The Longhorns embark on the toughest portion of their schedule this afternoon, taking on a top-ten Mizzou squad that was still undefeated at this time last week. In the ensuing five games, Texas will also face Baylor and Kansas State on the road, while hosting Kansas, Iowa State, and this same Missouri team. Every single game is going to be tough to win, which is terrible news in a season where the Horns need every conference win they can get to simply make the NCAA tournament.

The one positive in all of this is that of the three tough road games, this is the one Texas has the best chance in. Against this murderer’s row, that’s not saying a whole lot, but it should be some comfort to Longhorn fans that amongst the league’s elite teams, these Tigers are the best match-up for Texas. The Horns are weakest in the frontcourt, which just so happens to be where the Tigers are thin, as well.

By the numbers

Although Mizzou’s frontcourt leaves a lot to be desired, they still have the best two-point field-goal percentage in the country, knocking down 57.6% of their shots from inside the arc. That’s a result of constantly attacking the paint, whether on the dribble or with smart, hard cuts that lead to easy layups. All told, Mizzou’s offensive efficiency is second in the nation, with the Tigers putting in 1.211 points per possession.

Behind the arc, Missouri is just as dangerous. The Tigers have made nearly 40% of their long-range attempts, led by seniors Kim English (No. 24) and Marcus Denmon (No. 12), who are shooting 53% and 48.7% behind the arc, respectively. The Tigers are also loaded with quick guards in the backcourt, so opposing teams have to decide whether they’d rather give up the blow-by when they are pressuring the perimeter or give up a wide-open three when sagging to cut off penetration. As the numbers show, there’s simply no good choice.

With former coach Mike Anderson now in Fayetteville, the Tigers no longer employ relentless full-court pressure, but they still play nasty defense. Under former Texas assistant Frank Haith, this year’s Missouri team just waits to turn up the pressure until after opponents have crossed half-court. Their talented crop of guards can all defend well on the perimeter, and they still force turnovers on more than 23% of possessions despite abandoning the “Fastest 40 Minutes of Basketball” approach. The high-octane offense and tenacious D still add up to a quick tempo, however, but the Tigers “only” average 69 possessions per game, currently the 82nd-fastest pace in Division I.

It’s also worth noting that the Tigers play good D without fouling. Their defensive free-throw rate is 15th-best in D-I at the moment, as opponents shoot just a little more than one free throw for every four field goal attempts. That discipline on the defensive end is huge, as Missouri is now down to just a seven-man rotation and cannot afford to have any players in foul trouble.

Meet the Tigers

That seven-man Missouri rotation was supposed to be nine deep, but a devastating injury and ill-timed transfer have dramatically changed the make-up of the Tiger roster. Senior forward Laurence Bowers tore his ACL on October 3rd, just a little more than a month before the Tigers tipped off the season, leaving Mizzou with only three legitimate options in the frontcourt. Then, just before conference play began, Toronto product Kadeem Green announced his intentions to transfer somewhere closer to home.

The Bowers injury and Green transfer left Ricardo Ratliffe (No. 10) as the sole big man in the starting five. At just 6’8″, Ratliffe is severely undersized as the primary post option against most Big 12 teams, but he knows how to establish good post position before the entry pass and makes quick, confident moves once he gets the ball. He’s smooth on his spin move and is solid with the jump hook, so even though Clint Chapman and Alexis Wangmene have a few inches on Ratliffe, they’ll have to push him off the block and deny those deep entry passes.

The Tigers have only one other big man in Steve Moore (No. 32), who comes off the bench to average just under 17 minutes per game. Moore is nowhere near the offensive threat of Ratliffe, but is a stout 6’9″ guy that provides some rebounding help and defensive presence in the paint.

With the lack of frontcourt options, the Tigers have had to rely on their strength in the backcourt. Coach Haith has elected to go with a four-guard look, and so far it has worked to near-perfection. Senior Marcus Denmon (No. 12) is the Big 12’s leading retuning scorer, and he’s near the top of the charts again this season with his 17.9 points per game. He’s incredibly quick with the basketball and can slice right through the defense to get to the rack. As mentioned earlier, he’s also a very dangerous three-point shooter, so it’s difficult to keep Denmon in check for very long.

