Big 12 Basketball

Kansas sophomore Jalen Wilson was arrested in Lawrence, Kansas, on suspicion of driving under the influence Sunday morning, according to Glenn Kinley and Tiffany Littler of KSNT.com.

The Kansas City Star's Jesse Newell shared a statement from Jayhawks men's basketball coach Bill Self: "We are aware of the incident involving Jalen Wilson last night, and are disappointed in his decisions. We are looking into the situation as we speak and will determine potential consequences with him once we have the rest of the details."

Per Newell, a deputy from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office observed a driver "not maintaining a proper lane" at 1:48 a.m. CT. Officers pulled Wilson over and asked him to perform field sobriety tests, and he was subsequently taken into custody.

The Denton, Texas, native was released after posting a $250 bond.

As a redshirt freshman in 2020-21, Wilson averaged 11.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 29 appearances. He shot 41.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

The 6'8" forward explored his NBA draft prospects over the summer and opted to return to Kansas for the 2021-22 season. Heading into the year, he was one of 20 players placed on the preseason watch list for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.

The Jayhawks host Emporia State on Wednesday in an exhibition before tipping off the regular season Nov. 9 against Michigan State.

Bob Huggins-coached teams have a long history of being knocked out of the NCAA tournament by higher-seeded teams.

Well, the West Virginia coach has an idea that could stop that from happening: get rid of Cinderellas entirely. 

Huggins suggested major conference teams extract themselves from the NCAA tournament and create an event of their own while speaking Wednesday at Big 12 media day. 

"They're doing it in football," Huggins said, per Myron Medcalf of ESPN. "Why wouldn't they do it? The presidents and athletic directors that have all the juice, why wouldn't they do it? Makes no sense why they wouldn't do it. I think it's more 'Why wouldn't they?' than 'Why would they?' And then, the other people, they can have their own tournament."

Let's start out with the fact that Huggins' basic premise is flawed. The College Football Playoff is currently considering expansion that would make it more likely—not less so—that a non-Power Five school makes the tournament. Expanding the playoffs would offer non-power schools their best shot at competing for a national title in decades.

Furthermore, the gap between major conference teams in football is exponentially higher than in basketball. Division 1 college football teams can give out 85 scholarships, compared with 13 basketball scholarships. There is also the matter of the NBA's one-and-done rule making things more difficult for higher-level basketball programs. Alabama football can hoard a never-ending assembly line of 5-star recruits that have been in Nick Saban's system years before getting significant playing time. John Calipari has a whole new starting five every season at Kentucky.

The most experienced teams in March tend to be mid-majors that can strike fear into talented-but-young major programs. Huggins-coached teams have been knocked out in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament 16 times in his 25 appearances. Since becoming a "major conference" coach at West Virginia, Huggins has lost in the first weekend to a non-power team on three occasions.

This certainly isn't an argument about competitive balance. 

Huggins' argument seems to be about money: "Those Cinderella schools are putting 200 people, at best, in their gym. We're putting 14,000."

College basketball makes the overwhelming majority of its money via the NCAA Tournament, in large part because fans love its novelty and television networks value three weeks' worth of highly watched television. Stripping it down and creating something that is unlikely to attract as many fans—particularly casuals who adore Cinderellas—seems more likely to lose the schools money, rather than creating some financial bonanza. 

Benjamin Schroder, one of the top European basketball prospects, announced his commitment to the University of Oklahoma on Wednesday as part of its 2022 recruiting class.

Schroder, an 18-year-old forward who's been a standout at the youth level in Germany, told ESPN's Jonathan Givony that the Sooners' coaches played a key role in his decision.

"The recruiting process was a different experience from the very beginning," he said. "They seemed really to care about me, not only as a player, but also as a person. Head coach Porter Moser, associate head coach David Patrick and the whole coaching staff want to win championships."

Schroder played for the Oberhaching Tropics in Germany's Pro B League during the 2020-21 season. He averaged 11.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 42.3 percent from the field across 12 appearances (10 starts), per RealGM.

The 6'7'' forward also produced standout performances with the German youth national teams at the U16 European Championship in 2019 and the FIBA U18 European Challengers earlier this year.

He averaged 16.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game during the European Challengers and shot an eye-popping 71.0 percent from the field, per Givony.

