Big 12 men's basketball tournament predictions: Can OU, OSU make a deep run?
The Big 12 men's basketball tournament begins Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri.
No. 13-seeded OSU begins its run with a game against No. 12 UCF at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. Meanwhile, No. 9 OU will face No. 8 TCU at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
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Here are predictions for the entire Big 12 men's basketball tournament.
Big 12 men's basketball tournament predictions
Tuesday, March 12: First round
No. 12 UCF vs. No. 13 Oklahoma State
UCF earned a 77-71 road win in its lone regular-season game against OSU on Feb. 28.
The Knights converted 14 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points, and they'll surely try to enforce their will on the glass again Tuesday. Look for 7-foot center Ibrahima Diallo to do damage against an OSU team that ranks last in the Big 12 in average rebounding margin (-4.5 per game).
Prediction: UCF 74, OSU 68
No. 11 Cincinnati vs. No. 14 West Virginia
Cincinnati tied its regular-season series against West Virginia on Saturday with a dominant 92-56 home win.
The Mountaineers are allowing an uncharacteristic 81.4 points per game, which is the most in the Big 12. That's a good sign for Cincinnati guard Dan Skillings Jr., who's averaging a team-high 12 points per game.
Prediction: Cincinnati 78, West Virginia 64
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Wednesday, March 13: Second round
No. 5 BYU vs. No. 12 UCF
BYU won both of its regular-season games against UCF by an average of just 3.5 points.
The Cougars rank second in the Big 12 in points per game (76.2). And while the Knights pride themselves on their defense, their poor shooting and high turnover rate will be their downfall.
Prediction: BYU 74, UCF 70
No. 8 TCU vs. No. 9 Oklahoma
TCU earned an 80-71 home win in its lone regular-season game against OU on Jan. 10.
But don't count out the Sooners, who were ranked as high as No. 7 in the AP poll this season. It's an athletic group that can keep up with TCU's fast style of play, and junior guard Javian McCollum is capable of doing damage offensively.
Prediction: OU 76, TCU 74
No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Kansas State
Texas earned a 62-56 home win in its only regular-season game against Kansas State on Feb. 19.
But the Wildcats will be playing to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive, and they'll surely get a strong turnout from their fans. If Kansas State can limit its turnovers, it'll have a good chance of getting the win.
Prediction: Kansas State 66, Texas 63
No. 6 Kansas vs. No. 11 Cincinnati
Kansas has lost three of its last four games, and this is the lowest seed it has ever been in the 28-year history of the Big 12 tournament.
To make matters worse, All-Big 12 first-team selections Hunter Dickinson (shoulder) and Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) are at risk of missing time in Kansas City. It's the perfect storm for a scrappy Cincinnati team to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament.
Prediction: Cincinnati 71, Kansas 70
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Thursday, March 14: Quarterfinals
No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5 BYU
Texas Tech earned an 85-78 home win in its only regular-season game against BYU on Jan. 20.
Still, the Cougars can cause problems with their fast style of play and five-out offense. Keep an eye on Big 12 Sixth Man winner Jaxson Robinson, a former Ada High standout who only scored eight points in the first matchup but is capable of getting hot.
Prediction: BYU 81, Texas Tech 78
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 9 Oklahoma
Houston escaped with an 87-85 road win in its only regular-season game against OU on March 2.
The Sooners will be hungry for revenge. But Big 12 Player of the Year and All-Defensive selection Jamal Shead will make life difficult for McCollum, and the Cougars will advance.
Prediction: Houston 82, Oklahoma 74
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 10 Kansas State
The two teams split their regular-season series, and the average margin of victory was nine points.
The difference in this one will be the turnover battle. Iowa State forces a conference-high 16.7 turnovers per game, while Kansas State commits a conference-high 15.2 turnovers per game.
Prediction: Iowa State 73, Kansas State 66
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 11 Cincinnati
Baylor earned a 62-59 home win in its lone regular-season game against Cincinnati on Jan. 13.
The Bearcats will try to turn this into a grind-it-out game. But the Bears boast an efficient offense with six double-digit scorers, including potential 2024 lottery pick Ja'Kobe Walter (14.7 points per game).
Predictions: Baylor 72, Cincinnati 63
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Friday, March 15: Semifinals
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 5 BYU
Houston earned a 75-68 road win in its only regular-season game against BYU on Jan. 23.
A whopping 50.5% of BYU's shot attempts come from deep, which ranks third in the nation. But Shead leads a Houston defense that excels at running opposing players off the 3-point line, and that'll be the difference in this one.
Prediction: Houston 78, BYU 67
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 3 Baylor
Baylor earned a 70-68 home win in its lone regular-season game against Iowa State on Feb. 3.
But the Cyclones have the defenders to contain the Bears, and atop that list is Big 12 All-Defensive guard Tamin Lipsey. Throw in what's sure to be a home-like atmosphere for Iowa State, and it'll survive and advance.
Prediction: Iowa State 72, Baylor 70
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Saturday, March 16: Championship
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 2 Iowa State
The two teams split their regular-season series, and the average margin of victory was just six points.
It'll be a battle between the two best defensive teams in the Big 12, but Houston's edge on offense will be the difference.
The Cougars boast a lethal guard trio of L.J. Cryer (15.7 points), Shead (13.2 points) and Emanuel Sharp (12.3 points). And while it'll be close, Houston will win the Big 12 Tournament in its first season with the conference.
Prediction: Houston 68, Iowa State 65
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Big 12 men's basketball tournament: Bracket, predictions
