Big 12 Tournament 2015: Biggest Storylines to Follow in Kansas City

While the Big 12 tournament is still a couple of weeks away, we simply can't wait for one of the best conference tourneys in recent history.

The league has proven itself throughout the year as the deepest in the nation, with seven of the 10 teams looking at an NCAA tournament bid. The remaining three squads haven't exactly been pushovers either and are capable of beating anyone.

Obviously, everyone will want to see which team can make its way through the gauntlet and win a championship. However, there are a bunch of storylines that will keep fans entertained throughout the week at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

Is Kansas a True Title Contender?

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Although winning a conference tournament doesn't necessarily correlate to success in the NCAA tournament, beating a bunch of good teams in a row is a good place to start.

Kansas has been a tough squad to figure out this season. Surviving an incredibly difficult schedule both inside and outside the conference has been impressive, especially when the team seems destined to earn at least a share of the Big 12 regular-season title for the 11th year in a row.

On the other hand, the Jayhawks are just 9-6 away from home, compared to 17-0 at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. This includes blowout losses at Temple and on a neutral floor against Kentucky.

The Jayhawks are obviously extremely talented, but they have a young roster with no contributing seniors. If they can earn some wins on a neutral floor in Kansas City, though, they will have a lot more confidence going into the Big Dance and should be able to make a deep run.

Will Depth Be An Issue for Teams?

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One of the difficult factors in any conference tournament is competing on consecutive days. This will be an even bigger issue for those that get a lot of production from a small group of players.

Iowa State and West Virginia play quickly, but they each do a great job of utilizing the bench. The Cyclones have six players averaging double-figures in scoring (not including red-hot Matt Thomas), while the Mountaineers have 10 players averaging at least 12 minutes per game.

Conversely, Oklahoma has struggled to get production off its bench. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports had to note when there was a change in this area against Texas:

Outside of Frank Booker, the lack of support from the bench remains a problem. The Sooners currently rank 331st in the nation in bench minutes this year, according to KenPom.com, and this could lead to some tired legs during the conference tournament.

Baylor and Oklahoma State also struggle a bit in this regard, but they will at least slow down the pace of games to keep their starters on the court. Still, this could be something to follow in the coming weeks.

Can Texas Add Some Good Wins?

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Texas has been considered safely in the NCAA tournament for much of the season, but the lack of success against top teams remains concerning. Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports first posed the issue of the poor profile last week:

At this point, the Longhorns are just 1-11 against teams in the top 50 of the RPI, with their only win coming against West Virginia. Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek summed up it best:

With a 3-7 record in the past 10 games, Texas has now fallen to eighth place in the Big 12, and it is running out of chances for quality wins. The upcoming games at Kansas and home against Baylor could be useful, but winning either will obviously be difficult.

The good news is there will still be an opportunity for quality wins at the Big 12 tournament. If Myles Turner and Co. can finally break through in Kansas City and turn the close losses into wins, they will be able to go into Selection Sunday with a much better resume.

Will One of the Spoilers Ruin the Fun?

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Most of the nation was shocked when Kansas State upset Kansas at home Monday, but Jayhawks head coach Bill Self was knew it was possible due to the depth of the conference. 

"The league is a monster," Self explained after the loss, via Sean Keeler of Fox Sports Kansas City. "It's not embarrassing to lose on the road. We have a pretty good team, but we also do not have a margin for error to not be our best when we're playing other good teams. It's not surprising to lose some games in a league this competitive."

Even though Kansas State isn't even .500 this season, it will remain a tough out for any team, including Iowa State in a matchup Saturday. This will also continue into the Big 12 tournament, as none of the weaker teams in the conference will give up on the year without a fight.

This also includes TCU and Texas Tech, two teams that have struggled to close out wins but certainly cause challenges. The Red Raiders almost beat both Baylor and Oklahoma during the past week before falling late, while the Horned Frogs were able to pull off an upset over Oklahoma State earlier in the month.

While extremely possible, a loss to one of these teams in the conference tournament could be damaging for seeding in the NCAA tournament—and in some cases, the ability to even earn a bid.

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