Schroder told ESPN he's already finished high school and will take a gap year while potentially playing lower-division basketball in Germany before joining the Sooners.

"We talked to a lot of different schools, including some Ivy League programs and other schools from the ACC, Pac-12 and Big 12," he said. "I had five other scholarship offers, but I am absolutely sure about Oklahoma and wanted to commit during the early signing period to put the focus on my game again."

A promising two-way player, he explained his decision to play college basketball in the U.S. rather than professionally overseas is focused around learning the American style of play.

"I want to be the best basketball player I can become, while having as much fun as possible," Schroder told Givony. "The U.S. plays a different style of basketball and will give me a chance to work with the best coaches, facilities and physical programs in the world. I also love the States and hope it will be a good personal experience beside basketball."

His experience in Europe should allow him to become an instant-impact player for Oklahoma and gives him long-term NBA upside if his development arc continues at its current rate.

The University of Cincinnati has officially submitted an application to join the Big 12 conference, according to Jason Williams of the Cincinnati Enquirer. 

Shortly after, University of Central Florida followed suit. 

The Big 12 set up an internal expansion committee to explore a new round of realignment following the departure of Oklahoma and Texas to the Southeastern Conference beginning no later than 2025. Cincinnati, currently a member of the American Athletic Conference, is the first school to officially seek entrance to the Big 12.

Per Williams: 

The Big 12 on Friday is expected to officially announce that UC and three other schools – fellow American Athletic Conference rivals Central Florida and Houston and current independent BYU – will join the conference.

UC President Neville Pinto was unavailable for comment Wednesday. Pinto made it a top priority to lead UC into a major conference after taking over as president in early 2017, and he's shown strong leadership on the issue ever since. 

For UC, all that remains uncertain now is when it will officially start play in the Big 12 and how much money is at stake.

If approved, the Bearcats and Knights would become the conference's first additions since West Virginia and TCU joined in 2012. 

Should the Big 12 approve Cincinnati, it'll be adding a football program that has earned at least nine wins in seven of its last 10 seasons, with bowl game victories over Vanderbilt (2011), Duke (2012), Virginia Tech (2018) and Boston College (2020).

The school's basketball program has also been a mainstay in the NCAA tournament, appearing in the field consecutively from 2011-2019, though it hasn't reached the Sweet Sixteen since 2012 or the Final Four since 1992. 

WIlliams noted the move to the Big 12 will also help the school construct additional athletics facilities, including an indoor practice area for the football program.

The school does already have assets worth touting as it readies for a jump to a Power Five conference.

Per Williams:

UC's top-notch facilities positioned it nicely to make the jump to the Big 12. Credit UC leaders for having the foresight to invest a total of $173 million into overhauling Nippert Stadium and Fifth Third Arena in recent years. Those facilities have the Bearcats ready to compete for Big 12 championships on Day 1 in the conference.

UC finished an $86 million expansion of Nippert Stadium in 2015, adding new suites, club seating and a larger press box. It expanded Nippert's capacity to 40,000 from 35,000. Nippert certainly isn't among the largest stadiums in college football, but the state-of-the-art amenities, upkeep and game-day atmosphere have made it one of the best.

UCF, meanwhile, boasts a surging football program that has won four conference titles since 2013, including undefeated seasons in 2017 and 2018.

How many other schools will attempt to join the Big 12 and how many are eventually accepted remains to be seen.

West Virginia men's basketball head coach Bob Huggins has agreed to a two-year contract extension that will keep him in Morgantown through the 2023-24 season. The school announced the news Friday.

Huggins also has the option to continue coaching or lengthen his relationship with WVU through June 30, 2027.

Huggins will receive an annualized salary of $4.2 million for each of his remaining seasons as head coach, and all of the revenue will be generated by the athletics department ($250,000 in base pay, rest in supplemental pay). In addition, Huggins can earn annual performance incentives.

He will also get Emeritus status within the athletic department after he finishes as head coach, per the program's official website:

Huggins could defer his term of Emeritus status and continue to serve as head coach beyond the 2023-24 season with an annual mutual agreement between Huggins and the director of athletics on or before May 1, 2023, and each subsequent May 1 thereafter. His Emeritus status would continue for not less than two fiscal years through at least June 30, 2027. If Huggins continues to coach beyond June 30, 2027, he will have a minimum of two fiscal years of Emeritus status.

