Texas ready to host Big 12 tournament

<br>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _On the eve of the first Big 12 tournament in Dallas, it's fair to ask whether the Texas schools kept the promise they made in 1996. <br><br>Have they upgraded their basketball

Sunday, March 9th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _On the eve of the first Big 12 tournament in Dallas, it's fair to ask whether the Texas schools kept the promise they made in 1996.

Have they upgraded their basketball to Big Eight standards?

No one could say they haven't tried. Baylor, Texas Tech and Texas A&M have been hiring marquee coaches and signing highly sought prep stars and improving facilities.

Based strictly on the regular-season results of this sixth Big 12 regular season, however, one is tempted to say they have not completely fulfilled their vow to become competitive with the teams in the old Big Eight.

The fifth-ranked Texas Longhorns, of course, are having a terrific season, beating No. 6 Oklahoma 76-71 on Saturday to finish second to conference champion Kansas. When the Big 12 tournament tips off this week at Dallas' American Airlines Center in Dallas, marking the first time it's been held outside Kansas City, the Longhorns (22-5, 13-3 Big 12) are seeded No. 2.

But as the Big Eight disappeared in a merger with the four schools from the old Southwest Conference in 1996, it wasn't Texas that people were worried about.

It was Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Baylor.

And while all three have been showing signs of painful, hard-won improvement, not one finished in the league's top half this season.

Texas A&M has the league's flashiest freshman in forward Antoine Wright, and coach Melvin Watkins appears to be slowly stockpiling better talent. But the Aggies (14-13, 6-10) closed the season with a 77-52 loss at Oklahoma State and will be seeded No. 8 in Dallas.

Two years ago, Texas Tech bought instant credibility by signing up Bob Knight as head coach. The Red Raiders also have the league's leading scorer in junior Andre Emmett. But Knight's second West Texas team (16-11, 6-10) has not won as many games as his first. They head into the Big 12 tourney seeded No. 7 and will probably need to get at least to the championship game to capture a second straight NCAA bid.

Baylor's progress in Dave Bliss' fourth year as head coach was disappointing. Even though the Bears had three returning starters from last year's 4-12 Big 12 campaign, they were able to go only 5-11 this year and are seeded No. 10.

But progress is hard to come by, and even hard to notice, in a league as tough as this one. The Big 12 hopes to place its top six schools in the NCAA tournament.

Nevertheless, the only Texas school so far to win a regular-season title was Texas in 1998-99. No Texas school has ever won the conference tourney. In four of the league's first five seasons, Baylor and Texas A&M failed to finish any higher than 10th in total attendance.

Texas point guard T.J. Ford is a contender for Big 12 player of the year, to be announced on Wednesday. But if he wins the award, he'll be the first player from his state to do so.

Still, says Texas coach Rick Barnes, ``There is no doubt that over the last five years, basketball in this state has improved.''

Bliss and Knight have energized their programs and made steady progress, Barnes said.

``And Melvin Watkins is having his best year (at A&M). There is absolutely no doubt the Texas schools have started catching up where we need to be. For this to be a great league, it was important that that happen. I think we have become a great league.''

Many believe that putting the tournament in Dallas this year and next will help the Texas schools in their catch-up campaign.

``Hopefully ... people (in Texas) will begin talking about Big 12 basketball and basketball in general more than they do now,'' Barnes said.

``The more we can expose how good this league is to Texas, it's going to help.''