Welcome to the Big 12 Buzz! Things are going to look a little different during the offseason but that doesn’t mean I can’t share what’s on my mind this week in the Big 12.
March Madness
With the field announced, it’s time to fill out those brackets. Now while I can’t do that here, I thought it would be fun to share which teams are the most likely to make a run in the tournament from best to worst.
Arizona (1 Seed)
It’s hard not to love a cold beer on a hot day and it’s hard not to love a one seed’s path to the final four. Arizona is head and shoulders the best team in the west region and anything less than a trip to Indy would be a massive disappointment.
Iowa State (2 Seed)
For a 2 seed, I don’t think you could ask for a better draw. Playing in St. Louis, probably get Kentucky in the second round, and then you likely play Virginia or Tennessee which is gold. If the Iowa State team that showed up against Arizona comes to play, they could make a run to the Elite Eight with a potential showdown against Michigan. Inject this draw right into my veins.
Houston (2 Seed)
For a two seed, I thought Houston got a worse draw than Iowa State. Idaho should be easy but then you get either Saint Mary’s or Texas A&M which will be tough, and then if you win that game you are looking at North Carolina or Illinois, which is a bad matchup.
BYU (6 Seed)
Unlike some of these other teams, I do think BYU can make more of a run. In fact, out of these lower seeds in the big 12, they can make a run to the sweet sixteen and face Purdue. Call me crazy, but I like it.
Texas Tech (5 Seed)
Playing Akron will be tough out and so will Alabama in the second round. But you are right there with Michigan in a sweet sixteen and I can’t be confident in Tech getting past the sweet sixteen.
Kansas (4 Seed)
Their opening round against Cal Baptist should be an easy win but a matchup with St John scares me a bit. They just won the Big East tournament and are playing well and if you get past that, you are looking at Duke. No thanks. The Jayhawks will not be making a Final Four.
TCU (9 Seed)
Could they beat Ohio State in the opening round? Could I have a few less drinks during the week? Maybe but it’s not likely. If the Frogs manage to beat Ohio State, they would get Duke. Yikes.
UCF (10 Seed)
The Knights were just lucky enough to get in otherwise I would be calling them directional Florida. But since they made it, I will show them some respect. However, they aren’t making out of opening weekend against UCLA or even UConn for that matter. Now would be the time to test out the power of prayer if you want UCF to win.
The Big 12 Tournament
I know I am late to the party but it’s better to show up late than never. For those that know me, I never turn down an opportunity to party and have a few drinks. Speaking of party, it looked like a weeklong party in Kansas City. And to say that I had some serious FOMO would be an understatement.
The pictures I saw from Kansas City looked incredible and of course, Iowa State fans packed the place and drank enough booze to last several lifetimes. NOBODY and I mean NOBODY travels like Cyclone fans and I think the rest of the world got to see it firsthand in Kansas City.
Now there were some things that I saw that bothered me. Of course, the glass court was the talk of the tournament and ultimately it didn’t work out. While I do credit Brett Yormark making the switch back to a regular court, I also have to put some blame on him as well.
The fact that the court was dangerous and unsafe to play on is flat out unacceptable. Player safety should be the number one priority on the court and the lack of preparation from the conference is ignorant. The time to test out a glass court shouldn’t be during the conference tournament. They have the time and resources to test it well beforehand and they didn’t do it. Instead, they hoped it would work and under no circumstance is hope a good tactic.
Also, get out of here with the people saying the Big 12 basketball tournament should be moved out of Kansas City. It’s a central location for the conference since it went coast to coast. As someone who has been to Kansas City several times, I can honestly say that it is one of the most underrated cities in the country. Great food, great drinks and most importantly, great people.
I heard some argue that it should be moved to Las Vegas. I love Vegas as much as anyone out there, I mean I literally go there for a few days every December but moving the tournament there would not be smart. There’s a million and a half things to do in Vegas outside of basketball.
Putting the tournament there would be just another show in Sin City. Where as in Kansas City, Big 12 basketball is the best show in town. Plus, the fan experience in the power and light district is unlike any out there. No other conference tournament in America is like the Big 12 in Kansas City. It’s not just some city, it’s our city and I hope that never changes.
