Big 12 Basketball

To the victors go the spoils, and the Baylor Bears men's basketball team earned the right to celebrate with Monday's 86-70 victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the national championship game.

On Tuesday, Baylor announced details for the celebratory parade that is scheduled for April 13.

It starts at 6 p.m. local time in Waco, Texas, at 14th Street and will follow Austin Avenue to 3rd Street before a 6:30 p.m. ceremony outside of City Hall. Head coach Scott Drew, some of the players and other special guests will address fans at the ceremony.

The school's announcement stressed the importance of practicing social distancing and wearing masks during the parade because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bears earned the parade with a dominant performance against the previously undefeated Zags. They also prevented Gonzaga from becoming the first men's team to win a championship and go undefeated since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers.

Baylor jumped out to a 19-point lead in the first half and never looked back.

Jared Butler (22 points), MaCio Teague (19 points), Davion Mitchell (15 points) and Adam Flagler (13 points) led the way in a balanced scoring effort, while the defense swarmed Gonzaga's ball-handlers and contested nearly every shot while setting the tone from the start.

Well, that was a bit anticlimactic.

The three games in the NCAA women's Final Four were decided by 12 combined points, while Jalen Suggs hit a buzzer-beater to push Gonzaga past UCLA in the men's semifinals. Monday night had little in the way of drama.

Baylor took control early and continued to dominate in the men's national championship, rolling past the Zags 86-70.

Jared Butler (22 points), MaCio Teague (19 points) and Davion Mitchell (15 points) all scored in double figures, while Mark Vital's 11 rebounds helped the Bears claim a 38-22 edge on the boards.

Butler was honored as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

The NCAA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols meant Baylor couldn't celebrate in the manner champions usually do. But that did little to dampen the Bears' enthusiasm as they basked in the program's first title.

The family of head coach Scott Drew was emotional while watching from the stands at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Baylor won 21 games in Drew's first three seasons as it dealt with the fallout from the scandal surrounding his predecessor, Dave Bliss.

Drew steadily built the Bears up, getting them to the Elite Eight in 2010 and 2012. Monday represents his crowning achievement, and it probably won't be the last time the team is in the Final Four.

Mark Adams will take over as head coach of the Texas Tech men's basketball program following the hire of former head coach Chris Beard at Texas, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein. 

Adams, a Texas Tech alum, is in his second stint on the Red Raiders coaching staff. He rejoined the program in 2016-17 as an assistant coach and was promoted to associate head coach before the 2019-20 campaign. 

Former Texas Tech assistant Ulric Maligi followed Beard to the Longhorns, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports. 

Adams was the director of basketball operations from 2013-15, for three of the four seasons that his son Luke Adams played on the team.

According to his team bio, Adams was heavily involved with the team's defense in his role as associate head coach, and under his guidance, the Red Raiders were regularly one of the top defensive units in the nation. 

He helped lead the team to the national championship in 2019, a year after the program reached the Elite Eight. 

He holds a 554-244 record through 23 seasons as a head coach with five different programs, with his last stint at the helm of a program coming from 2004-13 at Howard College. He led the 2010 team—which was headlined by Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder—to the NJCAA national championship and was named the NJCAA National Coach of the Year for his efforts. 

In 2017, he was inducted to the Wayland Baptist Hall of Fame in recognition of his work with the program from 1983-87.

Adams holds 15 Coach of the Year honors and has appeared in eight national tournaments (three NJCAA, three NAIA, two NCAA Division II). 

INDIANAPOLIS — For most of the 2020-21 season, Davion Mitchell has been considered the 1B to Jared Butler's 1A. While both Baylor Bears are well-respected players nationally, Butler has typically received the most recognition.

That narrative, however, has steadily changed in the 2021 men's NCAA tournament.

And it's nowhere close to bad news for the Baylor Bears.

Thanks to a 78-59 demolition of the Houston Cougars, Baylor is headed to the national championship. The Bears will play the Gonzaga Bulldogs or UCLA Bruins, who meet in the second national semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Butler and Mitchell both excelled in Saturday's win. Butler poured in all 17 of his points in Baylor's terrific first half, while Mitchell totaled 12 points and 11 assists. The objective here isn't to determine whether Mitchell has overtaken Butler or discuss a question better suited for an unanswerable debate.

