The Big 12 Conference revealed the 2008-09 men’s basketball schedule yesterday, a slate which includes three Big Monday appearances for the Longhorns. The weekly spotlight on ESPN opens with this year’s contest between Texas and Oklahoma, with Rick Barnes’ crew also playing on Monday nights against Texas A&M (February 16th) and in a home game against Baylor (March 2nd).
The full conference schedule is available on the league website, while the Texas schedule is compiled here for your convenience.
Texas’ 2008-09 Big 12 Schedule
Saturday, January 10th – vs. Iowa State
Monday, January 12th – at Oklahoma (ESPN)
Saturday, January 17th – at Texas Tech
Saturday, January 24th – vs. Texas A&M (ESPNU)
Tuesday, January 27th – at Baylor
Saturday, January 31st – vs. Kansas State
Wednesday, February 4th – vs. Missouri (ESPN2)
Saturday, February 7th – at Nebraska (ESPN)
Tuesday, February 10th – vs. Oklahoma State
Saturday, February 14th – at Colorado (ESPN)
Monday, February 16th – at Texas A&M (ESPN)
Saturday, February 21st – vs. Oklahoma (ESPN)
Wednesday, February 25th – vs. Texas Tech (ESPN2)
Saturday, February 28th – at Oklahoma State (ESPN)
Monday, March 2nd – vs. Baylor (ESPN)
Saturday, March 7th – at Kansas (CBS)
An in-progress composite schedule will pop up here on the site later this afternoon, which will include the non-conference games that have been confirmed, along with any dates that have been announced. Check the top menu bar under “Schedules” to find the 2008-09 slate once it’s added.
Texas remained a 2-seed in Lunardi’s latest Bracketology, although he shifted them out West to Phoenix. There’s still a week to go, but it’s pretty safe to say that Texas is a solid 2-seed — barring back-to-back losses to Oklahoma State and in the Big 12 Quarterfinals — but now the question is where. Personally, my only concern is to not draw the Detroit site. One trip to that city per season is enough for me.
Fans who want to check out the Kansas/Texas A&M game can still buy tickets, thanks to a majority of the Aggie students heading home for Spring Break. Unsold student tickets can now be bought at this link, so if you’re in the area and want to catch the 3 P.M. showdown, you’ve still got a shot.
Big 12 hoopsheads or fans of teams seeded five through twelve can buy my Big 12 Tourney tickets for Session 1 and 2 off of eBay. All games are on Thursday in the Sprint Center, and you can bid using these links for Session 1 and Session 2.
Apparently there are some technical difficulties with the Flash video player, as it will only work for one video per page. That means if you try to watch the Baylor video while the Tech one is still on the main page, you get the Tech video. Yet if you click over to the Baylor write-up by itself, the video plays just fine. All of the technobabble that makes this stuff work is just Greek to me, so I’ve passed it along to some more knowledgeable folks to see what they can do. For now, if you want to watch the Baylor video, you can view it on the single-entry page.
Although slots four through ten are no longer separated by just a game as they were this time last week, the league is still a complete mess in the middle as the season winds to a close. Thanks to a complete tanking by Kansas State — losers of four straight and five out of six — the Baylor Bears actually control their own destiny in regards to the 3-seed in Kansas City. And with a late-season push, even the Oklahoma State Cowboys are within striking distance of that fourth and final bye in the conference tournament.
Texas Longhorns (11-3) Remaining games: vs. Nebraska (Tuesday), vs. Oklahoma State (Sunday) Outlook: The loss to Tech puts the Longhorns in a tie with Kansas once again, but they hold the tiebreaker for the #1 seed in Kansas City thanks to the victory over the Jayhawks last month. The crowds for this week’s games could be abysmal, with the Nebraska tip at 6:30 P.M. and the Oklahoma State game being played during Spring Break.
