Many have said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The Big 12 Conference, though, must be only halfway insane. As the only Power 6 conference that each team plays each other twice, we do see the same matchups over and over again. However, we continually are receiving wild, differing results.

On Saturday, January 6th, all hell broke loose in the Big 12. The Oklahoma Sooners, the #1 team in the nation, hit a roadblock in Manhattan, Kansas, falling to the unranked Kansas State Wildcats 80-69. After this game, the West Virginia Mountaineers took advantage of that upset by beating the Baylor Bears by the exact same score, 80-69. These influential games ended in the same score, but they included differing story lines.

Jordan Woodard Ice Cold As Oklahoma Sooners Suffer Shocking Loss

soonersports.com
soonersports.com

Tonight, we finally fully realized what happens when Buddy Hield's supporting cast doesn't contribute at a high level. Hield, arguably the best player in the nation, had a good night with 23 points, but he didn't have enough magic to push the Sooners over the top.

His help in the backcourt was virtually magic-less. Jordan Woodard, OU's 2nd leading scorer for the season, had a night to forget, scoring a big fat goose egg on the night. Ironically, the last time Woodard scored 0 in a game was in an overtime loss to Kansas State last season. Woodard played 41 minutes in that game and 29 today. Also in the backcourt was Isaiah Cousins, Oklahoma's 2nd leading scorer on the night. Although he shot over .500 for the game, Cousins essentially gave back points by sending KSU to the free throw line. Cousins eventually fouled out.

As Myron Medcalf eloquently wrote about in his piece about OU's loss today, OU's reliance on the long ball can be a severe liability if it's a cold night shooting. Combining this fact with Oklahoma's problems guarding the paint (giving up layups and continually fouling KSU's Wesley Iwundu), it was the perfect opportunity for OU doubters to be heard.

Oklahoma knows how to respond to pressure. They did so in their recent matchup against LSU, coming back from a large deficit in a raucous environment. Tonight, they simply didn't have it in them. They lacked the tenacity, mental fortitude, and calmness to make any sort of a comeback.

It understandable that a night like this can happen, for the Big 12 Conference is a gauntlet. OU can be forgiven because it was just one loss on the road. However, there are questions that Lon Kruger's team now must address quickly. If they don't, one team from the Appalachian Mountains may take their crown...

West Virginia Mountaineers Continue To Spurn Doubters

Ben Queen/USA Today Sports
Ben Queen/USA Today Sports

If Bob Huggins isn't the Big 12 Coach of the Year, there is something rotten in the state of Denmark.

With West Virginia going against a Baylor team that has dominated the Mountaineers for several years now, many thought that massive forward Rico Gathers would obliterate WVU down low. However, that didn't happen whatsoever. Gathers was a complete flop tonight, going 1-9 shooting in one of his worst performances of the year. As the largest and strongest man on the floor, Gathers had the opportunity to drill his opponent, but instead was nonexistent.

Bob Huggins ingeniously started Nathan Adrian against Gathers, and the continually improving hometown-favorite junior played a tremendous game. Adrian scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds on the night, treating Gathers like nothing but a stepping stone.

West Virginia made three important steps in this game:

1) Jevon Carter proved his worth as a facilitator, dishing out 8 assists. Known for jacking up a few too many long balls in games, Carter looked very calm tonight and threw some key passes in this ball game.

2) West Virginia showed they can turn up the pressure without causing too many fouls. Baylor actually committed 7 more fouls than WVU on the night as only Jaysean Paige committed over 3 fouls for the Mountaineers. Although well below the normal rate, WVU forced Baylor into 10 crippling turnovers and did not end up needlessly hacking the Bears in the process.

3) Daxter Miles Jr. finally came alive. The guard took the game in his hands, showing moxy as he drilled 4 out of 5 three pointers. Scoring 20 points on the evening, he was completely on fire tonight. He can do many things that Jaysean Paige can not, and that was evident tonight. Although Miles Jr.'s mouth has gotten in his way often, he is a marvelous player and should be relied upon going forward.

Updated Big 12 Standings

#14 West Virginia 8-2
#1 Oklahoma 7-3
#7 Kansas 7-3
Texas 7-3
#15 Baylor 6-4
#13 Iowa State 6-4
Kansas State 3-7
Texas Tech 3-7
Oklahoma State 2-8
TCU 1-9

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About the author
Ben Anderson
Hi, folks. I am Ben, a West Virginian, loud and proud. I've been the editor in chief of VAVEL USA since December of 2013, and continue to work hard and make the International Sports Newspaper the best on the internet.