photo by: Nick Krug

Chicago natives Jacob Pullen and Sherron Collins embrace after the Jayhawks' 81-79 win over the Wildcats after overtime, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010 at Bramlage Coliseum.

4:06 p.m. update by Nick Krug

Here’s video of Coach Bill Self’s comments from the podium.

http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2010/oct/21/33264/

1:55 p.m. update: By Eric Sorrentino

We’re heading back to Lawrence, so that should complete the updates for now.

Here’s a photo gallery from media days. Be sure to check out Nick Krug’s sweet photo of coaches Bill Self, Frank Martin and Pat Knight sharing a laugh. Good stuff.

Keep it locked on KUsports.com at 4 p.m., when high school senior LeBryan Nash announces his decision on where he will attend college. Rivals.com’s No. 4-rated player, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound senior from Dallas, will decide between three Big 12 schools: Kansas, Oklahoma State or Baylor.

ESPNU will televise Nash’s decision. We’ll have updates on Nash immediately following his choice on KUsports.com.

As always, discuss.

1:42 p.m. update: By Jesse Newell

After all the reporters’ questions had been answered, KU’s Tyrel Reed, Mario Little, Marcus Morris and Brady Morningstar stayed a few extra minutes in the interview area.

The four stood around to talk it up with Kansas State’s Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly.

The two teams are rivals on the court. They also compete hard against each other (which the picture below illustrates).

photo by: Nick Krug

Chicago natives Jacob Pullen and Sherron Collins embrace after the Jayhawks' 81-79 win over the Wildcats after overtime, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010 at Bramlage Coliseum.

The players also really want to beat each other. After entering the Big 12 championship game locker room last year, I remembered being a bit surprised that so many K-State players still had tears in their eyes after falling to the Jayhawks for the third time.

Having said that, there’s definitely a high level of respect between the two teams. KSU’s players were highly complimentary of KU when I talked to them today. Jacob Pullen also is one of the nicest guys you’ll find in the Big 12.

Hey, I know most KU fans won’t root for K-State. I guess it goes with the territory.

It’s just important to realize that rivalries don’t always have to be built on hatred. They also can thrive just fine on admiration and respect.

Both KU and KSU seem to have a good thing going with their men’s basketball programs now. The two teams’ players seem to recognize that as well.

12:50 p.m. update: By Eric Sorrentino

Hey guys, we’ve been in player and coach interviews for a little while, but here’s some more nuggets from KU coach Bill Self:

• On Marcus Morris’ outlook in 2010-2011: “To me, Marcus was our most consistent player last year. He may not have been our best player in every game, but he was probably our second- or third-best player at worst in most every game. He is consistent.”

• On who will step in as leaders for Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins: “You know, I would think the twins, I would think Tyshawn, Brady, Tyrel, Mario Little, you could say the whole team. I don’t think we have one guy that you will say is definitely the guy. But in ’08 when we had that great team, everybody asked all along who our leader was and we never gave a definitive answer. It was just kind of a collection of guys.”

• On Mario Little and Travis Releford: “Mario can score and Travis is a legitimate big-time college defender and he can steal extra possessions. They’re different. Mario is probably a three-four, kind of a bad matchup big guy or a big guard. And Travis is definitely a tall guard. But I see them both being in our rotation and both having an impact.”

10:50 a.m. update: By Eric Sorrentino

Kansas coach Bill Self’s first question at Media Day, not surprisingly, was the status of freshman guard Josh Selby, who has yet to be cleared by the NCAA to participate in games.

“It hasn’t been a distraction,” Self said of Selby. “He’s been practicing with the team every day. It hasn’t come as a shock to us. I’m confident he’ll be in uniform.”

Some more info from Self’s news conference is below. To get these updates immediately, follow us on Twitter at @kusports and @big12_spotlight.

• Mario Little and Travis Releford probably could have been in KU’s top eight or nine if they played last year.

