Big 12 Basketball Week 6: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Week 6 is officially in the books as the Big 12 Conference continued both the men’s and women’s basketball seasons for 2023-24.
It was a really interesting week. We got closure on Nae’Qwan Tomlin, we got closure on two-time transfers and we got the back story on a Gap Goat. Let’s dig in.
Here are the good, bad, and ugly from Week 6 in Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball.
The Good
The Transfers Are In
I won’t belabor the point. All of the two-time transfers that were denied play this season are now able to play for the rest of this season without penalty. In my takes from Saturday’s games, I ran through how those transfers did in those first games.
One didn’t play, as West Virginia’s RaeQuan Battle was dealing with an illness that, ironically, coach Josh Eilert said he likely picked up when he went to testify in the Ohio vs. NCAA hearing on Wednesday, which ultimately freed him and several other players waiting on waivers.
For teams like WVU and Cincinnati, the transfers actually didn’t make a different on Saturday, as both lost. But, this is about long-term gain with Big 12 play coming soon. This change has the potential to reshape what we thought the race would look like in the Big 12.
The Gap Goat
If you pay attention to Kansas State’s women’s basketball team (and if you’re not you should be because they’re, you know, really good), you’ve probably seen a stuffed goat around.
So special to have family visit for a game#KStateWBB x Baby Gap Goat pic.twitter.com/blOE8Dx5BG
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) December 16, 2023
So … why? Last week, Gabby Gregory expanded and explained.
Many have asked: Who is Gap Goat?
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) December 15, 2023
We have answers. 🏀🐐 #KStateWBB pic.twitter.com/V5jZBV6ags
Don’t have time to listen to the audio? Here’s the summary. Kansas State coach Jeff Mitte asked Gregory, Ayoka Lee and Serena Sundell to find some way to commemorate their “gaps” on defense.
“I said, ‘Make it your own,’” Mittie said.
So, they made it a stuffed goat.
“I really like goats,” Gregory said. “It’s my favorite animal.”
A gap for K-State is three straight defensive stops. When that happens, the team holds the goat up in the air in celebration.
But, there’s more.
“When we get seven straight stops, that’s when he gets a chain and the chain has a seven on it,” Gregory said.
Go to the 33-second mark of the video and you’ll see the chain. That’s a blinged-out goat.
“That’s Gap Goat,” Gregory said. “He has an Instagram.”
Of course he has a ’gram. And it’s cool. Whoever is handling the social media is coming up with great graphics after each K-State win (and there’s been a lot of those). The team takes photos with the goat after wins.
They even got Kansass State’s G.O.A.T to hold the Gap Goat.
The goat with the GOAT #KStateWBB x Bill Snyder Classic pic.twitter.com/Y9mrpe3fXk
— Elisabeth Brown (@BBallBrown) December 9, 2023
Hey, the Wildcats are nationally ranked and have lost one game. Whatever works, right?
Emily’s Back
Iowa State got its top guard, Emily Ryan, back on Sunday when they hosted and blew out Troy. Ryan only played nine minutes, but she packed a lot into nine minutes — five points, four rebounds and two assists.
That’s big news for the Cyclones, who were expecting Ryan to be their top scorer and passer from Day 1 with the departures of Ashley Joens, Lexi Donarski and Stephanie Soares. Without Ryan, the Cyclones went 5-4. But, if you’re looking for a silver lining, that meant that ISU’s incredible freshman class, along with transfers Hannah Belanger and Isnelle Natabou, got extended playing time.
Freshmen like Addy Brown have made the most of it.
Four consecutive games with a double-double.. in the 10th game of her collegiate career 🤯@Addy_Brown24 does it again with 11 points, 12 rebounds!
— Cyclone Basketball (@CycloneWBB) December 17, 2023
🌪️🏀🌪️ pic.twitter.com/ZAbI1SQRUB
In addition, veteran Nyamer Diew had taken a step forward too, averaging more than 10 points per game.
Iowa State still has a climb. The Cyclones have one game left before starting Big 12 play against Oklahoma State.
But, with Ryan back, don’t be surprised if this team becomes super-difficult to deal with by February, if not earlier.
Your National Champion is …
It’s never too early to plan your March Madness bracket. But, if you’re picking your champ, pin this tweet:
Since 2004, the men's #NCAA Tournament champ has come from the Top 12 teams in the Week 6 poll (per ESPN). Plan accordingly #Big12MBB
— Matthew Postins (@PostinsPostcard) December 16, 2023
Arizona
Kansas
Purdue
Houston
UConn
Baylor
Marquette
Creighton
North Carolina
Gonzaga
Oklahoma
Clemson
That’s nearly 20 years’ worth of data, people.
Triple-Double Alert
TCU’s Micah Peavy is one of those players that I think people had higher expectations for coming out of high school than he’s fulfilled to this point. After all, Peavy was a four-star player and a Top 40 national player as ranked by just about every recruiting service before he went to … Texas Tech. After a year with the Red Raiders, he returned to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to play for TCU.
