TEAM W L LAST WEEK THIS WEEK Missouri 8 2 W at UT, 67-66; W vs. KU, 74-71 Mon at OU; Sat vs. BU Kansas 8 2 W vs. OU, 84-62; L at Miz, 74-71 Wed at BU; Sat vs. OSU Baylor 8 2 W at A&M, 63-60; W at OSU, 64-60 Wed vs. KU; Sat at Miz Iowa State 7 3 W vs. KSU, 72-70; W at OU, 77-70 Tue at OSU; Sat vs. A&M Kansas State 5 5 L at ISU, 72-70; W vs. A&M, 64-53 Tue vs. Tech; Sat at UT Texas 4 6 L vs. Miz, 67-66; W vs. Tech, 75-57 Mon at A&M; Sat vs. KSU Oklahoma State 4 6 W at Tech, 80-63; L vs. BU, 64-60 Tue vs. ISU; Sat at KU Texas A&M 3 7 L vs. BU, 63-60; L at KSU, 64-53 Mon vs. UT; Sat at ISU Oklahoma 3 7 L at KU, 84-62; L vs. ISU, 77-70 Mon vs. Miz; Sat at Tech Texas Tech 0 10 L vs. OSU, 80-63; L at UT, 74-57 Tue at KSU; Sat vs. OU

The big picture

The Iowa State Cyclones continued to keep themselves in the running for an improbable conference title, taking care of Kansas State at home before knocking off OU on the road. The home victory against Kansas State came after the ‘Clones had trailed by as much as 14 early in the second half. Royce White hit the game-winner at the last second after pump-faking Rodney McGruder out of his shoes, giving the sophomore the most important two points of his 22 that night. Saturday’s win was equally impressive, as Iowa State used a barrage of threes to make up for the fact that White only took — and made — one shot. Now just one game out of first place, the Cyclones have to avoid stumbling on the road against lesser foes if they want to keep their hopes of a miracle title intact.

One team that Iowa State could catch over the next week is Baylor. The Bears have a tough week ahead, as they host Kansas on Wednesday before traveling to Missouri on Saturday. Those two teams are the only ones to have knocked off Baylor so far this season, and the Bears looked rather vulnerable over the last week. As has been the case all season, Baylor made things interesting against both A&M and Oklahoma State, but emerged victorious in both road tests. The Bears defeated the Aggies and Cowboys by a combined seven points, pushing their record in two-possession games to 7-1 on the year.

At the bottom of the standings, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech all went 0-for-2 on the week, increasing the odds that they will all be playing on the first day of the Big 12 Championship. The Red Raiders are now eight games away from the dreaded 0-for-conference mark, something that hasn’t happened in the Big 12 since Melvin Watkins and the Aggies went 0-16 in the 2003-04 season, followed by a first-round exit in the conference tournament. Tech still has home games remaining against both A&M and Oklahoma, which provide the team’s best chances to avoid history. “Best” is a relative term in this case, as Ken Pomeroy still only gives the Red Raiders less than a 30% chance to win each game.

Mid-week games

Missouri at Oklahoma; Monday, 6 P.M. CT (ESPNU)
The Tigers are coming off of an emotionally-charged victory over hated rival Kansas on Saturday, and have another big home game against Baylor coming up this Saturday. If there were ever a game that Missouri might get caught overlooking, this would be it. Unfortunately, Lon Kruger and the Sooners are far too good for anyone to take a night off when facing them. Oklahoma hung tough with Kansas in the first half of both of their meetings this season, and kept things close with Baylor until late in the game. If the Tigers aren’t ready from the opening tip, they could go 0-2 in their visits to the state of Oklahoma this season.

Fortunately for Missouri, star Marcus Denmon seems to have broken out of his slump. After shooting 11-for-43 (25.6%) from the field against Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Texas, the senior guard carried the Tigers to victory in the final minutes against Kansas. Denmon shot 62.5% from the floor en route to a 29-point performance, his second-best scoring output of the season, eclipsed only by a 31-point game in an early December win over Northwestern State.

Texas at Texas A&M; Monday, 8 P.M. CT (ESPN)
The LRT preview of the Texas/Texas A&M game will be available later today.

Iowa State at Oklahoma State; Tuesday, 6 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
The Cyclones of Transfer U, led by Fred Hoiberg, have made quite an impression in Big 12 play. After early-season losses to Drake and Northern Iowa, the Cyclones seemed destined for another season near the cellar of the conference. Instead, all of the new faces in the red and gold have finally gelled, and Iowa State is now firmly situated on the right side of the bubble discussion. Iowa State is 4-1 at home in conference play, with their only road losses coming against Texas and Kansas. If the Cyclones can continue to take care of business on the road in games like this one, their home-court advantage will keep them right in the mix with the Jayhawks, Bears, and Tigers at the top of the standings.

Of course, the Cowboys have looked quite intimidating at home lately. The Pokes notched a big upset over Missouri nearly two weeks ago, and had Baylor in danger on Saturday. The emergence of Markel Brown coupled with Le’Bryan Nash finally living up to the hype has made Oklahoma State a scary team to face, even with their depth concerns. The Cyclones aren’t built to take advantage of OSU’s thin frontcourt, so this one will likely be a dogfight until the final buzzer. Brown and Nash have combined to average 32.8 points over the team’s last four games. If they can keep up that kind of output down the stretch, OSU is going to be a tough out in every single game.

Texas Tech at Kansas State; Tuesday, 7 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
Texas Tech could not have come to town at a better time for Frank Martin and the Wildcats. K-State has dropped two of its last three games, with road trips to Texas, Baylor, and Missouri coming over the next two weeks, sandwiched around a home date against Kansas. The Wildcats have slipped from the top four in the league standings to sole possession of fifth, two games behind the Cyclones and just one ahead of the Longhorns and Cowboys. Kansas State has a strong profile to make its case for the NCAAs, but a dive-bomb over the final few weeks of the season could make things dicey. A dominating win on Tuesday night against an overmatched Texas Tech squad should do wonders for rebuilding the confidence of the KSU players before they face a very tough stretch of the schedule.

Kansas at Baylor; Wednesday, 6 P.M. CT (ESPN)
The first of two huge games for Baylor and the Big 12 comes on Wednesday night at the Ferrell Center in Waco. Last year, these two teams met with just as much fanfare in a Big Monday showdown in Waco. Kansas quickly put any questions of league supremacy to rest with an 85-65 blowout win, perhaps the turning point in a season that quickly went downhill for Baylor.