• Self: “Marcus (Morris) was our most consistent player last year. … He’s poised to have a big, big junior year.”

• Self: “I think this team has a chance to be very good.”

More to follow.

10:33 a.m. update: By Eric Sorrentino

A guy to keep an eye on from Colorado if you like insane, high-flying dunks: Red-shirt freshman Shannon Sharpe (no relation to the former Denver Broncos tight end).

Most Big 12 followers know about senior Cory Higgins (18.9 pgg) and sophomore Alec Burks (17.1 ppg), who was last year’s conference freshman of the year.

Sharpe is a point guard who has a chance at starting for coach Tad Boyle this season. Last year, Nate Tomlinson started 21 of CU’s 31 games at point guard, but struggled with his consistency.

Sharpe missed all of last season with a knee injury. He’s reportedly healthy now. If he is, look for him to make immediate impact with the Buffaloes. Especially if he offers Boyle the explosive ability to throw it down like he does in the following dunkoff video:

Sharpe clearly dominated the other two in the contest, as evidenced by his friends rushing the court, And-1 style, to celebrate the flashy throwdowns. The guy is only 6-foot-1. Incredible leaping ability.

Combined with Higgins and Burks, the Buffaloes should have a nice backcourt. If they can find reliable players in the post — at minus-7.5, CU ranked 325th in the nation in rebounding margin last season — the Buffs could surprise some people in the conference.

Countdown to Bill Self taking the podium: 10 minutes. Stay tuned.

10:18 a.m. update: By Jesse Newell

Because Colorado will only be in the Big 12 for one more season, its new coach, Tad Boyle, will most likely only get one trip to Lawrence as the Buffs’ coach.

Boyle, as you might recall, is a former KU basketball player and also a former team captain; he played at KU from 1981-85, including one year with Danny Manning.

Boyle said since his playing days, he’s only been back to Allen Fieldhouse once.

“It’s a great place to play college basketball,” Boyle said. “Obviously, I’ve been on one side of it, and this will be the first time on the other side of it. … (Coaching there) will be a special moment in my life.”

9:47 a.m. update: By Jesse Newell

Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford said that James Anderson — last year’s Big 12 player of the year — camouflaged a lot of weaknesses with the Cowboys because he could create his own shot.

With Anderson gone to the NBA, and much of the Cowboys’ experience also gone from last year, the Cowboys will need to have better point-guard play if they hope to finish better than their preseason ranking of eighth in the Big 12 poll.

How crazy is it that Keiton “Little Mac” Page is the most experienced player left on the Cowboys’ roster?

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Sherron Collins defends a pass from Oklahoma State guard Keiton Page during the first half, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.

9:14 a.m. update: By Jesse Newell

Quote of the day so far from Texas Tech coach Pat Knight, talking about how his team needs to improve defensively.

“If we get in a shootout with KU or Texas, it’ll be like the O.K. Corral,” Knight said. “And we won’t be Wyatt Earp.”

I’d say Knight’s status as one of the best soundbites in the Big 12 is safe.

9:05 a.m. update: By Eric Sorrentino

Kansas State coach Frank Martin, on a reporter asking what his coaching style and philosophy is like: “I don’t know…it’s probably fun for you to watch.”

No question about it.

I remember attending the Big 12 tournament title game between KU and K-State last year, and I must have spent a good 40 percent of the time keeping an eye on Martin on the sideline. The guy is animated, sure, but you get the sense the intensity is 100 percent real.

“I don’t accept people doing less than what they’re capable of,” Martin said.

This pretty much says it all:

Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo Kansas State head coach Frank Martin yells at KSU guard Chris Merrieweather for his defensive play during the second half, Thursday, March 18, 2010 at the Ford Center.

Martin is easily one of the most intriguing coaches out there.

8:45 a.m. update: By Eric Sorrentino

I have to appreciate the quick wit of Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon when he stepped to the podium.