The man facilitating the offense is sophomore guard Phil (Flip) Pressey (No. 1), who has made an amazing leap from his freshman year. The younger of two Presseys on the team, Phil struggled with turnovers during his first collegiate season, but has turned into a highly efficient point guard this year. He’s currently posting a 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio, but is averaging 5.5 assists per game over his last ten.

Perhaps the area of greatest improvement for Flip this season is his new-found ability to adjust his speed as he reads the defense. Instead of flying recklessly into a waiting defense, he now hesitates, watches the play develop, and finds the cracks or passing lanes. If a team is slow getting back, he finds another gear and will take it coast to coast. Although this current Missouri roster is loaded with seniors, the future is still bright with Pressey running the point for two more years.

Phil’s older brother, Matt Pressey (No. 3) is possibly the best perimeter defender on the team, which is really saying something with this group of guards. He’s also no slouch on the offensive end, chipping in nearly nine points a game while making a third of his attempts from behind the arc.

Senior Kim English (No. 24) rounds out the starting five, where he’s playing what amounts to the power forward role despite having the body of a small forward. As previously mentioned, he’s been practically unconscious from outside so far this season, drilling 53% of his threes. English is also able to put the ball on the floor and slash from the wings to create looks for himself. His prowess from behind the arc plus his ability to generate good looks have the senior ranked second in the nation with an insane 68.7% effective field goal percentage.

Off the bench, Missouri’s sixth man is junior Michael Dixon (No. 11), who is another excellent perimeter defender for the Tigers. Despite seeing just 26 minutes per game off the bench, he’s still second on the team with 27 steals and he converts those turnovers into fast-break points. Once the starting point guard, Dixon has adjusted well to his new role as sixth man, which is a big reason for Missouri’s success so far. The best teams have guys who understand their roles, and the maturity with which Dixon has handled himself after losing the starting job to Pressey is a boost to the team’s performance and chemistry.

Keys to the game

1) Play sound team defense – The Tigers make great cuts without the basketball and have a roster filled with excellent ballhandlers who can attack the paint off the dribble. Texas will constantly be challenged on the defensive end, and will undoubtedly be plays where someone loses their man or gives up penetration. The key is for the Horns to play well as a defensive unit and be aware enough to provide timely help. Missouri can move the ball very well, but forcing them to work the ball around even more on busted assignments will keep things from getting out of hand.

2) Weather the storm – Missouri can score in bunches, and a full Mizzou Arena is an absolute powderkeg. With the planned “blackout” for today’s game, you can tell that fans are still treating this as a big game despite it being a down year for Texas. When the Tigers get on one of their inevitable runs, the roof is likely to blow right off the building. These young Longhorns have yet to produce a win under hostile conditions — sorry, an 80% empty L.A. Sports Arena doesn’t count — so they must show poise when things get tough this afternoon.

3) Clean the glass – Missouri doesn’t miss often, but the Longhorns can’t afford to give them extra chances when they do. Fortunately, this is one of the rare times this season that Texas has the edge in the frontcourt. The Longhorns must take advantage of this and close out good defensive possessions by securing the boards, something they had difficulty doing against A&M even when the ball was right in their hands. On the other end of the court, if Clint Chapman, Jonathan Holmes, or Jaylen Bond can get some putbacks, it will only make things easier against a tough Tiger D.

4) Avoid foul trouble – Not only is this important because the Longhorn roster lacks depth, but avoiding fouls also keeps the Tigers off the free-throw line, where they are practically automatic. Dixon has made 91% of his attempts, while Denmon is just a shade under 93% from the charity stripe. As a team, the Tigers are one of the 10 best in the country when it comes to converting the freebies, sinking almost 77% at the line.

TEAM W L NEXT THREE Baylor 3 0 Sat vs. OSU, Mon at KU, 1/21 vs. Mizzou Kansas 3 0 Sat vs. ISU, Mon vs. BU, 1/21 at UT Missouri 2 1 Sat vs. UT, Mon vs. A&M, 1/21 at BU Iowa State 2 1 Sat at KU, Wed vs. OSU, 1/21 at Tech Texas 2 1 Sat at Mizzou, Wed at KSU, 1/21 vs. KU Oklahoma State 2 1 Sat at BU, Wed at ISU, 1/21 vs. KSU Kansas State 1 2 Sat at OU, Wed vs. UT, 1/21 at OSU Oklahoma 0 3 Sat vs. KSU, Tue vs. Tech, 1/21 at A&M Texas A&M 0 3 Sat vs. Tech, Mon at Mizzou, 1/21 vs. OU Texas Tech 0 3 Sat at A&M, Tue at OU, 1/21 vs. ISU

Texas at Missouri; Saturday, 12 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
An in-depth look at the Texas/Missouri game will be available in the wee hours of Friday night/Saturday morning.