This year, the situation was similar, although the location had changed. Baylor came into Allen Fieldhouse on MLK Day with an unblemished record and a gaudy national ranking. The first half of the game was what everyone had hoped for, but an incredible performance by Tyshawn Taylor fueled the rowdy home crowd and propelled the Jayhawks to an 18-point victory. The Bears have been tested by many of the league’s middle-tier and lower-tier teams. The real question is whether Baylor plays to the level of its competition, or if this supremely talented bunch just lacks a killer instinct to put games away. Against a team like Kansas, the Bears have to hope it’s the former.

TEAM W L LAST WEEK THIS WEEK Kansas 7 1 W vs. A&M, 64-54; L at ISU, 72-64 Wed vs. OU; Sat at Miz Missouri 7 2 L at OSU, 79-72; W vs. Tech, 63-50 W at UT, 67-66; Sat vs. KU Baylor 6 2 W at OU, 77-65; W vs. UT, 76-71 Wed at A&M; Sat at OSU Iowa State 5 3 L at UT, 62-55; W vs. KU, 72-64 Tue vs. KSU; Sat at OU Kansas State 4 4 W at Tech, 69-47; L vs. OU, 63-60 Tue at ISU; Sat vs. A&M Texas A&M 3 5 L at KU, 64-54; W vs. OSU, 76-61 Wed vs. BU; Sat at KSU Oklahoma State 3 5 W vs. Miz, 79-72; L at A&M, 76-61 Tue at Tech; Sat vs. BU Oklahoma 3 5 L vs. BU, 77-65; W at KSU, 63-60 Wed at KU; Sat vs. ISU Texas 3 6 W vs. ISU, 62-55; L at BU, 76-71 L vs. Miz, 67-66; Sat vs. Tech Texas Tech 0 8 L vs. KSU, 69-47; L at Miz, 63-50 Tue vs. OSU; Sat at UT

The big picture

Five days ago, it looked like the Kansas Jayhawks could be well on their way to yet another conference title. They had taken care of the Baylor Bears at home, knocking the upstarts from Waco out of the ranks of the undefeated. Five days later, the Bears suffered another setback at home against Missouri, putting them a full two games back of KU. The Tigers had already stumbled on the road to Kansas State early in the conference season, and hoped to keep the Jayhawks within reach heading into their home-and-home series. Instead, Oklahoma State gave the Jayhawks even more padding in the standings by pulling off a big upset over the Tigers at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

With a two-game cushion, the Jayhawks had slight room for error. Unfortunately, they used their mulligan right away, tripping up on the road against Iowa State on Saturday. Missouri looked shaky in wins over Texas Tech and Texas, but managed to stay just a half-game behind their rivals. With the Jayhawks facing Missouri, Baylor, and Kansas State on the road over the next two weeks, things are about to get very interesting.

In the middle of the standings, Kansas State suffered a home loss to the Sooners, giving OU a season sweep of the Wildcats. Coupled with Iowa State’s statement win over the Jayhawks, it looks like there could soon be a very clear division between the league’s top four teams and its bottom six. If the Cyclones can take care of business at home against the ‘Cats tonight, it will only widen the gap.

Mid-week games

Oklahoma State at Texas Tech; Tuesday, 7 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)

Meteorologist and tempo-free guru Ken Pomeroy gives the Red Raiders a 29% chance to finish the Big 12 slate winless. Of course, their best chances to avoid the conference skunking is when playing some of the league’s other bottom feeders at the friendly confines of United Spirit Arena.

While Oklahoma State finally played up to expectations in their upset of Missouri last Wednesday, the Pokes have just a 2-9 record in games away from Gallagher-Iba. If Billy Gillispie and the Red Raiders are going to avoid a dubious historical distinction, this is one of their best chances to do so. Shut down Le’Bryan Nash, and Oklahoma State becomes a very pedestrian team.

Kansas State at Iowa State; Tuesday, 8 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
Kansas State has been one of the toughest teams to figure out in the Big 12. The Wildcats looked great in a home win over Missouri and played tough in a narrow loss to Baylor. But in two games against the Oklahoma Sooners, Kansas State looked like a completely different team. Frank Martin had his overachieving bunch in the top half of the league standings, but their recent schneid has them gravitating towards the mess at the bottom of the standings.

Tonight, the game could very well be won on the perimeter. Iowa State brings in a lofty 37.6% team mark from behind the arc, including a pair of guards in Scott Christopherson and sixth man Tyrus McGee who are making over 41% of their three pointers. Kansas State, meanwhile, has the 15th-best perimeter defense in the country, led by the quick hands of Martavious Irving. While all eyes will be on constant double-double threat Royce White, this one could be decided by the smallest guys on the floor.

Baylor at Texas A&M; Wednesday, 8 P.M. CT (ESPN2)

It wasn’t long ago that the Battle on the Brazos was turning into quite the basketball rivalry. In 2008, the teams played an unforgettable five-overtime thriller that was only seen by those in the building and those dedicated enough to watch an online stream from A&M’s website. Less than two months later, the rematch was a heated affair that involved benches clearing and bottles being thrown on the court, further fueling the hatred between the two fanbases.

With Texas A&M predicted by league coaches to win the Big 12, and with Baylor sporting a lineup rich with NBA prospects, this year’s pair of games appeared to be potential classics on paper. Instead, the Aggies have failed to live up to expectations, dropping to the bottom of the league standings. A&M’s move to the SEC next season means that this will be the last time these two teams play in the regular season for quite some time, but the apathetic Aggie fanbase doesn’t seem to care. Yesterday, A&M slashed upper-level tickets to just $10 for the final installment of this rivalry. It’s a sad way to see this entertaining series come to an end.

Oklahoma at Kansas; Wednesday, 8 P.M. CT (ESPNU)
The Jayhawks can’t get caught looking ahead to the Border War on Saturday, as Oklahoma has proven to be a dangerous team under first-year coach Lon Kruger. The first time these two teams met, the Sooners held a 34-33 edge at the break in Norman. Travis Releford led a second-half Jayhawk surge, scoring a career-high 28 points to lead his team to the road win.

Winning at Allen Fieldhouse is a nearly impossible task, but even Texas A&M made the Jayhawks sweat last Monday when they brought an injured team to Lawrence and fought Kansas until the final minutes. The Sooners are fresh off a road win against Kansas State, so their confidence won’t be lacking in this one. While Oklahoma probably doesn’t have the horses to pull off the improbable upset, they can certainly be competitive with the Jayhawks.