Kansas Jayhawks (11-3) Remaining games: vs. Texas Tech (Tonight), at Texas A&M (Saturday) Outlook: Unless the Longhorns stumble, the best that Kansas can hope for is a split title and the 2-seed in the post-season tournament. But Kansas must match Texas stride-for-stride down the homestretch, and their schedule is admittedly more difficult. Tech has a very slim shot at the NCAAs, but a road win in Lawrence would propel them to the top of the bubble discussion. And with A&M fading fast, their backs will be against the wall when Kansas comes to town on Sunday. KU cannot afford to overlook either one of these two teams.
Baylor Bears (8-6) Remaining games: vs. Texas A&M (Wednesday), at Texas Tech (Saturday) Outlook: Thanks to the head-to-head win over K-State, the Bears would claim the 3-seed if they win their remaining two games. But a stumble against A&M or Tech opens the door for the four teams sitting just a game back at 7-7, so Scott Drew’s guard-tastic team has to stay on top of its game this final week.
Kansas State Wildcats (8-6) Remaining games: vs. Colorado (Tuesday), at Iowa State (Saturday) Outlook: While Baylor does hold the tiebreaker, the Wildcats have the more manageable schedule this week. The home game against Colorado should finally snap the KSU slide, but this team has struggled all season long on the road and Hilton Coliseum will be a tough place to win on Senior Night. A split this week could drop the ‘Cats all the way from first place at the beginning of February to an opening-round game next Thursday in KC.
Texas A&M Aggies (7-7) Remaining games: at Baylor (Wednesday), vs. Kansas (Saturday) Outlook: While the K-State slide might seem monumental, the Aggies are the only team in the country this year who have fallen from the Top 10 to sweating things out on the bubble. A&M managed less than a point a minute in Norman on Saturday, and that simply won’t get the job done against the high-powered offenses of Baylor and Kansas. If Texas A&M wants to feel secure about its place in the NCAAs, they really have to steal that road game in Waco on Wednesday night, one that Longhorn Road Trip will be watching live from the Ferrell Center.
Oklahoma Sooners (7-7) Remaining games: at Oklahoma State (Wednesday), vs. Missouri (Saturday) Outlook: Of the four southern teams knotted at 7-7, Oklahoma has the easiest schedule left. The road game against Bedlam rival OSU won’t be easy, but a 9-7 finish and a potential 4-seed is within the grasp of the Sooners.
Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-7) Remaining games: vs. Oklahoma (Wednesday), at Texas (Sunday) Outlook: Raise your hand if you thought OSU would be earning fringe bubble talk with a week left to go in the season. Anyone? Fry? Bueller? The Pokes have a bitch of a finish in Austin on Sunday, but home court in the Bedlam series could put them above .500 in league play for what feels like the first time since Grover Cleveland was in office.
Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-7) Remaining games: at Kansas (Tonight), vs. Baylor (Saturday) Outlook: Pat Knight already has two Top 25 upsets on his nine-game bio, but both of those came in the friendly confines of the United Spirit Arena. This difficult final stretch will test the Red Raiders, and they could easily drop both games and find themselves playing in the dreaded 8-9 game next week.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-8) Remaining games: at Texas (Tuesday), vs. Colorado (Sunday) Outlook: After a promising non-conference start, Nebraska fizzled in Big 12 play. Winning three of their last four has them in the mix, but a tough road date with the Longhorns could quickly kill that momentum. The home game against Colorado on Sunday should provide an easy win, setting the Huskers up for potential home games in the NIT.
Missouri Tigers (5-9) Remaining games: vs. Iowa State (Wednesday), at Oklahoma (Saturday) Outlook: A possible split to finish the season for the Tigers, who have to be happy with even five conference wins after their entire team decided to have a brawl in a nightclub. If only they’d decided to have their Ultimate Fighting Championship prior to the game with Texas…
Iowa State Cyclones (4-10) Remaining games: at Missouri (Wednesday), vs. Kansas State (Saturday) Outlook: With K-State struggling on the road, the Cyclones could put a nice capper on a disappointing season by pulling off the home upset on Jiri Hubalek’s senior day. While the season has generally been a wash, the young talent that Coach McDermott has on-board could mean that great things will be happening in Ames in the near future.
Colorado Buffaloes (3-11) Remaining games: at Kansas State (Tuesday), at Nebraska (Sunday) Outlook: Richard Roby will finally exhaust his eligibility. It’s about damned time.
