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Big 12 Tournament Preview: Kansas To Continue Dominance?

By Jacob Rude

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With the Big 12 tournament set to start on Wednesday, will we see the continued dominance of the Kansas Jayhawks or will Oklahoma, Iowa State, or someone else step up to stop Bill Self’s crew?

Think back to early March of 2003 about just how different college basketball was. College basketball fans didn’t even hate J.J. Redick yet, Dwyane Wade was about to unleash havoc on tournaments opponents in the coming weeks, and Carmelo Anthony was about to pull off the perfect one-and-done season.

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On that note, 2003 was the last time Kansas didn’t win the Big 12 regular season title, a truly dominant run that rivals nearly any other streak in college basketball history. However, that success hasn’t translated to the win-or-go-home format of the Big 12 tournament, having won “just” six of the last 11 tourneys.

In a season which may have been more hotly contested and featuring possibly the deepest conference possibly in history, there is no favorite for the four-day tournament. While Kansas may come in as the top seed, but squeaked by Iowa State and Oklahoma by just one game and certainly did not win in a landslide.

For a look at the bracket, which you can print off and keep track of at home, look here.

The Seeds:

Byes

#1 Kansas
#2 Iowa State
#3 Oklahoma
#4 Baylor
#5 West Virginia
#6 Oklahoma State

First Round Participants

#7 Texas
#8 Kansas State
#9 TCU
#10 Texas Tech

Bracket:

The Favorites:

Kansas – Obviously, the #1 seed will always be considered the favorites. Their first match-up will come against either Kansas State (who’ll they be looking for revenge on) or TCU (who they beat twice). Neither would likely give them a problem. From there, it’s a match-up against either West Virginia or Baylor, who both played the Jayhawks tough (the former notching a win over them). However, Kansas won the title in the regular season for a reason, and they likely should be favored all the way through.

Oklahoma – Perhaps no team in the Big 12 is hotter right now than the Sooners, who won 9 of their final 11 games (both losses on the road against Kansas State and Iowa State). They topped off the regular season with a dramatic, buzzer-beating win over Kansas to keep the momentum going. They very well could use that momentum to grab their first Big 12 tournament title since 2003.

Iowa State – The Cyclones will be the trendy pick in March, but they are a dangerous team. Led by likely Big 12 Player of the Year Georges Niang, Iowa State finished second in the conference with a 12-6 record. With Niang, anything is possible for this team, and they are just as capable as the other two teams.

The Dark Horse:

Texas – Maybe no team was more frustrating and disappointing this year than the Texas Longhorns (the maybe part is included thanks to the Florida Gators). Buoyed by an upset of Baylor late in the season, Joe Lunardi currently has the Longhorns among the last four in. However, that win was preceded by losses in eight of their previous 11 games. They have the talent to compete with anyone, and for the Longhorns to secure a spot in the tournament (and possibly Rick Barnes’ job), they’ll need to play with nothing to lose. If they’re “on,” they’re as dangerous a team in this tournament.

The (Predicted) Winner:

It’s easy to simply say Kansas would win. However, with Cliff Alexander battling eligibility issues, Perry Ellis battling injuries, and Kelly Oubre battling his hair (maybe), I’m not sure the Jayhawks have the fuel – or desire considering they’re pretty set in the tournament – to win this tournament.

Iowa State is the next favorite based on seeding, but they’ve only once won three consecutive games in 2015. Their inconsistency is an Achilles heel and the biggest thing that will keep them from tournament success.

Which brings us to Oklahoma, who we’ve already discussed being the hottest team in this tournament. On a neutral court, I would favor the Sooners over Oklahoma State (their first opponent) and both Iowa State and Texas (likely semi-final opponents). That would place them into the finals, where it’s a toss-up who they’ll play, but at that point, we’re looking at a Sooner team who 11 of 13 games and red, red-hot.

But seriously, don’t take my word for it. I predicted Michigan State would miss the tournament in mid-January. What do I know.

Next: College Basketball: Injuries Sure to Impact March Madness

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