TEAM W L THIS WEEK NEXT WEEK Kansas 7 0 W vs. A&M, 64-54; Sat at ISU Wed vs. OU; Sat at Mizzou Missouri 5 2 L at OSU, 79-72; Sat vs. Tech Mon at UT; Sat vs. KU Baylor 5 2 W at OU, 77-65; Sat vs. UT Wed at A&M; Sat at OSU Iowa State 4 3 L at UT, 62-55; Sat vs. KU Tue vs. KSU; Sat at OU Kansas State 4 3 W at Tech, 69-47; Sat vs. OU Tue at ISU; Sat vs. A&M Texas 3 4 W vs. ISU, 62-55; Sat at BU Mon vs. Mizzou; Sat vs. Tech Oklahoma State 3 4 W vs. Mizzou, 79-72; Sat at A&M Tue at Tech; Sat vs. BU Texas A&M 2 5 L at KU, 64-54; Sat vs. OSU Wed vs. BU; Sat at KSU Oklahoma 2 5 L vs. BU, 77-65; Sat at KSU Wed at KU; Sat vs. ISU Texas Tech 0 7 L vs. KSU, 69-47; Sat at Mizzou Tue vs. OSU; Sat at UT

Texas at Baylor; Saturday, 12 P.M. CT (CBS)
A full preview of the Texas/Baylor game will be available late Friday night.

Texas Tech at Missouri; Saturday, 12:30 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
The Red Raiders already faced long odds to win their first league game of the season when they take on Mizzou in Columbia tomorrow afternoon. But following Mizzou’s loss at Oklahoma State on Wednesday night, you can be sure that the Tigers have had a few days of intense practices to get them ready for their next opponent.

Missouri has not lost to Tech in Columbia since the 2005 season, and the Tigers have won 13 straight home games against conference opponents not named Kansas. Ken Pomeroy gives Tech a 1% chance to win the game, but even that might be a little high.

Kansas at Iowa State; Saturday, 1 P.M. CT (ESPN)
It’s a battle of big men in Ames on Saturday, as Thomas Robinson and Royce White square off once more. Both players are averaging double-doubles against conference opponents, with Robinson posting 17.9 points and 11.7 boards per game, while White owns a 13.9/10.9 line against Big 12 foes.

The Cyclones hung tough in the first meeting between these two teams, trailing by just two points with 6:37 to go. The Kansas defense clamped down, however, limiting Iowa State to just one field goal and a free throw the rest of the way to preserve another home victory. The ‘Clones haven’t defeated Kansas in their last 13 meetings, but the gold-clad sellout crowd expected at Hilton tomorrow afternoon could help to end that streak.

Oklahoma State at Texas A&M; Saturday, 3 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
Fans finally saw the Le’Bryan Nash that scouting services had drooled over in high school, as the freshman phenom carried the Cowboys to a monumental win over 2nd-ranked Missouri on Wednesday night. Nash scored a career-high 27 points, including 13 in a 3:22 stretch that erased a late Missouri lead and put Oklahoma State up for good.

The Aggies also performed well in their test against a Top 5 opponent, but faded down the stretch at Kansas on Monday night. Most impressive for A&M was the fact that they competed with the Jayhawks despite not having the services of Khris Middleton and with Dash Harris hobbled by a foot injury at the half. Middleton’s status for tomorrow’s game is still unknown, but the Aggies have actually looked better at times without their star.

Oklahoma at Kansas State; Saturday, 6 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
Coach Frank Martin was so frustrated by big man Jordan Henriquez and his lack of effort that he limited him to just eight minutes when K-State lost to the Sooners two weeks ago. Four days later, he was again only on the court for eight minutes in a narrow home win over Texas, and was then suspended for the game against Oklahoma State. Reinstated in time for the Texas Tech game on Wednesday night, Henriquez only played three minutes and notched just a pair of free throws.

In the first meeting between these teams, OU big men Andrew Fitzgerald and Romero Osby combined for 39 points on 83% shooting from the field. While the home-court advantage of Bramlage Coliseum is certainly going to make the atmosphere a bit different this time around, the Wildcats will need to perform better in the post. With Henriquez playing just eight minutes in the first meeting, Thomas Gipson and Jamar Samuels couldn’t stop the Sooner big men. If they struggle the same way tomorrow night, the Sooners could escape the Little Apple with a rare road win.

TEAM W L LAST WEEK THIS WEEK Kansas 6 0 W vs. BU, 92-74; W at UT, 69-66 Mon vs. A&M; Sat at ISU Missouri 5 1 W vs A&M, 70-51; W at BU, 89-88 Wed at OSU; Sat vs. Tech Baylor 4 2 L at KU, 92-74; L vs. Mizzou, 89-88 Tue at OU; Sat vs. UT Iowa State 4 2 W vs. OSU, 71-68; W at Tech, 76-52 Tue at UT; Sat vs. KU Kansas State 3 3 W vs. UT, 84-80; W at OSU, 66-58 Wed at Tech; Sat vs. OU Texas 2 4 L at KSU, 84-80; L vs. KU, 69-66 Tue vs. ISU; Sat at BU Oklahoma State 2 4 L at ISU, 71-68; L vs. KSU, 66-58 Wed vs. Mizzou; Sat at A&M Texas A&M 2 4 L at Mizzou, 70-51; W vs. OU, 81-75 (OT) Mon at KU; Sat vs. OSU Oklahoma 2 4 W vs. Tech, 66-54; L at A&M, 81-75 (OT) Tue vs. BU; Sat at KSU Texas Tech 0 6 L at OU, 66-54; L vs. ISU, 76-52 Wed vs. KSU; Sat at Mizzou

Texas A&M at Kansas; Monday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPN)
Most Longhorn fans remember that their favorite team’s victory at Allen Fieldhouse last year was the first in 70 tries for Kansas road opponents. What some may not recall is that the previous team to knock off the Jayhawks in Lawrence was the Texas A&M Aggies, all the way back on February 3rd of 2007. This year’s A&M team has been a massive disappointment, struggling to a 2-4 conference start despite returning one of the top two nuclei in the Big 12. The Aggie offense is only one spot out of the cellar in the Big 12 rankings, so it could be a very rough night for A&M against a Kansas defense that is one of the three toughest in the nation.

Baylor at Oklahoma; Tuesday, 7:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
Baylor set a school record with their 17-0 start, but took it on the chin in their first two battles with the other conference contenders. The Bears hung with Kansas at Phog Allen for a half last Monday, but fell apart down the stretch. Porous defense at home against Mizzou ended in a one-point loss, putting Baylor two games out of first place after one-third of the conference slate. If the Bears are to remain contenders, they have to defend their home court and avoid laying any eggs against the league’s lesser teams on the road. The Sooners might be just 2-4 in conference play, but they have one of the top 15 offensive rebounding marks in the country, something that could be a major boost against a Baylor team that is surprisingly ineffective on the defensive glass.