While Kansas, K-State, and Texas are fighting it out atop the conference standings, there’s another interesting battle brewing for that fourth and final first-round bye in the post-season tournament. While Baylor’s early play made it seem they could be the frontrunners for the 4-seed, losses in six of their last seven games have made the picture a little more murky for Scott Drew’s bunch.
Now, a look ahead at the next games for the top teams in the league…
Kansas Jayhawks, 9-2 This week: at Oklahoma State (Sat)
The Jayhawks get a long week to rest and a cupcake of an opponent to feast on this weekend. Only one team from the Big 12 South has ever won in Allen Fieldhouse, and I wouldn’t put money on Sean Sutton to win a second-consecutive road game. Kansas essentially gets a full-speed practice in preparation for a battle the following weekend with K-State.
Texas Longhorns, 9-2 This week: vs. Oklahoma (Sat)
Texas took care of business against the Sooners in Norman and are playing some incredibly impressive basketball at the moment. Without Longar Longar, OU could find itself in some trouble come Saturday afternoon.
Kansas State Wildcats, 9-2 This week: at Nebraska (Wed), at Baylor (Sat)
The roadie with Baylor this weekend could be a trap game, with the Wildcats potentially looking ahead to its next two with Texas and Kansas. Add to that the fact that the Bears desperately need some résumé-building upsets to offset their recent slide, and the Ferrell Center could be a very dangerous place for Beasley’s Bunch.
Texas A&M Aggies, 6-5 This week: vs. Nebraska (Sat)
After dropping two straight games, the Aggies have a chance to get well against Big Red at home. The tussle with the Cornhuskers is the most winnable contest that A&M has left, so they’ve got to get things clicking early in front of the Reed fans, who are becoming restless as of late.
Oklahoma Sooners, 6-5 This week: at Texas (Sat)
The last two Sooner wins came on insane three-pointers (and a foul), but they’ll have to work extremely hard to keep the momentum going in Austin on Saturday. As mentioned earlier, the loss of Longar to a stress fracture makes an already-thin Sooner frontcourt look like Kate Moss, so they can’t afford foul trouble on the road.
Baylor Bears, 5-6 This week: vs. Kansas State (Sat)
If Baylor is going to stop the bleeding, they’ve got to do it against the ‘Cats. A loss drops them even further out of contention for the first-round bye, and is one of only two remaining chances for a marquee win. (The other comes against A&M in the last week of the season.) If Baylor loses this one, fans might want to start printing up those green-and-gold NIT shirts.
The game preview for Colorado won’t be up until sometime after 3 P.M., but there’s a lot of hoops action on TV between now and then to keep you busy. And if you feel like watching some old games, ESPNU is even running some of the best games in the Border War all morning long. On to the listings…
#21 Villanova (12-3 overall, 2-2 Big East) at Syracuse (13-5, 3-2) – 11 AM CST, ESPN – The Orange is looking to break out of the pack in the Big East, and they have the huge advantage of playing this one at home in the Carrier Dome. The Wildcats are 0-2 on the road in conference play so far this year, which is unsettling for coach Jay Wright heading into this one.
Illinois (9-9 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) at Purdue (12-5, 3-1) – 1 PM CST, ESPN – Bruce Weber’s Illini are really struggling this year, but it’s tough to get well on the road against Purdue and its stifling defense. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers are looking to keep pace with the league’s top teams this week to set up a huge match-up with Wisconsin next weekend.
Rutgers (8-10 overall, 0-5 Big East) at DePaul (7-9, 3-2) – 1 PM CST, ESPNU – If Rutgers is going to get its first Big East win anytime soon, the Blue Demons are a possible victim. DePaul is a streaky shooting team that doesn’t do much else right, so if the shots aren’t falling for the home team, the Scarlet Knights could pull off the upset.
Oklahoma State (10-6 overall, 1-1 Big 12) at Iowa State (11-6, 1-1) – 12:30 PM CST, KNVA/Full Court – Two teams who have each split their first two conference games, OSU and ISU are mid-pack teams in the muddled Big 12 looking to make a mark. If the first week of league play is any indication, home court should give the ‘Clones the win in this one, but we all know that trends were made to be broken.