The 67-year-old Huggins has 900 head-coaching wins on his resume. He's been with West Virginia since 2007-08 and has led the Mountaineers to the NCAA tournament in all but three of his seasons. Huggins led West Virginia to the Final Four in 2010.

Huggins was previously a head coach at Walsh College (1980-83), Akron (1984-89), Cincinnati (1989-05) and Kansas State (2006-07).

He notably led Cincinnati to the NCAA tournament from 1991-92 to 2004-05, guiding the Bearcats to the Final Four in 1992.

Last year's Mountaineers team went 19-10. It earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament before losing to No. 11 Syracuse in the round of 32. West Virginia's first-round win over No. 14 Morehead State was the 900th of Huggins' career.

Kansas will add a top prospect to its 2022 recruiting class after MJ Rice committed to the school Tuesday.

Rice announced his decision via Joe Tipton of On3.

"I feel like Kansas is the place for me to be," Rice said. "I feel like Kansas is somewhere I can grow and mature. They have all resources I need to develop my game and develop my mental. I really enjoyed my visit there. Great coaches, staff, players and environment."

The small forward is a 5-star recruit and considered the No. 20 overall player in the class and fifth-best player at his position by 247Sports' composite rankings.

At 6'5", Rice is a bit undersized for a wing, but he makes up for it with impressive athleticism that allows him to finish at the rim with consistency. He also has enough strength to handle the bigger players he might match up against at forward.

He remains a mismatch with his shooting ability from deep, giving him the opportunity to score a lot of points even without a lot of touches on the offensive end.

The biggest concern during his high school career was a torn ACL that sidelined him in December 2019.

Rice returned to the court the next season and said he simply needed to get over the mental aspect.

"With me, it's more about making the jump mentally; I'm already a dog on the court, now it's about being a killer!" he said in a November blog entry for SI All-American.

Having two seasons back before playing at the next level should provide plenty of time to get over his injury.

If he can add some additional handle and playmaking ability to his skill set, Rice could be an elite player going forward.

He represents a big addition for the Jayhawks, providing the team with someone who can help on both ends immediately in his college career.

Rice has the talent to be a go-to option as a freshman and could consider making the leap to the NBA before too long. 

Keyonte George will be packing his bags for Waco, Texas, after committing to Baylor ahead of the 2022-23 college basketball season, according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi.

George is the No. 2 overall player and No. 1 shooting guard in the nation, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also the best player from Texas.

Brandon Jenkins of 247Sports looked at George's game in June and compared him to Minnesota Timberwolves star D'Angelo Russell:

"George is a smooth scoring guard who shows a high level of dedication to the game and looks to play the game the right way. He scores within the flow of an offense and can knock down jumpers from all three ranges on the floor. His in-between game is potent as he has the knack of getting to his spots to get his shot off. He uses his handle to wiggle his way into his pullup and has the explosiveness and body control to finish plays in a crowd. His game is built upon skill more than elite quickness. He plays with poise and makes sound decisions with the ball in his hands."

Prior to transferring to iSchool Entrepreneurial Academy, the dynamic 2-guard starred at Lewisville High School. He helped the Fighting Farmers reach the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs. While the team lost 86-73 to Duncanville, George dropped 32 points.

George and iSchool competed in the Iverson Classic: Battle In The Bluff last December, and the event proved to be a great showcase:

At 6'4" and 185 pounds, George has the frame to play either guard position. He possesses the skills to serve as the primary playmaker while he's on the floor, too.

The Lewisville native is an instinctive scorer, though, and that will be his first thought when he has the ball in his hands. You can't blame him considering he has the ability to stop on a dime and nail a pull-up jumper or slash to the basket for a thunderous finish.

The Russell comparison is apt because the 2018-19 All-Star isn't a traditional point guard but averaged seven assists per game to go with 21.1 points during his career year with the Brooklyn Nets. In addition, his frame (6'4", 193 lbs) is nearly identical to George's.

Russell only spent one season at Ohio State before moving on to the NBA, and George's time in college could be similarly brief. Don't expect him to wear the Bears' uniform for too long, but he should provide plenty of entertainment while playing for head coach Scott Drew.

