All things Big 12 basketball tournament thread

[MBHORNSFAN]

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011

 
 

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Three things Texas needs to do to improve its NCAA tournament seeding, including beating Baylor

Texas (20-11, 11-7 Big 12) will begin its postseason run as the No. 4 seed in the Big 12 tournament. The Longhorns will look to improve their NCAA tournament seeding with a solid run in conference tournament.

Texas enters the tournament coming off a sloppy 62-50 win over Oklahoma State to end the regular season. The Longhorns currently sit at No. 24 in RPI. They're also projected to be a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament by ESPN and CBS Sports.

Here are three things Texas can do to improve its NCAA tournament seeding:

1. Beat Baylor, keep it close next round. The Longhorns will play their Texas-rival Baylor to tipoff their Big 12 tournament. The Bears present a tough challenge as their 1-3-1 zone has been able to keep Texas in check, which was evident as the Longhorns struggled in their 78-64 loss in Austin. But they've also been able to beat Baylor. They'll need to pull off another win Thursday to help them improve their tournament seeding. If Texas is able to get past the Bears, it'll have to give its next opponent a run for their money. The Longhorns will likely play No. 1 Kansas after Baylor. The Jayhawks swept Texas in Big 12 play. If Texas is able to beat Baylor and keep it close with Kansas, it'll be able to move up from the projected No. 6 seed.

2. Freshmen need to help out. The Longhorns have had key contributions from their freshmen this season and they'll need them to play strong in the conference tournament to help prepare for the NCAA tournament. Texas will need freshmen guards Kerwin Roach, Jr. and Eric Davis, Jr. to have strong performances in the Big 12 tournament. Roach has averaged 7.4 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game and 1.3 assists per game this season, while Davis has scored 7.5 points per game and 2.5 rebounds per game. The Longhorns will also need to see forward Tevin Mack reemerge. He's struggled lately but if he can find his stroke from the three, Texas could see itself as a higher NCAA seed.

3. Consistency. The Longhorns will need to be consistent in the Big 12 tournament if they want to be better than a No. 6 seed. Texas has sluggishly started games recently and during January it got off to hot starts. The Longhorns will need to be able to find a good balance of good starts and good finishes. Texas can't afford to get off to the poor starts that it had in its February losses to Baylor and Kansas. The Longhorns will have a chance to improve their seed with some consistency in their Big 12 tournament run.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/college-sports/texaslonghorns/2016/03/09/three-things-texas-needs-improve-ncaa-tournament-seeding-including-beating-baylor

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Big 12 tournament forecast: Is this the year Baylor puts it all together?

The Big 12 tournament begins on Wednesday, with Baylor basketball taking the court against Texas at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in Kansas City.
The Bears have seen success in the Big 12 tournament, but have always come just short down the stretch. However, this year's team has a chance to be the one that finally comes through.
Even if this year's team plays its best basketball at the right time, the road will not be easy. Six of the Big 12's 10 teams are ranked in the most recent AP top 25. Whoever comes out on top will have truly earned it on the court. Here's a primer for Baylor's tournament:
Quarterfinal match-up: Texas (20-11, 11-7) at 11:30 a.m. Thursday on ESPN2
Potential semifinal match-up: Kansas or Kansas State/Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. Friday on ESPN2
Big 12 tournament championship game: 5 p.m. Saturday on ESPN
3 reasons for optimism
Efficient offense. It may come as a surprise to some, but Baylor is one of the most efficient offenses in college basketball. The Bears rank No. 10 in adjusted offensive efficiency, behind only Kansas and Iowa State in the Big 12. The Bears shoot 47 percent from the field and 37 percent from the 3-point line, and have seven players who have scored at least 15 points in a game this season. With so many options, the Bears are an incredibly difficult team to guard.
Untapped potential. While the Bears have received contributions from several unlikely sources already, there is still plenty of upside left on the roster. Freshman King McClure has begun to come on the past several games from the guard position, which gives the Bears an additional scorer when the going gets tough. Terry Maston also managed to make his presence felt during several games this season, even if not consistently. When these players, along with the usual stars, find how to complement each other's games, this team becomes incredibly dangerous.
Peaking at the right time. This may be strange to say considering Baylor has lost three straight games, but the Bears have played their best basketball over the past weeks -- against three top 10 opponents. The success may not have come in the win column, but the Bears had late control against both No. 1 Kansas and No. 6 Oklahoma before mental mistakes cost them both games. Neither team will want to play Baylor in the tournament. That does not count Baylor's first opponent, Texas, who the Bears blew out in the most recent matchup in Austin.
3 reasons for pessimism
Inexperience. While Baylor has now likely earned NCAA tournament appearances in three consecutive seasons, much of the roster has yet to go on a major tournament run. While the Bears made the Sweet 16 just two years ago, only two players -- Taurean Prince and Rico Gathers -- were contributors on that team. This rendition has several young players who had experience snatched from them with R.J Hunter's shot to give the Bears an early exit in the tourney last season. Experience is something that cannot be bought.
Poor defense. Baylor has the worst field goal percentage defense in the Big 12, and has been even worse against the long ball. The Bears have allowed many teams to have some of their best shooting performances against their porous defense. Putting Johnathan Motley in the starting lineup improved the defense marginally, but it appears he will return to the bench with Rico Gathers healthy. The Big 12 is simply too good to be allowed as many open looks as Baylor gives.
Struggles against elite teams. Baylor's season was surprisingly predictable. The Bears were 4-10 against teams ahead of them in the RPI rankings, and 16-0 against teams behind them. Out of the wins, two came against Iowa State and three of four came on the road. With the Bears' current path, all three games in the Big 12 tourney are projected against teams ranked ahead in the RPI rankings. It remains unclear whether Baylor has a next gear to shift to against top teams heading forward.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/college-sports/baylorbears/2016/03/08/big-12-tournament-forecast-year-baylor-puts-together

