Everything is as it should be in Big 12 basketball. The Kansas Jayhawks (27-6) and Texas Longhorns (25-8) face off in the Big 12 Championship final.
Not long ago, the two teams faced each other in three consecutive conference finals from 2006 to 2008. The conference rivals met for a fourth time in 2011. In each of the championship games, the Jayhawks emerged victorious.
Texas’ struggles in the championship largely revolve around the inability to get past Kansas. Former Texas head coach Shaka Smart and company broke a six-game losing streak in the championship final to improve to a 1-6 record in the final game.
Saturday marks the fourth time that the two teams have met as the No. 1 and No. 2 conference seed (2006, 2008, 2011) in the deciding game of the tournament.
The stakes are higher for the Longhorns than the Jayhawks on Saturday night. One could argue Kansas has already locked up the No. 1 overall seed with 17 Quad 1 victories. Texas is on the outside of the No. 1 line with eight losses, despite a strong resume.
Texas head coach Rodney Terry will look to secure the first conference championship victory over Kansas in program history.
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