Big 12 Tournament 2015: Schedule, Start Times, Live Stream and TV Info
The Big 12 tournament figures to be one of the most competitive conference showdowns in 2015.
Kansas, Iowa State, West Virginia, Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State look poised for berths in the NCAA tournament and will be looking to gain momentum by taking down Big 12 opposition. Texas and Kansas State are currently on the bubble and will need strong showings to improve their respective statuses before Selection Sunday.
Each team's situation isn't the only intriguing aspect of this tournament, as the versatility of the conference is also appealing. From the all-out aerial attack of the Cyclones to the in-your-face press of West Virginia to Baylor's unique zone defense, the Big 12 has something for everyone.
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As we anxiously await these teams' return to the hardwood, let's take a look at the tournament's essential viewing information and a preview of what's to come.
Bracket
Schedule
| Game 1 | Kansas State vs. TCU | 7 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Game 2 | Texas vs. Texas Tech | 9 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Game 3 | Baylor vs. West Virginia | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Game 4 | Kansas vs. G1 Winner | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Game 5 | Iowa State vs. G2 Winner | 7 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Game 6 | Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State | 9 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Game 7 | G3 Winner vs. G4 Winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| Game 8 | G5 Winner vs. G6 Winner | 9 p.m. | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| Game 9 | G7 Winner vs. G8 Winner | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
Full tournament schedule courtesy of Big12Sports.com.
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Preview
The Kansas Jayhawks enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed; however, they aren't at full strength. While Gary Bedore of KUSports.com reported Brannen Greene will return from a one-game suspension, the Jayhawks are still without forward Cliff Alexander, and Perry Ellis is dealing with a knee issue.
Greene's return will certainly help, as he's a solid shooter from downtown, connecting on 42.9 percent of three-pointers this season; however, Alexander's absence continues to hamper the team's frontcourt, and Ellis—the team's leading scorer—may not be as effective depending on the state of his knee.
JayhawkSlant tweeted the latest details regarding the forward's status:
Head coach Bill Self spoke with Andy Katz of ESPN.com about his intentions for Ellis in the Big 12 tournament:
"He will wear a brace for the rest of the season. If the doctors say he's not feeling well enough, we will sit him for the tournament. All indications are he is doing well with his lateral movement.
We will press forward and put him in position, and hopefully he'll be 100 percent by the NCAA tournament.
"
With the Jayhawks ailing, the door opens for other Big 12 teams to take the tournament title. The high-powered Iowa State Cyclones figure to be the team to cash in, as their offense is incredibly difficult to contain. Ranked ninth in points per game, eighth in assists per game and 12th in field-goal percentage, this George Niang-led squad could take the conference by storm.
After all, since the Cyclones came from way behind to defeat Oklahoma during the regular season, they've been on everyone's radar. Here's what Will Brinson of CBS Sports had to say:
Speaking of Oklahoma, the Sooners will also be well in the mix here. They ended the regular season on an extremely high note, defeating Kansas thanks to a buzzer-beating tip-in by Buddy Hield. That victory gave the Sooners plenty of momentum, and Hield spoke of the team's mentality during a press conference with The Associated Press, via ESPN.com.
"I feel like it's our time now, you know what I mean? Everything bad has been happening to us, so it's our time," Hield said. "It's us making the plays. It's good. It's March. It's fun. It gets us ready for the next one."
Both Baylor and West Virginia can't be counted out, either. The Bears face off against the Mountaineers in the tournament's second round. Both teams are coming off wins to end their regular seasons, and the team that can emerge victorious from this impending contest will have a big head of steam for the semifinals.
March Madness is about to take flight—hang on to your hats.
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