Clan-Members » capable playmakers, Malone said. .

Not even a decade ago, the Big 12 had reached its apex.In 2008, the Big 12 South had emerged as the best division in college football, headlined by heavyweights Oklahoma and Texas trading blows for conference supremacy and the chance to play for national championships. The Big 12 had just signed one TV deal with ESPN, and was primed to ink another with Fox.The conference appeared harmonious. And seemed stable.Since that time, the Big 12 has been in a free fall, culminating with a new low point this year.I dont know if the conference has hit rock bottom yet, said one source familiar with Big 12 matters. But we can see the bottom.A Title IX scandal has come to define one of its members. Baylor, even several months after removing the school president, athletic director and head football coach, continues to be in the news almost weekly.Nonconference foes collectively wiped out the Big 12, leaving it with a real chance to miss the College Football Playoff for the second time in the three years of the system.In the boardroom, the Big 12 has never looked so indecisive about its expansion going into Mondays critical gathering of league presidents and chancellors.This bottoming out has also manifested itself on the field.Last month, the Big 12 went just 3-6 against Power 5 opponents. Oklahoma State and Kansas lost to MAC schools. Iowa State was defeated by an FCS team. And with Notre Dame cratering since losing at Texas, the conferences most appealing nonconference victory just might be the Cowboys win over Pitt, which appears to be -- at best -- a middle-tier squad in the ACC Coastal Division.Baylor and West Virginia, meanwhile, are the Big 12s last two remaining unbeatens. While still alive in the playoff hunt, they are still the lowest-ranked undefeated Power 5 conference teams in the AP poll. Despite playing another cupcake out-of-conference slate, and one team ranked in the FPI top 90, the Bears have struggled. Their last time out, the Bears needed a furious fourth quarter rally to topple 1-5 Iowa State. As a result, the Bears might have to go undefeated to reach the playoff.West Virginia is better positioned, on paper, with the conferences only decent showing during nonconference play, but the Mountaineers have yet to play a true road game (they will stage their first this weekend at Texas Tech). Since joining the Big 12, theyve never won more than five conference games.Given where the Big 12 stands for the moment relative to other Power 5 leagues, the chances of the Big 12s 11-year title drought being snapped this season are slim.Yet as poorly as the Big 12 has fared on the field this season, it doesnt compare to the hits the conference has taken off the field.Last summer, Big 12 board chair David Boren termed the league psychologically disadvantaged, and that perception has turned to reality.At the insistence of commissioner Bob Bowlsby, the Big 12 has tried to be aggressive in recent months in an attempt to remain competitive with the other Power 5 conference, all of which have -- or will have -- their own networks. The Big 12 swiftly added a championship game in the spring, then unanimously -- and surprisingly -- voted in July to explore expansion.Since that moment, Big 12 leaders have sent mixed signals. From Texas president Greg Fenves unexpectedly tweeting his support of Houston to Bowlsby interviewing 11 expansion candidates in Dallas to Boren seemingly cooling on the whole premise, nobody, including the presidents themselves, knows what to expect will come from Mondays meeting, when the conference originally was supposed to vote on expansion.Its been embarrassing, one industry insider said. (Big 12 member athletic department officials) are embarrassed by the way this has been handled.One way or the other, if the league fails to take any action or conduct a vote on Monday after devoting so much time, money and talk to the issue, it will reinforce the narrative of Big 12 instability.Said the source familiar with Big 12 matters, The conference champion (Baylor) two of the last three years is going through a scandal the regents still cant get the school out of. Texas still cannot get its footing. Oklahoma loses twice in the nonconference. And the complete indecisiveness in the board room -- all of that has really taken the league to a low point.Can the Big 12 finally begin to reverse this downward trend that has encompassed the league since 2008?We have a strong leader in Bowlsby, one Big 12 official pointed out, noting that Bowlsby has the confidence of the leagues coaches, athletic directors and even presidents. That makes a huge difference.Others within the league havent lost faith and still think the Big 12 can thrive again.I still believe in the Big 12, said another Big 12 official. I dont think its rock bottom. We had a team (Oklahoma) in the playoff last year. We have teams in contention this year.I believe in the leadership of this league.That leadership will be tested Monday, when big decisions will be on the table. And the future of the league is once again on the line.They need to get to a clear point on expansion -- either do it, or dont and cut it off, an official said. The intrigue, the politics, that needs to come to an end.To be completely stable again, this conference needs to start acting like a conference. Vladimir Konstantinov Jersey . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. Gordie Howe Red Wings Jersey . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. http://www.redwingshockeyauthentic.com/ted-lindsay-jersey/ . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. 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Any time you can get back there and help the guys try to win a game is fine.My team did a great job of helping me get some easy ones where Im just catching and shooting and playing my game.Rudy Gobert posted his eighth double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Gordon Hayward added 22 points and seven assists.Rookie Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 23 points off the bench. Kenneth Faried finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.Obviously having George back makes a difference, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. Its hard not to improve on the effort we had the other night. (The Nuggets) got free throws, offensive rebounds and points in the paint, numbers that would have led the league in all categories.We were better. Weve got a long way to go. You can see that with the inconsistency we had in the first half.The Jazz put away the game with a 17-3 run to start the third quarter to take a 70-50 lead, punctuated by Hills 3-pointer from the right corner. Utah shot 49.4 percent and the Nuggets struggled to just 31.5 percent.Utah led just 53-47 at halftime after jumping out to a 19-3 lead to open the game. The Jazz started 6 of 8 on 3-pointers but then missed their next 10.The Nuggets, a night after beating Chicago at home, climbed back into the game with a heavy dose of Faried and a 16-2 stretch to tie the game at 45.Most young teams forget why you have success, Nuggets coach Mike Malone said. They get bored with success. We were winning basketball games because of how we played. Tonight, even though we are banged up, three gammes in four nights -- all excuses.dddddddddddd We just didnt bring it.TIP-INSNuggets: Danilo Gallinari missed his first game of the season with right knee soreness. ... Mike Miller missed his fourth consecutive game due to personal reasons.Jazz: Joe Johnson played despite dealing with an illness. ... Boris Diaw had his best game as a Jazz player with 11 points, three rebounds and three assists.BACK ON THE COURTHill averaged 20.4 points and 4.9 assists in the first seven games of the season and fit in with the Jazz immediately. The team is 3-5 without him.He and I know and knew each other pretty well, Snyder said. So some of the conversation that we had, Id like to think framed what the fit would be and I think thats something he was truly excited about. When you have that fit, it generally has a way of accelerating a players comfort level.CUT ITMalone explained how his offense emphasizes back-cuts, especially against teams like the Jazz.We have guys that are willing and capable playmakers, Malone said. ... Its something we really emphasize, whether its practice, shootaround, film sessions. The Utah Jazz shrink the floor. They collapse. When they do, sometimes they get caught ball-watching.So any time your man turns the head, you should be cutting to the basket. And if you dont get it, youre probably generating a wide open shot for a teammate behind you.QUOTABLEIt was huge, a lot of guys were tired and banged up from all those games, Faried said. Banged up from last nights game, it was a grind-it-out game. We were able to pull through, but a lot of knick-knack injuries that carried over to today and guys werent able to hit the shots that they usually are.UP NEXTNuggets: Denver hosts Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. It will be the first meeting between the teams this season.Jazz: Utah hosts the Hawks on Friday, facing Dwight Howard in an Atlanta jersey for the first time. ' ' '