Big 12 Tournament Brackets 2016: Schedule, Game Times Ready For Conference Tournament

Big 12 tournament brackets for 2016 have Kansas as the No. 1 seed. The Big 12 tournament schedule and game times are already set to begin on March 9, but some of the seeding could shift during the final weekend of conference games. In the updated Big 12 standings, the only thing set in stone is that Kansas has won the regular season conference title and that the bottom four schools have already been seeded.

In a fresh look at the Big 12 tournament brackets, the top six schools have already clinched first-round byes. It means fans of the bottom four teams can already take a look at the Big 12 tournament schedule for first-round games on Wednesday, March 9. Game 1 is No. 8 Kansas State vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. CT, followed by No. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 TCU at 8 p.m. CT. Both games are going to have a live broadcast on ESPNU.

If the conference standings remain the same, the Big 12 tournament brackets are nearly set for the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12 as well. The first game is No. 4 Texas vs. No. 5 Baylor at 11:30 a.m. CT, followed by No. 1 Kansas vs. Kansas State/Oklahoma State winner at 1:30 p.m. CT, No. 2 West Virginia vs. Texas Tech/TCU winner at 6 p.m. CT, and then No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 6 Iowa State at 8 p.m. CT.

Each of the teams seeded second through sixth could move spots as the weekend of games plays out. The West Virginia vs. Baylor game on Saturday, March 5 holds a lot of importance. If West Virginia wins the game, the team clinches the No. 2 seed and remains ranked in the top 10 nationally. If Baylor can win its final home game of the season, it opens the door for Oklahoma to take that No. 2 seed. Oklahoma, which is ranked No. 6 nationally, plays a struggling TCU team to close out the regular season.

Baylor is currently tied with Iowa State at 10-7 in conference play, with a chance for a three or four-way tie with Oklahoma and Texas at 11-7. That could create a mess when deciding the seeding, as it would come down to the best record in games just between the four opponents. To add even more excitement to all the possible Big 12 tournament bracket scenarios, Iowa State plays Kansas to close out the conference schedule. That game has national implications in regard to how the seeding could look for the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

Regarding the semi-final games in the Big 12 tournament brackets, they will take place at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday, March 11. Both games will air on ESPN2, as a national audience will get to see how the Big 12 conference plays out. The Big 12 Championship Game is then on Saturday, March 12 at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN. The NCAA Selection Committee members will be paying particular attention to which teams make it to that final game.

As the 2016 men’s college basketball season wraps up with March maddness, there are currently seven Big 12 teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament. Joe Lunardi at ESPN has Kansas as a No. 1 seed and Oklahoma as a No. 2 seed to lead the group. He also has Iowa State, West Virginia, Texas, Baylor, and Texas Tech getting invites from the NCAA Selection Committee. He has all seven teams as strong candidates to make the field, even though Texas Tech is 18-11 (8-9) on the year.

With three top 10 ranked teams in the conference (Kansas at No. 1, Oklahoma at No. 6, West Virginia at No. 10), the Big 12 has garnered a lot of positive national attention this year. This could also lead to a very exciting Big 12 Tournament beginning on March 9. Securing that automatic invite could also guarantee a bump in the seeding for the NCAA Tournament. The official Big 12 tournament brackets will be set following the games on Saturday, March 5, with a lot on the line when it comes to the seeding. It will make for an exciting conference finish.

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