ESPN has released their slate of Big Monday games for the Big 12 conference.
The two games everyone is waiting for is Kansas/Missouri and Kansas/Kansas State. Those two games will come in successive weeks on Big Monday.
The schedule starts on Jan. 17 and goes through Feb. 28.
Here's where you'll want to go for fan reaction to the new schedule:
- Rock M Nation for Missouri Tigers.
- Rock Chalk Talk for Kansas Jayhawks.
- Bring On The Cats for Kansas State.
Here's the full rundown on the Big 12 games:
Jan. 17: Kansas State at Missouri
This is Game 1 of a unique Big 12 Big Monday doubleheader that takes place on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. All four of the teams that will appear in the twinbill reached the NCAA Tournament with two (Kansas State and Baylor) reaching the Elite Eight. The Wildcats lost to the Tigers in Columbia last season. Kansas State senior point guard Jacob Pullen and his teammates will have to deal with Missouri's pressure defense.
Jan. 17: Kansas at Baylor
This will be Game 2 of the MLK Day doubleheader. Both teams will head into the 2010-11 season needing to replace three starters. The Bears, who came within minutes of reaching the Final Four last season, expect big things out of freshman forward Perry Jones. Kansas is 6-1 at Waco. The only loss at Baylor came in 2001 when the Bears recorded an 85-77 triumph.
Jan. 24: Baylor at Kansas State
This game matches the two Big 12 teams that reached the Elite Eight in last year's NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats won in Waco last season as their outside shooting solved the Bears' zone defense in a 76-74 victory. This game also will showcase two of the top senior guards in the nation - Kansas State's Jacob Pullen and Baylor's LaceDarius Dunn.
Feb. 7: Missouri at Kansas
Few rivalries compare to this border showdown. During Big 12 Conference play, the Jayhawks have a 20-8 advantage in regular-season games and the Tigers have won at Allen Fieldhouse just once - in 1999. Kansas freshman point guard Josh Selby will have to keep his cool against Missouri's pressure defense.
Feb. 14: Kansas at Kansas State
It's Valentine's Day, but don't expect any pleasantries to be exchanged in this Sunflower State Showdown. Yeah, yeah, outsiders will sneer and say the Jayhawks have won 41 of the last 42 meetings. But since the arrival of Frank Martin in Manhattan, the Wildcats have made the Jayhawks earn their victories. The final scores don't indicate the ferocity of the play and this national showcase in KSU's Octagon of Doom should be no different.
Feb. 21: Oklahoma State at Kansas
Maybe it's the ghost of Hank Iba getting the better of the ghost of Phog Allen, but Oklahoma State has won six of the last 14 meetings with KU. Last season, the Jayhawks' only loss in Big 12 play came in Stillwater when the Cowboys dismantled KU, 85-77. Oklahoma State must replace James Anderson, last season's Big 12 Player of the Year, but coach Travis Ford is excited about his team's balance and talent.
Feb. 28: Kansas State at Texas
The Longhorns were No. 1 heading to Manhattan for a Big Monday game last season, but the second half of their season started spinning out of control with a 71-62 loss to Kansas State. The Wildcats will enter the 2010-11 campaign as one of the favorites to win the Big 12, while the Longhorns are hoping to bounce back from last year's disappointing finish. If those scenarios play out, the final Big 12 Big Monday game could be a classic.
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