Big 12 Basketball Tournament Seeding Scenarios After Feb. 27
The Big 12 men’s basketball tournament is a little more than a week away. With eight games remaining, here’s how seeding and scenarios shape up.
Note: Scenarios were updated after Monday’s games and will be updated again after Tuesday’s games. Tiebreaker rules are set forth by the Big 12.
No. 1 Seed: Kansas
Kansas controls its own destiny going into the last week of the season. If the Jayhawks win their final two games they will be the No. 1 seed in Kansas City. If Kansas City wins one game and Texas loses one game, then Kansas will be the No. 1 seed in Kansas City. The only scenario where things get dicey is if Kansas loses both games. Kansas hosts Texas Tech on Tuesday. Texas is at TCU on Wednesday.
No. 2 Seed: Texas
Texas has a one-game lead on the field for the second seed. If Texas wins both games this week, the Longhorns will be no worse than the No. 2 seed. If Texas wins one, then seeding will depend upon how Kansas State and Baylor do this week, as the Wildcats and Bears are one game behind the Longhorns.
If you’re thinking ahead, Texas split with both teams. And an 0-2 record against Kansas, in the event Texas loses to the Jayhawks, won’t help the Longhorns.
Nos 3-4 Seeds: Baylor and Kansas State
Baylor’s win over Oklahoma State puts the Bears a half-game ahead of Kansas State going into the Wildcats’ game on Tuesday against Oklahoma. The win also ensures that the Bears will be no worse than the No. 4 seed in Kansas City. A win for Kansas State on Tuesday ensures the same. Keep in mind that in head-to-head tiebreakers the Wildcats have the sweep. So if the pair finish tied, the Wildcats will be the higher seed.
No. 5 Seed: TCU
TCU enters Wednesday’s contest with Texas a game ahead of Iowa State and two games ahead of Oklahoma State. With the Cowboys’ loss, all TCU has to do is win one of its two remaining games to finish with no worse than the No. 6 seed. TCU COULD end up in a tie with Kansas State, but not Baylor, as the Bears have just one game remaining. But, K-State would have to lose its last two and TCU would have to win its last two.
No. 6 Seed: Iowa State
For now, it’s the Cyclones. But their seeding is still in flux because they’re only one game ahead of Oklahoma State and, in a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Cowboys, the Cyclones lose. With Monday’s results, the best seed Iowa State can get is No. 5 and the worst is No. 7.
No. 7 Seed: Oklahoma State
The Cowboys missed a golden opportunity to put themselves in a tie with Iowa State, which would be advantageous to the Cowboys, as noted. Right now, there is still a chance for the Cowboys to get the No. 6 seed and out of the Wednesday games. That’s the head-to-head tiebreaker with ISU, with ISU losing and OSU winning on Saturday.
No. 8 Seed: West Virginia
From there, the teams are guaranteed to play on Wednesday in Kansas City. It’s just a matter of seeding.
The Mountaineers picked up a huge win over Iowa State on Monday. From a seeding perspective, it didn’t do that much for them, at least right now. If Texas Tech beats Kansas on Tuesday, WVU is back in a tie for the eighth and ninth seeds. Oklahoma State’s loss brings the Mountaineers within a game of the No. 7 seed, and WVU and OSU split. But, the Mountaineers are only a game out of the No. 10 seed right now, which is Oklahoma. Once the Wednesday results are clear, we can game out how high and how low the Mountaineers could go.
No. 9 Seed: Texas Tech
The Red Raiders are a game ahead of the No. 10 seed. If the Red Raiders beat Kansas on Tuesday, the Red Raiders are back in an eighth-place tie with the Mountaineers. Of course, the Red Raiders and the Mountaineers split.
If the Red Raiders lose and Oklahoma wins, then it’s a tie for ninth, and — say it with me — they split the season series.
No. 10 Seed: Oklahoma
The Sooners go into Tuesday’s game at Kansas State one game out of the No. 9 seed. Naturally, the Wildcats are hacked off after losing at Norman a few weeks ago. OU has to win its remaining two games to have any chance of moving off the No. 10 seed line. Whether that helps the Sooners in Kansas City is another matter.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard
