The Big 12 had more parity than any other league in the country this season, and despite all the false alarms, with the supposed rises of Iowa State and Oklahoma, Kansas wound up winning the league for the 12th straight year. That's a monumental feat, but it doesn't mean the Jayhawks have the conference tournament locked up.
The Big 12 is the strongest conference in the country, according to KenPom.com, and it's not particularly close. Seven of the conference's 10 teams -- Kansas, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Texas, Baylor, Iowa State and Texas Tech -- are locks for the NCAA Tournament, and Kansas State has a chance to make the NIT.
Although Kansas has been the class of the league in the regular season, the league tournament looks to be wide open. Iowa State has won the past two Big 12 tournaments, and the Jayhawks have won the tournament just once in their past four tries. However, KU will enjoy a home-court advantage, as the tournament is played at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.
The Format
The bottom four teams play on Wednesday, which means No. 8 Kansas State will play No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 7 Texas Tech will play No. 10 TCU. The top six teams get byes. No. 1 Kansas plays the Kansas State/Oklahoma State winner, while No. 2 West Virginia plays the Texas Tech/TCU winner. No. 4 Texas plays No. 5 Baylor and No. 3 Oklahoma plays No. 6 Iowa State. The semifinals are on Friday and the championship is on Saturday.
The Teams
1. Kansas
2. West Virginia
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas
5. Baylor
6. Iowa State
7. Texas Tech
8. Kansas State
9. Oklahoma State
10. TCU
The Bracket
You can see the full bracket here. You can stream all of the games at WatchESPN.
Schedule and Results (all times Eastern)
Wednesday, March 9 (First Round)
Game 1: No. 8 Kansas State 75, No. 9 Oklahoma State 71
Game 2: No. 10 TCU 67, No. 7 Texas Tech 62
Thursday, March 10 (Quarterfinals)
Game 3: No. 5 Baylor 76, No. 4 Texas 61
Game 4: No. 1 Kansas 85, No. 8 Kansas State 63
Game 5: No. 2 West Virginia 86 vs.TCU 66
Game 6: No. 3 Oklahoma 79, No. 6 Iowa State 76
Friday, March 11 (Semifinals)
Game 7: No. 1 Kansas 70, No. 5 Baylor 66
Game 8: No. 2 West Virginia 69, No. 3 Oklahoma 67
Sunday, March 12 (Championship)
Game 9: No. 1 Kansas 81, No. 2 West Virginia 71