Tag: four

Vegas Odds: Who will win Big 12 men’s basketball tournament

The Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament will begin on Wednesday evening for the men. The latest Vegas odds on who will get the automatic bid.

The Phillips 66 Big 12 men’s basketball tournament officially tips off on Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm CST with the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Iowa State Cyclones in the first round. That game will be followed with the Kansas State Wildcats and Texas Christian Horned Frogs. Each winner will move on to the quarterfinals to take on Kansas and Baylor.

The winner of the tournament will earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Here is how BetMGM see it shaking out. No shock on who Vegas has the top team heading into the Big 12 tournament that will conclude on Saturday March 14th at 5:00 PM CST. The game will air on ESPN.

Tournament Odds:

  • Kansas Jayhawks (+105)
  • Baylor Bears (+225)
  • West Virginia Mountaineers (+400)
  • Texas Tech Red Raiders (+800)
  • Oklahoma Sooners (+1300)
  • Texas Longhorns (+2000)
  • Texas Christian Horned Frogs (+4500)
  • Kansas State Wildcats (+10000)
  • Oklahoma State Cowboys (+12500)
  • Iowa State Cyclones (+20000)

 

 

(Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated 3/10 at 7:00 a.m. CST. )

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. 

 

Updated NCAA Men’s Bracketology: Where does Texas fall?

A blowout loss at home against a team not expected to be in the March Madness festivities has really hurt Texas’ chances of a bid.

The Texas Longhorns were one of the hottest teams in the Big 12 over a five-game stretch where they defeated two top 25 teams. The streak also included three-straight victories by 10+ points over opponents who have been projected to make the NCAA Tournament. The NET ratings of the those three were West Virginia (17), Texas Tech (22) and Oklahoma (44).

The NET ranking explained: The NCAA Evaluation Tool, which will be known as the NET, relies on game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses.

This tool replaced the RPI in the NCAA Tournament selection process.

The Longhorns current ranking is 68, after dropping from 57 on the heels of a 81-59 loss to Oklahoma State. The Cowboys jumped from 71 to 61 following the game. Prior to this loss, Texas was listed as the last four in on most Bracketology projections. However now the Longhorns find themselves between a rock and a hard place.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi updated his Bracketology with the loss to the Cowboys, putting Texas on the bubble as one of the last four in. In terms of the bubble watch, the Longhorns are listed under the work to do category.

Shaka Smart’s team rose to a No. 11 seed in the mock brackets on the strength of five straight wins. What happens now that Texas has lost by 22 at home to Oklahoma State? What happens is that the Longhorns are going to be very nervous. A NET ranking that was in the high 50s could dip into the perilous 60s in the wake of a Quad 2 loss, and UT will start preparing its talking points accordingly. They’re good talking points — the road wins at Purdue, Texas Tech and Oklahoma — and they would be strengthened with a good performance at the Big 12 tournament.

The game against Texas Tech is now a must-win for Shaka Smart and company. A one and done performance in the conference tournament could very well be the nail in the coffin for both a tournament berth and the future of Smart in Texas.

Texas Basketball: The Longhorns will meet Texas Tech on Thursday

The brackets are set for the Big 12 Tournament that begins on Wednesday. Texas Tech and Texas will meet on Thursday.

With the college basketball regular season officially in the rearview mirror, the Big 12 conference turns its attention to the tournament. In the first round of the tournament, Oklahoma State will meet Iowa State. The winner of the that matchup will face Kansas. Texas Christian will face Kansas State, the winner will take on Baylor in the quarterfinals.

Following the loss to Oklahoma State, Texas fell from third to the fourth seed in the standings. In the matchup of the four-five seeds in the quarterfinals, the Longhorns drew the assignment of Texas Tech. The two teams split their season series with each team winning on the road.

With the Texas Longhorns losing to the OSU Cowboys, the Longhorns need a strong showing in the conference tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament. They currently sit with a 53 percent chance to get in according to ESPN Bracketology. Shaka Smart will need at least one victory over Chris Beard and the Red Raiders to help his case. Not just to get into the tourney but also for the sake of his job.

 

Texas picks up fourth consecutive victory, outlast Texas Tech

To make the NCAA Tournament this season, UT needed to go 3-1 in their final four games. They picked up another huge win against Texas Tech.

In order to make the NCAA Tournament this season, Texas needed to go 3-1 in their final four games against West Virginia, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. After defeating the Mountaineers on Monday, the Longhorns picked up another huge win on the road against the Red Raiders.

It was once again a big game for Texas guards, this time being led by Andrew Jones. After getting a career-high 22 points against West Virginia, he matched that total in Lubbock on Saturday. Jones shot 8-14 from the field, leading the team at 57%. He also led the team in the three-pointers, making three.

Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

As for Courtney Ramey and Matt Coleman, they had 12 and six points respectively. A combined 6-17 inside the arc, their play was enough to get past Texas Tech. The two each snagged three rebounds, while Ramey provided one assist.

Hitting free throws has been a struggle for the Longhorns all season, shooting under 70% on the season. On Saturday, Texas only missed four free throws, going 10-14. Still ranking dead last in the country in free throws attempted, if Shaka Smart’s team can get to the line more, they will continue to have free offense.

Up next for Texas is a huge game in Norman against Oklahoma. With both teams on the bubble, it is a must-win for both squads. Losing in Austin to the Sooners earlier in the season, the Longhorns will be looking to secure their spot in the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

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