Big 12 Tournament 2013: Bubble Teams To Watch
By Brian Spaen
Feb 4, 2013; Ames IA, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Tyrus McGee (25) is tripped up by Oklahoma Sooners players Isaiah Cousins (11) and collides into Casey Aren (32) at Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State beat Oklahoma 83-64. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
For the Iowa State men’s basketball team, it’s definitely been hard to watch three different teams battle it out for the Big 12 regular season title. Especially when this squad had enough to compete for it, but couldn’t overcome heartbreaking losses one after another. Now it will have to continue fighting it’s way into the NCAA Tournament this week in Kansas City.
Two other teams will join the Cyclones in trying to get the bid count up to six for the conference.
Oklahoma Sooners (20-10, 11-7) – RPI: 34
- SOS: 17 | Non-Conference SOS: 16
- RPI Top 50 Record: 3-6
- RPI Top 100 Record: 8-8
- Neutral/Road Record: 8-8
- Last 12 Games: 7-5
- Best Non-Conference Win: vs Ohio (RPI: 74)
- Best Wins: Oklahoma State, Kansas, Iowa State (all at home)
- Worst Losses: at Texas, at TCU
Prediction: They’re a lock for the NCAA Tournament. It’s an impressive resume with a top 20 SOS and they’re the only one of the bubble teams that went .500 against its RPI Top 100 teams.
Iowa State Cyclones (21-10, 11-7) – RPI: 47
- SOS: 64 | Non-Conference SOS: 141
- RPI Top 50 Record: 3-7
- RPI Top 100 Record: 7-8
- Neutral/Road Record: 5-9
- Last 12 Games: 7-5
- Best Non-Conference Win: vs BYU (RPI: 71)
- Best Wins: Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State (all at home)
- Worst Losses: at Texas Tech, at Texas
Prediction: They should be in the NCAA Tournament. All the talk about how bad they are on the road didn’t end up much worse than the other teams on the bubble (all three of these teams just won four true road games). Beating Kansas just once would have easily made this team a lock. They can make sure of things if they beat Oklahoma in the Big 12 quarterfinals.
Baylor Bears (17-13*, 9-9) – RPI: 62
- SOS: 21 | Non-Conference SOS: 47
- RPI Top 50 Rcord: 3-10
- RPI Top 100 Record: 5-10
- Neutral/Road Record: 6-8
- Last 12 Games: 4-8
- Best Non-Conference Win: at Kentucky (RPI: 50)
- Best Wins: Oklahoma State and Kansas at home, at Kentucky
- Worst Losses: Charleston and Northwestern at home, at Texas
*Record reflects competition against D-I opponents. One victory in the regular season came against D-III opponent Hardin-Simmons.
Prediction: Right now, they’re looking at the NIT despite beating Kansas in the regular season finale. Picking up wins over Kentucky and Kansas offset with a couple bad losses at home. They avoid a first-round game but will have to beat Oklahoma State in the Big 12 quarterfinals. If they face Kansas State in the semifinals and beat them, they’d likely be a lock.
All the Big 12 teams playing in the first round (Texas, West Virginia, Texas Tech, TCU) will have to win the entire tournament to make it into the NCAA Tournament. Bob Huggins has made it with West Virginia in each season he’s coached, and the Mountaineers have made it in six of the last seven years.
Follow the 2013 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament all week long on Clones Confidential.