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Mike Miller

Mike Miller has been NBCSports.com's college basketball editor since 2003. It's a position he relishes; no wonder considering he transferred to Kansas to watch Paul Pierce play. Most of his favorite sports memories involve college hoops, usually during March, when every waking moment is spent thinking about March Madness.



Beware the Big 12's cellar dwellers

Posted: Monday, November 09, 2009 12:25 PM
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The Big 12 thinks it’s the top conference this season.

With teams like Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma, it’s an easy argument to make. The league has two of the nation’s true title contenders, while the Sooners lead a solid second group that includes Kansas State, Texas A&M, Missouri and Oklahoma State.

But the true mark of a tough conference is at the bottom. And that’s where the Big 12 could step up this season.

Colorado and Iowa State shouldn’t be gawdawful anymore. The Cyclones – with Craig Brackins and Marquis Gilstrap, two of the league’s best players – could be especially dangerous.

“I just saw them practice. And if that’s the ninth- or 10th-best team in the Big 12, it’s going to be a great year,” ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla told the Kansas City Star.

When the bottom dweller can give the title contenders a game – Texas Tech did thump Kansas last season, which was the Big 12’s second-worst team beating its best – that bodes well for the conference as a whole.

Or does it just mean that the conference’s best teams aren’t that good?

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

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Replace Oklahoma with A&M in your first and second sentence and I think you have an accurate article.

Michael, San Antonio, TX (Sent Monday, November 30, 2009 2:35 PM)



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