Iowa State at Texas; Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. CT (Longhorn Network)
A full preview of the Iowa State/Texas game will be available on Tuesday.

Missouri at Oklahoma State; Wednesday, 6:30 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
Like Baylor, the Tigers have to take care of business if they want to keep pace with Kansas. The Tigers and Jayhawks still have both games of the Border War series left to play, so winning against the conference’s bottom feeders will keep Mizzou in prime position to make a move with head-to-head victories over KU. The biggest knock on the Tigers coming into this season was their lack of a post presence following the injury of Laurence Bowers, but Flip Pressey and the Mizzou guards are making big man Ricardo Ratliffe look like an All-American. He’s already been putting up incredible numbers against the big frontlines of Kansas State and Baylor, so one can only imagine what he’ll do against an undersized Oklahoma State squad.

Kansas State at Texas Tech; Wednesday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPNU)
The Red Raiders have an offensive efficiency mark in the bottom 100 of D-I hoops, turn it over on more than a quarter of their possessions, and are one of the worst 15 teams in the nation when it comes to putting opponents on the foul line. That’s a recipe for disaster against a Kansas State team that bruises their way to the line and shuts down opponents with a stifling defense that forces miscues. Of course, United Spirit Arena is always good for an upset or two, and Tech has hit nearly 37% of their threes on the season. As many teams discover in conference play, oftentimes all it takes to get surprised on the road is for a team to heat up from long range. If the Wildcats can limit the perimeter damage, their physical advantages should be enough to avoid an unfortunate roadblock.

TEAM W L THIS WEEK NEXT WEEK Kansas 5 0 W vs. BU, 92-74; Sat at UT Mon vs. A&M; Sat at ISU Baylor 4 1 L at KU, 92-74; Sat vs. Mizzou Tue at OU; Sat vs. UT Missouri 4 1 W vs A&M, 70-51; Sat at BU Wed at OSU; Sat vs. Tech Iowa State 3 2 W vs. OSU, 71-68; Sat at Tech Tue at UT; Sat vs. KU Kansas State 2 3 W vs. UT, 84-80; Sat at OSU Wed at Tech; Sat vs. OU Oklahoma 2 3 W vs. Tech, 66-54; Sat at A&M Tue vs. BU; Sat at KSU Oklahoma State 2 3 L at ISU, 71-68; Sat vs. KSU Wed vs. Mizzou; Sat at A&M Texas 2 3 L at KSU, 84-80; Sat vs. KU Tue vs. ISU; Sat at BU Texas A&M 1 4 L at Mizzou, 70-51; Sat vs. OU Mon at KU; Sat vs. OSU Texas Tech 0 5 L at OU, 66-54; Sat vs. ISU Wed vs. KSU; Sat at Mizzou

Kansas State at Oklahoma State; Saturday, 12:30 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
The Wildcats survived their tough opening slate, finishing 1-2 against the league’s top three teams, but turned around and dropped a game in Norman last Saturday. After hanging on to beat Texas at home Wednesday night, Frank Martin and K-State now look to even their record as they travel to Gallagher-Iba Arena. Yesterday’s suspension of big man Jordan Henriquez means that it will be up to Thomas Gipson and Jamar Samuels to hold things down in the frontcourt. Fortunately for K-State, Oklahoma State doesn’t have much of a presence in the lane, so it will be hard for the Pokes to exploit the sudden loss of depth in the Wildcat frontcourt.

Missouri at Baylor; Saturday, 1:00 P.M. CT (ESPN)
Never in the history of the Big 12 has there been a meeting of two league members ranked in the top five nationally where one of the jerseys didn’t read “Kansas” or “Texas.” While that makes Saturday’s top-five showdown between Missouri and Baylor a historic event, the more immediate ramifications of the game resonate a little more loudly. In addition to staying close to Kansas in the standings, the winner also gets to add a big-time win to their tournament résumé, something that will be crucial to earning a favorable road through the NCAAs.

The two regional sites closest to the Big 12 footprint are in St. Louis and Atlanta. The committee tends to shy away from putting a 1-seed and 2-seed from the same conference in the same regional, so if the Big 12 champion earns a spot in St. Louis, the league’s second-best team could end up being shipped out to Atlanta or Phoenix. For Baylor, that might not be a big difference, but for a Tiger team that would practically be playing home games at the Edward Jones Dome, it’s an important thing to consider. Of course, Kentucky could earn that top seed line in St. Louis instead of Atlanta, once again proving why it’s ridiculous for me to even be writing about these scenarios on January 20th.

Kansas at Texas; Saturday, 3:00 P.M. CT (CBS)
A full preview of the Kansas/Texas game will be available in the wee hours of Friday night/Saturday morning.

Oklahoma at Texas A&M; Saturday, 3:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
The Aggies are one of the most disappointing teams in college basketball right now, and it’s tough to find a reason why. The team returned a big chunk of last year’s roster and was competitive in the 2KSports Classic back in November, even though star Khris Middleton was injured. Yet over the last three-plus weeks, the Aggies have developed an allergy to the basket that is shocking even for a program that typically plays tough, defense-first basketball. A&M has posted an offensive efficiency of more than 0.85 points per possession just once in league play, and that was against cellar-dwelling Texas Tech.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, has been on the other end of the spectrum. Predicted to be one of the two or three worst teams in the Big 12, Lon Kruger has the Sooners competitive again in his first year on the job. While they were blown out in their conference opener against Missouri, the Sooners hung with Kansas for most of the game on January 7th, and even pulled off an upset over Kansas State at Lloyd Noble last weekend. If OU is truly going to compete for the middle rungs of the league standings, they will have to win road games against those teams below them in the standings. A win at A&M tomorrow afternoon keeps them on the right track and levels their league record at 3-3. A loss simply drops them down to the part of the standings in which most pundits had predicted them to finish.

Iowa State at Texas Tech; Saturday, 4:00 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
The Cyclones have been another surprise team in league play, but they were unable to steal a big win against Missouri or Kansas last week. This week’s pair of games against Oklahoma State and Texas Tech were supposed to be easy wins to get the Cyclones back on track before a three-game gauntlet of Texas, Kansas, and Kansas State. Instead, it took a banked-in Scott Christopherson three-pointer at the buzzer for Iowa State to knock off the Cowboys at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday night. No matter how good or bad Texas Tech is on any given year, they always seem to surprise a team or two at United Spirit Arena, so the Cyclones will have to avoid a letdown game in advance of their trip to the Erwin Center on Tuesday night.