Drew inherited a disastrous situation when he took over in 2003 and steadily turned Baylor into a nationally relevant program. That culminated in the program's first championship in men's basketball this past spring.

With George's decision, the impact of that success is evident.

The Big 12 Conference issued a cease and desist letter to ESPN on Wednesday, claiming the network has "taken certain actions" intended to harm the Big 12 and result in financial benefits to the company.  

In the letter, obtained by Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby accused ESPN of being "actively engaged" in discussions with at least one other conference member regarding realignment in the wake of Texas and Oklahoma formally seeking entrance to the Southeastern Conference. 

Wrote Bowlsby:

"The Big 12 Conference demands that ESPN immediately cease and desist all actions may harm the Conference and its members and that it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference's existing members, or any other NCAA Conference regarding the Big 12 Conference's Members, possible conference realignment, or potential financial incentives or outcomes related to possible conference realignment."

The commissioner asked ESPN to respond with "written assurances" by 1 p.m. ET on Thursday. In response, ESPN said the claims have no merit. 

The accusations pit the Big 12 with arguably its most important broadcast partner. As of 2019, ESPN airs every Big 12 football championship game through 2024 and created a Big 12 platform on ESPN+. Additionally, ESPN has deals with eight of the 10 conference members to broadcast events across multiple sports.

That deal is set to expire following the 2024-25 season—which is when Texas and Oklahoma seek to begin play in the SEC. 

Speaking to reporters after sending the cease and desist letter, Bowlsby claimed he was "absolutely certain" ESPN has been "in contact with" other conferences to try poaching Big 12 schools in an attempt to destabilize the league. 

Bowlsby further noted that Oklahoma and Texas have been taking part in Big 12 strategy meetings—during which proprietary information was shared—while working in secret to abandon the conference for the SEC.

"It causes me to further suspect [ESPN] had their hands all over the Texas and Oklahoma move to the SEC," Bowlsby said. "They were as deceptive as you can possibly be. There are right and wrong ways to these things. They sought to deceive us from the very beginning."

The commissioner called the network's actions "tortious interference" and claims he has documented evidence to back up his claims. 

As rumors about the SEC moving closer to adding Texas and Oklahoma persist, the Big 12 is reportedly making an effort to keep its two signature programs from jumping ship. 

Per Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, Big 12 officials are discussing a new financial structure that would increase revenue for Texas and Oklahoma. 

According to Dodd, the structure "would grant the Longhorns and Sooners an additional half-share annually (1.5 shares each), bumping their payouts to approximately $56 million per year."

In order to make the revenue balance out, the other schools in the conference would decrease their annual payouts. 

Dodd did note the topic came up during a conference call with conference officials and Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby on Thursday. 

The revenue increase plan was described to Dodd as being preliminary and "from the 50,000-foot level."

The Big 12 currently has a 13-year, $2.6 billion television contract with ESPN and Fox that pays each school around $20 million per year. That total doesn't include revenue earned from bowl games and the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments. 

Speculation about the Longhorns and Sooners switching conferences began on Wednesday. Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle reported both programs reached out to the SEC and an official announcement could happen “within a couple of weeks.”

Per ESPN's David M. Hale, both schools would likely have to pay the Big 12 "upward of $76 million apiece to buy out the remainder of their grant of media rights agreement, which runs until 2025."

Texas and Oklahoma are two charter members of the Big 12 when the conference began play in 1996. The two programs have combined to win 43 national championships in all sports over the past 25 years. 

Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self has tested positive for COVID-19. 

In a statement released on Twitter, Self said he got tested on Thursday after experiencing "some minor symptoms," and a final test taken Friday confirmed the positive. 

Self also said that he has been fully vaccinated. 

The Jayhawks head coach was scheduled to take recruiting trips this weekend but is currently in isolation. 

Self also delivered a message for everyone to get vaccinated so “we don’t have to worry about this virus continuing to affect our communities and loved ones.”

The 58-year-old is entering his 19th season at Kansas. He was hired in 2003 to replace Roy Williams, who left for North Carolina. 

KU has made the NCAA tournament every year it has been held since Self became head coach. He led the program to the national title during the 2007-08 season, 15 Big 12 regular-season titles and eight conference tournament titles. 

The Oklahoma State graduate previously worked as the head basketball coach at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois.