Big 12 MBB Conference Tournament Predictions

March! March is here and the whole sports world turns its attention to college basketball. Before March Madness, conference tournaments make or break bubble teams, determine national seeding, and occasionally birth underdogs known as "bid stealers". In this article, I break down the Big 12 tournament, featuring the favorite Kansas Jayhawks, as well as one of the most experienced teams in the country in the Texas Longhorns.

First Round (3/9)

9 West Virginia over 8 Kansas State

Analysis: Due to Oklahoma State's postseason ban, the first round features only one game. West Virginia has been incredibly disappointing this season, but they've demonstrated the ability to compete with the top of the conference. Senior G Taz Sherman is the superstar of the team, averaging 18.3 PPG. Kansas State is led largely by Nijel Pack, a sophomore averaging 17.4 PPG and shooting 43.6% from deep. The season series was split, so this game really is a toss up. I'll take the pedigree of the Mountaineers to propel them to victory.

Quarterfinals (3/10)

4 Texas over 5 TCU

1 Kansas over 9 West Virginia

2 Baylor over 7 Oklahoma

3 Texas Tech over 6 Iowa State

Analysis: Texas was expected to be a top team in the nation, while TCU was picked to finish 8th in the Big 12 before the season. Although Texas won both regular season meetings, TCU has been stacking some impressive wins lately, including wins over Texas Tech and Kansas. The Horned Frogs are subpar from the three-point line, so success from G Francisco Farabello, who shoots 38.5% from three, would go a long way towards a win. Texas is a veteran team that starts five seniors who all have postseason experience, which is a major plus for the Longhorns. I'll take Texas to narrowly beat TCU. I previously mentioned that West Virginia was able to compete with the cream of the crop in the Big 12, but Kansas was not one of the teams they could compete with. Kansas G Ochai Agbaji should dominate a West Virginia defense that doesn't resemble the elite "Press Virginia" units. Kansas by double digits. Don't let Oklahoma's under .500 conference record fool you, these Sooners can play. EWU F/C transfer Tanner Groves has been a steady presence in Norman, and although he's lacked consistency, G Jordan Goldwire is a difference maker. Baylor has been plagued with injuries, including the loss of big man Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchou for the year, but this team keeps on moving forward. Since his injury, forwards Jeremy Sochan and Flo Thamba have stepped up to fill "Everyday Jon's" role. Guards Adam Flagler and L.J. Cryer are marksmen from three, expect big performances from them in a Baylor win. To conclude the quarterfinals, the country's best defense (Texas Tech) takes on possibly the most surprising success story in all of college basketball this year (Iowa State). Iowa State was able to defeat Texas Tech in Ames in a defensive battle, although the Red Raiders returned the favor back in Lubbock. G Izaiah Brockington IS the Iowa State Cyclones team. Brockington averages 17.5 PPG and 7.2 RPG. Simply put, ISU can't win without a strong performance from Brockington. TTU has several players that can score at a high rate, including G Terrence Shannon Jr., who has dealt with injuries throughout the season. In a low scoring affair, I have Texas Tech moving on.

Semifinals (3/11)

1 Kansas over 4 Texas

2 Baylor over 3 Texas Tech

Analysis: Both regular season tilts between Kansas and Texas were incredible, so expect this matchup to be electric. Texas starts four guards and doesn't have a single player that stands higher than 6'9". With that being noted, Kansas should play this game through senior big man David McCormack, who totaled 38 points and 17 rebounds split between two regular season games against UT. Texas isn't a stellar shooting team, but to defeat the Jayhawks, they must make some threes down the stretch. I wouldn't bank on Texas shooting well enough, Kansas should move to the title game. While the first game may be a barn burner, Baylor and Texas Tech are gritty teams that turn defense into offense. Texas Tech defeated Baylor twice in the regular season, although their second matchup was Baylor's first game without Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua. Scott Drew will have his team prepared, as will Mark Adams. The key to this game is Baylor G James Akinjo, who averages 13.5 PPG, 5.8 APG, 2.0 SPG, but also a worrisome 3.1 TOPG. The Bears don't need Akinjo to score a ton, they simply need him to be efficient and limit his turnovers. He's an experienced player, so I'll guess Akinjo does his job and helps Baylor get into the championship.

Championship

1 Kansas over 2 Baylor (3/12)

Analysis: The class of the Big 12, I expect this game to come down to the final whistle. Kansas embarrassed Baylor in Lawrence and it looked like the Jayhawks would rout Baylor in Waco, but a huge night from F Flo Thamba led the Bears to a thrilling comeback victory. Both teams shoot incredibly well and play tough defense, the difference between these two teams is truly negligible. When in doubt, I'm gonna side with the team that has the best overall player and that would be Kansas with G Ochai Agbaji. Kansas wins another Big 12 title.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! Can Izaiah Brockington elevate Iowa State? Will Oklahoma catch fire? Who do you have winning the tournament? Let me know in the comments down below!

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Note: Thank you to FanDuel for the graphic provided at the top of the article