Big 12 Tournament 2016: Quarterfinals Schedule, Live Stream, Bracket Predictions

Considering the depth and talent of this conference, the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals look more like the second weekend of the NCAA tournament.

Of the eight teams in action Thursday, six of them are almost certainly headed to the Big Dance, with the majority having a strong chance of making a deep run in March. Texas Tech had a chance to make it seven but fell short against TCU in Round 1.

Still, this just goes to show that there are no days off in the Big 12. This might be a problem for the teams, but the fans watching along can just sit back and enjoy some great basketball coming out of the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
No. 4 Texas vs. No. 5 Baylor	12:30 p.m.	ESPN2
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 8 Kansas State	2:30 p.m.	ESPN2
No. 2 West Virginia vs. No. 10 TCU	7 p.m.	ESPNU
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 6 Iowa State	9 p.m.	ESPNU

All games can be viewed online at Watch ESPN. Bracket available at Big12Sports.com.

No. 4 Texas vs. No. 5 Baylor

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Baylor lost three of its last four games, but this isn't a case of a team collapsing down the stretch. This was just a terrible schedule with the top teams in the conference taking over.

While some teams regret the bad losses on their resume at this point of the year, the Bears have none of them. According to ESPN.com, Texas Tech represents the worst loss with an RPI of 33. More importantly, the squad played well in most of these losses to prove it can handle the level of competition.

Doug Gottlieb of CBS Sports thinks this squad can reach at least the Sweet 16:

Texas has had a great year as well in Shaka Smart's first season as head coach. Isaiah Taylor and Javan Felix are a dangerous backcourt, and the team does an excellent job of avoiding mistakes. However, there are still weaknesses, including rebounding, which could be exploited by Baylor.

The Bears have one of the best offensive rebounding teams in college basketball, and Rico Gathers and others will dominate Texas inside in this one.

Prediction: Baylor 75, Texas 70

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 8 Kansas State

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No team in the country is playing better than Kansas at this point of the season. As the No. 1 team in the RPI with a 14-3 record against top-50 opponents (no one else has more than nine wins), the Jayhawks could likely lose this game and still be the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

Of course, picking this squad to lose would not be smart. Kansas has won 11 games in a row, the second-longest active streak in the nation behind only Stephen F. Austin. This streak also hasn't come against the Southland Conference; instead, it has come against some of the best opponents college basketball has to offer.

Over the last few weeks, the Jayhawks have beaten Kentucky, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Iowa State and more, dominating both at home and on the road. Perry Ellis remains a consistent force inside, while Wayne Selden Jr. and Frank Mason III continue to step up on the perimeter. There is also enough depth that Kansas State can't even hope for an off night from key players.

The Wildcats did a good job of getting through the first round, but they are completely overmatched against their in-state rival.

Prediction: Kansas 83, Kansas State 67 

No. 2 West Virginia vs. No. 10 TCU

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

TCU played the role of spoiler in the opening round, upsetting Texas Tech and potentially hurting the Red Raiders' chances of reaching the NCAA tournament. They could still get an at-large bid, but they will be a bit more nervous on Selection Sunday.

As for the Horned Frogs, it will take three more wins to get into the postseason—at 12-20, the only chance is grabbing the automatic bid. This simply isn't all that likely.

TCU does a good job on defense, but offensively, this group really struggles. That is not ideal for a game against West Virginia and arguably the toughest press in the country. The Mountaineers are a nightmare for teams with their ability to force turnovers and make every possession difficult. In two games against this defense in 2016, TCU committed 44 turnovers.

The defense also creates offense with easy baskets in transition, something TCU will not be able to stop. With Devin Williams and Jonathan Holton likely to live on the offensive glass, West Virginia should have little problem advancing to the semifinals.

Prediction: West Virginia 68, TCU 55

No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 6 Iowa State

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It's not often you see a situation where both teams will get higher seeds in the NCAA tournament than the conference tournament, but that is what you get in the Big 12. According to the Bracket Matrix, most projections have Iowa State sitting as a No. 5 seed, while Oklahoma could still contend for a No. 1 seed.

Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger discussed this being a challenge in such a competitive league:

Iowa State is a dangerous team with one of the top offenses in basketball. Monte Morris is one of the best point guards in the country, while a balanced attack lets any of a few different players take over. Unfortunately, the Cyclones have struggled away from home this season, losing their last four road games and five of their last six.

The Sprint Center will be rocking, but it won't be the same as "Hilton Magic."

This could be the opening Oklahoma needs to survive this early test. Buddy Hield is still one of the best players in college basketball—if not the best player—while the rest of the team helps out by knocking down threes and playing strong defense. It might be the most exciting game of the whole tournament, but the Sooners should be able to pull out a win.

Prediction: Oklahoma 85, Iowa State 82 

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