Two things to discuss before I fly to Kansas City.

1) Bob Huggins was asked today about the upcoming Big 12 tournament and not just how it compared to some of those behemoth Big East tournaments, but whether it would be better. The idea bothers me more than a little, but Huggins answered, perhaps soldierly, but also thoughtfully.

“The hard thing about this league is there aren’t any bad teams. Every one’s good, every one’s extremely well-coached and well-prepared. This is probably as open a tournament as I’ve ever been involved with.”

Bless you, Robert Huggins.

He did not say it would be better than the best of the Big East tournaments with which he was involved. I do think he’s right on the quality of the league, which is a product of the quantity of the league. When you throw 18 teams into a conference, you’re going to have some duds. The Big East had some duds, every year. I don’t think you’d call TCU or Texas Tech duds this year. Past years? Absolutely.

But they’re better this year, and they’re giving better teams fits right through to the end of the season. That goes to the other point. The coaching in this league is really something else. The Big East had some Hall of Fame names, but also some stepping stone schools and some young coaches trying to make their names. The Big 12 has the big names and guys who aren’t going anywhere unless they’re handed some pink paperwork and cardboard boxes. That’s a major competitive difference.

I think this Big 12 is hard to read. There’s no No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament, unless Kansas steamrolls these next two weeks and gets some outside help. It’s also likely Kansas wins the league’s regular-season title for the incomprehensible 11th straight year, which makes you wonder about the league.

There are five teams in the RPI’s top 21, which seems about right, and that means there is a cluster of closely matched teams. I don’t see a national title contender, unless, again, Kansas gets hot, and that seems more unlikely than not. Who’s the league’s player of the year? Who’s the best 2015 NBA draft prospect? What freshman has lived up to the hype? What player has exceeded the hype? Who’s the scariest individual opponent? Collective opponent?

The Big East, it always seemed to be, could answer those questions. True, there were 18 teams, which means you have more readily available options, but that shouldn’t cost the league anything if those answers existed, if even in abundance. There were title contenders and elite players and lottery picks and teams and players you absolutely didn’t want to run into. That was fairly normal, to say nothing of when at it’s best. If this is the Big 12 at its best, is the comparison fair? I would argue no.

Now, the Big 12’s tournament is indeed open. Would you be surprised — I mean, woke up in the morning with your face sewn to the carpet surprised — if Kansas State won it? Why? And that’s the eighth-best team! But open is not necessarily classic.

Doesn’t mean next week won’t be fun, but the scene, the site, the ambiance, they’re not the same, and those were elements you had to include with the talent, the coaching and the competition in the Big East mix. I wish Huggins, who freely dismisses rivalries like Marshall and … Virginia Tech? … because they simply are not Cincinnati v. Xavier, would just roll his eyes and eschew the question with his right hand.

But maybe that’s just me.

2) Speaking of not me, Huggins doesn’t sound entirely optimistic about having Juwan Staten and Gary Browne tomorrow. He called them both day to day, but that’s company line stuff right there.

Huggins said he saw both this morning and was doubtful they’d practice. If you don’t practice, you don’t play, though if there are two guys who don’t really need to practice, it’d be those two. Huggins also said that Browne’s ankle sprain is “pretty significant,” which in medical terms is the opposite of “rub some spit on it.” You’re welcome.

Day to day is an answer to a question that isn’t hollow. I’d hope and expect he’s getting better insight from his medical staff because, you know, he might have to go on for a week without Staten and three weeks without Browne. Think Huggins might tire upon hearing, “They’re day-to-day, B!” for 21 straight day to days? They know more than we know. It’s medicine, not Powerball.

But Huggins did give an answer to a question we’d been wondering about when he was asked if he might do what NBA teams do and provide a strategic rest so that the team is at its best when the stakes are the highest. Whether you believe or even agree with the reply or not is up to you.

“You prepare all year to play during the season. Why you wouldn’t play guys, why guys wouldn’t want to play doesn’t make any sense to me at all.”