March Madness 2012 Schedule: Must-See Conference Tourney Games

With some teams' tickets already punched to the big dance, others are looking to solidify their place in the NCAA Tournament with strong showings in their respective conference tournaments.

As each day passes in these tournaments, the games become more intense and teams play with more urgency.

Today's matchups will be no different. So let's take a look at some games that could end up being instant classics.

Cincinnati vs. Syracuse, 7:00pm ESPN

Syracuse, the No. 2 team in the nation, squeaked past UConn yesterday to secure a berth in the Big Easy Semifinal against the Bearcats of Cincinnati. Cincinnati earned a berth in today's game by winning a thriller over Georgetown in double overtime.

The Orange will be looking to lock up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament while the Bearcats will be looking to improve their resume, and move up in seeding entering today's play.

Baylor vs. Kansas, 7:30pm ESPNU

This game has all the makings for one of the best games of the year. No. 3 in the country Kansas will also be looking to cement a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, against a Baylor team who will be trying to make a case for the No. 2 or No. 3 seed.

Baylor downed Kansas State to reach the semifinal, while Kansas raced past Texas A&M en route to the monster matchup with Baylor.

Kansas will be led by big-man and Player of the Year candidate Thomas Robinson, while Baylor counters in the post with Perry Jones III.

Texas vs. Missouri, 10:00pm ESPNU

Although Missouri has already solidified their spot in the big dance, Texas is looking to win the Big 12 Championship in order to guarantee their berth. Mizzou can lock up a top-two seed in the NCAA Tournament with a strong showing through the rest of the conference tournament, while Texas needs a statement win if they want to get off the bubble.

Texas star J'Covan Brown will have to have a huge game in order to get past Marcus Denmon and the Tigers.

Indiana vs. Wisconsin, 2:00pm ESPN

Although both teams are sure to get into the NCAA Tournament, both Indiana and Wisconsin would benefit from a strong showing the rest of the Big Ten Tournament.

Whoever wins this game, will have the opportunity to gain momentum heading into the big dance. That momentum could be the difference between an early upset or a deep run into the Final Four.

Indiana will turn to big-man Cody Zeller to dominate the paint and set the tone, while Wisconsin will look to its leading scorer, Jordan Taylor, to carry the load offensively.