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The Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament gets underway this evening, and we've got all the vital information you need for tonight's action.
Game One
GAME ONE
#8 Oklahoma State Cowboys
(20-11, 8-10, --/arv)
vs
#9 Texas Tech Red Raiders
(14-17, 6-12, --/--)
The Cowboys won by 22 at home, but lost by four on the road. Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 39-16, and has won five of six meetings in the Big 12 Championship.
Oklahoma State is probably safely in the NCAA tournament field, but a loss tonight would put that in some level of potential jeopardy. Marcus Smart, Markel Brown, Le'Bryan Nash and their friends are going to have to play ball tonight, because while Texas Tech isn't a great team, they've been just feisty enough this year that they can't be ignored. For the Red Raiders, every game is their last -- unless they win the whole damn thing. Even reaching the final and losing would leave Texas Tech at 17-18, and ineligible for the NIT. Think they're going to be going all-out?
Odds: Oklahoma State is a nine-point favorite.
Tipoff: 6:00pm CT at Sprint Center (18,972) in Kansas City, Missouri.
Television: Big 12 Network, with Dave Armstrong and Reid Gettys, and also on ESPN FullCourt (subject to blackout).
Radio: If you're in Oklahoma, you can catch Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb on the Cowboy Radio Network, and if you're in Texas you can listen on the Texas Tech Radio Network with Brian Hanni and Chris Level. No matter where you are, you can listen on Sirius 94/XM 193, but we're not sure which feed they'll be carrying.
Online: Video streaming via ESPN3, live stats via Big 12 Sports. No free audio streaming.
GAME TWO
#7 Baylor Bears
(21-10, 9-9, arv/arv)
vs
#10 Texas Christian Horned Frogs
(9-21, 0-18, --/--)
It's the 175th meeting between the two schools, a series which Baylor leads 93-81. They've never met in the Big 12 Championship, but they split four games in the Southwest Conference Tournament back in the day.
This game, on the other hand, has all the makings of a blowout. We've talked at great length about just how hard it was for Wichita State to go unbeaten even against clearly inferior competition. Well, if we're being honest about it, TCU going winless in Big 12 play was just about as unlikely. Pure random chance would have had the Frogs sneaking a win or two out of the pile. Baylor, meanwhile, has been incendiary lately, surging back into the thick of the NCAA Tournament field after being left for dead six weeks ago. Even moreso than the Cowboys, though, Baylor cannot afford to lose tonight. They won't have any excuses, and dropping this game in particular might very well be all the excuse the committee needs to send Baylor back home to defend their NIT title from last year.
Odds: Baylor is a 15-point favorite.
Tipoff: Technically 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game One, most likely around 8:30pm CT at Sprint Center (18,972) in Kansas City, Missouri.
Television: Big 12 Network, again with Dave Armstrong and Reid Gettys, and also on ESPN FullCourt (subject to blackout).
Radio: John Morris and Pat Nunley have the Baylor call on ESPN Central Texas, which you can listen to in, well, you know, Central Texas. You can also catch the TCU Sports Network call, featuring Brian Estridge and John Denton, if you're in TCU's radio footprint. Sirius 94/XM 193, but again we're not sure which feed they'll be carrying.
Online: Video streaming via ESPN3, live stats via Big 12 Sports, free audio stream courtesy of Baylor All-Access.
After each game, live postgame will be available via Big 12 Sports.
In the interest of giving you plenty of warning about Thursday, note that games three and four -- K-State/Iowa State and Kansas/Game One winner -- will be on ESPN2, while the evening games will be on the Big 12 Network.