He’s in his fourth year of college basketball. On Saturday against Arizona State, he did this:
Triple doubles in TCU MBB history:
— Colin Post (@colinp_3) December 17, 2023
1. Kurt Thomas (2/25/95): 23 pts, 14 reb, 11 blk
2. Kenrich Williams (3/21/17): 11 pts, 14 reb, 10 ast
3. Micah Peavy (12/16/23): 13 pts, 12 reb, 10 ast
Peavy is 6-foot-8 guard that coach Jamie Dixon can fit in anywhere. He’s a willing defender and rebounder and regularly draws tough defensive assignments. Oh, and this year he’s averaging a career-best 12.2 points and 5.0 rebounds.
This is why player development remains a vital cog in the college basketball landscape. Yes, working the transfer market is important. But without committing four years to Peavy’s development, he might never have gotten to this point — and TCU wouldn’t be benefiting from it.
Wanna Beat the NCAA?
Get your degree. That’s the easiest way to beat all this transfer stuff. If you have you degree, there’s isn’t a dang thing the NCAA can do to you.
Now, you don’t have to do it the way WVU’s Josiah Harris did it. But, still, get it.
WVU F Josiah Harris will be walking for graduation as a sophomore today before re-joining the team in time for the UMass game tonight pic.twitter.com/4AtZhPO1zm
— Ethan Bock (@ethanbock_) December 16, 2023
Harris is averaging 5.9 points and 5.2 rebounds so far this season. Both are career highs.
The Bad
Reading the Tang Leaves
The Nae’Qwan Tomlin drama is now complete. He’s transferred to Memphis and will play for the Tigers in the spring (assuming, of course, the NCAA doesn’t, you know, NCAA).
The episode certainly exposed a rift between the fan base and university president Dr. Richard Linton. It also exposed just how loyal those fans are to both men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang and athletic director Gene Taylor.
If you’re Twitter (and guess what? I am — find me @PostinsPostcard and stop by) then you know the fan base is freaking out a little bit about Tang’s future, fearing that because of all of this Tang will be out the door at season’s end, if another job opens up. I mean, let’s be real — other jobs are going to open up. It’s just a matter of whether the “right” job opens up.
I think Tang likes it in Manhattan, personally. But, when the media got the chance to talk with him earlier this week the question came up and here was his answer.
“I was an assistant coach for 19 years and always wanted to be a head coach,” Tang said. “That’s what I wanted to do, I wanted to be a head coach, but the opportunity never came about. I believe God’s hand was on that, for the right time. When God said this is the time, I moved. And with my situation here, when God says it’s time to move, I’ll move. Nobody’s gonna run me away, no situation is gonna scare me. I know I’m called to be here for this moment and this time. if for some reason the lord says ‘I’m moving you somewhere else’, and it doesn’t necessarily mean to another school, it could be to stop coaching. I’m okay with that. Whatever God has for me, that’s what I’m all about.”
Well, there’s “Jesus take the wheel” and then there’s that. Wildcats fans better hope the good lord is telling him about all the good stuff about staying in Manhattan.
By the way, the Wildcats made one slight alteration to their pre-game festivities for Sunday’s game. It’s significant in this context.
Kansas State usually welcomes fans to Bramlage Coliseum on behalf of university president Richard Linton before starting lineups.
— Kellis Robinett (@KellisRobinett) December 17, 2023
Not today. No chance of boos from the home crowd.
More Issues for West Virginia
The Mountaineers finally got RaeQuan Battle, Noah Farrakhan and Kerr Kriisa back for Saturday’s game for UMass. That’s just too much good stuff at once, apparently.
Forward Jesse Edwards injured his wrist during the game.
“It hurt not having Jesse out there and that injury to the wrist scares me,” WVU coach Josh Eliert said, per WV Sports Now. “I’m praying that he’s healthy.”
Yeah that’s not great. Edwards is averaging 14.8 points and 8.7 rebounds. He’s kept WVU afloat as they’ve waded through their transfer issues and Kriisa’s suspension. Losing him would be a huge blow.
As of late Sunday, there was no additional update. WVU doesn’t play again until Wednesday against Radford.
The Ugly
Cincinnati’s Loss
“I’m really pissed off. We have a long way to go.”
Those were the words of Cincinnati coach Wes Miller after the Bearcats lost to Dayton on Saturday night, a game in which the Bearcats were full strength with the return of Jamille Reynolds after the Ohio vs. NCAA ruling.
Cincinnati guard Simas Lukošius didn’t mince words either, per Bearcat Journal.
“In general the whole game was terrible for us, both offensively and defensively.”
By the way, the Bearcats are 8-2 this season. Those two losses have come to local teams — Xavier and Dayton. Both of those teams are quality opponents. You could also make the argument that those are Cincinnati’s best two opponents so far this season. Cincinnati has played just one additional high-major team so far — Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are 6-3.
The Bearcats have good news. There are three more games ahead to get things right before Big 12 play. But when your coach is that pissed off after a loss like that, you have to wonder if that’s a window to where this team is going?
Then again, this is Cincinnati’s first year in the Big 12 and I’m still learning the rhythms of the new coaches. Perhaps it’s just an overreaction. But the lack of wins against quality opponents certainly is a problem the Bearcats will have to rectify in Big 12 play.
iframe src=”https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/1986400/1964875/” width=”510″ height=”500″ frameborder=”0″>You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
