Big XII Tourney: Early Look
by 54b on Mar 9, 2008 6:07 PM CDT
in Texas Longhorns Basketball
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PrintNo doubt we'll have much more on the Big XII Tournament as the week progresses, but I've been breaking down the seeding all weekend and figure we might as well get an early look...
First off, besides Texas securing the #1 seed, Nebraska was the big winner today and the biggest mover. With a loss today, they would have been seeded 10th, instead, the Corn winds up the 7th seed even though they have the same conf. records as OSU and Tech. I'm still looking for confirmation as to why they got the nod, but I believe the tie-breaker was overall record.
On to the match-ups...
THURSDAY, MARCH 13
Game 1, 11:30, #8 Texas Tech vs. #9 Oklahoma State
Early look: The two teams split the regular season meetings both winning at home. The last time they met was over a month ago. Neither team comes into the tourney with much momentum, but OSU has been playing a little better of late. I'd probably give the edge to OSU as they are a little better on the road and no doubt Sean Sutton is feeling the heat from the fans in Stillwater. Don't know that his job is at stake, but an early exit won't help.
Friday's Opponent: #1 Texas (Game 5, 11:30)
Game 2, 2:00, #5 Baylor vs. #12 Colorado
Early look: Baylor took the regular season contest rather convincingly up in Boulder. The Bears got their wake-up call recently losing at home to A&M and no doubt Scott Drew will press hard for another comfortable win not wanting to give the committee any reason to burst the Bear's Dance bubble. Edge to Baylor.
Friday's Opponent: #4 OU (Game 6, 2:00)
Game 3, 6:00, #7 Nebraska vs. #10 Missouri
Early look: The two teams split the regular season match-ups winning on each other's home courts. They last met about 3 weeks ago, Nebraska winning an OT thriller in Columbia. My edge goes to Nebraska who's played a lot better over the second-half of the season but with neither team having realistic post-season aspirations and KU awaiting the winner, it easily could go either way.
Friday's Opponent: #2 Kansas (Game 7, 6:00)
Game 4, 8:30, #6 Texas A&M vs. #11 Iowa State
Early look: The Aggies won the regular season in a walk in Ames. Like Baylor, A&M will be pushing hard for the win knowing one and maybe even two wins in the conf. tourney may be necessary to punch their ticket to the Dance. Edge: A&M
Friday's Opponent: #3 Kansas State (Game 8, 8:20)
From a BONer perspective: Can't ever argue with being awarded the #1 seed. Knowing we'll either be playing OSU or Tech for the second time in as many weeks isn't all that enticing, but neither of those teams have any real post-season aspirations and no doubt the winner will be tired after a hotly contested game while we come in on four-days rest.
Win on Friday and we'll likely get OU on Saturday. I like how we match up with the Sooners as they don't seem to have an answer for Augustin and I'd much rather play OU than K-State (and the Beasley factor) right now. Plus, if KU and K-State meet in the semifinals, that should be a pretty intense game for both, the winner being somewhat emotionally spent if we should meet them in the final. All in all, I think we've got the easiest path to the finals and I like our chances.
Thoughts?
--54b--
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I'm nervous
I think we're going to play OSU in our first game, and I expect to be a game similar to the one today.
I also expect Baylor to beat OU, and I really don't want to play BU either.
Crap, I just realized we won't have Durant to single-handedly carry us to comeback victories this time.
But really, we could be in the South regional regardless of what happens. I don't think we can control what region we're placed in. We could be in the South even if we lose the first game or win the whole tournament.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 9, 2008 6:52 PM CDT reply actions
Please let us get another crack at Tech... away
from the Hub City and their polluted water supply.
i agree
I think Baylor takes their game and the game vs. OU. This tourney for us probably has very little bearing on our seeding, IMO. We "could" still get a #1, but it might take lots of things happening. I'd prefer being in the South regardless.
Sooner or later, it'd be nice to win this tourney. However, being healthy and rested is more important.
Agree with the rested part
But I think our days dreaming of a #1 seed are over thanks to some whistle happy refs in SoCal.
IMO...UCLA, Memphis and NC have locked up #1 seeds regardless of conf. tourney outcomes and Tennessee will be hard to trump.
Regardless, I think a #2 seed, provided it resides in the southern regional is just as good as a #1 seed anywhere else.
Baylor definitely has the horses to take OU down, let's see if they have the heart.
Still possible
First Tennessee needs to stumble, so hope for an early loss in the SEC. UNC needs to beat Duke again, which could very well happen. Now it gets a bit tricky since a tournament final against Kansas comes too late. If the committee is making its decision between Tennessee and the Kansas-Texas winner, they probably go with Tennessee. So Kansas needs to go down to Kansas State in the semis so that Texas becomes the presumptive tournament winner. That give the committee a straight up choice between Texas and Tennessee, where our win over them may be decisive.
(Or maybe Rick Barnes could just get Mack Brown to whine us into a #1 seed.)
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