Big 12 Basketball: What is the current state of the conference?

Big 12 Basketball: What is the current state of the conference entering 2019-20?

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 23: Head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts to a play against the Auburn Tigers during their game in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 23, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – MARCH 14: Lamont West #15 of the West Virginia Mountaineers celebrates with teammates after the Mountaineers defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders to win their quarterfinal game of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 14, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

The Ugly

Recruiting is a huge issue as there just is not the top prospects in the central parts of the United States. The top prospect going to the Big 12 this year is No. 28 Jahmius Ramsey going to Texas Tech. The AAC, ACC, BIg East, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC all have a recruiting ranked higher than them.

Also success in general in the big dance is a struggle. Six teams made the tournament, four made is out of the first round, and only one of them made it to the second weekend. Although, Texas Tech did make it to the finals the rest has me concerned. To go along with the losses in the second round every single one of them was by double digits, they just could not perform to the level of everyone else in the tournament.

It is tough to become good, let alone stay good in the Big 12. Recruits know this is not the place to go if you want to be a one and done type of player. Then they have to look at the lifestyle. Outside of Texas there really is not a great lifestyle. Do you really want to go to cold Morgantown, West Virginia, live in the corn fields of Iowa at Iowa State, or be in tornado alley for every other school in the Big 12, I would think not. There just is not the attraction to these schools as there is to play a year for Duke and Kentucky and be off to the NBA, or live the lifestyle in a big city like most other colleges that are competing for these blue chips recruits.

Analysis

I love watching Big 12 basketball because on any given night there is usually one upset or another, but for the state of the conference I am worried. Their quality of recruits is starting to fall off, their production in the tournament is falling off, and on top of that every team is so inconsistent.

Next. Early Big 12 Power rankings for 2018-19. dark

I think that this could all be changed very quickly though by a few teams just working hard next season as I think a handful of them could be second weekend teams. It is ultimately up to the coaches though as they are the ones teaching these kids to play at the next level. For now though watch for the Big 12 to have a couple down years in a row before they pick up steam again.

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