Player of The Week
Max Abmas, Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns got back on track after their loss to #8 Marquette with two double-digit wins this week. The victories were fueled by senior Max Abmas. The guard has led Texas in scoring in each of their last five games, averaging 22 points per game in that stretch. He made a name for himself as a sophomore during March Madness back in 2021. In that tournament, he fueled 15-seed Oral Roberts University to a Sweet 16 berth. That remarkable performance made him a hot commodity in the transfer portal, where he would eventually wind up playing for his home-state team the Texas Longhorns. His journey through college basketball has made him a great leader on the court, and even a better player. He’s quickly become the pulse of this Texas team this season. When the lights shine the brightest, Max Abmas plays his best basketball, so there’s no telling how far this team could go with him leading the charge.
Freshman of The Week
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Momcilovic has scored double-digit points in all but two games to start his college career. The 6-foot-8 forward from Wisconsin has proven that he can be a key contributor on a high-caliber Iowa State team early on this season. He’s third on the team in points and has helped the Cyclones on both sides of the ball. He’s shooting 46% from three and averaging almost a block per game. His first test will come after the new year when they face #7 Oklahoma and #3 Houston in back-to-back games. That stretch will say a lot about the team as a whole. He’ll be an interesting prospect to see develop over the next couple of years, along with the rest of this young ISU team.
Who’s Hot
Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas has proven time and time again that they’re one of the best teams in the nation, having already racked up three ranked victories on the season. This Saturday was no different in their comeback victory against the Hoosiers in Indiana. Kansas is powered by its pair of star seniors Kevin McCullar Jr. and Hunter Dickinson. McCullars led the way in this one with his 21-point performance, while getting to the free-throw line 16 times in the process. He added three steals to the stat sheet as well. Guys like McCullars make this team such a threat in the Big 12. His ability to close out games is like none other in the conference and it was put on display this weekend. The guard is projected to go early in the second round of this year’s NBA draft. If he keeps performing so well, it would be no surprise if a team picks him up in round one.
BYU Cougars
After surrendering their first loss of the season to Utah, the Cougars have bounced back to complete two blowout wins. They now sit in third place in the conference as we enter the middle of the season. Senior Jaxson Robinson has been the main contributor to this Cougars team so far. The guard is averaging 16.5 points per game, shooting 49% from the field and 43% from three. BYU has done a great job handling their business against below-average opponents this season. As they enter Big 12 play they will begin to be tested and we’ll get an idea of how good this team really is. In the meantime, it may be time to start viewing the Cougars as a dark horse team that could make some serious noise this year.
Emanuel Miller, TCU Horned Frogs
Emanuel Miller has flown under the radar to start the season, despite averaging 16 points per game and leading the Horned Frogs to an 8-1 record to start his senior season. The Canadian guard had his best performance to date just a week ago in a close win at Georgetown. In that game, he put up a career-high, 29 points, along with six boards. He had his best season back in 2021 where he averaged 16 points per game and 8 rebounds at Texas A&M. So far this season he’s just about matched those numbers and has only gotten better as the season has progressed. He’s been a reliable player for the Frogs this year. He’ll get a shot to prove himself on the big stage against Kansas, Oklahoma, and Houston in the coming weeks.
Who’s Not
Baylor Bears
The slow-starting Michigan State Spartans handed the Bears their first loss of the season this past weekend. They did so in a game that was never close all throughout. The Spartans held Baylor to just 17 points in the first half, while putting up 45 in the process. The second half went a similar way, all leading to a blowout loss with a final score of 88-64. Only two players scored double-digit points in the rout, with RayJ Dennis and Yves Missi both scoring 11. It’s been an interesting start to the season for Baylor, as they’ve had six different lead scorers in just ten games. They have many different scorers on offense, but just need to see more consistency on the defensive side of the ball if they want to keep up with the best teams in the country. The Bears will look to bounce back against #21 Duke at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
West Virginia Mountaineers
It’s been a rough start for head coach John Eilert and his Mountaineers this season. They sit in last place in the Big 12 with a 4-6 record with home losses against UMass and Monmouth. Eilert has some big shoes to fill as long-time West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins was let go by the team last offseason. In his tenure at WVU, Huggins led the Mountaineers to 11 March Madness appearances in 16 seasons with a conference championship and Final Four appearance along the way. The school will need to focus on recruiting over the next couple of seasons to get the ball rolling in the Post-Huggins Era because they have no chance to compete in this conference with the talent that’s in it with their current roster.
Top 5 Best Names in the Big 12
Jizzle James (Cincinnati)
Townsend Tripple (BYU)
JT Rock (Iowa State)
Pop Isaacs (Texas Tech)
Luke Northweather (Oklahoma)