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Big 12 Basketball: 5 biggest takeaways from first month of 2019-20

By Zach Stearman

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 05: Udoka Azubuike #35 and Devon Dotson #1 of the Kansas Jayhawks react in the first half of their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Madison Square Garden on November 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 05: Udoka Azubuike #35 and Devon Dotson #1 of the Kansas Jayhawks react in the first half of their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Madison Square Garden on November 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /
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AMES, IA – NOVEMBER 12: Tyrese Haliburton #22 of the Iowa State Cyclones (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA – NOVEMBER 12: Tyrese Haliburton #22 of the Iowa State Cyclones (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /

No conference has better guard play

It is often said that guard play is the most important factor when making a deep run in March, and if that is to be believed, the Big XII is in great shape. The Big XII has a number of the top guards in the country spread throughout the conference. As conference play begins in January, you can expect to see a matchup of top-tier guards nearly every night.

Tyrese Haliburton has been one of the best players in the nation so far this season, leading Iowa State to a respectable 6-3 record. Hailburton is putting on a clinic at the point guard position, averaging 16.2 points, 8.2 assists, and 6.0 rebounds per game. Defensively, he is in the Top 100 nationally in steal percentage, and he does so without fouling, averaging only one foul per 40 minutes.

Haliburton has been nothing short of sensational for the Cyclones, but he is just one of the conferences’ star guards. Butler’s Jared Butler is gaining a reputation as a clutch scorer after his play this season. He was especially brilliant down the stretch against Villanova. Butler made multiple dagger three-point shots in that game to help stave off a Villanova comeback. The sophomore guard is averaging over 18 points per game and shooting 47% from behind the arc. Though he doesn’t have the well-rounded game of Haliburton, his shot making ability makes him one of the conference’s premier players.

Kansas guard Devon Dotson is another spectacular player, pacing one of the best teams in the nation. Dotson is scoring 19.5 points per game while shooting over 50% from the field. Dotson does a lot of his damage from the free throw line, ranking 57th in the nation in free throw rate and shooting over 87% from the stripe. An outside shot is really the only thing missing from his game, but he more than makes up for the lack of a deep ball by being the primary ball-handler for the Kansas offense. Dotson is currently 7th in kenpom’s player of the year rankings.

These are the headliners for the Big XII, but the rest of the conference shouldn’t be forgotten. Isaac Likekele of Oklahoma State, Matt Coleman of Texas, and Desmond Bane of TCU are all off to good starts to the season in their own right. The elite guards will make the Big XII one of the most exciting conferences in the nation this season without a doubt.

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