Shake Ups in the Big 12

Heading into Saturday, we knew that this weekend would go a long way in shaping the Big 12 race. Several teams made a big push for why (or why not) it should make the NCAA tournament, while the Big 12's top team finally suffered a league loss.

No one gave Nebraska much of a chance against the seemingly invincible Texas Longhorns, however the Huskers knocked off the Big 12's top team in Lincoln, 70-67. No one goes undefeated in Big 12 play (the only team to ever accomplish the feat was Kansas in the 2001-2002 season), and Texas still has a one game lead over KU. However, Kansas' rout of Colorado showed that the Jayhawks are not going silently into the night, and the Big 12 race should go down until the final week of regular season play.

Speaking of the Huskers, no one gave its NCAA status a bigger boost than Nebraska did on Saturday. Now at 18-8 overall and 6-6 in the Big 12, Nebraska has a huge victory to add to its overall profile. The Huskers' last four games include KState, Iowa State, Missouri and Colorado, plenty off opportunities for Nebraska to grab a tournament spot with a strong finish.

KState, Missouri and Texas A&M all picked up wins, and at this point it appears that the Aggies and Tigers are locks for the Big Dance, while KState is a few wins away. The biggest mystery team continues to be the Baylor Bears, who somehow lost at home to Texas Tech and fell to 6-6 in the league. After a poor non-conference slate, Baylor's average league showing has put the Bears in trouble. Baylor's final four games feature three ranked opponents, and the Bears will likely need to win at least three of these games to get into the tournament.

KU Falls to KState in Manhattan

In a Sunflower Showdown that was supposed to be a cakewalk for KU, KState played like its season was on the line while the Jayhawks looked like it simply expected to walk all over KState like it did in Allen Fieldhouse. KState was able to salvage its disappointing season and make a strong case for a NCAA tournament berth with a strong win over number one ranked KU.

The final result wasn't pretty: KState beat KU 84-68 in a game that was never in doubt. KU easily played its worst game of the season, while KState turned in a performance that was somewhat shocking given how poorly it had played in Big 12 play. KState got an insane performance from senior Jacob Pullen, who torched the Jayhawks for 38 points.

Before KU fans all jump in the Kansas river, just remember: KU is not healthy and easily played its worst ball of the year. KU is missing Thomas Robinson due to injury, and star freshman Josh Selby barely played due to a stress fracture in his foot. The loss puts KU at 10-2 in the conference, and it will likely see its ridiculous streak of consecutive Big 12 championships end at six. However, this could be a very dangerous team in March, especially when healthy. KU had beaten KState 42 in its last 44 meetings, and it is hard not to avoid a road bump every once in a while. KU will recover, while KState fans can't help but wonder how its team's season would have gone had the Wildcats played every game like Monday night's contest.

K-State's Season Comes Down to Tonight's Game

It is officially do or die time in Manhattan. If K-State has any chance to salvage its embarrassing season, one that started with the Wildcats ranked third in the nation and picked to win the Big 12, it has to defeat the number one ranked Kansas Jayhawks.

After losing to Colorado on Saturday, Joe Lunardi has placed the Wildcats on life support in his current NCAA projections. K-State is currently listed as an 11th seed and falling fast, a far cry from the lofty expectations it once had. In the current Big 12 standings, KSU sits behind Colorado (who swept the Wildcats this season) in a four way tie for seventh place with Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.

Everything is on the line tonight. KU is as weak as it has been all season on paper, missing starting guard Josh Selby and key reserve Thomas Robinson due to injury. Unfortunately for K-State, the Jayhawks have been playing lights out recently. A win over KU would give Frank Martin's team a signature win over the nation's top-ranked team, while a loss all but mathematically knocks the Wildcats out of the big dance. Its time to see what K-State is made of.