Big 12 Tournament 2012: Texas Must Beat Iowa State to Assure NCAA Berth

Texas is on the bubble as it enters a Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal clash with Iowa State. If the Longhorns want to avoid the stress of having to wait until Selection Sunday to know their fate, they must defeat the Cyclones tonight.

As it sits right now, the Longhorns have a 19-12 record with an even 9-9 mark in conference play. They had several opportunities down the stretch to knock off a marquee opponents, which would have made their lives a lot easier, but they couldn't get the job done.

Now they enter the conference tournament with a lot more questions than answers about their potential fate. They can't afford to be one and done, that's for sure. With the number of available spots shrinking by the day, the margin for error is extremely small.

The Cyclones are safely in the field of 68, so beating them would be the high-profile victory Texas has been seeking for the past few months. The two teams split their regular-season meetings, with both sides defending home court.

J'Covan Brown is going to do his fair share of damage. The dynamic junior guard is averaging 20 points and four assists while also knocking down more than two three-point shots per game.

Rick Barnes doesn't have to worry about him.

It's the supporting cast, which has been streaky throughout the season, that will need to step up to ensure Texas pulls out a win.

While players like Sheldon McClellan and Myck Kabongo will need to step up, it's actually the team's post players that will be under the most pressure.

Iowa State's tandem of Royce White and Melvin Ejim are a serious matchup concern for Texas, which leans heavily on guard play to win games. The Longhorns don't have a dominant interior force with three or four players usually splitting minutes.

If the Longhorns are going to contain White and Ejim, at least one big man will need to step up and have a terrific performance. Whether it's Clint Chapman, Jonathan Holmes or another depth piece, Texas needs one of them to be a hero.

There's always a ton of pressure when an entire season comes down to one game, but that's certainly the case for the Longhorns.

A victory tonight and they can feel confident about their chances, barring some major upsets in other tournaments. A loss and they are virtually toast.