Big 12 Tournament 2016: Bracket, Schedule and Championship Odds

Six ranked teams convene upon Kansas City, Missouri, this week looking to win the Big 12 tournament and earn a high seed on Selection Sunday. 

Everyone will be chasing top-ranked Kansas, which has won at least a share of the regular-season conference crown for a remarkable 12 straight years. 

To no surprise, the Jayhawks are favorites to continue their success and win this week’s tournament at 27-20 (+135) odds, per Odds Shark. But they might have their toughest path in recent memory to the title. 

No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 10 West Virginia are Final Four-caliber teams, and No. 21 Iowa State has surprised the field by winning the Big 12 tournament each of the past two years. 

The top six teams each have a first-day bye, but the excitement begins Wednesday. Here is a look at the full bracket for the nine-game tournament that will last four days:

Game	Wednesday, March 9	Time (ET)	TV
Game	Thursday, March 10	Time (ET)	TV
Game	Friday, March 11	Time (ET)	TV
Game	Saturday, March 12	Time (ET)	TV
1	No. 8 Kansas State vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State	7 p.m.	ESPNU
2	No. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 TCU	9 p.m.	ESPNU
3	No. 4 Texas vs. No. 5 Baylor	12:30 p.m.	ESPN2
4	No. 1 Kansas vs. Game 1 Winner	2:30 p.m.	ESPN2
5	No. 2 West Virginia vs. Game 2 Winner	7 p.m.	ESPNU
6	No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 6 Iowa State	9 p.m.	ESPNU
7	Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner	7 p.m.	ESPN2
8	Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner	9 p.m.	ESPN2
9	Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner	6 p.m.	ESPN

And here is a look at the latest odds, per Odds Shark:

Team	Odds
Kansas	+135
Oklahoma	+350
West Virginia	+350
Baylor	+600
Iowa State	+800
Texas	+900
Texas Tech	+2,500
Field	+3,300

While winning this week’s tournament would be a huge accomplishment for Kansas, the Jayhawks' true sights are probably set on the NCAA tournament. They have been eliminated in the third round—their second game—each of the previous two years in the Big Dance.

But this contingent is arguably the most seasoned among the national title contenders, with sophomore Devonte' Graham the only underclassman starter.

Perry Ellis, Frank Mason III, Wayne Selden Jr.—the team’s top three scorers—were all part of the disappointment the past two seasons. They bring the experience and pedigree to get on a run. 

Here is a look at some of Kansas’ top highlights from this season, via Campus Insiders:

By competing this week against the likes of some of the nation’s best, the Jayhawks can prime themselves for the top competition they’ll see in the Big Dance. 

But the same goes for the rest of the field. 

Oklahoma is in the midst of its best season since Blake Griffin was on campus. A large part of the team's success can be pinned to another Sooner expected to win multiple Player of the Year honors in Buddy Hield.

CBS Sports has already given Hield its distinction as the nation’s best:

The senior is averaging a Big 12-best 25.1 points per game and shooting a remarkable 49.5 percent from the field. He was a huge factor in Oklahoma’s narrow losses to Kansas, as he scored 46 points in the triple-overtime classic on Jan. 4.

It’ll be incredibly difficult for any team—let alone Kansas—to beat Oklahoma three times in a season with no losses, should the two meet again this week.

The dark horse this week might be Baylor. The Bears lost three of their final four regular-season games to Kansas, Oklahoma and West Virginia—but by an average of just 6.3 points. They have arguably the Big 12’s most athletic player in Rico Gathers, and they will win most matchups down low.