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March 16, 2009
The brackets are out and the Big 12 tied a conference record with six teams making the NCAA Tournament this season.
My question to you is which conference team has the chance to make the deepest tournament run? At least one Big 12 team is seeded in each region of the tournament. Take a look at the basics, then make your call in the comments section below.
No. 2 Oklahoma (27-5)
Region: South
First-round opponent: No. 15 Morgan State (23-11)
Time: 8:40 p.m. Thursday
Location: Kansas City, Mo.
Morgan State quick hit: The Golden Bears, out of the Mid-Eastern Conference, will appear in their first-ever NCAA Tournament after winning the MEAC tournament.
OU's potential second-round matchup: No. 7 Clemson/No. 10 Michigan.
No. 3 Kansas (25-7)
Region: Midwest
First-round opponent: No. 14 North Dakota State (26-6)
Time: 11:30 a.m. Friday
Location: Minneapolis
NDSU quick-hit: Check out online editor Jesse Newell's blog today about an inspirational video coach Saul Phillips played for his guys before a Summit League Championship victory over Oakland.
KU's potential second-round matchup: No. 6 West Virginia/No. 11 Dayton.
No. 3 Missouri (28-6)
Region: West
First-round opponent: No. 14 Cornell (21-9)
Time: 2 p.m. Friday
Location: Boise, Idaho
Cornell quick-hit: The Big Red, who won the Ivy League conference to earn an NCAA Tournament bid, have played one ranked team all year (at Syracuse on Dec. 3). Cornell lost, 88-78.
MU's potential second-round matchup: No. 6 Marquette/No. 11 Utah State.
No. 7 Texas (22-11)
Region: East
First-round opponent: No. 10 Minnesota (22-10)
Time: 6:10 p.m. Thursday
Location: Greensboro, N.C.
UM quick-hit: Minnesota beat Louisville this season, but that was way back on Dec. 20 in Glendale, Ariz. The Gophers were 0-3 against the Big Ten's best team, Michigan State, this season.
UT's potential second-round matchup: No. 2 Duke/No. 15 Binghamton.
No. 8 Oklahoma State (22-11)
Region: East
First-round opponent: No. 9 Tennessee (21-12)
Time: 11:25 a.m. Friday
Location: Dayton, Ohio
Tennessee quick-hit: Signature win vs. Marquette, but losses to Kansas, Gonzaga, Temple, Memphis and LSU, among others. Which Volunteers team will show up?
OSU's potential-second round matchup: No. 1 Pittsburgh/No. 16 East Tennessee State.
No. 9 Texas A&M (23-9)
Region: West
First-round opponent: No. 8 BYU (25-7)
Time: 11:30 a.m. Thursday
Location: Philadelphia
BYU quick-hit: The Cougars and Aggies faced each other in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year as well. A&M won, 67-62, in Anaheim, Calif.
A&M's potential second-round matchup: No. 1 Connecticut/No. 16 Chattanooga.
So which Big 12 school will be the last team standing, according to everyone's brackets?
As always, discuss.
Comments
Code_2008 (anonymous) says...
Unfortunate for Texas A&M and Oklahoma State for drawing the #1 seeds in the second round...
If Texas doesn't pay attention... Duke will stun them, otherwise, I believe they'll go down to Xavier
Oklahoma's toughest game will be against Syracuse win that and UNC shouldn't be a problem when they face them.
Mizzou... Unless Maryland can fire up like they did against UNC, Mizzou's hardest game will be against Memphis...
Kansas... Louisville will be their last major test...
March 16, 2009 at 6:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
halogenlamps (anonymous) says...
KU
March 16, 2009 at 6:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jhawkpb23 (anonymous) says...
I think Texas could be the dark horse here. Guard play is always HUGE in the tournament, so I'm expecting an elite 8 run for them.
Also, I think Sherron will step it up for Kansas and they may, if they're feeling lucky (since tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day), get a chance to stun Louisville and go to the Final Four for the second straight year.
March 16, 2009 at 7:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
cklarock (anonymous) says...
Louisville is overrated as the #1 overall seed -- they're a bit better than us, but not so much that we can't shock them to make the Final Four, and cap a legendary "rebuilding" season.
Kansas goes the deepest.
March 16, 2009 at 10:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kansas22 (anonymous) says...
As much as I hate to say it, I think Mizzou will have the deepest run. I see elite eight for them because they'll be able to give Memphis' guards fits. Connecticut will be way too much for them though, and there's no chance of a Final Four.
Oklahoma is going down to Syracuse or maybe even Clemson. I don't think OU's been playing well and Syracuse has enough fire power to hold down Griffin.
As for KU, NDSU is not to be taken lightly, West Virginia is probably one of the more solid 6 seeds I've seen in a while, and then even after that Michigan St. trumped us pretty bad earlier this year. I can't honestly, without any bias, say that I think KU will go very far in this tournament. But I'll say sweet 16.
Texas is weird. I almost think they'll get shut down against Minnesota (even though the Big Ten is garbage) and lose in the first round, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them make it to the Sweet 16 possibly even the Elite Eight because UCLA and Nova aren't all that strong.
March 17, 2009 at 3:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yates33333 (anonymous) says...
Oklahoma is the perfect team to beat Syracuse. They move the ball well, can shoot from the outside, and have two big men, brothers, who can move around the basket. They should be a final four team. If KU shows up, and that is lately a big if, they should make the sweet 16, but I too fear Michigan State. Yet MSU has downer games, hope this time they have one. Texas has the talent, what it needs is the will and energy. They could be an elite 8 team. I don't believe Missouri will go far.
March 17, 2009 at 8:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yates33333 (anonymous) says...
I forgot Texas A&M. They could be the sleeper. If their great coach, who played for a great team, at a great school, can get them to play hard and use all their talent. I think OSU is too small.
March 17, 2009 at 9 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dsmith84 (anonymous) says...
mizzou, I hate to say it, is the hottest team coming in, having won the conference tourney... so I think they are playing the best basketball coming into the first weekend.
KU won the league so there is no reason to think they won't make it the furthest in the tourney...
March 17, 2009 at 9:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
plasticJHawk (anonymous) says...
I think that KU and OU have the most favorable schedules to make a deep run.
If KU plays the way we all know that they can they should be able to handle WV, Dayton, NDSU, BC, and USC. If we get that sweet 16 rematch with MSU then we go in with a chip on our shoulder and we have the advantage.
OU will be a disappointment if they don't make the Elite 8.
Mizzou is a write-in for the sweet 16 but Memphis should have been a No. 1 seed and should knock them out.
I don't foresee Texas getting past Duke, and I don't foresee OSU and Texas A&M making any noise against the top seeds.
March 17, 2009 at 11:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mizzousucks89 (anonymous) says...
Marquette is going to be too much for team incest, it'll be close but Dominic james is just going to be too much for them.
I really think that Ku has a better chance of beating Luisville in the Elite Eight rather than Wake Forest.
I don't see OU going anywhere if Clemson and/or Syracuse survives.
March 18, 2009 at 1:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jacobpaul81 (anonymous) says...
A&M was a horrid call away from being in the Final Four last year. They will give UCONN fits defensively. I think they have a very good chance at going very deep in the tourney.
March 18, 2009 at 9:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )