Christian Royston, Sports Editor
No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5 BYU
The key to this game will be momentum. BYU has it, Texas Tech does not.
Texas Tech will enter the game on a three-game winning streak, which helped push the Red Raiders to the No. 4 seed. However, Texas Tech will be coming off a long rest while BYU just picked up a dominant win to move on to the next day.
BYU’s offense is scary, as was shown from the nearly 90-point day against UCF. The game could come down to defense, as Texas Tech tends to score under 80 points. When all is said and done, I see BYU powering past Texas Tech by a comfortable margin.
Moving on: No. 5 BYU
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 8 TCU
I am not going to overthink this game. I had already penciled in Houston to win, no matter if it was TCU or Oklahoma in the matchup. Despite that, I do think TCU stands more of a chance against Houston than many other teams in the conference.
TCU does have a win over Houston, although it was early in the season at home. In a neutral environment, Houston will not be an easy task. The No. 1 team in the Big 12 and the nation has shown time and time again how insanely good defense paired with efficient offense can be enough to topple anyone.
I see Houston breezing through what could be a low-scoring matchup, as the Cougars have their eyes set on not just a Big 12 title but a national title.
Moving on: No. 1 Houston
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 10 Kansas State
Last time I thought Iowa State was a sure thing, it let me down. Given their recent track record, I do not see the Cyclones getting over a team as hot as Kansas State.
When it comes down to it, the Wildcats are hungrier and will want the win more than the Cyclones. In the last few weeks, the Cyclones have looked unfocused and tired, and I really do not see one extra day off helping much in that category.
Kansas State recently took down Iowa State in Manhattan, Kansas, and came back to beat Texas in a tightly-contested game. Given how much Kansas State thrived off its atmosphere in the win over Texas, I see the true-neutral site game coming down to which team can generate offense better, and that has not been Iowa State’s identity recently.
Moving on: No. 10 Kansas State
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 11 Cincinnati
Unfortunately, I do not see a world where Cincinnati’s underdog story continues. Baylor is just too good of a team.
The Bearcats will have more momentum, as they have two wins in the tournament already under their belt, but beating the bottom team in the Big 12 and Kansas without its leading scorers does not give me any more reason to believe they can take down a team as good as Baylor.
The Bears are a team that is looking for not only a deep Big 12 Tournament run but a deep NCAA Tournament run as well. With how strong Baylor will look to finish off Big 12 competition, I do not see it losing to Cincinnati, who has struggled for most of conference play.
Moving on: No. 3 Baylor
Logan Shanks, Assistant Sports Editor
No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5 BYU
From how offensively driven each team is, I would not be surprised if this is one of the highest-scoring games of the tournament. A matchup between the top two teams in 3-point makes and top five in scoring should lead to a shot-for-shot heated quarterfinal affair.
However, what has continued to show for the Cougars, is their relentless ability to score. They are one of the fastest and best teams at spreading the ball around, which was seen in their 14-point win over UCF on Wednesday.
Looking back at BYU and Texas Tech’s first matchup in conference play, the Red Raiders dominated in the second half with 53 points to overcome a 16-point deficit at halftime. While BYU has relied on its offense recently, the team will need to stop Texas Tech from making this a shootout.
Moving on: No. 5 BYU
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 8 TCU
Although TCU looked really solid in its win over Oklahoma, I do not think the team’s offense will keep up with Houston’s lockdown defense. If there is something about Houston that is apparent nearly every game, it is that the team will force you to play one of your worst games offensively.
While Houston dropped its regular season matchup with the Horned Frogs on the road, it came off a shot with six seconds left and was over two months ago. Houston has come a long way since then and has carved out its identity as one of the most feared teams in the country.
Many times during the game Wednesday, TCU nearly allowed Oklahoma to come back after carving out an early first-half lead. The Horned Frogs will struggle to figure out Houston’s defensive pressure this time around, which will result in an early deficit and will not be allowed a chance to steal a win at the end.
Moving on: No. 1 Houston
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 10 Kansas State
It is tough to pick the Cyclones considering how they played Kansas State on Saturday, but I believe that loss was the kick they needed heading into the postseason.
The Wildcats nearly blew their late lead against Texas in the second round on Wednesday and had many moments where their defense was caught slipping. Iowa State has proven multiple times this season it can take advantage of soft defenses and generate offense off turnovers at a high rate.
Kansas State did shoot the ball exceptionally well against the Longhorns, especially in the second half when the team made 55% of its shots. Texas never really adjusted its defense to stop the Wildcats, a mistake I do not see happening with Iowa State.
If nothing else, the Cyclones know they have not played great offensively to end the regular season. A win against a team that just beat them five days prior would be a huge mental boost for the rest of the tournament.
Moving on: No. 2 Iowa State
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 11 Cincinnati
Good job Cincinnati, you made it to the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, that now means the Bearcats have to play a real team in Baylor that has a real chance at becoming Big 12 champions.
The big thing for me in this matchup is the amount of size and experience Baylor has over its opponents. Pair that with a diverse offense that can score at every level, the Bearcats are going to be severely outmatched.
Cincinnati has put together a pair of solid games to get the Bearcats to the third day of the conference tournament, but Baylor is just a better team. The only way I see this going the Bearcats’ way is if their defense can get to Baylor early, and even then it is hard to stop them at every level.