Kansas State at Oklahoma; 12:30 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
The Wildcats and Sooners were the surprises of the Big 12 in non-conference play, combining to post a 21-3 mark. That momentum was tough to maintain in conference play, as both teams have already have to face Missouri and Kansas, and their records are indicative of that tough opening schedule. For the middle of the pack in the Big 12, winning home games will be key to staying out of the bottom rungs of the standings. Lloyd Noble Center has not been an intimidating road venue for the last few years, but Lon Kruger has reignited the buzz surrounding OU’s program. Can Romero Osby and Andrew Fitzgerald impose their will down low and defend home court?

Texas Tech at Texas A&M; 12:45 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
We eagerly awaited the unveiling of this year’s Big 12 schedule, hoping the dates would line up so we could see Billy Gillispie return to College Station and the fanbase he spurned for the high-profile Kentucky gig in 2007. Unfortunately, this one not only coincides with a road trip, but conflicts so directly that we can’t even watch it live on TV. The recent fade by Texas A&M means that Reed Arena likely won’t be packed to the rafters, but you can be sure that Gillispie will hear it from the Aggie faithful who do show up.

Texas A&M split the top spot in the preseason coaches poll with Kansas, but the Aggies have looked like anything but a title contender so far. Losers of five out of their last six — with the lone win coming against Arkansas Tech — the Aggies absolutely have to win this game. Texas A&M has a road trip to Mizzou to look forward to on Monday, so a failure to knock off the Red Raiders would put the Aggies in danger of a likely 0-5 start to conference play.

Oklahoma State at Baylor; 2:00 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
The big game isn’t until Monday, when Baylor travels to Phog Allen Fieldhouse to take on Kansas. Both teams will likely be undefeated in league play, with the winner taking over sole possession of first place. But before that happens, both squads must take care of business at home. The Bears play host to an Oklahoma State team dealing with injuries and defections, a sharp contrast to the abundance of talent on Baylor’s bench. As long as the Bears can avoid looking ahead to Monday’s gargantuan match-up, Scott Drew and Co. should cruise to a win in this one.

Iowa State at Kansas; 3:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
While Baylor must avoid looking ahead, Kansas must do the same against a very tough Iowa State team. The Jayhawks have not lost at home to Iowa State since 2005, but the Cyclones are off to a strong start in league play and put forth a very solid effort in a loss to Mizzou on Wednesday night. If Royce White can avoid foul trouble while competing inside against Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey, Iowa State will likely give the Jayhawks a fight. The Cyclones will also need to stay hot from outside, where they have made 44.8% of their attempts in three conference games.

For two unranked teams with just one combined win in four conference games, there was a lot on the line for Texas and A&M on Wednesday night at the Erwin Center. The Longhorns desperately needed a win before starting a brutal six-game stretch, while the Aggies were reeling and needed a victory to simply stop the bleeding. Add in the approaching end to the 95-year basketball rivalry between the two schools, and you end up with a number of interesting subplots adding a great deal of gravity to the game.

With all that to play for, the game still turned out to be very ugly. The Longhorns made just two field goals in the first ten minutes of the game, yet managed to hold a lead for much of the first half. Although it wasn’t pretty, a true team effort for the young Horns added up to a key victory over A&M on Wednesday night. Not only did it provide Texas with a crucial league win in a season where the team will be sweating the bubble, but it also ensured that the Longhorns would hold on to their nine-game home winning streak over their in-state rivals as the series goes dormant next year.

The first twenty minutes of basketball were downright difficult to watch. The Aggies successfully slowed the pace of the game, which ended with just 61 possessions. With fewer scoring opportunities, the missed shots were even more noticeable. J’Covan Brown was still gimpy as he recovered from an ankle injury suffered a week earlier, while Myck Kabongo spent more than half the game on the bench with foul trouble. His two early fouls were especially infuriating for Longhorn fans, as they both came right after he had turned the ball over. With a thin bench, the freshman will have to learn not to compound his mistakes by committing frustration fouls.

