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.

Kansas Wins Big 12 Tournament

For the fourth time in the last six years, Kansas and Texas met in the final of the Big 12 Tournament. Once again, Kansas defeated the Longhorns, heading into the NCAA tournament as a one seed with both the Big 12 regular season and Big 12 Tournament titles.

After losing to Texas in the regular season and seeing its 69 home winning streak snapped, the Jayhawks were out for blood in this one. All week, KU players and coaches mentioned that the death of Thomas Robinson's mother was a distraction before the team's last meeting, and this time the outcome would be different. Kansas backed up its talk with one of its best games of the season, torching Texas' defense (one of the nation's best) with a balanced attack.

If KU continues to play at this level, it will coast into the Final 4. However, the Jayhawks have a tendency to lay up at times, and the second round loss to Northern Iowa still lingers in the minds of the Jayhawk faithful. KU should have something to prove this year, which could be trouble for NCAA field.

Previewing the Last Weekend of Big 12 Play

The Big 12 regular season comes to a close this weekend, and there is still a lot to be decided. The current Big 12 standings have KU sitting alone in first, and the Jayhawks have already clinched a share of the regular season title. Texas will attempt to snap out of its annual tailspin for a shot at a share of the title as well, although it must go through Baylor in Waco, with the Bears fighting for their tournament lives.

In ESPN's current Bracketology, Joe Lunardi has Baylor and Colorado in his first four out grouping, while Nebraska is in his next four out. All three teams have a chance to boost their tournament stock this weekend. Colorado and Nebraska fittingly will face each other, as the Buffs will try to recover from a disasterous 95-90 loss to last place Iowa State. Colorado appeared in after its comeback win over Texas, however the Buffs tournament hopes are on life support at the moment. CU needs to beat Nebraska (who can only get in with a win today and a deep Big 12 tournament run) and make some noise in the conference tournament for a spot. Baylor's position is pretty simple: beat Texas and win its opening Big 12 tournament game, and the Bears are back in good shape. Anything less, and a talented Baylor team that reached the Elite 8 last year will be watching March Madness from home.

With all the bubble drama, fans can find a nice distraction in what should be another great Border War. Missouri has been unbeatable at home, and equally terrible on the road. The game should be a great opening for what looks like the best regular season weekend of the year.

Missouri's Struggles, Parity in the Big 12

Before the Big 12 season kicked off, the Missouri Tigers looked like a team finally ready to contend with KU for the Big 12 title. Last night, Oklahoma State beat Missouri 76-70, dropping the Tigers to 3-4 in a Big 12 that is officially now a two-team race.

The current Big 12 standings feature two familiar faces at the top: Texas and Kansas. The Jayhawks have won the league six straight years, and seem to be playing their best ball at the moment. Texas, the only team to give the Jayhawks a run for the conference crown in recent memory, is the hottest team in the nation. KU and Texas are clearly the best two teams in the conference, and once again will battle until the end for the conference crown.

While it is no surprise the Jayhawks and Longhorns are off to fast starts, the parity in the rest of the league is shocking. Consider Texas A&M and Oklahoma (yes, Oklahoma) are tied for third place with a 4-3 record, while Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Texas Tech are tied for second-to-last with a 3-5 record. The league has never been this close, and it still remains unknown who will emerge as an NCAA tournament team from the cluster.

Many schools who were expected to struggle have recorded upset wins (Oklahoma, and Texas Tech) while teams like Baylor, Kansas State and Missouri haven't come close to meeting expectations. While the next weeks should bring some separation, it is clear that once again, Kansas and Texas are on a different level.