Just as it was during the regular season in college basketball’s deepest and most competitive conference, the Big 12 tournament looks to be littered with intense battles between NCAA tournament locks and hopefuls with something to prove in order to secure a spot in the Big Dance.
After a grueling season where each team went to war with its conference foes twice throughout Big 12 play, a third matchup in what were some tremendous conference games will get underway this week and if the regular season was any indication of what’s to come in Kansas City, we’re in for a treat as it becomes a win or go home situation with a Big 12 Championship on the line.
#Big12MBB: ICYMI - The full bracket for next week's Phillips 66 championship in @VisitKC - http://t.co/z66hlZ20lI pic.twitter.com/2Uz3DGl80s
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) March 8, 2015
More from NBA
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- Constructing the NBA’s perfect all-under-25 starting five
The action kicks off Wednesday with No. 8-seeded Kansas State and No. 9-seeded TCU both looking to take the lead in the season series after each won at home during the regular season. Of the two, K-State is certainly the favorite and has played better to conclude the season, winning back-to-back games over Kansas and Iowa State before dropping the regular season finale to Texas.
TCU, on the other hand, has lost three straight and four of five. In a matchup that could become a shootout between Kansas State’s Marcus Foster and TCU’s Kyan Anderson, the Wildcats should live to fight on Thursday against top-seeded Kansas.
The second matchup of the day features a Texas Longhorns team looking to solidify their place in the NCAA tournament against the 10th-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders, whom they cruised past in each of their two regular season meetings.
Texas closed conference play with back-to-back wins over No. 14 Baylor and K-State, wins needed to assure their place in the tourney field, the Horns will continue their recent success and move on to face No. 2-seeded Iowa State.
Thursday’s slate begins with Baylor and West Virginia in a No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed matchup. The Bears controlled the season series over WVU, winning both games by a combined 30 points.
Baylor is the hotter team of the two right now after winning four of their last five and with one of the best rebounding units in the country and the ability to pull away quickly with long range bombs, look for Baylor to move on to the semifinals on Friday.
In game two of the day, Kansas will then be looking for revenge against K-State after a late-season upset in Manhattan. The No. 1-seeded Jayhawks will have Perry Ellis and Brannen Greene inserted back into the lineup and outside of another major upset, Bill Self’s club will be one step closer to complete domination of the Big 12 this season.
In what should then be Iowa State vs. Texas, the Longhorns will be looking for a statement win against a team that swept them in Big 12 play.
The eye test suggest the Cyclones continue their season-sweep over the Horns, but as Jacob Rude of bustingbrackets.com pointed out, Texas is a dark horse team that can beat anyone on any night and as the more desperate team in this one, Rick Barnes’ Longhorns should pull off the upset and advance to Friday’s action.
Thursday’s final matchup features No. 3-seeded Oklahoma and No. 6-seeded Oklahoma State in an in-state rivalry that the Sooners controlled with ease this season.
Oklahoma won both regular season meetings by a combined 24 points and as the hottest team in the Big 12 after winning nine of 11 – which includes their buzzer-beating win over Kansas to close the regular season – the Sooners will ride the Big 12’s leading scorer and Player of the Year, Buddy Hield, to victory.
Cincy on the Prowl
Semifinal competition of Friday night should begin with two Big 12 powers in Baylor and Kansas. Kansas owned the season series over the Bears and with a solid contribution from guys like Eliis, Wayne Selden Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr., the Jayhawks are a safe bet to find themselves in Saturday’s Big 12 championship game.
Following that game, in what should be a rematch of the Red River Rivalry, Texas will be looking to finally top Oklahoma after dropping both of their regular season matchups.
Unfortunately for the Longhorns, this is where their luck should run out, as the Sooners will simply have too much firepower and momentum for a Texas team that can go cold offensively on any night to keep up with.
Finally, the Big 12 crown will be on the line in a rematch of the regular season finale between Kansas and Oklahoma, where a last-second tip in lifted the Sooners over the Jayhawks in Norman.
In a game that should be the closest possible thing to a toss-up between teams that split their season series, the difference should come down to the star power of Ellis and Hield and which one can put on a better show. In the battle of Big 12 powers for all the marbles, a solid outing from Ellis should lead to Kansas winning its seventh Big 12 tournament title in the Bill Self era.
Next: College Basketball Rankings: Top 25 Teams In America
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout