Here is the latest Big 12 Conference sports news from The Associated Press
UNDATED (AP) — Lane Kiffin’s awkward and angst-filled departure from Ole Miss will happen again. It’s inevitable unless college administrators and football coaches agree to reimagine an imperfect calendar that has been a mess for decades. Under the current format, national signing day happens during conference championship week, the transfer portal opens during the College Football Playoff and some coaches are secretly interviewing for other jobs before Halloween. No one has an ideal solution. Even the thought of adopting an NFL-like format seems flawed.
UNDATED (AP) — The changing landscape of college football means the nation’s premier recruits are no longer signing with the same handful of programs. That became particularly apparent this week when the nation’s top-ranked prospect landed in Vanderbilt. Quarterback Jared Curtis decided to stay home after initially committing to Georgia. Curtis’ decision wasn’t an aberration. Two other top-five prospects signed with home-state schools generally unaccustomed to acquiring five-star recruits. Houston got the nation’s No. 3 recruit by signing Keisean Henderson of Legacy the School of Sport Sciences in Spring, Texas. Edge rusher Zion Elee, rated fifth overall, is going from Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy to Maryland.
UNDATED (AP) — All those millions of dollars Texas Tech spent in the transfer portal seem to be paying off this season. The transfers, especially on the defensive front, have help transform the Red Raiders into one of the nation’s top defenses. They have a chance to win their first Big 12 championship and then will be headed to the 12-team College Football Playoff. Texas Tech is No. 4 in the CFP rankings going into Saturday’s Big 12 title game against No. 11 BYU. The Cougars’ only loss was to Tech four weeks ago when held to season lows of 255 total yards and seven points.
UNDATED (AP) — Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman has announced his retirement after nearly 35 years in coaching and the last seven leading the Wildcats, a run that included the Big 12 championship three years ago and a bowl trip every season but one. The school is targeting Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein as Klieman’s replacement, a person familiar with the plans told The Associated Press. Klein played quarterback for Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder at Kansas State and later served on Klieman’s first staff. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because such discussions were confidential.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — AJ Dybantsa and Keba Keita each scored 22 points to lead No. 9 BYU to a 91-60 victory over California Baptist. Keita added 14 rebounds to help the Cougars win their fourth straight neutral-site game — though this one was played in their home state about 45 miles from campus. Robert Wright III had 15 points and 11 assists. BYU shot 55% from the field and forced 14 turnovers. The Cougars totaled 15 points off turnovers and outscored Cal Baptist 48-28 in the paint. Martel Williams led the Lancers with 12 points, five rebounds and five assists. Cal Baptist lost to a Big 12 team for the second time in three days.
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Milan Momcilovic made his first eight 3-point shots while scoring 27 points and No. 10 Iowa State prepped for its weekend visit to top-ranked Purdue by setting a program scoring record in a 132-68 rout of Alcorn State. The Cyclones broke the previous school record of 130 points in a 67-point win over The Citadel in 2016-17. The 64-point margin against Alcorn State was tied for their fifth-largest ever. Iowa State shot 70.8% from the field and 73.3% on 3s, the best marks in coach T.J. Otzelberger’s five seasons. The team’s 22 3-pointers were another program record.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Honor Huff and Chance Moore each scored 17 points to lead West Virginia’s 91-49 rout of Coppin State. Huff hit three 3-pointers in a 4-minute stretch late in the first half, giving the Mountaineers a 40-26 lead. The Eagles scored the last six points of the half to get their deficit into single digits, 40-32. West Virginia’s 14-0 run early in the second half left the Mountaineers with a 56-34 lead. Another 14-0 run gave West Virginia a 40-point lead with two minutes remaining in the game. The Eagles managed only two points in the final six minutes, missing six of their last seven shots.
DENTON, Texas (AP) — Haleigh Timmer scored 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting, Achol Akot had a double-double and No. 24 Oklahoma State defeated North Texas 73-55. Jadyn Wooten added 15 off the bench for the Cowgirls, who won their fourth straight. Akot, who had 14 rebounds, and Amari Whiting, both had 10 points. Whiting had nine rebounds. Andi Schissler had 12 points to lead the Mean Green. The Cowgirls shot 7 of 11 in the first quarter, going 4 of 6 behind the arc, offsetting seven turnovers to take a 20-12 lead. They also had a 13-3 rebounding advantage. The lead stretched to 39-23 at halftime as Oklahoma State only had one turnover but cooled off to 40% shooting. The Mean Green were 4 of 14.
