TEAM |
W |
L |
NEXT 3 |
|
Texas |
7 |
0 |
Tech, at OU, Baylor |
|
Kansas |
6 |
1 |
at Nebraska, Mizzou, ISU |
|
Texas A&M |
4 |
3 |
Baylor, at Colorado, at Tech |
|
Oklahoma |
4 |
3 |
at OSU, Texas, at Mizzou |
|
Baylor |
4 |
4 |
at A&M, Nebraska, at Texas |
|
Colorado |
4 |
4 |
at Mizzou, A&M, K-State |
|
Missouri |
3 |
4 |
Colorado, at Kansas, Oklahoma |
|
Nebraska |
3 |
4 |
Kansas, at Baylor, OSU |
|
Oklahoma State |
3 |
5 |
Oklahoma, at Nebraska, at Texas |
|
Kansas State |
3 |
5 |
at Iowa State, at Colorado, Kansas |
|
Texas Tech |
3 |
5 |
at Texas, A&M, at Mizzou |
|
Iowa State |
1 |
7 |
K-State, at Kansas, at A&M |
|
It’s a fairly boring Saturday across the college landscape, with just one game — Kentucky at Florida — matching two teams currently ranked in the Top 25 by the nation’s coaches. The Big 12 isn’t exempt from Snoozer Saturday, thanks to the fact that after Kansas and Texas, the rest of the league is a muddled mess. Just 1.5 games separate Texas A&M, in 3rd, and Texas Tech, which is in 11th place. While that means there’s a lot to be sorted out in today’s conference battles, it also means that the competition will likely be lacking.
Kansas State at Iowa State, 12:45 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court; ESPN3.com)
Frank Martin and the ‘Cats endured even more turmoil this week when Wally Judge suddenly left the team. KSU bounced back with a home win over Nebraska to keep them within arm’s reach of a first-round bye. If the Wildcats and their NIT-averse “leader” Jacob Pullen have any designs on turning their season around, this is one of those games they must win. To do so, they’ll have to shut down the outside shooting of the ‘Clones and neutralize the great home-court advantage at Hilton.
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State, 12:45 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court; ESPN3.com)
The Sooners have the youngest roster in the conference, and were picked to be fighting for last place with Iowa State by most preseason publications. Instead, Jeff Capel has his team overachieving, and the Sooners would actually have a tournament bye if the season were to end today. The Cowboys, meanwhile, have been rather disappointing. With a more formidable frontcourt and the addition of Jéan-Paul Olukemi, it looked like OSU could make some noise in the Big 12 this season. If the Sooners pull off the road win in the Bedlam rivalry this afternoon, it may be time to reverse our expectations for these two teams.
Baylor at Texas A&M, 1 P.M. CT (ESPN)
Remember when Baylor and A&M were a budding basketball rivalry on the Brazos? Things are very different this time around, as the Bears have scuttled through conference play and enter this one with a .500 mark in the Big 12. Baylor is incredibly talented, but their very lengthy zone has been frightfully porous so far this year. The Aggies have also looked iffy over the last two weeks, but can easily get their train back on-track with a pounding of Baylor at home this afternoon. And if A&M loses? More confusion and mediocrity in the middle of the standings.
Kansas at Nebraska, 3 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court; ESPN3.com)
Nebraska showed a lot of promise in pushing Kansas to the final possession at Allen Fieldhouse earlier this season. While the Devaney Center has been the site of a few major upsets in recent years, you have to think that Bill Self will have his team ready after their previous close call with the Huskers. Doc Sadler‘s stiff defense should frustrate the Jayhawks, but we expect the superior talent of KU to win out in the end. There aren’t many games left on the Jayhawk schedule that look even remotely risky, but this one does fit the bill. You might want to keep a finger on the remote if things are still close around 5 P.M.
Colorado at Missouri, 6:30 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court; ESPN3.com)
This game is bound to be an exciting, run-and-gun affair. Everyone knows about Missouri’s Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball, but Tad Boyle has a team full of athletes at Colorado that also love to push the tempo. The Buffs came up with a huge upset over Mizzou in their conference opener back on January 8th, a ridiculously fast game which had 74 possessions. Colorado came out with the victory thanks to excellent ball control — they posted a turnover rate of just 13.4% against the Mizzou pressure D — but teams have a much harder time when they face the Tigers in Columbia. Look for Mizzou to get revenge in an exciting one this evening.
Texas Tech at Texas, 8 P.M. CT (ESPNU)
A full look at the Longhorn/Red Raider tilt will come in our typical game preview later this afternoon.
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