Instead, this is deserved praise for Mitchell, an incredible all-around player who has ensured Baylor looks every bit the championship contender we've come to expect in 2020-21.

More than anything, Mitchell has embraced his ability to fly past defenders on the dribble in the NCAA tournament. Through five games, he's 21-of-35 on two-pointers. That's largely a product of attacking the rim in pick-and-roll sets.

That alone is valuable. However, his gravity as a ball-handler forces an incredibly tough choice for opponents.

Collapsing on Mitchell when he explodes into the paint may seem an obvious adjustment, but that's flawed, too. In five March Madness games, he's tallied 30 assists and only seven turnovers.

Besides, it would only create another problem.

For every defender that clogs the lane, it opens space on the perimeter. Baylor, which shot 11-of-24 from beyond the arc against Houston, ranks No. 1 nationally in three-point percentage.

You have to respect his dribble drive. But you also have to respect his passing. And he's Baylor's top three-point shooter. Mitchell, who's buried 45.3 percent of his triples this season, has become a complete nightmare to contain.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, he's scored or assisted on 38 percent of Baylor's points in the NCAA tournament

As if that's not enough, Mitchell is also a weapon on the other end.

Recently named the men's Defensive Player of the Year, he helped limit Arkansas star Moses Moody to 2-of-10 shooting in the Elite Eight. On Saturday, Mitchell played a key role in the Bears holding Houston star Quentin Grimes scoreless in the first half.

"We call him 'Off Night,' because people tend to have off nights with him," Baylor coach Scott Drew told reporters after the win over Arkansas.

Drew again praised Mitchell on Saturday, lauding his guard's two-way ability. That versatility has launched the program into its first appearance in the national championship since 1948.

In all likelihood, Baylor needs both Butler and Mitchell to thrive in order to win a title. That's been the case all season.

With this version of Mitchell, though, the Bears have somehow managed to become an even greater force on both ends of the court. And now, Baylor is one victory from the best news possible: cutting down the nets in Indianapolis.

Statistics courtesy of KenPom.com or Sports-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

Following Chris Beard's departure, Texas Tech is reportedly going to interview one of its most famous alums for the vacant men's head basketball coaching job. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Texas Tech has received permission from the Milwaukee Bucks to interview assistant coach Darvin Ham this weekend. 

Beard was officially introduced as the head coach at the University of Texas on Thursday.

Chip Brown of 247Sports reported that Beard agreed to a seven-year, $35 million contract to replace Shaka Smart. The 48-year-old graduated from Texas in 1995 and was a graduate assistant for the program under Tom Penders. 

Ham transferred to Texas Tech in 1993 after spending one season at Otero Junior College. He appeared in 90 games over three years with the Red Raiders and averaged 8.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest. 

Since retiring from professional basketball as a player in 2008, Ham has been a coach for the past 13 seasons. He was a head coach for the 2010-11 season with the New Mexico Thuderbirds in the NBA G League. 

Ham has been one of Mike Budenholzer's top assistants dating back to 2013-14 with the Atlanta Hawks. He joined Budenholzer with the Bucks in 2018.

Texas Tech reached the national title game during the 2018-19 season with a 31-7 record. It made the NCAA tournament this season as a No. 6 seed but lost 68-66 to Arkansas in the second round. 

Loyola University Chicago head coach Porter Moser is the next head coach at the University of Oklahoma, accepting the job Friday following the retirement of Lon Kruger. Matt Norlander of CBS Sports reported the deal is for six years. 

The Ramblers reportedly offered Moser a ten-year deal to remain with the mid-major program but couldn't keep him from leaving for the Big 12. 

In eight seasons at LUC, Moser compiled a 188-140 record, reached the Final Four in 2018 and went back to the Sweet Sixteen this year. The 52-year-old Illinois native moves onto his fourth head coaching job after previous stints at Illinois State (2003-2007) and Arkansas-Little Rock (2000-2003).

Moser is 293-241 overall as a head coach and built the Ramblers into a perennial contender in a Missouri Valley Conference known for elevating programs like Wichita State, Northern Iowa, Drake, Creighton and Bradley to the national stage. 