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Big 12 tournament forecast: Reasons for Texas Longhorns to be optimistic, pessimistic

Texas (20-11, 11-7 Big 12) enters the Big 12 tournament as the No. 4 seed.
Here's a breakdown of Texas' matchup and reasons to be optimistic or pessimistic:

Matchup: vs. Baylor
Time: 11:30 a.m. Thursday
TV: ESPN2

Three reasons for optimism

1. Texas has beaten Baylor. The Longhorns beat Baylor on the road, and that's a big reason for them to be optimistic. During its 67-59 win in Waco, Texas able to penetrate the Bears' 1-3-1 zone, which was a big reason for its win. The Longhorns received a big three-point effort from senior forward Connor Lammert, who went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc and scored 15 points. Freshman guard Kerwin Roach, Jr. went 2-for-2 from the 3-point line and added seven points in the win. Texas will have to channel its winning performance Thursday when it takes on Baylor for the third time this season.

2. Longhorns are rested. Texas will need junior guard Isaiah Taylor to succeed during the Big 12 tournament if it wants to make a deep run to a conference championship. Taylor, who has been suffering through plantar fasciitis since the Longhorns' win over Oklahoma, will benefit from the added rest time. The whole team will be fresh after a six-day break, but the Longhorns will go as far as Taylor takes them.

3. Freshmen add x-factor. The Longhorns have gotten a huge lift from their freshman guards: Roach and Eric Davis, Jr. Roach has averaged 7.4 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game and 1.3 assists per game, while Davis has scored 7.5 points per game and 2.5 rebounds per game. Roach had a big performance against Oklahoma State to end the regular season. The 6-foot-4, 170-pound freshman from Houston scored or assisted in Texas' final 12 points. The Longhorns' freshmen provide a reason to optimistic.

Three reasons for pessimism

1. The Longhorns lost to Baylor. While Texas beat the Bears once, it also suffered a blowout loss at home to Baylor. The Bears took advantage of a bad start from the Longhorns to go up 6-0 early and never relinquished the lead. Baylor won 78-64. Texas struggled offensively as Taylor only scored 10 points, while senior guard Javan Felix was held to six points. Texas will have to avoid a bad start and an offensive meltdown in its Thursday matchup with the Bears.

2. Injuries. The Longhorns need Taylor for them to do anything in March, especially if they're interested in making a deep Big 12 tournament run. The plantar fasciitis injury, though, is a tough one to overcome. Texas received a 12 point performance from Taylor in its win over the Bears. In other injury news, the Longhorns might not get senior center Cam Ridley back for the conference tournament. While Ridley hasn't played since late December after fracturing his foot, he could add a much-needed boost. But the Longhorns might not have him back against the Bears.

3. Not a favorable bracket. Another reason for the Longhorns to be pessimistic is their bracket breakdown. If Texas finds a way to get past the Bears on Thursday it'll likely have to play the No. 1-ranked Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas has Texas' number throughout its time in the Big 12 and this year was no different. The Longhorns lost to the Jayhawks twice - 76-67 and 86-56. Even if Texas finds a way to upset Kansas, it'll play a tough opponent in the finals.

 

[MBHORNSFAN]

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011

 

[Sirhornsalot]

TCU upsets Texas Tech tonight. Looks like Tech may be sweating it out Sunday afternoon.

K-State wins right to lose to Kansas.

Horns play in la mañana

 

[Juan]

You said "all things" ....

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011

 

[MBHORNSFAN]

Almost game time folks

 

[tejasrulz]

Texas is out so no need to watch the Kansas invitational any more.

 

[Agmaniacmike]

That dunk by Wayne Selden Jr. was disgusting. The reaction by his uncle will surely be a GIF soon.

 

[Juan]

You said "all things" ....

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011