TEAM W L LAST WEEK THIS WEEK Baylor 4 0 W at KSU, 75-73; W vs. OSU, 106-65 Mon at KU; Sat vs. Mizzou Kansas 4 0 W at Tech, 81-46; W vs. ISU, 82-73 Mon vs. BU; Sat at UT Missouri 3 1 W at ISU, 76-69; W vs. UT, 84-73 Mon vs A&M; Sat at BU Iowa State 2 2 L vs. Mizzou, 76-69; L at KU, 82-73 Wed vs. OSU; Sat at Tech Texas 2 2 W vs. A&M, 61-51; L at Mizzou, 84-73 Wed at KSU; Sat vs. KU Oklahoma State 2 2 W vs. OU, 72-65; L at BU, 106-65 Wed at ISU; Sat vs. KSU Oklahoma 1 3 L at OSU, 72-65; W vs. KSU, 82-73 Tue vs. Tech; Sat at A&M Kansas State 1 3 L vs. BU, 75-73; L at OU, 82-73 Wed vs. UT; Sat at OSU Texas A&M 1 3 L at UT, 61-51; W vs. Tech, 67-54 Mon at Mizzou; Sat vs. OU Texas Tech 0 4 L vs. KU, 81-46; L at A&M, 67-54 Tue at OU; Sat vs. ISU

The big picture

The league’s top three teams maintained order this week, as Baylor, Kansas, and Missouri pulled away from the pack and handed Iowa State its first two losses. We’ll likely get a little more clarity on the pecking order amongst the league’s elites, as Baylor tackles a tough week that includes a road trip to Lawrence and a home game against fellow top-ten team Missouri. Iowa State has a fairly easy draw this week, while Texas and Oklahoma State could easily both go 0-2. By this time next week, there could be a significant separation between the league’s top four and the middle of the Big 12 pack.

Mid-week games

Texas A&M at Mizzou; Monday, 4:30 P.M. CT (ESPN)

The Aggies have defeated the Tigers in their last eight meetings, a streak dating back to the 2004 season. Missouri actually chalked up two wins against A&M that year, as it was the famous “0-for-conference” season for Melvin Watkins and the Aggies. If there were ever a time for the Tigers to break the streak, this would seem to be it. Missouri is hitting on all cylinders and is currently ranked 9th in the nation, although on the heels of losses by Michigan State and Indiana, they will likely climb a few spots in today’s new batch of polls. The Aggies, meanwhile, have played their way to an inexplicable 1-3 start, with the lone win coming at home against the cellar-dwellers from Texas Tech. Stranger things have happened, but look for Frank Haith to earn his second-straight win over a school he once worked at.

Baylor at Kansas; Monday, 8:30 P.M. CT (ESPN)
The best game of the young conference season caps an awesome quadrupleheader on the Worldwide Leader tonight, as Baylor looks to continue its improbable undefeated run with a win at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The Bears are coming off of an absolute thrashing of Oklahoma State on Saturday, where the team cracked the century mark and PJ3 posted a double-double in just 27 minutes with a 19/12 line. While the Bears were cruising, Kansas was tested at home by Iowa State, but extended their home win streak over the ‘Clones to seven games.

One interesting subplot to remember is that the last time these teams met in Lawrence, Scott Drew ticked off Jayhawk Nation by electing to coach his team up in the hallway rather than watch KU’s intro video. Kansas City sports radio was inundated with angry calls in the days following the game, presumably because Jayhawk fans felt that Kansas Basketball History 101 should be a part of the Baylor curriculum. It’s probably a safe bet that the Bears will stay on the sideline this time around, although you shouldn’t expect to see Quincy Acy or Pierre Jackson throwing shredded newspaper in the air when Mario’s Miracle goes down.

Texas Tech at Oklahoma; Tuesday, 7:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
The Sooners played extremely well in non-conference under new coach Lon Kruger, but stumbled when hit with an opening pair of games against Missouri and Kansas. The Sooners finally notched their first league win in a home upset of K-State on Saturday, led by Andrew Fitzgerald, Romero Osby, and Steven Pledger, who all scored at least 18 points. The Sooners likely won’t need such heroics at home against Texas Tech in this one, but could still post the same kind of impressive numbers. If the Sooners can take care of business, they’ll create a little separation from the bottom of the league, with a chance to add even more space with a win at A&M on Saturday.

Texas at Kansas State; Wednesday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
A full preview of the Texas/K-State game will be available on Wednesday.

Oklahoma State at Iowa State; Wednesday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPNU)
The Cyclones performed admirably in their games against Missouri and Kansas last week, but came up just short in both of them. The losses indicate that Iowa State isn’t quite in that top tier of teams in the Big 12, but they do show that ISU will certainly be competitive. Fortunately, the schedule-makers had a bit of sympathy for the Cyclones, following up that tough pair of games with two very winnable ones against Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. The Cowboys did knock off the Sooners in a Bedlam match-up last Monday, but completely laid down when they traveled to Waco on Saturday afternoon. There’s no indication that a thin, reeling Oklahoma State is going to suddenly show up, especially on the road, so look for the Cyclones to keep themselves in the upper half of the league standings.

TEAM W L NEXT THREE Baylor 3 0 Sat vs. OSU, Mon at KU, 1/21 vs. Mizzou Kansas 3 0 Sat vs. ISU, Mon vs. BU, 1/21 at UT Missouri 2 1 Sat vs. UT, Mon vs. A&M, 1/21 at BU Iowa State 2 1 Sat at KU, Wed vs. OSU, 1/21 at Tech Texas 2 1 Sat at Mizzou, Wed at KSU, 1/21 vs. KU Oklahoma State 2 1 Sat at BU, Wed at ISU, 1/21 vs. KSU Kansas State 1 2 Sat at OU, Wed vs. UT, 1/21 at OSU Oklahoma 0 3 Sat vs. KSU, Tue vs. Tech, 1/21 at A&M Texas A&M 0 3 Sat vs. Tech, Mon at Mizzou, 1/21 vs. OU Texas Tech 0 3 Sat at A&M, Tue at OU, 1/21 vs. ISU

Texas at Missouri; Saturday, 12 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
An in-depth look at the Texas/Missouri game will be available in the wee hours of Friday night/Saturday morning.

Kansas State at Oklahoma; 12:30 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
The Wildcats and Sooners were the surprises of the Big 12 in non-conference play, combining to post a 21-3 mark. That momentum was tough to maintain in conference play, as both teams have already have to face Missouri and Kansas, and their records are indicative of that tough opening schedule. For the middle of the pack in the Big 12, winning home games will be key to staying out of the bottom rungs of the standings. Lloyd Noble Center has not been an intimidating road venue for the last few years, but Lon Kruger has reignited the buzz surrounding OU’s program. Can Romero Osby and Andrew Fitzgerald impose their will down low and defend home court?

