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Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 Big 12 men’s basketball tournament.
The Big 12 tournament begins today, and with it comes an entirely new season. The Big 12 was one of the better Power 5 conferences this year in basketball, and the competition was evident. Despite losing most of their senior talent to pro basketball and head coach Bill Self missing the first few games, the Kansas Jayhawks won the regular season, going 13-5 in the conference and 25-6 overall. The Jayhawks are a top contender for the NCAA title. The Jayhawks have four players averaging over double digits in scoring, led by Jalen Wilson who is averaging 19.7 points and 8.4 rebounds en route to being the unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year. The Jayhawks also have Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Dajuan Harris Jr. and Most Improved Player KJ Adams Jr. to round out the team, as well as future first round NBA Draft pick Gradey Dick. The Jayhawks reloaded a team that won the national title last year, and are looking to make another run.
Below the Jayhawks in the standings are multiple teams that can give Kansas a tough time in this tournament. The Baylor Bears are another team laden with experience, but the engine behind the team is freshman guard Keyonte George. George won Big 12 Freshman of the Year after leading the Bears in points per game with 16, with bursts of 20-point scoring games to add on. This Baylor team might not be as deep as previous years, but they have the ability to win the entire Big 12. Not to be outdone, Texas has been resurgent this year. The 7th ranked team in the country this year leads the conference in points per game and field goal percentage, and guard Marcus Carr can light up the scoreboard whenever he wants. The Longhorns might give up a lot of points (6th in the conference in opponent points per game), but if the game turns into a offensive fireworks show, the Longhorns are more than capable of winning. Keep an eye on Kansas State as well; the Wildcats are extremely well coached and upset minded.
Big 12 tournament basketball 2023 men’s basketball
Big 12 tournament predictions
From our conference tournament predictions post:
Our pick: Kansas Jayhawks. The reigning champions look like a team that could very possibly become the first to repeat since Florida in 2006-07. The Jayhawks haven’t been perfect, but the Big 12 has been a bloodbath this year. After losing three consecutive games in January, Bill Self said he wasn’t remotely concerned about the state of his team. Kansas responded by winning 10 of their next 11 games including an 8-point win over #5 Texas and a 16-point blowout of #9 Baylor. The Bears could challenge Kansas, but with a recent ankle injury to their star Keyonte George, Baylor might be more focused on keeping healthy before the big dance. Rock chalk. — Adam Ward
2023 Big 12 tournament schedule
Wednesday, March 8
Game 1: No. 8 West Virginia vs. No. 9 Texas Tech, 6 p.m., ESPNU
Game 2: No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Oklahoma, 8:30 p.m., ESPNU
Thursday, March 9
Game 3: No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 5 Iowa State, 11:30 a.m., ESPN2
Game 4: No. 1 Kansas vs. Game 1 winner, 2 p.m., ESPN2
Game 5: No. 2 Texas vs. Game 2 winner, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Game 6: No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 6 TCU, 8:30 p.m., ESPN2
Friday, March 10
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 8:30 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday, March 11
Big 12 Tournament Championship Game
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 5 p.m., ESPN
Texas: +310
Kansas: +350
Baylor: +450
Kansas State: +650
Iowa State: +650
TCU: +850
West Virginia: +1500
Oklahoma State: +3000
Texas Tech: +4000
Oklahoma: +4000
