Big 12 Championship Game 2023: Texas vs. Kansas Schedule, Preview

The two best teams in the nation's best conference will square off for the third time this season in Saturday's Big 12 tournament final.

The Kansas Jayhawks and Texas Longhorns both won two games inside the Sprint Center in Kansas City to set up a must-see rubber match.

Kansas won the first meeting 88-80 on its home floor, and Texas returned the favor in Austin with a 75-59 win on March 4.

The Jayhawks are the traditional power of the Big 12 tournament. They are 12-3 in their 15 final appearances, and they are the reigning champion of the event.

Texas' triumph in 2021 was its only Big 12 tournament victory. A win on Saturday would complete a tremendous in-conference run led by interim head coach Rodney Terry.

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Big 12 Tournament Final Info

Date: Saturday, March 11

Start Time: 6 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app

Make your picks: Play the NCAA March Madness Men's Bracket Challenge and Tournament Run.

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Preview

You could not ask for a better ending to the Big 12 season.

Kansas and Texas established themselves as the class of the league, and that showed over the last two days in Kansas City.

Kansas produced two double-digit victories, while Texas held both of its opponents to 60 points or fewer.

The Jayhawks were the more consistent team before the conference's focus shifted to Kansas City. They lost once after February 6.

That one defeat came to Texas, but it also occurred a few days after the Jayhawks secured the Big 12 regular-season title, so they may not have had a full focus in Austin.

Texas needed the win over Kansas to get right ahead of the postseason. The Longhorns held Kansas to 59 points and ended a run of three losses in five games.

Kansas scored under 60 points twice in 20 conference contests, so a different result is expected from Gradey Dick, Jalen Wilson and Co. one week after their loss to Texas.

Dick put up 21 points in the win over Texas. He had four teammates join him in double figures. Wilson was a non-factor with two points.

Wilson comes into Saturday with four straight 20-point games, and if he and Dick are both in terrific shooting form, Texas' defense could be in for a long night.

Marcus Carr and Sir'Jabari Rice will try to provide Texas' counter to Kansas' top scorers. Carr scored 29 points against the Jayhawks in Allen Fieldhouse. Rice has been Texas' top scorer in three of the last four games.

Rice and Tyrese Hunter combined for 43 points in the last meeting with Kansas. Hunter could be Texas' X-factor to countering Kansas' offensive approach. Hunter has five straight double-digit scoring performances.

Saturday's final should be more like the first Kansas-Texas meeting that produced 168 total points.

Kansas will be more focused than it was in Austin, and a win could solidify it as the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. Texas will probably stay as a No. 2 seed regardless of the result.