At Oklahoma, Moser inherits a Sooners team that reached the NCAA tournament seven times in ten years with Kruger (195-128) at the helm. Reaching the tournament will now be the standard expectation for Moser, who will have to prove he's capable of recruiting top talent to Norman in order to meet expectations. 

OU has produced a number of notable stars in recent years with Buddy Hield and Trae Young leading the way. 

On a macro level, the Moser hire comes at a pivotal moment on the college basketball coaching carousel. Chris Beard just left Texas Tech for Texas, Kansas signed Bill Self to a lifetime contract, Indiana hired Mike Woodsen, and North Carolina has one of the most desirable jobs in the country open following Thursday's retirement of Roy Williams. 

Loyola will now have to find Moser's replacement in a highly-competitive market. 

Before Moser made the Ramblers relevant again in 2017-18, the program hadn't made the NCAA tournament since 1985. Building on Moser's tenure won't be easy. 

The University of Kansas and head men's basketball coach Bill Self agreed to a lifetime contract Friday.

According to the announcement on KUAthletics.com, the contract replaces Self's current deal, which was set to expire next year. The new contract is a five-year rolling agreement that will add one year on at the end of each season for the rest of Self's career.

With regard to the new contract, the 58-year-old said:

"I want to extend my sincere appreciation to Chancellor Girod, [interim athletic director] Kurt Watson, and the rest of the leadership at KU for their belief and faith in me to provide this lifetime contract. Every day, I am reminded just how fortunate I am to lead this storied program and there truly is no place else I would rather be.

"As we continue to work through the challenges facing our program, we look forward to moving ahead and focusing on our bright future. I would also like to express my gratitude to our alumni and donors, as well as the best fans and students in the nation, that have supported my family and me for the past 18 seasons. I'm excited to remain your basketball coach and compete for many championships in the future."

Self, who is 522-118 in 18 seasons at Kansas, led the Jayhawks to a 21-9 record this season and a spot in the second round of the NCAA tournament, where they fell to USC.

During his 18 years at Kansas, Self has led the Jayhawks to the NCAA tournament 17 times with the only exception being the 2019-20 season when there was no tourney held because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Oklahoma native has guided Kansas to 15 regular-season Big 12 titles and eight Big 12 tournament titles, netting him six Big 12 Coach of the Year awards.

He has also taken KU to the Final Four on three occasions and led it to a national championship in 2008 when it defeated Memphis.

Watson commented on the contract that will keep Self at Kansas for the rest of his coaching career:

"Bill Self has meant a tremendous amount to the University of Kansas and our entire Lawrence community throughout his 18 seasons. He has changed the lives of so many young men that have played for him throughout his nearly 30 years as a head coach.

"I have known Bill for many years, but working closely with him over the past few weeks in my current role has shown me even more so on a daily basis how deeply he cares about this program. We are certainly proud that he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at KU in 1985 and that this new contract will ensure he finishes his coaching career here as well."

The two-time Associated Press College Coach of the Year is set to enter his 29th season as a collegiate head coach overall in 2021-22, as he previously spent time at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois.

All told, Self has taken his team to the NCAA tournament 22 times during his career, which speaks to the fact that they are always in the mix and competing for a national title.

This past season was something of a disappointment since Baylor established itself as the dominant force in the Big 12, but Kansas finished as the regular-season runner-up and was still a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.

One potential area of concern, however, is that Self was charged with head coach responsibility violations and the University of Kansas was charged with lack of institutional control by the NCAA in 2019 after allegations that the coaching staff was working with Adidas to funnel recruits to Kansas.

Kansas has denied that the coaching staff had knowledge of Adidas' dealings, and it remains unclear what punishments the program may face, if any.

Oklahoma State star Cade Cunningham declared for the 2021 NBA draft at a press conference Thursday.

The move was widely expected since the 19-year-old has been pegged as one of the top talents eligible for this year's draft, and the hype began well before he suited up for the Cowboys.

The Arlington, Texas, native was the No. 1 player in the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He also spent his final two years of high school at Montverde Academy, which has become a prep powerhouse.

Cunningham averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 27 games for Oklahoma State. He shot 43.8 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc.

His standout performance came in a 94-90 overtime upset of No. 7 Oklahoma. He shot 12-of-21 for 40 points and added 11 rebounds for a double-double.

