Capel, Self, Anderson in Big 12's best battle
Published: 2/23/2009 7:18 AM
Last Modified: 2/23/2009 7:18 AM
My brother-in-law emailed me last week, asking if I had a Big 12 Coach of the Year vote, and how I would use it. I replied that I didn't have one, and thank god for that because how on earth is anyone supposed to differentiate between the jobs that Jeff Capel, Bill Self and Mike Anderson have done this year?
Perhaps this amazing last two weeks of Big 12 basketball -- Kansas at Oklahoma tonight, followed by Missouri at Kansas March 1 and OU at Missouri March 4 -- will decide the race within the race, the battle between Capel, Self and Anderson.
I would think Capel scored major points Saturday night at Texas for keeping, along with Willie Warren, the Sooners upright with Blake Griffin down. (Capel may not agree, given the fact that before before practice Sunday, he lamented his mistake of not having the 6-9 Ryan Wright on the floor to rebound A.J. Abrams' missed shot with 15 seconds left, the one Dexter Pittman grabbed and put in to keep Texas ahead by 3.)
At any rate, Austin American-Statesman columnist Kirk Bohls handicapped the Coach of the Year battle the day of that game:
"1. Bill Self, Kansas. Lost all five starters off national champion and six of top seven scorers. In contention for fifth straight regular-season league title.
"2. Mike Anderson, Missouri. Club was picked to finish seventh in the conference, but is half a game out of second. Won't be shocked to see him head to Alabama.
"3. Jeff Capel, Oklahoma. Entering the year without much depth, without a lot of consistency from Austin Johnson, with a freshman at shooting guard, has a once-beaten team on the brink of No. 1 in the nation. Sweet."
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