Without the two facilitators kick-starting the offense, Texas really struggled. A&M hedged hard on ball screens, forcing the limping Brown to try to start sets 30 feet from the rim. While the Texas defense kept things close throughout the first half, a true team effort on offense put the Horns in a position to win. Sheldon McClellan would attack the rim or make a big play, then Julien Lewis would step up a few possessions later. Jonathan Holmes even ripped down a few big rebounds despite only seeing the court for 14 minutes.

The Longhorns also got some big minutes in the second half from their pair of much-maligned big men. Both Alexis Wangmene and Clint Chapman logged clutch blocks as the Longhorns went on a second-half run, with each swat coming in help situations on the other forward’s man.

Wangmene only played 19 minutes, but had an old-fashioned three-point play that swung the momentum in the second half. Chapman, meanwhile, finished with 11 points, seven boards, and picked up two charges. He knocked down a midrange jumper and had another one pop out after going halfway down. While these two guys are never going to be on the level of the bigs from Kansas or Baylor, Chapman’s strong recent efforts and Wangmene’s flashes of solid play are something to be optimistic about early in the conference slate.

Despite his injury, J’Covan Brown also had an excellent game. He couldn’t blow past defenders thanks to the sore ankle, but he simply played smart basketball. He had his first three shots blocked, but then adjusted his approach and managed to finish with 16 points. Brown used the hesitation dribble to perfection in the second half, probing the defense, waiting for their reaction, and then reading it before attacking again or finding a teammate. On a night where he shot just 16.7% from the field, J’Covan earned ten trips to the line and made every single free throw.

With Brown unable to create good looks for himself, he put his teammates in a position to score. The junior finished with six assists, but easily could have cracked double digits if it weren’t for bobbled passes and the constant fouls down low when he would find someone open. Two of Brown’s most impressive plays came on passes well away from the basket. On the first, he found McClellan for an alley-oop when he was standing closer to half court than the perimeter. The second came as Texas was putting on a second-half surge, when Brown shot a laser pass from the backcourt to find an open Chapman for a dunk in transition.

The Longhorns also finally had another great game from freshman Julien Lewis, who has had a very streaky season. He led the team with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 mark behind the arc. In his five games prior to the A&M one, Lewis was just 22% from the field and 16.7% from the field. To add insult to injury, he also crunched his hand in a car door in the middle of his slump, forcing him to miss the New Year’s Eve game against Rice. If Lewis can stay hot, the Longhorns might surprise someone and pull off an upset during this tough three-week stretch.

The one consistent storyline this season has been the team’s pursuit of a 14th-consecutive NCAA bid. Rick Barnes and the Longhorns have been a March Madness staple, one of only six teams who have made the field in each of the last 13 seasons, but that streak is in jeopardy this year. Texas failed to build a solid résumé in non-conference play, blowing games against Oregon State and N.C. State in New Jersey. A win over UCLA in Los Angeles has lost its luster thanks to the disappointing season for the Bruins, but Texas’ home win over Temple at least gives them one quality victory.

That weak non-conference profile means that Texas will have to make a case by winning games in a tough Big 12. If you consider 20 wins the magic number for NCAA inclusion — and even that is no guarantee — the Longhorns must win 10 games in a Big 12 where every team is competitive, even a rebuilding Texas Tech program. Wednesday night’s win over A&M isn’t going to steal any headlines or punch a ticket to the Big Dance, but in a season where the Longhorns will be counting every single W, it was one they simply had to have.

Up next: at #9/9 Missouri (15-1 overall, 2-1 Big 12); 12 P.M. CT, Saturday

The past two summers have been a blur of rumors and news reports surrounding the massive wave of realignment hitting conferences from coast to coast. Two years ago, the Big 12 was on the verge of collapse after Colorado and Nebraska departed and four other league members weighed an exodus to what was then the Pac-10. This summer and fall, the league saw more changes with the SEC’s addition of Texas A&M and Missouri and the Big 12’s own inclusion of West Virginia and TCU. Elsewhere, the Big East expanded from one ocean to the other, while losing two of its basketball powerhouses to the ACC.

