Big 12 Basketball Tournament: Key storylines for TCU vs Oklahoma State

The TCU Horned Frogs and Oklahoma State Cowboys will face off in the first round of the Big 12 Basketball Conference Tournament on Wednesday. Here are three storylines to watch.

After two-and-a-half months of basketball, the Big 12 Basketball regular season has come to an end.

For two of those teams, the TCU Horned Frogs and Oklahoma State Cowboys, Wednesday’s Big 12 Tournament opener carries a different importance.

For the Cowboys, who are the 9-seed after a 5-13 performance in conference play, Wednesday’s game against TCU will be about looking to build momentum heading into next season. Oklahoma State didn’t live up to any expectations this season, and will look to maintain a positive mentality as the rebuild continues.

For the Horned Frogs, Wednesday’s game carries a massive deal of importance. At 19-12 the Horned Frogs are firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and with a loss, TCU is easily out of a picture. With a win, there’s a good chance that the Horned Frogs will clinch their second-consecutive NCAA tournament berth.

Both teams expect to fight hard on Wednesday, after splitting the season series. The first game, a nail-bitter in Fort Worth, ended on a J.D. Miller buzzer-beater, giving TCU the win. The second game wasn’t as close, as the Cowboys pulled off an upset at home in Stillwater.

In the rubber match of what is now a three-game series between the Horned Frogs and Cowboys, the odds greatly favor TCU. However, the Horned Frogs have been very inconsistent all season, and a determined Oklahoma State squad has the means to pull off another big upset against TCU.