NCAA Tournament Has Begun

Yesterday was one of the most thrilling starts to the NCAA Tournament ever, with buzzer beaters deciding seemingly every game and plenty of upsets. In the Big 12, results were mixed - Missouri predictably got mauled by Cincinnati while Kansas State pulled out a tough win against Utah State. The results were predictable, as most fans and experts expected Missouri to continue to play terrible basketball and KState to be tested by the Aggies. Up next for the Wildcats is a tough Wisconsin team.

Today, three Big 12 teams are in action, including President Obama's pick to win it all:

(1) Kansas vs. (16) Boston University - 5:50 p.m.

We all know the story here - No 16 seed has ever won a first round matchup (although it has been close to happening a few times). The Terriers have nothing inside to match up with the Morris twins and Thomas Robinson. The Northern Iowa loss still lingers in the minds of the Jayhawks, and this one should be ugly.

(4) Texas vs. (13) Oakland - 11:15 a.m.

Oakland has played some talented teams this year, and appears to have some weapons that could give the Longhorns trouble. Texas appears to be too deep and talented to fall to the Grizzlies, however I could see this one being a lot closer than most think. The Longhorns appear to have the talent to make a deep run, however their history under Rick Barnes suggest an early exit is more likely.

(7) Texas A&M vs. (10) Florida State - 3:10 p.m.

This team features two teams that hang their hat on tough, physical defense. Florida State struggles to score at times, but has a few big wins this season. This should be a low scoring, defensive affair which could come down to the last shot.

Today's Big 12 NCAA Tournament Games

Despite Colorado's NCAA snub, the Big 12 still has five teams who are ready to make a run at the Final 4. Only Missouri and KState are in action today, where the Tigers will try to turn its season around while the Wildcats try to avoid an upset.

(11) Missouri vs. (6) Cincinnati - 8:50 p.m.

The Bearcats are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years, and face a Mizzou team that hasn't played well lately. The Tigers closed their regular season with four straight losses, barely got by lowly Texas Tech in the Big 12 tournament, and then got creamed by Texas A&M. It is hard to turn around a late season tailspin, but Missouri has some talent. One has to wonder if the rumors of Mike Anderson going to Arkansas are having any affect on Missouri, or if the team's psyche is hurt from so many late season losses. Cincinnati is well seasoned from battling tough Big East teams all season, and is as predictable as they come. The Bearcats have lost to most of the highly ranked teams they have faced, and beaten everyone they should have beaten. They don't score a lot or push the tempo, so this could make for an interesting matchup of contrasting styles.

(12) Utah State vs. (5) Kansas State - 8:57 p.m.

Kansas State is happy to be in the tournament after its horrible start to Big 12 play made us all wonder what happened to the Wildcats from last season. Now KState gets a ticked off Utah State team who felt it should have a better seed. This will be a tough one for KSU; the Aggies have only three losses on the year, and two of those were to solid opponents (BYU and Georgetown). KState will need to use its athleticism to force some turnovers and get out in transition, or they could be heading home early.