The unfortunate byproduct of this Conferencegeddon is the loss of historic rivalries. It appears all but certain that the Border War between Kansas and Missouri is now confined to the history books, while the long-standing series between Texas A&M and Texas is dead for the foreseeable future. Tonight marks the last time that the state’s two flagship schools will meet on the hardwood of the Frank Erwin Center for quite some time.

Beyond the historical implications, this game is huge for both teams. When you look beyond the bragging rights, it becomes apparent that both squads have to face this game as a “must win.” The Aggies are struggling, dropping their first two conference games after being picked by coaches to win the league title in the preseason. The offense is scuttling and the season is in danger of spinning down the drain if the Aggies cannot right the ship tonight.

The Longhorns, meanwhile, follow tonight’s game with a brutal six-game stretch that includes road trips to Missouri, Kansas State, and Baylor and home games against Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa State. The Bears, Tigers, and Jayhawks are three of the league’s best teams, if not its three best. Iowa State, meanwhile, surprised Texas in Ames and shellacked the Aggies in College Station. Even with solid performances, there is a very real possibility that the Longhorns could could still just get one or two wins during that stretch. If they can’t secure a win against A&M tonight before heading into that buzzsaw, it could be a very long conference season.

By the numbers

Texas A&M is having a lot of difficulty putting the ball into the basket, especially now that conference play has begun. The Aggies are in the bottom 100 of Division I hoops when it comes to adjusted offensive efficiency, scoring just 0.955 points per possession. In their two conference losses to Baylor and Iowa State, the offense is even worse, putting in just 0.773 points each time down the court.

A big part of this problem is the team’s reliance on long-range jumpers, with many of them coming from the “danger zone” just inside the arc. Those shots from 17 to 20 feet are nearly as tough as three-pointers, yet offer just the same amount of points as a layup. In addition to being an inefficient strategic choice, the reliance on long jumpers also produces less trips to the line. As a result, Texas A&M has one of the twenty worst free-throw rates in the country, taking just over one free throw for every four field goal attempts.

What keeps A&M in games is their stifling defense. The team’s adjusted defensive efficiency numbers are 35th best in the country according to Ken Pomeroy, built upon the strength of great team defense and rebounding. The Aggies have the perimeter absolutely locked down, with opponents making just 26.4% of their attempts, the 8th-best defensive mark in Division I. When opponents miss, the Aggies limit them to reclaiming just 27.7% of their misses, making them one of the 30 best defensive rebounding teams in the land.

Meet the Aggies

Coach Billy Kennedy has seen his bench shrink over the last few weeks, as big man Kourtney Roberson (No. 32) has been sidelined by an ankle injury, and freshman guard Jamal Branch elected to transfer to St. John’s. That leaves the Aggies with a core rotation of eight players, although Kennedy will likely use senior transfer Zach Kinsley (No. 23) and freshman Daniel Alexander (No. 20) for at least a few minutes each.

The Aggies are led by senior Dash Harris (No. 5), a true point guard. Harris doesn’t have a good jump shot and doesn’t often attack the rim, but he brings lockdown defense to the perimeter and facilitates the offense in the half-court sets. When Dash does drive the lane, he prefers to dish it to open teammates as the defense collapses, as evidenced by his season averages of 4.2 assists and 5.4 points per game.

Joining him in the backcourt is Elston Turner (No. 31), a Houston native who transferred to A&M from Washington. Turner brings the team its only true long-range threat, and he leads the Aggies with a 39.7% mark from behind the arc. Elston can also create by putting the ball on the floor, and has been the team’s most consistent scorer in what has been an anemic offensive year. Turner averages 13.3 points per game and is one of the team’s only good free throw shooters, knocking down more than 80% of his attempts.

Junior Khris Middleton (No. 22) is still working his way back from an early-season knee injury, so it’s been tough for him to match the numbers of his breakout sophomore season. Still, he’s managed to become the team’s second-leading scorer with 12.6 points per game. When Middleton slashes from the wings, he’s incredibly tough to defend. Unfortunately, his jumper is accurate from all over the floor, so teams can’t simply sag off to take away the drive. At 6’7″, he also provides solid rebounding from the wings, and is actually second on the team with five boards per game.