The 6'8" guard did nothing in his one year at Oklahoma State to dispel the notion he should be the first player off the board.

ESPN's Mike Schmitz compared Cunningham to Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic. While the players don't have similar resumes entering the NBA, Schmitz argued the concerns about Cunningham's athleticism and playmaking ability mirrored some of the discourse around the Slovenian.

Doncic has silenced his skeptics, making two All-Star Games and playing at an MVP level.

Cunningham said he has watched the Mavs guard to learn.

"Speed, athleticism is definitely a great quality to have, but Luka just knows how to play the game," he told Schmitz. "He knows how to get you leaning one way, give you a move and get to his spots. Somebody that's tougher to guard than someone that's super athletic."

Cunningham has scoring potential, and he has been an efficient shooter. His assist numbers would look better with a stronger supporting cast too.

His frame suits the modern game. He can present matchup problems at the point or operate off the ball on the wing to positive effect.

Going into the 2020 draft, much of the conversation revolved around the lack of elite talent at the top of the board. Winning the draft lottery didn't carry the same excitement as other years, and Georgia guard Anthony Edwards went first overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This time around, fans of whichever team gets the No. 1 pick will be doing cartwheels with the expectation Cunningham is on his way.

The University of Texas has reportedly hired Chris Beard to be its next men's basketball coach.

Jeff Goodman of Stadium relayed the news Thursday.  

Beard, 48, has coached Texas Tech for the past five years. He led the Red Raiders to the 2019 national final, where they fell to Virginia in overtime. Texas Tech also went 27-10 the year before en route to an Elite Eight appearance.

This year's Texas Tech team went 18-11 and reached the Round of 32.

Before his Texas Tech stint, Beard coached at McMurry, Angelo State and Little Rock. He parlayed his single season at Little Rock, when the Trojans won 30 games and reached the Round of 32, into the UNLV gig. However, Beard left UNLV for Texas Tech a few weeks later when a vacancy opened following Tubby Smith's exit to Memphis.

Beard takes over a Texas program that went 19-8 and won the Big 12 championship but fell 53-52 to No. 14 seed Abilene Christian in the first round of the NCAA tournament. After the season, head coach Shaka Smart left Texas to take Marquette's head coaching job.

Beard has work to do, as he's losing the team's point guard (and second-leading scorer) in Matt Coleman III as well as the team's top rebounder in Jericho Sims. The two are seniors this year.

Still, Beard has found success in every one of his head coaching stops and could do the same in Austin.

It's tough to do much better than an endorsement from Kevin Durant when it comes to Texas Longhorns basketball, and that is exactly what Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Royal Ivey had on his way to a reported interview.

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Nets assistant interviewed for the Texas men's basketball head coaching job Sunday after Shaka Smart departed to lead the Marquette Golden Eagles.

Shelburne pointed out "there is strong support for him amongst Texas alumni," including Durant.

On Friday, Jeff Goodman of Stadium reported Durant endorsed Ivey as a head coaching candidate in part because he "wants to see it kept in the Texas family."

Ivey played for the Longhorns from 2000-01 through 2003-04 and averaged 7.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game throughout his career.

Texas went to three straight Sweet 16s during his tenure with the team and advanced to the 2003 Final Four. It was the last time the Big 12 program advanced to the Final Four in the men's NCAA tournament.

The guard also enjoyed a lengthy NBA career after the Atlanta Hawks selected him with a second-round pick in the 2004 NBA draft.

He played 10 seasons for the Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder as a role player who could handle the ball and shoot from the outside. He was teammates with Durant on the Thunder for three seasons.

Since he retired, Ivey has been an assistant coach for the Thunder, New York Knicks and, now, the Nets.

It was somewhat surprising to see Smart leave the Longhorns after leading them to a Big 12 tournament title and appearance in the Big Dance this season, although the campaign lost some of its luster when they were shocked in the first round by 14th-seeded Abilene Christian.

Ivey may have Durant's endorsement, but he might have to beat out Texas Tech's Chris Beard.

Beard attended Texas and was a student assistant there earlier in his career. Chip Brown of 247Sports reported he is the "leading candidate" for the vacant head coach position.