“It’s always great to be back in Kansas City,” said Turgeon, a Topeka native and Kansas alum. “Unless you’re playing the Jayhawks in this building.”

Turgeon’s Aggies lost, 79-66, to Kansas in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament last season.

Turgeon is 0-5 against his alma mater since taking over at A&M.

8:38 a.m. update: By Jesse Newell

Here’s the cover of the men’s basketball media guide, which wasn’t available at KU’s media day last week.

photo by: Jesse Newell

2010-11 KU men's basketball media guide.

Looks like more of a team concept this year, as oftentimes, teams will only put their top two or three players on the cover. All of KU’s scholarship upperclassmen were able to get some love this year.

8:30 a.m. update: By Eric Sorrentino

Iowa State first-year coach Fred Hoiberg is at the podium, and was pretty clear about how he’ll use motivation with his team this season.

“Every coach picked us to finish last in the Big 12,” Hoiberg said. “We talk about that and put it up on the board.”

Can’t say I necessarily disagree with the coaches.

The Cyclones have exactly three returning scholarship players: Seniors Diante Garrett and Jamie Vanderbeken, and junior Scott Christopherson.

It’s going to be a challenge for Hoiberg in his first season.

The situation reminds me a bit of the Iowa State football team, which wasn’t expected to do much of anything last season. ISU coach Paul Rhoads surprised everyone and took the Cyclones to a bowl game in his first season.

Rhoads is an Ames, Iowa native and loved in the community.

Hoiberg is an Ames native as well. Perhaps he will surprise some people. But I’m not expecting it in 2010-11.

Original post: By Eric Sorrentino

Welcome to a special early edition of Conference Chatter, coming to you live from Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., site of Big 12 men’s basketball Media Day.

Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford will be the first coach to talk at 8 a.m. KU coach Bill Self will speak at 10:45 a.m. Here’s the [complete schedule][5].

Whenever I think about Sprint Center, I immediately think back to the awesome atmosphere of Power and Light District when Kansas faced Kansas State in the finals of the Big 12 tournament last year.

The Jayhawks and Wildcats are looking like the two best teams in the Big 12 for the upcoming season. Both have conference player of the year candidates in KU’s Marcus Morris and K-State’s Jacob Pullen.

The two teams look to be pretty even to me and could very well meet again in the Big 12 tournament finals at Sprint Center.

A question: Who do you think has the better starting five?

KU’s could look like this: Josh Selby, Tyshawn Taylor, Brady Morningstar, Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris.

K-State’s could look like this: Jacob Pullen, Rodney McGruder, Jamar Samuels, Wally Judge, Curtis Kelly.

Both stacked.

Don’t forget about Missouri, either. The Tigers should be pretty tough as well since coach Mike Anderson had his best recruiting class (top 10 in country) in his five years in Columbia, Mo. Keep an eye on Ricardo Ratliffe and Tony Mitchell, two freshmen expected to make immediate impact with the Tigers.

Mitchell, like KU’s Selby, has yet to be cleared by the NCAA’s Eligibility Center. Both, if and when they’re cleared, could be two of the best freshmen in the league.

Seems like Selby could join the Jayhawks before Mitchell joins the Tigers.

I asked Anderson about any update he had on Mitchell’s status. Mitchell, a top 15 recruit in the Class of 2010, hasn’t enrolled in classes yet. It’s sounding like the Tigers won’t have Mitchell back until the second semester.

“We’re hopeful that we can get him in December,” Anderson said of Mitchell. “Everything is up there in the clearing house. It’s a process where we’ll wait and see what takes place. Hopefully we can get some resolution and Tony can join us.”

I’m thinking KU, K-State and Missouri could finish as the top three teams in the conference for the upcoming season. Don’t think the standings have ever been like that.

Should be interesting to see how the Wildcats handle the pressure after being picked by the league coaches to win the Big 12 this year. K-State has never been picked to win the conference.

More to come.

As always, discuss.

[1]: