Here is the latest Big 12 Conference sports news from The Associated Press

UNDATED (AP) — Rocco Becht has announced he will follow coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State to Penn State, giving the Nittany Lions a veteran quarterback to replace Ethan Grunkemeyer. Becht stated his decision in a social media post late Sunday. Multiple media outlets report Grunkemeyer will reunite with James Franklin at Virginia Tech. Grunkemeyer started seven games after Drew Allar was injured. Those transfers follow Drew Mestemaker’s weekend decision to join Eric Morris at Oklahoma State.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Fernando Lovo, the new athletic director at at Colorado, emphasized the importance of Deion Sanders in boosting the school’s profile. Lovo highlighted Sanders’ national notoriety as a significant advantage at his introductory news conference on Monday. Lovo inherits a department facing a projected $27 million deficit by the end of the school year. He plans to find innovative funding solutions. Lovo’s five-year deal at Colorado includes incentives for academic and fundraising achievements along with attendance and competitive achievements. Lovo arrives in Boulder after one season at New Mexico, where he hired the football and basketball coaches.

UNDATED (AP) — Arizona holds onto the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 by a single point over Michigan. This marks one of the closest races in the poll’s 78-year history. The Wildcats received 32 first-place votes, while the Wolverines got 29. The top six teams remain unchanged, with Iowa State, UConn, Purdue, and Duke following Michigan. Nebraska is in the top 10 for the first time since 1966, riding an 18-game winning streak. The Big 12 has seven ranked teams, including four in the top 10, while the Big Ten has six in the poll and three in the top 10.

UNDATED (AP) — Kentucky and Vanderbilt made significant jumps in The Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25. This follows a week where four of the top 10 teams lost, causing a shakeup in the rankings. UConn remains No. 1, followed by Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA. Oklahoma has moved up to fifth. Kentucky and Vanderbilt each rose five spots to sixth and seventh after defeating LSU. Vanderbilt’s win was its first against a top-five team in 17 years. Maryland and Michigan both dropped after losses. Only four teams remain undefeated: UConn, Texas, Vanderbilt, and Texas Tech.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A.J. Dybantsa led No. 10 BYU to an 83-73 victory over Kansas State in his Big 12 debut on Saturday. Despite facing tough defense and committing seven turnovers, Dybantsa scored 24 points in the Cougars’ first true road game of the season. The freshman, a potential top NBA draft pick, was frustrated at times, but he also showed why he is such a coveted prospect. The Cougars have won 10 straight games since their only loss in November. Dybantsa’s performance will continue to be crucial as BYU navigates Big 12 play.

UNDATED (AP) — This was a great bowl season for guys named Anthony Smith. East Carolina wide receiver Anthony Smith scored two touchdowns in the Pirates’ 23-17 Military Bowl victory over Pittsburgh. The Minnesota defensive end with the same name delivered a pair of sacks in the Golden Gophers’ 20-17 Rate Bowl overtime triumph over New Mexico. Both of those Anthony Smiths got selected to the Associated Press all-bowl team. This all-bowl team includes top performers from bowl games that weren’t part of the College Football Playoff. An all-playoff team will come out after the national championship game.

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