After 6-0 start, Big 12 drops first NCAA Tournament game with Baylor’s OT loss
The Big 12 Conference is standing tall early in the NCAA Tournament.
The conference opened 6-0 before No. 1 seed Baylor lost in the second round to No. 8 North Carolina in overtime Saturday at Dickies Arena.
TCU’s 69-42 win late Friday over Seton Hall in San Diego gave the Big 12 a perfect first round. It was the Horned Frogs’ first NCAA Tournament win since 1987 when coach Jamie Dixon was a star player. The Frogs are next tasked with facing the South Region No. 1 seed Arizona at 8:40 p.m. Sunday.
Big 12 teams beat their opponents by an average 21.7 points in the first round. It’s the first time the league has opened the tournament 6-0 since 2009.
“We’ve been saying all along, and the numbers have [shown] it,” Dixon said of the Big 12’s success. “Obviously, everybody’s going to pick their side, their group. But we’ve been doing it ever since I’ve been here, six years. Every year we’ve been ranked the highest.”
The Bears, who shared the regular-season championship with the Jayhawks, lost to North Carolina 93-86 after rallying from a 25-point deficit with 10 minutes remaining in regulation. The Tar Heels outscored the Bears 13-6 in overtime. The Jayhawks, who also won the Big 12 Tournament title, beat Creighton Saturday afternoon at Dickies Arena. Baylor was the No. 1 seed in the East Region. Kansas is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region.
“It’s an unbelievable challenge, it really is [playing the Big 12 schedule],” he said. “And we’ve been moving up and getting better in it. But when you play all these great teams, you just gotta find the way to survive and that’s what everybody has seen. We’ve got so many wins against ranked teams and you feel good. And then you’ve got a ranked one coming right after it.”
Dixon said the six coaches in the tournament cheer the others on for the good of the conference.
“We’re all texting each other this week to win for the Big 12 and to promote that,” he said. “So it’s a close group of coaches for the most part. And a lot of respect among the group.”
No. 3 seed in the West Region Texas Tech beat Montana State on Friday and advanced to play Notre Dame 6:10 p.m. Sunday in San Diego. No. 11 seed Iowa State upset No. 6 LSU in the Midwest Region. The Cyclones play Wisconsin at 5:10 p.m. Sunday. No. 6 seed Texas opened with a 81-73 win over No. 11 Virginia Tech on Friday. The Longhorns play No. 3 seed Purdue at 7:40 p.m. Sunday in Milwaukee in the East Region.
Even eventual Big 12 team Houston, which is scheduled to join the conference in 2024, won on Saturday. The No. 5 seed Cougars advance to play No. 4 seed Illinois at 11:10 a.m.
First round scores
Baylor 85, Norfolk State 49
Kansas 83, Texas Southern 56
Texas Tech 97, Montana State 62
Texas 81, Virginia Tech 73
Iowa State 59, LSU 54
TCU 69, Seton Hall 42
Saturday’s 2nd round scores
No. 8 North Carolina 93, No. 1 Baylor 86 (OT)
No. 1 Kansas 79, No. 9 Creighton 72
Sunday’s 2nd round games
No. 11 Iowa State vs. No. 3 Wisconsin, 5:10 p.m. (TNT)
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 Notre Dame, 6:10 p.m. (TBS)
No. 6 Texas vs. No. 3 Purdue, 7:40 p.m. (TNT)
No. 9 TCU vs. No. 1 Arizona, 8:40 p.m. (TBS)
This story was originally published March 19, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