Texas Tech at Texas A&M; 12:45 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
We eagerly awaited the unveiling of this year’s Big 12 schedule, hoping the dates would line up so we could see Billy Gillispie return to College Station and the fanbase he spurned for the high-profile Kentucky gig in 2007. Unfortunately, this one not only coincides with a road trip, but conflicts so directly that we can’t even watch it live on TV. The recent fade by Texas A&M means that Reed Arena likely won’t be packed to the rafters, but you can be sure that Gillispie will hear it from the Aggie faithful who do show up.

Texas A&M split the top spot in the preseason coaches poll with Kansas, but the Aggies have looked like anything but a title contender so far. Losers of five out of their last six — with the lone win coming against Arkansas Tech — the Aggies absolutely have to win this game. Texas A&M has a road trip to Mizzou to look forward to on Monday, so a failure to knock off the Red Raiders would put the Aggies in danger of a likely 0-5 start to conference play.

Oklahoma State at Baylor; 2:00 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
The big game isn’t until Monday, when Baylor travels to Phog Allen Fieldhouse to take on Kansas. Both teams will likely be undefeated in league play, with the winner taking over sole possession of first place. But before that happens, both squads must take care of business at home. The Bears play host to an Oklahoma State team dealing with injuries and defections, a sharp contrast to the abundance of talent on Baylor’s bench. As long as the Bears can avoid looking ahead to Monday’s gargantuan match-up, Scott Drew and Co. should cruise to a win in this one.

Iowa State at Kansas; 3:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
While Baylor must avoid looking ahead, Kansas must do the same against a very tough Iowa State team. The Jayhawks have not lost at home to Iowa State since 2005, but the Cyclones are off to a strong start in league play and put forth a very solid effort in a loss to Mizzou on Wednesday night. If Royce White can avoid foul trouble while competing inside against Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey, Iowa State will likely give the Jayhawks a fight. The Cyclones will also need to stay hot from outside, where they have made 44.8% of their attempts in three conference games.

TEAM W L LAST WEEK THIS WEEK Baylor 2 0 def. A&M, 61-52; def. Tech, 73-60 Tue. at KSU; Sat vs. OSU Iowa State 2 0 def. UT, 77-71; def. A&M, 74-50 Wed. vs. Mizzou; Sat. at KU Kansas 2 0 def. KSU, 67-49; def. OU, 72-61 Wed. at Tech; Sat. vs. ISU Kansas State 1 1 lost to KU, 67-49; def. Mizzou, 75-59 Tue. vs. BU; Sat. at OU Texas 1 1 lost to ISU, 77-71; def. OSU, 58-49 Wed. vs. A&M; Sat. at Mizzou Missouri 1 1 def. OU, 87-49; lost to KSU, 75-59 Wed. at ISU; Sat. vs. UT Oklahoma State 1 1 def. Tech, 67-59; lost to UT, 58-49 Mon. vs. OU; Sat at BU Oklahoma 0 2 lost to Mizzou, 87-49; lost to KU, 72-61 Mon. at OSU; Sat vs. KSU Texas A&M 0 2 lost to BU, 61-52; lost to ISU, 74-50 Wed. at UT; Sat. vs. Tech Texas Tech 0 2 lost to OSU, 67-59; lost to BU, 73-60 Wed. vs. KU; Sat. at A&M

The big picture

On paper, the new-look Big 12 appeared to be primed for its most exciting season yet. For the first time ever, the conference will use a full round-robin schedule, arguably the best way to determine a true league champion. Last year’s top two teams, Kansas and Texas, lost a combined nine of 10 starters, leaving the door open for a new champion. Returning stars made Texas A&M, Baylor, and Missouri contenders for the throne, while a bevy of talented transfers even gave Iowa State a threatening look. From top to bottom, the new Big 12 is as deep as it’s ever been, and more unpredictable than ever.

The first week lived up to expectations, with surprises both good and bad. Texas A&M, which shared the top slot in the pre-season coaches poll with Kansas, stumbled to an 0-2 start while dealing with personnel defections. The Cyclones, who finished dead last in the league a season ago, now find themselves in a three-way tie with Baylor and Kansas on top of the league. Meanwhile, Kansas State and Oklahoma, who were the league’s two big surprises in non-conference play, had to battle the league’s best right out of the gate.

With the smaller league, there are high-profile match-ups seemingly every day. There are still 16 more games to play, but the upcoming slate of mid-week contests should serve to clarify which early-season surprises are contenders and which are just playing over their heads.

Mid-week games

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State; Monday, 6:00 P.M. CT (ESPNU)
With Le’Bryan Nash arriving in Stillwater and the Sooners still rebuilding from the disastrous tenure of Jeff Capel, Tiny Gallon, and Tommy Mason-Griffin, it seemed like Bedlam might finally be tilting in Oklahoma State’s favor. A rash of injuries and transfers have left the Cowboys crippled, however, while new coach Lon Kruger and transfer Romero Osby have the Sooners skipping right past the entire rebuilding process.

Oklahoma played much better than expected in the non-con, but had the unenviable task of traveling to Columbia and then hosting Kansas to open league play. With that opening slate, it’s tough to tell if Oklahoma is truly as good as they looked for the first two months of the season. Gallagher-Iba is never an easy place to grab a win, but if the Sooners can do that very thing — and in a convincing fashion — it would certainly appear that they can competing right in the middle of the Big 12 pack.

Baylor at Kansas State; Tuesday, 7:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
The first of two big mid-week match-ups takes place at the Octagon of Doom, as the upstart Wildcats look to pull off a second-straight upset at home. The Bears are one of just three undefeated teams left in Division I, but they have typically struggled on the road under Scott Drew. Last season, Baylor was 3-10 in road or neutral-site games, but have passed some big tests away from the Ferrell Center this season. The Bears knocked off BYU in one of the toughest home courts in America and took care of West Virginia in an overtime thriller in Las Vegas.

Missouri at Iowa State; Wednesday, 7:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
Raise your hand if you had Iowa State tied for first with Baylor and Kansas after a week of league play. Now, raise your other hand if you’re a liar.

Fred Hoiberg‘s roster full of transfers is hitting its stride at just the right time, having taken care of both Texas and Texas A&M, the latter by 24 points. The schedule makers didn’t do the Cyclones any favors, though, as they face two of the league’s top teams this week. Like Baylor, Missouri has historically struggled when not playing in front of a home crowd, so perhaps the Cyclones can put the league on notice with a big win at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday night. Royce White will undoubtedly be carrying the title of Big 12 Player of the Week into this one, as he averaged 12 points, 12 boards, and 6 assists in the team’s first two league victories.

