppers, well coached under Darin Horn, are 5-1 on the road.
BGT: Western Kentucky's junior swingman Courtney Lee (17.6 points per game) will likely end up in some NBA camp next season. He can shoot the ball, he can score the ball and go to sleep on him and he'll hit the boards hard. Junior center Alexs Maric is steady and talented for Nebraska but the two guys to watch for are freshman guards Ryan Anderson and Sek Henry. Anderson has been the better of the two to this point but Henry is warming up, averaging 14 points over his last four games while Anderson has been inconsistent. Expect an entertaining game.
thebgtruth@yahoo.com
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