Top Five Takeaways From Wednesday’s Big 12 Basketball Games
Here are five thoughts on the Big 12 Conference men’s and women’s basketball games on Wednesday, as there were six games across the conference.
So what happened? Well there are no more undefeated teams on the men’s side, as Houston got right, Oklahoma got right and UCF continued to rack up the upsets. On the women’s side, Iowa State dropped its first league game and TCU’s injury issues forced the program to forfeit two games.
Here are five thoughts on the night.
To The Shead
Houston had a hard week last week, losing twice on the road to Iowa State and TCU while getting its first real dose of the Big 12.
On Wednesday, they learned that the Big 12 never lets up as newly-minted Top 25 team and Big 12 leader Texas Tech came to town. Yep, that’s right, after Baylor lost on Tuesday, the Red Raiders were the only remaining undefeated team in Big 12 action.
That didn’t last long. Houston — still No. 5 in the country after two Big 12 losses — beat No. 25 Texas Tech, 77-54.
Guard Jamal Shead was at the center of it. The Cougar had a career-high 29 points as he and Houston pulled away from Texas Tech in the second half. He also dished out 10 assists and grabbed four rebounds.
Shead was in foul trouble against TCU and didn’t have the impact he normally has. If you watched this game you got a chance to see what Shead — and this offense — is truly capable of doing.
Shead doesn’t always put up big offensive numbers, so when he does it’s all the better for the Cougars, who also got 12 points from J’Wan Roberts. The Cougars shot better than 50% percent.
But that Houston defense — the one that has been ranked No. 1 in the country most of the season — did a number on the Red Raiders. Houston entered the game allowing 51.4 points per game. Texas Tech only managed to get over that average with a late layup.
How? Tech shot 33%, gave up 13 turnovers (Houston had five), was outrebounded by 10 and were clobbered in points in the paint, 34-6. This Houston defense is for real. Right now, it’s just getting more traction at home in Big 12 play.
This was what I was worried about for Tech going into Big 12 play — what happens when Pop Isaacs has a pedestrian night? He’s averaging 16 points this season. He managed 12 against Houston but shot 4-of-15. Kerwin Walton was the only other Red Raider to hit double figures (18 points). He poured in six threes.
Does Tech have enough consistent complementary options that can hit double figures in Big 12 play every game? That could be the difference in just how far the Red Raiders go this season.
Red River Rift
Oklahoma and Texas combined to go 1-3 last week. The Sooners lost both of their games. Both needed a bounce-back. One of them got it.
The Sooners got back to .500 in Big 12 play with a 77-63 over West Virginia. The Mountaineers were feeling great after beating Texas at home. The Mountaineers put together a solid first half and were down just four points. But the Sooners pulled away, despite 14 points from Noah Farrakhan and 12 points from RaeQuan Battle.
In a Big 12 that looks ultra-competitive, winning games at home is paramount for everyone. The Sooners needed to plug the leak, so to speak, after losses to TCU and Kansas. The Sooners did it by outrebounding WVU, 33-19, shooting nearly 50% from the floor and spreading the offense around, with Jalon Moore leading the way with 16 points.
Otega Oweh also got back to himself, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He must have games like that every night for the Sooners.
In what could have been a trap game OU turned it around. What about Texas? Well …
UCF went into the Moody Center and beat Texas, 77-71. That was UCF’s first Big 12 road win. I didn’t get to watch it because it was on the Longhorn Network (cannot wait until that’s done). And if you look at the box score just about everything was even, save one thing. The Knights outrebounded Texas, 37-22. That’s an incredible disparity considering both teams shot 50% or better.
UCF was down double-digits in the second half and rallied back. For the second time in three games, a big-time opponent had trouble with UCF’s zone defense.
The Knights have found a groove. Jaylin Sellers led five players in double figures with 24 points. C.J. Walker swallowed up nine of those rebounds. I underestimated this team a little bit. UCF took that 25-point gut punch from Kansas State in the Knights’ Big 12 opener and have turned it around.
As for Texas, this team is way too talented to be 1-3 in Big 12 action and to be outrebounded by 15. Ithiel Horton — the former Knight — led the Longhorns with 20 points. He saved his best game of the year for his former team, apparently. Max Abmas had 15 and and Dillon Mitchell also had 15.
