Coaches - Big 12 is not overrated

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- So far in this very young season, the vaunted Big 12 has not exactly met expectations.

Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas were ranked 2-3-4 respectively in The Associated Press preseason poll. But this week finds Oklahoma No. 6 and Kansas, after losing twice in last week's Preseason NIT, tumbling all the way to 14th, just ahead of Missouri.

Only Texas is still unbeaten and residing in the top 5. The Longhorns of the long-time football school are No. 2 this week, the highest ranking they've ever achieved.

But has the Big 12 been overrated? Not at all, say league coaches.

"Polls at this time of year are so unfair," said Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson. "There are teams that are ranked in the Top 10 now that two months from now may not even be ranked at all. That's the thing about college basketball."

Kansas' woes are compounded, and partly because of, a back injury to senior guard Kirk Hinrich. Kansas coach Roy Williams said the Jayhawks will be without Hinrich when they host Central Missouri Wednesday night.

"I don't think you worry about the expectations thing," said Sampson. "You play your game. I'm not worried about whether we're supposed to win or lose or what people think or say. I don't think Roy does either."

The first few weeks of any season are a time for building and getting a team's chemistry at just the right mix, Sampson said.

"Your team is very fragile early because you haven't built an immune system. The NCAA tournament bids are handed out in March. November is a time to build your team."

But make no mistake about it, says Colorado coach Ricardo Patton, the Big 12 has not been overrated.

"I just believe most of the preseason polls are guesswork anyway," Patton said. "You never know when a team has an injury. Look at Kansas. Kirk Hinrich has back problems. With a healthy Hinrich, they're a different team. That's why early on, it's a lot of guesswork.

"The Big 12 is going to have another great year. The top 6 teams in our league are as strong as ever. The Big 12 will be up there with the SEC and the other power conferences."

Another unpleasant surprise for the Jayhawks in their two losses in the Preseason NIT was the inconsistent play of sophomore point guard Aaron Miles.

"Aaron really had a very consistent preseason," said Williams. "Since we started playing games, he hasn't played as well. I still have complete, total 100 percent confidence in him. The ball hasn't gone in the basket for him and he hasn't made as many good decisions as he needs to make. But it's still a young, young year. I still think he's going to have a heck of a year for us."