I went through the bracket and picked each game all the way through the championship. A lot of these could go either way, so I tried to factor in things like crowd support and what teams are playing for. I'd love to hear your predictions as well. Should be a fun weekend regardless to be in KC!
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Juice blogs » The Cyclones Big 12 Mens Basketball Tournament Guide by Jerry Hales
:: March 11th, 2008 :: 8:53 am
When the Big 12 tournament kicks off at 11:30 on Thursday, it will be back in Kansas City (where it belongs in my opinion). I have been to the tournament in Kansas City three years and in Dallas twice and it didn’t even compare. Obviously the facilities were great in Dallas at the American Airlines Center (home to the NBA’s Mavericks), but the atmosphere was down and attendance was sparce. I am really excited to see how the new venue in Kansas City goes over as it sounds like it will have the luxuries of Dallas with the electric atmosphere of the tourney in Kansas City. The Big 12 is tough as nails top to bottom, so it will be interesting to see how the games end up going. This article will give you my predictions for how the tournament will shake down.
First Round
Texas Tech (8) vs Okie St.(9)- This should be an outstanding game to kick off the tournament. Tech is explosive and has a great backcourt capable of putting points up inside or out. However, they have been really up and down this year and are capable of getting blown out of the building. Oklahoma State was pretty solid for most of the year, and have really been playing well coming down the stretch. I would almost be closing my eyes and throwing a dart to pick this one, but the x factor for me is the Cowboys’ fan support. Along with
ISU they are known as the most loyal fans in the league, especially at tourney time, and I am betting they will show up much stronger than the Red Raiders. Their support bumps OSU on to Friday in a close one.
OSU
Baylor(5) vs Colorado(12)- A normal person would say that this one is a no-brainer to pick Baylor. A normal person hasn’t seen Colorado win their first game pretty much every year they are down there when they are underdogs. Although I have an unhealthy fear of the Buffs in the conference tourney, I’m not a (complete) moron. The guardplay from Baylor will be too much to handle in the end, although CU keeps it much closer than expected.
Baylor
Nebraska(7) vs. Missouri(10)- This could be the most even match-up of Day 1. Neither team is great, but neither is the type of team you look past or love to play. The thing is, they are completely different styles too, so it makes it tough to call. I think Nebraska will do a pretty good job of controlling tempo and slowing things down, while getting a few easy looks when Missouri desperately tries to crank things up. The x factor here is that it’s an evening game and the inbred Mizzou fans will just be hitting the sauce after work by the time the second half rolls around. The Tigers’ “faithful” will get behind them and help them pull one out in the end. **Disclaimer- if this game was played at 8:30 it would probably go the other way as the Mizzou fans would be past the “cheering point” of their beverage intake and on to the “where the crap is Quinn Snyder and Brian Grawer?” stage…which if you’ve ever seen this stage, you would know to be afraid.
Missouri
Texas A&M(5) vs Iowa State(11)- I know you’re going to think I’m crazy here, but I think these are two teams going in opposite directions, and not the way most people would think. The Aggies have stumbled and crawled their way to the finish line in the Big 12, and have not looked great coming down the stretch. Most analysts predict them on the bubble for the NCAA tourney, and I believe they are looking at their possible second round game against Kansas State as a chance to put them into the tourney rather than focusing on the lowly Cyclones. On the other hand, when
ISU got drilled by A&M at home earlier in the year the Cyclones’ guard play was horrid and they couldn’t stop anything inside. Since then, Diante Garrett and Sean Haluska have come alive and played better each time out. Coach McDermott has had a great game plan for every opponent and the young Clones have been dangerously close to beating the top tier teams of Texas and K-State. All of these factors make this a close game, and my x factor here is the
ISU fans that head down 35 to cheer us on thinking it might be their only chance, while the Aggie fans decide to wait until Friday to watch them play a “tough opponent”.
ISU Second Round
Okie St(9) vs Texas(1)- This game is a rematch of the season finale that saw the Cowboys take the Longhorns to the wire in Austin. Although I still think this will be close, I believe that game will serve as a wake-up call to Texas and they won’t take OSU lightly. In the end, some clutch shooting from AJ Abrams will get the Horns to the semis.
Texas
Baylor(5) vs Oklahoma(4)- When Longar Longar went down with a potential long term injury earlier this year everybody wrote Oklahoma off. All they have done since then is move up the standings to gain a first day bye and Longar came back very quickly to give them an unexpected boost. This game will pit Baylor’s tough guard court with OU’s intimidating front line. In the end, I think the post play from Oklahoma is too much for Baylor.
Oklahoma
Mizzou(10) vs.
KU(2)- Remember when we talked earlier about that “Quin Snyder/Brian Grawer” late evening stage for the boisterous Missouri crowd? Well this game starts at 8:20 and I hope for everybody’s sake that they beef up security for it or the Tiger fans be making life tough for everybody. This is an ugly rivalry, and the frat-boy Jayhawks will have plenty of time to get down to the game from their after work elitist parties. The Tigers keep it close for a while, but eventually the strength and depth of
KU wears them down. Event management give each other high fives for their brilliant idea of banning glass bottles from the venue as the plastic whiskey cups rain down from the Mizzou section in the final seconds.
Kansas ISU(11) vs Kansas State- Beasley and Walker are shocked when they walk out to tip-off and see Craig Brackins getting ready to jump instead of DeAndre Jordan from A&M. They didn’t bother watching the second half of the A&M/
ISU game the night before expecting to play the Aggies, and unfortunately for the Wildcats, neither did coach Frank Martin. By the time adjustments are made,
ISU has a 12 point lead going into the half. In typical fashion, the Clones let KSU come back and take a 1 point lead with 20 seconds left. They opt to hold for a last shot, and Diante Garrett shows up the Super-Freshmen from KSU with a pull up jumper as time runs out, propelling the Cyclones into a Saturday matchup with Kansas.
ISU Semifinals
Texas(1) vs Oklahoma(4)- In an all-south battle royale, the teams are again pretty opposite in style. The Longhorns rely on great guard play and athleticism while the Sooners try to crush you with their inside power. Although their strength got them through against Baylor, the Longhorns are a cut above the Bears. This one is tight much like the rest of the tournament, but Texas prevails and marches on the the finals.
Texas ISU(11) vs Kansas(2)- The other side of the semis will pit the unlikely matchup of Kansas and Iowa State. The Cyclones surprised two highly favored teams to make it to Saturday, but unfortunately the Jayhawks are too deep and only playing their second game of the tournament. For 30 minutes, it is a back and forth game, but in the end Kansas wears the Cyclones down and heads on to a rematch with Texas on Sunday.
Kansas
Texas(1) vs Kansas(2)- In a rematch of the earlier Texas victory in Austin and a showdown of the conference co-champs, this one is a slugfest. Kansas comes out firing on all-cylinders and looking for revenge, while Texas absorbs the blows and remains within 6 at the half. In the second half, DJ Augustin starts to hit, bringing Texas back to tie it up at the under 4 timeout. Down by 2, Kansas’ Mario Chalmers cans a 3 pointer with 8 seconds left to give the Jayhawks the lead, but AJ Abrams is fouled after pumpfaking on a three and goes to the line with no time left. He coolly knocks down a pair and the Longhorns take the tournament title to go with their regular season title.
Texas
**Honestly I think the conference is so strong top to bottom that you could make a case for about any team to win any game. If I was a betting man though (and I am) I would pick it exactly how I have it. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts and predictions as well.
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