The Big 12 landed seven teams in March Madness. We predict how far each team will go.
As expected, the Big 12 has 70% of the league dancing this year.
The March Madness brackets were revealed on Selection Sunday with Baylor leading the Big 12 corps by being named a 1-seed in the South Region. The league also has three 3-seeds in West Virginia (Midwest), Kansas (West) and Texas (East); a 4-seed in Oklahoma State (Midwest); a 6-seed in Texas Tech (South); and an 8-seed in Oklahoma (West).
The regions don’t carry much geographic weight this year with every game being played in or near Indianapolis due to COVID-19 protocols. Either way, sports fans should be ready for the return of March Madness after last year’s tournament was canceled due to the pandemic.
Here’s how we project the Big 12 to fare during March Madness, including one team reaching the Final Four:
Baylor
Seed: 1 (South)
Run to the … Final Four
Projected road: Hartford (W, Round 1), Wisconsin (W, Round 2), Purdue (W, Sweet 16), Ohio State (W, Elite Eight), Houston (L, Final Four)
Comment: The last time Baylor won a regular-season conference championship until this year? 1950. That’s the same year of the Bears’ last trip to the Final Four. Scott Drew finally gets over the Elite Eight hump.
West Virginia
Seed: 3 (Midwest)
Run to the … Sweet 16
Projected road: Morehead State (W, Round 1), Syracuse (W, Round 2), Houston (L, Sweet 16)
Comment: West Virginia enters the tournament having lost three of its final four games, but it regroups to get through the first weekend. However, a matchup against Quentin Grimes and Houston in the Sweet 16 won’t end favorably.
Kansas
Seed: 3 (West)
Run to the … Round of 32
Projected road: Eastern Washington (W, Round 1), USC (L, Round 2)
Comment: Kansas coach Bill Self expects to have a healthy roster for the tournament after pulling out of the Big 12 tournament last week due to COVID-19 issues. But a potential second-round matchup against USC spells trouble. The Trojans are underseeded behind star 7-footer Evan Mobley, who will be one of the first players taken in the NBA Draft.
Texas
Seed: 3 (East)
Run to the … Elite Eight
Projected road: Abilene Christian (W, Round 1), BYU (W, Round 2), Alabama (W, Sweet 16), Florida State (L, Elite Eight)
Comment: The Longhorns won their first Big 12 tournament title and will carry that momentum on a deep tournament run. This region seems to be the most up for grabs and Florida State gets hot at the right time behind standout freshman Scottie Barnes.
Oklahoma State
Seed: 4 (Midwest)
Run to the … Sweet 16
Projected road: Liberty (W, Round 1), Tennessee (W, Round 2), Illinois (L, Sweet 16)
Comment: The Cowboys are among the underseeded teams as they were thought to be a potential 2-seed. Oklahoma State standout freshman Cade Cunningham is playing well going into the Big Dance, but they run into one of the country’s hottest teams, Illinois, in the Sweet 16.
Texas Tech
Seed: 6 (South)
Run to the … Round of 32
Projected road: Utah State (W, Round 1), Arkansas (L, Round 2)
Comment: Texas Tech was the Big 12’s best defensive team and has the potential to go on a run in this tournament. But the Red Raiders are also a streaky team and run into a Razorbacks team that has won nine of their final 10 games in the Round of 32.
Oklahoma
Seed: 8 (West)
Run to the … Round of 32
Projected road: Missouri (W, Round 1), Gonzaga (L, Round 2)
Comment: OU is another team that could have arguably landed a better seed but didn’t. Instead, the Sooners ended up in Gonzaga’s region. It’s hard to picture a scenario where OU knocks off the ‘Zags even if Austin Reaves and Brady Manek are playing well that day.
Final Four picks
West: Gonzaga
South: Baylor
Midwest: Houston
East: Florida State
Semifinals: Gonzaga over Florida State; Houston over Baylor
Championship: Gonzaga over Houston
This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