Texas A&M at Texas; Wednesday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
A full preview of the A&M/Texas game will be available on Wednesday.

Kansas at Texas Tech; Wednesday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPNU)
The Jayhawks usually run into problems when they arrive on the High Plains, but it doesn’t look like Coach Bill Self has much to worry about this time around. Although they have been losers in three of their last four trips to Lubbock, the Jayhawks should be able to cruise to a win over a Texas Tech team picked by coaches to finish dead last in the conference. An almost completely-new Red Raider lineup is led by freshman Jordan Tolbert, who logged a double-double in his first career Big 12 game.

TEAM W L REMAINING GAMES Texas 12 2 vs. KSU (2/28), at BU (3/5) Kansas 12 2 vs. A&M (3/2), at Mizzou (3/5) Texas A&M 9 5 at KU (3/2), vs. TTU (3/5) Missouri 8 6 at Neb (3/1), vs. KU (3/5) Kansas State 8 6 at UT (2/28), vs. ISU (3/5) Baylor 7 7 at OSU (3/1), vs. UT (3/5) Colorado 7 7 at ISU (3/2), vs. Neb (3/5) Nebraska 6 8 vs. Mizzou (3/1), at CU (3/5) Oklahoma State 5 9 vs. BU (3/1), at OU (3/5) Oklahoma 4 10 at TTU (3/2), vs. OSU (3/5) Texas Tech 4 10 vs. OU (3/2), at A&M (3/5) Iowa State 2 12 vs. CU (3/2), at KSU (3/5)

The big picture

Another road loss for the Texas Longhorns has revived the Big 12 title race, with the Longhorns and Jayhawks now in a dead heat heading into the final week of the season. Both schools host solid teams in their midweek games before tackling tough road tests in Saturday’s season finales. Texas holds the head-to-head tiebreaker by virtue of their win over Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, which means the Longhorns would be the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament if the two teams remain deadlocked at season’s end. The Big 12 awards co-championships rather than relying on those tiebreaker scenarios, so if the Jayhawks win their final two games, they will claim their seventh-consecutive conference title.

The Aggies are on the verge of sealing their first-round bye, which they failed to do in Waco on Saturday night. Now A&M needs only a win or a loss by both Kansas State and Baylor to lock things up. With the Longhorns facing K-State and the Aggies taking on Kansas, this could mark the first week in the history of the world that fans of the two schools root for their rivals. Of course, since the Aggies host Texas Tech in their season finale on Saturday, there’s little doubt that they will be able to avoid the first day of games in Kansas City.

Nebraska essentially scuttled its NCAA hopes with a loss to Iowa State yesterday, but Baylor and Colorado stayed in the hunt with big home wins over ranked opponents. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi slotted Baylor as one of his last four teams in the bracket late Saturday night, while he had Colorado among the first four teams out. Both teams have very winnable road games next on the docket, so they must simply take care of business to keep those NCAA hopes alive.

Mid-week games

Kansas State at Texas; Monday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPN)
LRT’s full preview of the Kansas State/Texas game will be available on Monday.

Baylor at Oklahoma State; Tuesday, 6:00 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
The Bears completed the season sweep of A&M on Saturday night, and have a shot to knock off Texas at home just a week later. The Bears can’t afford to overlook this game in between the two big ones, as the Cowboys typically defend their home court well.

In the first meeting between the two schools, Baylor destroyed Oklahoma State, 76-57. The Bears were led by freshman phenom Perry Jones III, who scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Baylor limited the Cowboys to just 0.814 points per possession, and claimed an insane 87.5% of their defensive rebounding opportunities. With OSU’s Darrell Williams still battling legal issues, Baylor should be able to dominate the rebounding department once again.

Missouri at Nebraska; Tuesday, 7:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
Had Nebraska actually taken care of business at Hilton Coliseum yesterday, this would have been a game with huge bubble implications. Now, the Cornhuskers are playing for pride against an old Big 8 rival. The Tigers were one of the Big 12′s hottest teams before they stumbled on the road against Kansas State yesterday. That loss moved Mizzou to a disappointing 1-5 record on the road in conference play, a statistic that is worrisome for Coach Mike Anderson when you consider how well Nebraska has played at home this season. If the Tigers get tripped up once more on the road, they may find themselves playing on the first day of the Big 12 tournament.

Colorado at Iowa State; Wednesday, 6:30 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
Iowa State burst Nebraska’s bubble yesterday, and Wednesday they have a chance to do the same thing to Colorado. The Buffaloes blew the Cyclones out when they met in Boulder earlier this month, winning by a 95-69 count. Five different Buffaloes scored in double figures in that game, with Alec Burks posting a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double. Colorado scored an incredible 1.208 points per possession against Iowa State, and limited the ‘Clones to just 13.9% success on the offensive glass. While Boulder provided a distinct home court advantage in the first game, there’s no reason that Colorado shouldn’t finish off the season sweep of Iowa State on Wednesday night.

Oklahoma at Texas Tech; Wednesday, 6:30 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
In a game that means nothing beyond seeding in the first day of the conference tournament, two scuttling programs will battle it out in front of roughly 791 fans at United Spirit Arena. The Sooners are on a seven-game losing streak, and could potentially match the nine-game losing streak they finished last season with. The Red Raiders, meanwhile, have lost six out of their last seven. If you spend two hours watching this game and have no connection to either school, psychiatric referrals will be provided.

Texas A&M at Kansas; Wednesday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
When Texas ended Kansas’ 69-game home winning streak earlier this season, they were the first road team to win in Lawrence since Texas A&M pulled off the feat on February 3rd, 2007. Unfortunately for the Aggies, Acie Law IV will not be walking through the door on Wednesday night. Unless, of course, he has some front-row seats at the Phog.

The Aggies have a frontcourt that has been exposed by more physical opponents this year, and it’s very likely that Thomas Robinson and the Morris twins will do just that on Wednesday night. Even if A&M imposes their will and forces Kansas into their style of grind-it-out basketball, the efficiency of the Jayhawk offense is far too potent for the Aggies to pull off the upset.