Maryland (11-7 overall, 1-2 ACC) at #1 North Carolina (18-0, 3-0) – 2:30 PM, ABC – This game isn’t quite as exciting on paper as some Maryland/Carolina tilts in recent years, but the rivalry usually produces some great games. And while Wednesday night’s game showed that UNC still has some vulnerabilities, you’ve got to like the Heels in the Dean Dome.
USC (10-6 overall, 1-3 Pac-10) at #4 UCLA (16-1, 4-0) – 2:30 PM, CBS – This is part of a split national telecast from CBS, so check your local listings to see which game you get. (Viewers in the Austin area are scheduled to get this game.) UCLA looks good in this cross-town rivalry, and it’s worth watching just to see O.J. Mayo get embarrassed yet again.
Ohio State (12-5) at #7 Tennessee (15-1) – 2:30 PM, CBS – The other half of the CBS split-national telecast is a rematch between two teams who played a pair of games last year decided by a total of three points. Ohio State ended Tennessee’s season on a blocked shot in the Sweet Sixteen last year, and you can be sure the Vols — and their rowdy fans in Thompson-Boling Arena — will be looking for some revenge.
#9 Texas A&M (15-2 overall, 1-1 Big 12) at Kansas State (11-4, 1-0) – 3 PM CST, ESPN – The Aggies collapsed in Lubbock under the pressure of their first road test in almost two months, and now they get another one just days later in Manhattan. K-State hasn’t lived up to expectations yet this season, but they’ve got the talent in Bill Walker and Michael Beasley. This one ought to be a dandy.
Texas Tech (10-6 overall, 1-1 Big 12) at Oklahoma (12-5 overall, 1-1) – 3 PM CST, KNVA/Full Court – Tech and OU? That means it’s time for the best Raiders/Sooners clip ever. Oh, and, uh…Blake Griffin’s hurt for the next two weeks.
Eastern Illinois (2-16 overall, 1-9 OVC) at Tennessee State (7-10, 4-4) – 4:30 PM CST, ESPNU – I don’t understand why every time they put a mid-major game on ESPNU, one of the teams has to be absolutely God-awful. There really are good teams playing basketball below the radar, but the “Worldwide Leader” decides to give us these crapfests instead. Thanks, guys!
#23 Clemson (14-3 overall, 2-1 ACC) at #5 Duke (14-1, 2-0) – 5 PM CST, ESPN – Remember the clock controversy in the first game between these two schools last year? Yeah, there might be some bad blood left over.
Oregon State (6-11 overall, 0-5 Pac-10) at Washington (10-7, 1-3) – 5 PM CST, FSN – If this is your first chance to watch the Pac-10 this year, please don’t think the Beavers represent the rest of the conference in any way, shape, or form.
Kent State (14-3 overall, 3-0 MAC) at Ohio (10-6, 1-2) – 5 PM CST, ESPN Classic – A live game on ESPN Classic? It’s like a giant mind-puzzle.
#3 Kansas (17-0, 2-0 Big 12) at Missouri (11-6, 1-1) – 7 PM CST, ESPNU – The Border War is always exciting, and the fans in Mizzou Arena are going to be rabid tonight when the hated Jayhawks come to town. As one Tiger fan told me last week, “This isn’t just a rivalry. We literally killed each other in the Civil War.”
Kentucky (7-7 overall, 1-1 SEC) at Florida (15-3, 2-1) – 8 PM CST, ESPN – This is your Game of the Night, ESPN? Really? Don’t let the schedule that the Baby Gators racked up against cupcakes fool you. Of course, they could’ve always played like Kentucky and lost to those cupcakes…
Wyoming (6-9 overall, 0-3 MWC) at San Diego State (13-4, 3-0) – 10 PM CST, CSTV – I don’t know a damned thing about the Mountain West, but just judging by records this one ought to be ugly.
And if that’s not enough basketball for you, here’s all the extra games you can watch if you’ve got the ESPN Full Court package…
