2013 College Basketball Picks: Big 12 Conference Tournamant Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – Big 12 Tournament Schedule and Tournament Bracket: Although the Big 12 is going to put about four or five teams in the NCAA Tournament as it typically does, some of the teams that have been the conference’s best have been a bit of a surprise. While teams like Baylor and Texas struggled, Oklahoma State and Kansas State experienced resurgences. Whether or not the new faces at the top of the standings will continue their success in the Big 12 Tournament remains to be seen, but in the meantime, here is a closer look at the top contenders for the conference tournament crown.
2013 Big 12 Tournament Odds, Free Picks and Predictions
The Contenders
Although they are limping into the conference tournament on the heels of a blowout loss to Baylor, the Kansas Jayhawks (26-5, 14-4 Big 12) still won a share of the Big 12 regular season crown. They also rank second in the conference in scoring and second in scoring defense. Kansas has excellent balance on both ends of the court and a nice inside/outside scoring punch in guard Ben McLemore and center Jeff Withey. While the occasional bouts of ineptitude on the offensive end are concerning, the Jayhawks still have plenty of talent and athleticism to work with.
They shared the regular season conference title, and the Kansas State Wildcats (25-6, 14-4 Big 12) will try to add a Big 12 Tournament title to the mix. Rodney McGruder is the top scorer for an offense that can be downright ugly at times, but the Wildcats relentless focus on the defensive end of the court is what makes them dangerous. Kansas State leads the Big 12 in scoring defense, allowing less than 61 points per game to opponents. In a conference where even the top teams have had trouble scoring, the Wildcats’ defensive-minded philosophy could prove to be the winning formula.
One year after finishing 15-18, the Oklahoma State Cowboys (23-7, 13-5 Big 12) were one win away from sharing the Big 12 regular season title. The addition of freshman point guard Marcus Smart has brought the Cowboys’ offense to life, and Oklahoma State ranks third in the conference in scoring. Smart, Markel Brown and Le’Bryan Nash are all averaging more than 14 points per game for an explosive offense, and the Cowboys are also active on defense, averaging eight steals and five blocks per game. Although OSU’s youth sometimes shows through with poor decisions, the Cowboys are oozing with talent.
Five players are averaging in double figures for the Iowa State Cyclones (21-10, 11-7 Big 12) this season, and they lead the Big 12 in scoring and rank fourth nationally. Iowa State also has five players that have connected on more than 30 3-pointers this season. The Cyclones split their regular season meetings with Kansas State and Oklahoma State, and the lost a pair of overtime games to Kansas. A couple of fortunate bounces in the conference tournament could be all it takes for Iowa State to claim the title.
Bottom Line
While Iowa State is probably the scariest team in the bracket because of the Cyclones’ perimeter firepower, living and dying by the 3-pointer is hard to do over the course of a conference tournament. On the flip side, teams like Oklahoma State that has multiple players like Smart and Nash that can get to the foul line on a regular basis have the best chance to produce consistent offense. The Cowboys have been a tough out all year, and they split regular season meetings with top seeds Kansas and Kansas State. Not to mention the fact that they went to Kansas and won and lost to the Jayhawks at home by a single point in double overtime. Smart and company have only been getting better, and more importantly, the Cowboys have enough playmakers to come out on top.
Prediction: Oklahoma State Cowboys Win the Big 12 Tournament
2013 Big 12 Tournament Odds
Kansas -105
Kansas State +475
Oklahoma State +550
Iowa State +825
Baylor +875
Oklahoma +1100
Texas +5500
West Virginia +7000
TCU +40000
Texas Tech +60000
2013 Big 12 Conference Tournament Schedule
First Round – Wednesday, March 13
Game 1: No. 8 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. No. 9 Texas Tech Red Raiders – 7 p.m., Big 12 Network
Game 2: No. 7 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 10 TCU Horned Frogs – 9:30 p.m., Big 12 Network
Quarterfinals – Thursday, March 14
Game 3: No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 5 Iowa St. Cyclones – 12:30 p.m., ESPN2
Game 4: No. 1 Kansas vs. Game 1 winner – 3 p.m., ESPN2
Game 5: No. 2 Kansas St. Wildcats vs. Game 2 winner – 7 p.m., Big 12 Network
Game 6: No. 3 Oklahoma St. Cowboys vs. No. 6 Baylor Bears – 9:30 p.m., Big 12 Network
Semifinals – Friday, March 15
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner – 7 p.m., ESPNU
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner – 9:30 p.m., ESPNU
Championship – Saturday, March 16
Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner – 6 p.m., ESPN
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