Dylan Disu only had eight points and grabbed just one rebound (Mitchell led with nine). This is a highly athletic team that can play five out of the paint but it’s lack of a clear-cut five may be its undoing. The Longhorns had that in Timmy Allen last season and that’s not a big part of Disu’s toolbox. Texas’ rebounding margin is now underwater and it’s among the bottom of the league in total rebounding after four league games.
Abmas can hit all three 3-pointers he wants, but he’s still going to miss shots and someone has to clean that up.
Iowa State Falls
Iowa State’s women found out on Wednesday that it wouldn’t play on Saturday against TCU after the Horned Frogs had to forfeit their games this week (more on that below). So Wednesday was a chance to ensure the Cyclones were undefeated going into next week.
Well, sometimes the best-laid plans, you know?
Texas Tech handed Iowa State its first loss in Big 12 play with a 71-63 win in Lubbock.
For Texas Tech, this game might be remembered at season’s end as the game where guard Rhyle McKinney finally got on track. Entering the game she was averaging fewer than three points. On Wednesday she dropped in five 3-pointers and finished with 15 points.
For perspective, her last game in double figures was 10 points in the season opener against UT-RGV on Nov. 7. It’s been a long time coming.
It also coincided with coach Krista Gerlich putting McKinney in the starting lineup for the first time this season. McKinney started 26 games last season and she averaged 7.8 points. So, perhaps she needs to start moving forward?
Gerlich also moved Jada Wynn into the starting lineup while moving Jasmine Shavers and Ashley Chevalier out of the lineup after a two-game losing streak. It clearly worked as Tech beat Iowa State for the first time since 2020.
Bailey Maupin led Tech with 16 points and Shavers added 15 off the bench.
As for Iowa State, I wrote last week in our TV preview that this game was a recipe for a letdown after beating West Virginia and Baylor at home last week. Well, ISU shot 39%, committed 14 turnovers and shot only 27% from the 3-point line two days after being ranked for the first time this season.
Tech did a good job of frustrating freshman forward Addy Brown, who scored just two points and fouled out. Another ISU forward, Audi Crooks, had a double-double — 14 points and 12 rebounds. Emily Ryan also had her best game of the season with 18 points and five assists off the bench.
When we get to March, this might be the kind of win that helps Texas Tech make the NCAA Tournament, especially if Iowa State finishes among the top teams in the Big 12.
TCU’s Troubles Worsen (Again)
In this space after Tuesday’s games I wrote about TCU losing guard Jaden Owens for the season. On Wednesday it got worse.
The Horned Frogs forfeited their two games this week against Kansas State and Iowa State due to only having six scholarship players. The Big 12’s release didn’t mention the number of players TCU lost. But the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that TCU only had six scholarship players due to a number of injuries suffered in practice on Tuesday.
One of them, Daija Turner, announced later on Wednesday that she was out for the rest of the season.
There was some chatter about this on social media (obviously). Some pointed out that TCU had 10 players for its last game. That was against Houston on Saturday. Ten players did play. One was Owens, who is now out for the season. So that leaves nine. Turner leaves eight. If the Horned Frogs suffered more injuries on Tuesday, that reduces their numbers further.
During COVID, the bare minimum needed to play a game was six scholarship players. I wasn’t able to dig up on the Big 12’s site whether that has changed. But six scholarship players, during COVID or otherwise, is too thin in my opinion. People think these players can just run 40 minutes and it’s nothing, and that’s really not the case. If the injuries really are this widespread, then the league is doing the right thing.
There’s more evidence that it’s a significant issue. TCU is soliciting open tryouts for walk-ons later this week. The last time a Big 12 program did that was the Oklahoma State men several years ago after coach Mike Boynton dismissed several players for off-the-court issues. This sort of mid-season tryout is rare at the Division I level and, I think, speaks to the severity of what appears to have happened at TCU.
The forfeits are unfortunate for everyone in the conference because them come against the two teams that were leading the league. Given how it impacts the rest of the race, my hope is that TCU is a bit more transparent about this in the near future. That’s fair given the impact.
Alternative Big 12 Mottos
What was it at one point? “Every Game Matters?” “One True Champion?”
In basketball my favorite has always been ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla, who refers to the basketball league as a “rock fight.” Last week, the Athletic referred to the league as a “circular firing squad.” That’s not bad either.
Here’s a new one.
Gotta say, it works.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
