Big 12 Standings and Seeding Projections: BYU Likely to Secure 4th Seed
BYU’s upset victory over Iowa State significantly boosted their NCAA Tournament chances, but it also ensured they would secure a top 4 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. The top 4 seeds in the tournament receive a double bye to the quarterfinals, while seeds 5-8 get a first-round bye, and seeds 9-16 will all compete in the opening round next Tuesday.
Here are the current Big 12 standings. Six teams play on Wednesday, and all 16 teams will conclude their regular season games on Saturday.
BYU’s Position
BYU is likely to finish as either the 3rd or 4th seed, with the 4th seed being the most probable outcome. While BYU could tie with Arizona and/or Texas Tech for the 2nd or 3rd seed, they would lose the tiebreaker to either team. Texas Tech has the tiebreaker over BYU due to a head-to-head win, and Arizona holds the tiebreaker despite a season split because of their victory over Texas Tech.
BYU can only reach the 3rd seed if Texas Tech loses both of their remaining games, against Colorado at home Wednesday and Arizona State on the road Saturday. However, unless that unlikely scenario occurs, BYU will be the 4th seed in the Big 12 Tournament, even if they lose to Utah on Saturday.
Potential Matchups for BYU in the Big 12 Tournament
The Big 12 Tournament bracket is outlined below.
Iowa State is set for the 5th seed, meaning BYU, as the 4th seed, will face the winner of the Iowa State and 12/13 seed matchup on Thursday morning at 11:30 am CT.
If the season ended today, Cincinnati would be the 12th seed and Oklahoma State the 13th seed. Cincinnati hosts Kansas State on Wednesday and heads to Stillwater on Saturday. Oklahoma State plays at UCF Wednesday and hosts Cincinnati on Saturday. Having recently upset Iowa State, Oklahoma State could prove an intriguing opponent if they draw Iowa State.
Other possible teams for the 12/13 seed include Kansas State, Utah, or UCF.
The winner of BYU’s quarterfinal match will face the winner of the Houston and 8-9/16 matchup.
What Could the Rest of the Big 12 Bracket Look Like?
Seeds 6-9 are still uncertain, with Baylor, Kansas, West Virginia, and TCU in contention. Depending on how the remaining games play out, any of these teams could land in those spots. If Kansas loses to Arizona at home on Saturday, they could end up as the 8th or 9th seed and potentially face Houston in the quarterfinals. Kansas was competitive in their previous road game against Houston, losing by just 6 points. While Houston will be favored against any of these teams, Kansas might have the best chance to upset them, given how close their two regular-season matchups were.
On the other side of the bracket, Texas Tech will claim the 2nd seed with two wins or if Arizona loses, while Arizona will take the 3rd seed.
If you’re looking for a potential 9-16 seed to cause trouble, Cincinnati or Kansas State seem to be the most likely candidates. Cincinnati has been playing well recently and has the ability to beat any team in the conference; they were the last team to defeat BYU. Kansas State has been without Coleman Hawkins due to injury in recent games, but when healthy, KSU’s starting five is among the most talented in the league.
