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Player of the Week

Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas

While playing with a torn meniscus in his right knee, as well as a sprained MCL, the senior guard epitomized toughness in the Jayhawks win over Ohio State on Saturday. He scored nine points, dished out 13 assists, and snagged three rebounds for Kansas in their 78-67 upset victory. Though his play has been a bit erratic so far this season, his performance against the Buckeyes is a promising sign for KU, showing the guts and veteran leadership he is capable of. He had surgery on the tear and will be out of commission for up to three weeks, but he should be back at 100% and only miss the first three or four games of Big 12 action.

Who’s Hot

Will Spradling, Kansas State

The 6’3" sophomore shooting guard is finally starting to heat up for a young Kansas State team. In a 79-68 overtime win over North Florida this week, he showed flashes of brilliance for the Wildcats. In 41 minutes of action, he scored 12 points, dished out nine assists, pulled down five rebounds, blocked three shots, and snagged two steals in a complete game effort for KSU. What is most promising about the stat-line from the game is that he had just one turnover in comparison to his nine assists. If he can keep his turnover numbers down this season, Kansas State will benefit greatly.

Honorable Mention

Jaylen Bond, Texas- 18 points and 12 rebounds in a 93-40 trouncing of Nicholls State. He also shot a sizzling 9-12 from the field.
Khris Middleton, Texas A&M- 24 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals in a 67-54 victory over Louisiana-Monroe. He shot 8-14 from the field, and 6-7 from the charity stripe.

Who’s Cold

Perry Jones, Baylor

When you get as much preseason hype as the Baylor sophomore, even decent college games are going to look disappointing. In another easy victory for the Bears, this one being a 69-42 blowout of Bethune-Cookman, the 6’11" power forward just "fit in" with his teammates when he should be standing out. In 25 minutes of action, he registered a pedestrian looking eight points and four rebounds. Even more disappointing is the fact that he only had one blocked shot on the defensive end. The bottom line is that he is a superstar talent and is more than capable of producing double-doubles regularly, along with at least two to three blocks per contest.

Top 5: Point Guards

1. Myck Kabongo, Texas – The 6’1" freshman is really starting to take off for the Longhorns. He is averaging 10.1 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per contest for Texas. His turnover numbers are a bit high right now, but they should dissipate in time. Nobody in the conference is quicker with the ball in their hands.

2. Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas – Once he returns to form after his meniscus surgery, look for him to become a very formidable one-two punch with superstar power forward Thomas Robinson.

3. Phil Pressey, Missouri – The 5’10" blur is the main piece to Missouri’s explosive offense. He is averaging over six assists per game for the Tigers, and is also averaging an impressive 2.4 steals on the defensive end of the floor.

4. Will Spradling, Kansas State – The 6’3" guard has always been known for his shooting exploits, but the other pieces of his game are starting to come together quite nicely. He is distributing the ball effectively while keeping his turnovers down.

5. Pierre Jackson, Baylor – The 5’10" junior has stepped into the Baylor rotation quite nicely so far. He is keeping his very talented frontcourt happy by distributing the ball, is rebounding well, and scores when necessary. He ultimately will determine just how far the Bears can go in March. He is averaging 11.9 points and 4.4 assists per game.

Conference Power Rankings

1. Missouri (10-0)
2. Baylor (8-0)
3. Kansas (7-2)
4. Texas A&M (8-1)
5. Texas (8-2)
6. Oklahoma (7-1)
7. Kansas State (6-1)
8. Iowa State (7-3)
9. Oklahoma State (6-3)
10. Texas Tech (4-4)

1 Comment

  1. This evaluation of Jones
    This evaluation of Jones looks a bit daft given his numbers on the road against a quality opponent in BYU. Not trying to do everything himself against poor teams is fine as long as they are winning. Superstars don’t always need to dominate, especially in college when the disparity in talent is sometimes ridiculous.

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