Sunday morning coffee

- What do you make of this Jeremy Lin kid who's lighting it up for the New York Knicks? Lin was on the verge of losing his roster spot, having only scored 32 points in New York's first 23 games, but since then has exploded for 114 in four games. Returning stars Amare Stoudamire and Carmelo Anthony will alter the reliance upon Lin but it's been quite a story--a kid from Harvard making it big in the NBA.

- Baylor lost for the second straight time yesterday and, once again, looked really bad in the process. I wonder if this team can turn it around (whatever "it" is) or if they have simply been exposed for what they are--a band of what appears to be talented athletes who are under-coached and soft. The Bears play four of their next five games at home but must face tough opponents Iowa State (Monday) and Kansas State (Saturday) before driving down the road to Austin for a February 20 Big Monday match-up against Texas.

- When I saw Michigan State lose to Duke in Madison Square Garden on November 15 last year, I thought that this appeared to be a team which would struggle to finish in the top four in the Big Ten. Boy, was I wrong. Tom Izzo has proven once again that he is one of the best coaches in the country. The Spartans have won five of their last six and yesterday went into Columbus and held Ohio State to 48 points at home. Michigan State's 10-point win puts them tied for first in the league with OSU--both teams are 9-3 followed by Michigan and Wisconsin at 8-4.

- My current first-team All Big 12 team is Thomas Robinson, Kansas; Marcus Denmon, Missouri; Royce White, Iowa State; J'Covan Brown, Texas; and Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas. Taylor is my frontrunner for Player-of-the-Year in the league. (And, yes, I know that Thomas Robinson is very much a national Player-of-the-Year candidate. In 2006-07 Kevin Durant of Texas was national Player-of-the-Year while Acie Law of Texas A&M was conference Player-of-the-Year.)

- This is heresy, I know, given my Kansas Jayhawk loyalties but, man, do I enjoy watching Missouri play this season. These may be Mike Anderson's players but Frank Haith has done a masterful job of getting these guys to play unselfish, disciplined basketball. The Tigers always seem to find the open man. The four-guard offense has also opened up the middle for Ricardo Ratliffe's stellar season.

- Sadly, yesterday's honoring of the 1952 Kansas national championship team may be the last time we see these guys together, on the court, again. And, on the topic of Player-of-the-Year, Clyde Lovellette, from that championship team, was both national POY in 1952 as well as NCAA tournament POY. Lovellette attended yesterday as did Bill Lienhard, Bob Kenney, Bill Hougland, Al Kelley, Bill Heitholt and manager Wayne Louderback. The team, coached by Phog Allen, won the Big Seven Conference with an 11-1 record, was the Big Seven holiday tournament winner, and beat TCU, St. Louis, Santa Clara and St. Johns on its way to the NCAA title. Lovellette averaged 28.6 points per game for the '51-'52 Jayhawks.

- Finally, I'm still wondering why North Carolina's Tyler Zeller didn't have his hands up when Duke's Austin Rivers put up his game-winning three point shot on Wednesday night.