Pop goes the Big 12!
For what we thought might be the best conference in the country, the failure to advance a single team to the Final Four is a pretty strong indictment against that notion.
Oklahoma State and Texas were big disappointments — both should have been able to win first-round games against lower-seeded, mediocre ACC teams.
Texas A&M had a great shot at its first Sweet Sixteen in three years, but just couldn't score down the stretch.
Baylor, K-State and Missouri did about as much as could be expected, and for the two that reached the Elite Eight, circumstances (see: questionable officiating and unfavorable turnaround times, respectively) simply weren't in their favor.
But it all traces back to Kansas. The so-called best team in the country dealt a death blow to the league's reputation with its showing in Oklahoma City. After that, nothing short of a run to the championship by either K-State or Baylor — or both — could have salvaged the Big 12's standing.
AP Ranking = 7
ESPN/USA Today Ranking = 7
NCAA Seed = 2 (West Region)
Record = 29-8
- Loyola Chicago (14-16)
- Western Illinois (13-17)
- Boston University (21-14)
- No. 2* seed Ole Miss (24-10)
- No. 3* seed Dayton (23-12)
- IUPUI (25-11)
- FHSU (22-7)
- Washington State (16-15)
- No. 6 seed Xavier (26-9)
- No. 8 seed UNLV (25-9)
- Alabama (17-15)
- No. 16 seed UAPB (18-16)
- Cleveland State (16-17)
- South Dakota (22-10)
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No. 10 seed Missouri (23-11)
- No. 5 seed Texas A&M (24-10)
- Colorado (15-16)
- No. 8 seed Texas (24-10)
- No. 7 seed Oklahoma State (22-11)
- No. 3 seed Baylor (28-8): Loss to No. 1 seed Duke (78-71 in the NCAA Tournament)
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No. 1 seed Kansas (33-3)
- Nebraska (15-18)
- Iowa State (15-17)
- Oklahoma (13-18)
- No. 5* seed Texas Tech (19-16)
- No. 15 seed North Texas (24-9)
- No. 7 seed BYU (30-6)
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No. 5 seed Butler (32-4)
*NIT