TEAM W L FINAL THREE GAMES Texas 12 1 at CU (2/26), vs. KSU (2/28), at BU (3/5) Kansas 11 2 at OU (2/26), vs. A&M (3/2), at Mizzou (3/5) Texas A&M 9 4 at BU (2/26), at KU (3/2), vs. TTU (3/5) Missouri 8 5 at KSU (2/26), at Neb (3/1), vs. KU (3/5) Kansas State 7 6 vs. Mizzou (2/26), at UT (2/28), vs. ISU (3/5) Baylor 6 7 vs. A&M (2/26), at OSU (3/1), vs. UT (3/5) Nebraska 6 7 at ISU (2/26), vs. Mizzou (3/1), at CU (3/5) Colorado 6 7 vs. UT (2/26), at ISU (3/2), vs. Neb (3/5) Oklahoma 4 9 vs. KU (2/26), at TTU (3/2), vs. OSU (3/5) Oklahoma State 4 9 vs. TTU (2/26), vs. BU (3/1), at OU (3/5) Texas Tech 4 9 at OSU (2/26), vs. OU (3/2), at A&M (3/5) Iowa State 1 12 vs. Neb (2/26), vs. CU (3/2), at KSU (3/5)

The big picture

With the top of the league beating up on the bottom while the middle of the pack squared off, the mid-week games in the Big 12 served only to split the league into three distinct factions. With mid-week wins, Kansas and Texas A&M joined the Longhorns as teams with conference tournament byes already clinched. The Jayhawks are thinking much bigger, however, as their six-year streak of Big 12 titles could be in jeopardy. With only three games left, Kansas needs the Longhorns to falter at least once to give them any hope of winning the conference.

In the middle of the pack, things are still a bit murky. Kansas State made a strong move by beating Nebraska on the road, and now sits all alone in fifth place. Just a game behind fourth-place Missouri, the Wildcats still have a shot at a tournament bye, and get a crack at the Tigers on Saturday afternoon. At 6-7, Nebraska, Baylor, and Colorado are locked in a three-way tie for sixth and are also all jostling for position as the Big 12 looks to earn a sixth bid for the NCAA tournament. While none of the schools have exceptional profiles, a run during the final three league games could certainly punch the NCAA ticket for one of them.

At the bottom of the standings, Iowa State’s lopsided loss in Austin has assured that the Cyclones will be the conference’s No. 12 seed in Kansas City. Even if Iowa State were to win out, they could only tie with a team that had already beaten them. With a lost tiebreaker as the team’s best-case scenario, Fred Hoiberg and the ‘Clones can already make plans to be at the Sprint Center at 2 P.M. on March 9th.

This weekend’s games

Missouri at Kansas State; Saturday, 11:00 A.M. CT (ESPN)
Saturday’s biggest game in the Big 12 serves as a nice appetizer for a great day of college basketball across the country. While the rest of the nation will have its marquee matchups later in the day, this A.M. battle marks one of Kansas State’s final two attempts to notch a big win heading into Selection Sunday. K-State has been on a tear in recent weeks, winning five of six, with the lone loss coming by mere milliseconds to Colorado in Boulder.

Not to be outdone, Missouri has put together their own four-game winning streak as they head down the stretch. The Tigers have had major issues on the road, however. Mizzou finally won their first conference road game in six tries by beating Iowa State in Ames last Saturday. Unfortunately for Coach Mike Anderson and the Tigers, Bramlage Coliseum has become a much tougher venue to win in than Hilton Coliseum, and the Wildcats are far better than the Cyclones.

In addition to the NCAA implications, this one is also big in terms of Big 12 Tournament seeding. If Missouri can knock off K-State, the Tigers will have clinched at least a tie for the last of the league’s four first-round byes. By virtue of sweeping the Wildcats and moving two games ahead of them in the standings with two games to play, Missouri would also assure that K-State could only finish fourth if a multi-team tie cropped up at the end of the season. If K-State defends home court, however, it forces the teams into a tie for fourth heading into the final week.

We hope you took notes. There will be an exam on Monday.

Texas Tech at Oklahoma State; Saturday, 12:30 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
Two teams with very little to play for will square off in Stillwater on Saturday afternoon. For Texas Tech, the chance to earn another road win is a welcome one. The Red Raiders shocked the league by beating Baylor in Waco last Saturday, but were edged out by Colorado in Lubbock on Wednesday night.

Senior John Roberson was particularly disgusted by the lack of fan support at United Spirit Arena. “I haven’t complained in four years, but the crowd was awful. We didn’t have anybody here cheering us,” Roberson said. “That’s ridiculous for this to be a winnable game and for us to be playing another Big 12 school and for nobody to show up.”

While there’s not much at stake in this one, it’s bound to be an exciting game. The two teams went to overtime in Lubbock four weeks ago, while both teams will be desperate for a win just to stop the bleeding. The Cowboys have lost four straight, while Tech’s win over Baylor was their lone victory in six February games.

Nebraska at Iowa State; Saturday, 12:45 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
The Cornhuskers made a big move on the bubble by knocking off Texas last Saturday, and then immediately took two steps back by failing to execute in the final minutes against K-State on Wednesday night. Nebraska’s computer numbers are ugly, but the strength of that win over Texas and another over Texas A&M has Doc Sadler’s team still on the cusp of their first NCAA bid in 13 years. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has them as one of the “Next Four Out” of his February 25th projections, so the Huskers essentially need to win out in the regular season to stay in the discussion. Nebraska is just 1-5 on the road so far in conference play, with the lone win coming in Norman last Wednesday. The Huskers must overcome those road woes to claim this winnable game at Hilton Coliseum.

Texas at Colorado; Saturday, 3:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
A full preview of the Texas/Colorado game will be available on Saturday morning.

Kansas at Oklahoma; Saturday, 3:00 P.M. CT (ESPN)
There’s not much to say about this one. Kansas has been playing incredible basketball as of late, while Oklahoma has exceeded expectations by winning four conference games this year. While Roberson and Tech have their own fan issues at United Spirit Arena, the Lloyd Noble Center has been just as bad this year. Even with the big draw of Kansas, expect a mostly-empty, mostly-blue arena on Saturday afternoon as the Jayhawks easily take care of business and stay in the hunt for another Big 12 title.

Texas A&M at Baylor; Saturday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPNU)
The Battle on the Brazos has become quite the basketball rivalry in recent years. From the five-overtime thriller to the near-brawl in Waco in 2009, tensions are always high when the Aggies and Bears meet on the hardwood. Like Nebraska, Baylor is located in the “Next Four Out” category of Lunardi’s latest Bracketology. So far, Baylor’s résumé consists of a lot of non-conference fluff and a road win over A&M. While the Bears can add another quality win by beating the Aggies once more in Waco, they’ll still need some help down the stretch to get in. Lose this one, and the Bear Pit can start thinking about how to intimidate NIT opponents.