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Big 12 bracketology 101 – Volume 3

By Nicholas Fowler - Michigan State '11 - 133 views

Baylor coach Scott Drew led his team to a much needed road victory against Texas.-Sue Ogrocki/ AP Photo
Baylor coach Scott Drew shouts at the Bears during the second half of their game against Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Baylor won 77-65.

As has been the case over the past couple weeks, things have pretty much remained the same in the Big 12. Kansas State grabbed a major victory on the road at Baylor and is just a couple steps away from lock status. Missouri and Kansas continue down the right path towards No. 1 seeds, while Texas squandered a golden opportunity to substantially improve its resume.

Locks: Missouri, Kansas, Baylor

Missouri was on cruise control this week, completely running by Oklahoma State at home and powering by Texas A&M on the road.  The Tigers (25-2, 12-2 Big 12) have a No. 1 seed within their grasp. Four games remain on the schedule with two of those coming at home and a finale at last place Texas Tech. The other game is at Kansas, which will be tough. The Tigers should receive a top-seed as long they take care of business at home. But if they can knock off the Jayhawks and finish the rest of the schedule undefeated, look for the Tigers to make a strong push for the overall top spot in the NCAA tournament. It’ll be difficult jumping Kentucky, but at least a discussion would be warranted.

Kansas had a very strong week. The Jayhawks (22-5, 12-2 Big 12) came away with a six-point victory at rival Kansas State and followed that with an absolute beat down of Texas Tech. Like Missouri, the Jayhawks have four games remaining in the regular season and should win at least three of them. Kansas gets a chance to avenge its earlier loss to the Tigers, except this time they’ll get to face them at home. The Jayhawks are in a tight battle for a No. 1 seed, and a 4-0 finish with a victory over the Tigers would most likely guarantee them just that.

What is going on with Baylor? The Bears (23-5, 10-5 Big 12) just barely avoided a disastrous week. After losing by a point at home to Kansas State, the Bears overcame a double-digit halftime deficit at Texas Monday night. It was a much needed victory as Baylor had lost three of its last 4 games. As I mentioned in previous posts, Baylor is going to the NCAA tournament, but its seed is slipping lower and lower. The Bears only have three games remaining should win at least two, if not all three. That’ll allow Baylor to salvage a very nice seeding position.

Work left to do: Iowa State, Kansas State, Texas

Iowa State had a fairly uneventful week. With only one game since the last update, the Cyclones (19-8, 9-5 Big 12) haven’t done anything to hurt their resume, but a win over Oklahoma won’t help too much either. In the end though, it’s still another notch in the win column, and the Cyclones need it with a brutal homestretch to their regular season.  Iowa State should takedown Texas Tech at home easily, but after that it’s back-to-back road games with Kansas State and Missouri followed by a home finale with Baylor. The Cyclones are in right now, but if they somehow lose all three of those games then they will be on the outside looking in. Pull out two victories and they’ll be a lock.

Kansas State has taken a step in the right direction. After a huge victory at Baylor this past week, the Wildcats (18-8, 7-7 Big 12) should be on the right side of the bubble. A loss by six points to Kansas won’t hurt, but a win would have sealed a spot in the NCAA tournament. Kansas has got a couple tough games this week with a road trip to Missouri and Iowa State at home, but a split should be good enough to get the Wildcats in. Two wins or even just a victory at Missouri would move Kansas State into lock status.

Texas gave away a great opportunity Monday night. The Longhorns (17-11, 7-8 Big 12), like Kansas State, had the chance to take a giant step forward with a win against Baylor. But a double-digit second half lead turned into a deficit and eventual loss. A win would have put Texas in a strong position, but coupled with a loss at Oklahoma State earlier in the week, the Longhorns may be on the outside looking in at this point. Their remaining schedule doesn’t do them any favors either. With three games left, two are against the bottom teams in the conference and the season finale is at Kansas. The Longhorns may need to win all three to get a bid, and they’ll need a miracle to win on Senior Night at Kansas.

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My name is Nicholas Fowler, and I graduated from Michigan State University in May 2011. I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English with a Creative Writing Concentration and cognates in Sociology and American Studies. I have participated in six different sports throughout my lifetime, including four in high school where I was a part of the football, basketball, track, and cross country teams. I earned All-State and Academic All-State awards in track and field and received team awards in the other three sports. I am partial to football, but I possess a love for all sports. My two greatest passions in life are sports and writing, and to receive the opportunity to perform both is a dream come true. I’ve often struggled to find a balance with the two – sports pulling me one way and writing pulling me in another. But writing for this website gives me the chance to bring those two things together as one. I’m a sports enthusiast and always will be. However, my future plans lie in a more creative path. I would love to write books, both for children and adults. Film is another great love of mine, so screenwriting is also on the list. Whichever direction my career takes me, whether it be sports, novels, or film, I know it will involve some form of writing. But for now, I will do my best to bring the most accurate and interesting sports information and news possible. Enjoy.