The Big 12 has taken some heat this week. 

Between the grayscale LED floor and the snubbing of BYU star AJ Dybantsa for Big 12 Player of the Year, people have been lining up to take shots.

I can certainly understand the frustration with league coaches choosing Arizona guard Jaden Bradley over Dybantsa.

Dybantsa may be the number one overall pick in the draft, and he has an argument to be the national player of the year. In fact, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark actually made that case at the podium in Kansas City this week.

“I want to talk a little bit about national player of the year pushes. As we think about the postseason, I want to start off by recognizing players that I feel have earned the right to be considered national players of the year,” Yormark said. “I want to start off with BYU’s AJ Dybantsa. He’s had an outstanding year, and should absolutely be part of those conversations. He currently leads the nation in scoring and is on track to be the first underclassmen to lead the nation in scoring since 2021. He’s had a fabulous season.”

You’ll notice Yormark did not make a case for Bradley as the national player of the year.

If you’re just taking a quick look at the stat sheet, the coaches’ choice makes absolutely no sense. Dybantsa averages 12 more points per game, four more rebounds, and only one fewer assist per game than Bradley.

Bradley scored fewer than 10 points five times in league play. Dybantsa scored at least 20 in all but two conference games.

You could even argue Bradley isn’t the best player on his own team. Freshmen teammates Brayden Burries and Koa Peat are likely lottery picks who each average more points and rebounds than Bradley. 

But do we really think the Big 12 coaches are stupid? Bill Self, Kelvin Sampson, TJ Otzelberger, and Grant McCasland aren’t dummies. And they’re the ones who chose Bradley over the field, including Dybantsa. 

There is probably an element of making sure Arizona gets proper recognition for its run to a Big 12 title this year. The Wildcats are as good as they are because they don’t rely on one player the way BYU does. 

The coaches clearly see Bradley as the head of the snake. He’s a savvy veteran who has played over 140 college basketball games at Alabama and Arizona. Candidly, he is one of my favorite players in the country to watch. 

But it’s hard to top the spectacle that is AJ Dybantsa. I was on hand to see his 40-point masterpiece against K-State at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Tuesday. 

If Yormark had his way, I’d imagine he’d prefer Dybantsa got the award to help his national player of the year push. But don’t blame him or the league. If this has you up in arms, your beef is with the coaches.

Now, if you hate the court, you can put that blame squarely on the league. 

The Big 12 rolled out its plans for the LED glass floor midway through the conference season with plenty of hype behind it. If the goal was to get people talking, they certainly accomplished that. 

If this were all about aesthetics and the fan experience for those who are at T-Mobile Center to watch the games in person, I would stick up for the league here. 

The gray pops a lot more in person than it does on TV, and the added elements, like stats shown during free throws, are a cool touch that genuinely enhances the viewing experience in the arena.

But it’s now undeniable that the floor is a problem for player safety.  

The latest victim is Texas Tech star Christian Anderson, who went down late in the Red Raiders’ loss to Iowa State on Thursday. 

Players have been slipping all over the place in games throughout the week. And K-State forward Khamari McGriff got a migraine from the lights flashing on the court. 

I file this under taking the good with the bad from Yormark. He has been excellent at nailing the big picture for the league, like securing the TV deal with Fox and ESPN and landing Colorado, which helped bring the other four corner schools into the league.

But there have been plenty of missteps. Changing the football tiebreaker policy late in the 2023 season was a horrible look. Big 12 Mexico never got off the ground. And now this court is doing more harm than good. 

But I’ll take a slippery Big 12 tournament court if it means the Big 12 surviving as a conference instead of going the way of the Pac 12.

UPDATE: As of 12:21 AM while I’m finishing this at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, the Big 12 has decided to change the floor back to a traditional hardwood court.

What You Need to Know

• K-State is reportedly zeroing in on Belmont’s Casey Alexander as its next head coach. Here’s a rundown of what Alexander brings to the table. 

• The hire is getting plenty of national praise. 

• Here is the full list of the All-Big 12 teams, selected by the coaches. 

• BYU head coach Kevin Young called out the officiating in the Cougars’ loss to Houston. 

• Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd says he doesn’t want the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City. 

• One Big 12 school moved fast in firing its men’s basketball coach. 

• An SEC president is threatening that the conference may have to “go its own way.”

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