The Big 12 basketball season has flown by, and while the excitement of the tournament in Kansas City is building, there is one more big Saturday slate of games to enjoy. There are still some things that need to be settled for the final Big 12 standings, so let’s take a look at each game from best to worst.
No. 10 Texas Tech at BYU 9:30 PM ESPN
This is the most interesting game of the Saturday slate and there is a lot on the line for both teams. It doesn’t seem like BYU will be a bubble team, but they are riding a three game losing streak. If they lose a fourth game in a row, and finish with a 8-10 record in conference play, there could be some uneasy feelings for the Cougars heading into selection Sunday.
With a win, Texas Tech would finish no worse than third place in the Big 12 standings and could move up to No. 2 with a Houston loss. If the Red Raiders lose, they could drop down to the No. 4 seed line in the Big 12 tournament if Kansas beats Kansas State.
Despite the recent run of bad luck, BYU will lay it all on the line in their final home game of the season and Texas Tech will need to play at the top of their game to pull out a road win to finish the regular season.
Cincinnati at TCU 1:00 PM TNT/truTV
TCU seems like a lock to make the tournament at this point, but Cincinnati has clawed their way back into being a bubble team after winning six of their last seven games. If the Bearcats can pull off the upset and win at TCU on Saturday, they would likely jump from a “first four out” team to a “first four in” team.
Like the Bearcats, TCU has also won six of their last seven games including top 10 wins over Iowa State and Texas Tech. The Horned Frogs have been very impressive over the past month and this game should be fantastic to watch as both teams try to make a play for March Madness.
Kansas State at No. 14 Kansas 1:00 PM CBS
The Sunflower Showdown doesn’t have a ton of juice since the Jayhawks already beat the Wildcats in Manhattan, but it’s still a rivalry game that deserves some respect. Sure, the Jayhawks have won 42 consecutive games on Senior Day. Sure, the Wildcats haven’t beat KU in Lawrence in 20 years. The records go out the window in this one! Who am I kidding, this one is going to be a blowout. The Jayhawks will put the Wildcats out of their misery and thankfully bring this horrific Big 12 season for Kansas State to a close.
No. 7 Houston at Oklahoma State 11:00 AM CBS
Oklahoma State is just trying to get to the finish line, while Houston has legitimate hopes to get back to the Final Four in 2026. The Cowboy fans will be juiced for Senior Day but will it be enough to topple the Cougars ahead of the Big 12 tournament? Probably not.
Arizona State at No. 6 Iowa State 1:00 PM FS1
The Sun Devils are coming off a massive win at home against Kansas on their Senior Night. Now they get the rude awakening of playing in one of the toughest places to get a win in America at Hilton Coliseum. By the way, it is Senior Day for the Cyclones. I don’t expect this one to be particularly close. Iowa State is another team with Final Four aspirations and this will be a tune up game ahead of the Big 12 tournament for the Cyclones.
No. 2 Arizona at Colorado 10:00 PM ESPN2
Big 12 after dark between two former Pac 12 teams that jumped shipped to join the better conference in what turned out to be a great business decision for both schools. Arizona is set to receive a 1 seed in the national tournament and has already clinched the 1 seed in the Big 12 tournament. There isn’t a lot to play for other than pride for both of these teams. Colorado will have their Senior Night and Arizona will try to keep their positive momentum going into the tournament. We’ve seen some weird things happen with high ranked teams losing on the road this season, but I don’t expect Arizona to lose to Colorado in the final game of the Big 12 regular season slate.
Utah at Baylor 4:00 PM NBCSN/Peacock
The two worst teams on the Saturday slate get the final spot on my list. Utah’s dreadful season, currently 2-15 and at the bottom of the Big 12 standings, is about to come to an end. Getting an upset over Baylor could at least put them tied for last place with Kansas State. Even with that as
their inspiration heading into the final game, it doesn’t seem likely they will pull out a win on the road.
Baylor hasn’t had a great season by any means as a bottom three team in the league, but they have been showing some fight over the past few weeks. They played tough against Arizona and Houston and picked up wins over Arizona State and UCF. On Senior Day, this seems like a game the Bears should win to finish the regular season on a high note.
So the final Saturday slate for the Big 12 isn’t a great one, but it will set up the Big 12 tournament standings and give us some entertainment ahead of postseason college hoops. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, enjoy it while we have these games to watch!