Inside, senior David Loubeau (No. 10) has a solid face-up game with a good jump shot that he can pop at a moment’s notice. The 6’8″ forward uses the threat of that jumper to stretch out the floor a bit, but still chips in nearly five rebounds a night. Alexis Wangmene has had issues defending face-up forwards, while Clint Chapman has been rather inconsistent against all types of opponents. This could turn out to be one of the key match-ups in the game.

Loubeau’s frontcourt sidekick is Ray Turner (No. 35) a 6’9″ junior from Houston. He’s really smooth with the ball for a big guy, so don’t be surprised when he shows off some nice, quick spin moves from the block. Turner also is the team’s best rebounder, ripping down 6.6 boards per contest, and is third on the team with 11.4 points per game. Just as with Loubeau, how the Horns handle Turner inside will have a big impact on this game.

Freshman Jordan Green (No. 13) is getting some extra playing time with Branch’s departure at midseason, and he’s now averaging more than 18 minutes per game. At 6’4″, Green is a freakish athlete with a great vertical, but it’s taken some time for him to adjust to playing at the college level. His shot was really ugly for the first few weeks of the season, while he’s had a consistent issue with hanging on tho the ball. His 27.3% turnover rate is by far the worst of the core rotation.

Junior wingman Naji Hibbert (No. 2) is having a tough time making shots this year, which is bad news for a guy who isn’t known as a penetrator. Hibbert has taken more than a third of his shots from behind the arc, but is shooting an abysmal 13.3% from long range. The Longhorns can definitely shade off of Hibbert when he’s on the court, perhaps making it a little easier to limit the Aggies inside.

The Aggies also have a solid center on the bench in Keith Davis (No. 4). He has yet to make a major offensive impact in his first year and a half at A&M, but has been a rebounding machine so far this season. Despite playing less than 16 minutes per game, Davis is averaging more than four boards per game, posting an incredible 20.1% mark on the defensive glass. If Davis had played just five more minutes so far this season, his defensive rebounding percentage would rank him among the top 150 players in the country.

Keys to the game

1) Crash the glass – The Aggie offense has been particularly bad in recent weeks, but the only thing keeping them from being downright abysmal has been an ability to earn second-chance points. Texas A&M reclaims nearly 35% of their missed shots, while the Longhorns have been near the bottom when it comes to defensive rebounding. When a team is struggling on offense, often a few easy buckets is all it takes to build some confidence. The Longhorns cannot afford to give A&M unchallenged putbacks, and they must limit second-chance points.

2) Attack with the dribble – If J’Covan Brown is back to full speed in this game, it will be even easier for the Longhorns to penetrate against the Aggies. If not, Myck Kabongo, Sterling Gibbs, and Sheldon McClellan will have to shoulder the load. Texas A&M has played sound defense all season, but they have shown lapses when faced with quick, driving guards. Iowa State’s Scott Christopherson repeatedly found his way to the rim on Saturday, so Texas fans will have to hope their guards can do the same tonight.

3) Avoid foul trouble – The Aggies have an advantage in the frontcourt tonight, one that will only be strengthened if the thin Longhorn roster is constrained by foul difficulties. Chapman, Wangmene, Jonathan Holmes, and Jaylen Bond are going to have their hands full on defense tonight, so they cannot afford to give up cheap fouls. Bond wasted a few of his personals on the offensive end in the loss to Iowa State, so he and the other Longhorn forwards must be more careful tonight.

TEAM W L LAST WEEK THIS WEEK Baylor 2 0 def. A&M, 61-52; def. Tech, 73-60 Tue. at KSU; Sat vs. OSU Iowa State 2 0 def. UT, 77-71; def. A&M, 74-50 Wed. vs. Mizzou; Sat. at KU Kansas 2 0 def. KSU, 67-49; def. OU, 72-61 Wed. at Tech; Sat. vs. ISU Kansas State 1 1 lost to KU, 67-49; def. Mizzou, 75-59 Tue. vs. BU; Sat. at OU Texas 1 1 lost to ISU, 77-71; def. OSU, 58-49 Wed. vs. A&M; Sat. at Mizzou Missouri 1 1 def. OU, 87-49; lost to KSU, 75-59 Wed. at ISU; Sat. vs. UT Oklahoma State 1 1 def. Tech, 67-59; lost to UT, 58-49 Mon. vs. OU; Sat at BU Oklahoma 0 2 lost to Mizzou, 87-49; lost to KU, 72-61 Mon. at OSU; Sat vs. KSU Texas A&M 0 2 lost to BU, 61-52; lost to ISU, 74-50 Wed. at UT; Sat. vs. Tech Texas Tech 0 2 lost to OSU, 67-59; lost to BU, 73-60 Wed. vs. KU; Sat. at A&M

The big picture

On paper, the new-look Big 12 appeared to be primed for its most exciting season yet. For the first time ever, the conference will use a full round-robin schedule, arguably the best way to determine a true league champion. Last year’s top two teams, Kansas and Texas, lost a combined nine of 10 starters, leaving the door open for a new champion. Returning stars made Texas A&M, Baylor, and Missouri contenders for the throne, while a bevy of talented transfers even gave Iowa State a threatening look. From top to bottom, the new Big 12 is as deep as it’s ever been, and more unpredictable than ever.

The first week lived up to expectations, with surprises both good and bad. Texas A&M, which shared the top slot in the pre-season coaches poll with Kansas, stumbled to an 0-2 start while dealing with personnel defections. The Cyclones, who finished dead last in the league a season ago, now find themselves in a three-way tie with Baylor and Kansas on top of the league. Meanwhile, Kansas State and Oklahoma, who were the league’s two big surprises in non-conference play, had to battle the league’s best right out of the gate.

With the smaller league, there are high-profile match-ups seemingly every day. There are still 16 more games to play, but the upcoming slate of mid-week contests should serve to clarify which early-season surprises are contenders and which are just playing over their heads.

Mid-week games

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State; Monday, 6:00 P.M. CT (ESPNU)
With Le’Bryan Nash arriving in Stillwater and the Sooners still rebuilding from the disastrous tenure of Jeff Capel, Tiny Gallon, and Tommy Mason-Griffin, it seemed like Bedlam might finally be tilting in Oklahoma State’s favor. A rash of injuries and transfers have left the Cowboys crippled, however, while new coach Lon Kruger and transfer Romero Osby have the Sooners skipping right past the entire rebuilding process.

Oklahoma played much better than expected in the non-con, but had the unenviable task of traveling to Columbia and then hosting Kansas to open league play. With that opening slate, it’s tough to tell if Oklahoma is truly as good as they looked for the first two months of the season. Gallagher-Iba is never an easy place to grab a win, but if the Sooners can do that very thing — and in a convincing fashion — it would certainly appear that they can competing right in the middle of the Big 12 pack.

Baylor at Kansas State; Tuesday, 7:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
The first of two big mid-week match-ups takes place at the Octagon of Doom, as the upstart Wildcats look to pull off a second-straight upset at home. The Bears are one of just three undefeated teams left in Division I, but they have typically struggled on the road under Scott Drew. Last season, Baylor was 3-10 in road or neutral-site games, but have passed some big tests away from the Ferrell Center this season. The Bears knocked off BYU in one of the toughest home courts in America and took care of West Virginia in an overtime thriller in Las Vegas.

Missouri at Iowa State; Wednesday, 7:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
Raise your hand if you had Iowa State tied for first with Baylor and Kansas after a week of league play. Now, raise your other hand if you’re a liar.

Fred Hoiberg‘s roster full of transfers is hitting its stride at just the right time, having taken care of both Texas and Texas A&M, the latter by 24 points. The schedule makers didn’t do the Cyclones any favors, though, as they face two of the league’s top teams this week. Like Baylor, Missouri has historically struggled when not playing in front of a home crowd, so perhaps the Cyclones can put the league on notice with a big win at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday night. Royce White will undoubtedly be carrying the title of Big 12 Player of the Week into this one, as he averaged 12 points, 12 boards, and 6 assists in the team’s first two league victories.

Texas A&M at Texas; Wednesday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
A full preview of the A&M/Texas game will be available on Wednesday.

Kansas at Texas Tech; Wednesday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPNU)
The Jayhawks usually run into problems when they arrive on the High Plains, but it doesn’t look like Coach Bill Self has much to worry about this time around. Although they have been losers in three of their last four trips to Lubbock, the Jayhawks should be able to cruise to a win over a Texas Tech team picked by coaches to finish dead last in the conference. An almost completely-new Red Raider lineup is led by freshman Jordan Tolbert, who logged a double-double in his first career Big 12 game.