The Kansas Jayhawks used a strong finish to the regular season to claim the Big 12 title, and now will aim to double up with a conference tournament title. Kansas shook off an inconsistent start and is now back to its rightful place among the top teams in the country.
While the Jayhawks should be favored to claim the conference tournament championship, there are some formidable foes aiming to knock them off, including nationally ranked Texas Tech and West Virginia.
This tournament means a lot to some of the lower-seeded teams as NCAA Tournament berths could hang in the balance depending on their showing. The Big 12 boasts some of the best teams in the country and this four-day extravaganza seems bound to showcase some thrillers and upsets.
Big 12 Tournament Schedule
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Sprint Center from Wednesday, March 7, 2018 through Saturday, March 10 on ESPNU and ESPN2. We'll have NCAA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game of the Big 12 Tournament.
Preliminary Round - Wednesday, March 7th
No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 9 Oklahoma, 6 p.m.
No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Iowa State, 8:00 p.m.
Quarterfinals - Thursday, March 8th
No. 4 Kansas State vs. No. 5 TCU, 11:30 a.m.
No. 1 Kansas vs. TBD, 1:30 p.m.
No. 2 Texas Tech vs. TBD, 6 p.m.
No. 3 West Virginia vs. No. 6 Baylor, 8 p.m.
Semifinals - Friday, March 9th
TBD at 6 p.m.
TBD at 8 p.m.
Championship - Saturday, March 10th
TBD at 5 p.m.
Odds Analysis
Kansas will head into the tournament as the favorite, but it did drop five of 18 games in the conference season, so there is certainly reason to think one of the other teams can emerge victorious. The Jayhawks catch a break in that Texas Tech and West Virginia are on the other side of the bracket and seem to be on a collision course to play each other in the semifinals.
Kansas could be looking at a matchup against TCU in the semifinals, but that would be an easier contest than playing the Red Raiders or the Mountaineers. The Jayhawks may not have overwhelming odds to win the Big 12 Tournament, but they should be favored.
Bubble Watch
The Oklahoma Sooners were ranked as one of the top teams in the country earlier this season but have hit a massive slide and are now projected to sneak into the March Madness tournament with barely any room to spare. Point guard Trae Young is super talented but he has fallen off in the second half of the season and isn’t getting a ton of help. The Sooners would like to win their first-round matchup over Oklahoma State in order to ease their minds.
The Cowboys are projected to be right on the bubble as well, and seemingly need to beat Oklahoma to have a shot at the NCAA Tournament. The winner plays Kansas, and an upset there would basically cince a spot.
Texas is a team that is also on the bubble, and the Longhorns hope to knock off Iowa State in the first round of the conference tournament to boost their chances. Baylor is another team right on the edge of making it, so there will be a lot of implications to however the first few rounds go for these teams.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
The early rounds are going to be fun to watch, as the Big 12 has some solid depth. The quarterfinals won’t be easy for any of the top seeds, and don’t be surprised if a favorite or two falls. While Kansas may have the best collection of talent, the choice is for West Virginia to navigate a tough schedule and come away with the conference tournament crown, which should have the Mountaineers feeling good going into March Madness.
NCAA Odds: West Virginia 84, Kansas 82 in the Big 12 Championship Game
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