Kansas basketball: Big 12 Tournament dates, times, potential matchups

Kansas basketball: Conference tourney

The stage is set for the Big 12 Tournament after Saturday’s slate of games. Yesterday’s loss at Texas was not a pretty one, but it is also something the Jayhawks can put behind them as they set their sights on the NCAA Tournament.

Although top teams such as Kansas State, Baylor, and Iowa State lost their previous contests, seedings did not change in each school’s regular-season finale.

As we know, Kansas will be repping the conference as its No. 1 seed, meaning they have a first-round bye. Should the Jayhawks advance in the tourney, critical information will be needed for the jam-packed matchups.

Seedings:

1. Kansas (13-5)
2. Texas (12-6)
3. Kansas State (11-7)
4. Baylor (11-7)
5. TCU (9-9)
6. Iowa State (9-9)
7. Oklahoma State (8-10)
8. West Virginia (7-11)
9. Texas Tech (5-13)
10. Oklahoma (5-13)

Even schools like West Virginia which finished multiple games under .500 in conference play are on the bubble for an at-large bid. Texas Tech’s hopes likely ended with their loss last night, but they were in it up until that point. This demonstrates what a strong conference the Big 12 has been this season.

Potential Matchups

As previously mentioned, Kansas receives an automatic bye in the tournament’s first round. They will play the winner of West Virginia versus Texas Tech in the quarterfinals. Kansas has gone a combined 4-0 in games against both schools, so the Jayhawks will look to complete a 3-game season sweep of whoever they face.

If KU can advance from the quarterfinals, they will play the winner of Baylor versus Iowa State. The Bears and Cyclones defeated Kansas on their home court, but both fell victim to Allen Fieldhouse when they came to Lawrence. Baylor’s fiery offense is one of the best in the country — Iowa State has a staggering defense that could put the Jayhawks on a dry spell.

Finally, the final round will consist of any of the aforementioned teams, Texas, Kansas State, and the Big 12 Oklahoma schools. Texas and Kansas State pose the biggest threat to the Jayhawks, but one will have to knock the other out to reach the finals. Even though the Longhorns are statistically a better team, the Sunflower Showdown as the Big 12 championship game would be an epic contest before the NCAA’s began.

The last time Kansas and K-State met in the Big 12 title was in 2013, and it also occurred in 2010. KU won both of these contests — the Wildcats have never won one since the conference’s inception.

Dates/Times

The tourney takes place over four consecutive days. Wednesday begins the Big 12 Tournament, but we will see KU in action on Thursday. That contest will start at 2:00 PM CT, and should Kansas advance from then, they will play at 6:00 PM CT on Friday. The Big 12 title game will be played at 5:00 PM CT no matter who the contestants are.

Location

The tourney will occur in the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Kansas has always had a home advantage because of its proximity to Lawrence, so it is hardly a neutral site for both sides.