Updated Big 12 Tournament bracket: The path opens up for Iowa State
By Chris Stone
Day two of the 2017 Big 12 conference tournament is in the books. Here’s where things stand.
The biggest result of the day at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, MO came in the afternoon’s second contest as the TCU Horned Frogs upset the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks, 85-82, after Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk fouled Desmond Bane on a 3-point attempt with 2.5 seconds remaining. The Jayhawks were without star freshman Josh Jackson. He was suspended for the game due to his failure to report a traffic incident to head coach Bill Self. The loss likely knocked Kansas from the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, but the team is still on pace to end up as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional, which would allow them to play the Sweet Sixteen and the Elite Eight back at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. TCU will face the Iowa State Cyclones in the semifinals on Friday.
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The Cyclones advanced with a 92-83 win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the day’s opening contest. They were led by senior point guard Monte Morris who finished with a near triple-double (21 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists). Iowa State was always capable of winning the tournament behind hot 3-point shooting and an energized fan base that always turns out at “Hilton South,” but with the Jayhawks out of the way, the bracket now breaks in its favor.
In the bottom half of the bracket, the West Virginia Mountaineers knocked off the Texas Longhorns, 63-53. The Mountaineers were led by Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Jevon Carter who scored 21 points. They’ll face the Kansas State Wildcats in the semifinals.
Here’s a look at the updated bracket as we head into those semifinals on Friday. Click on the image to enlarge.
The Wildcats pulled off the second upset of the day, knocking off the Baylor Bears, 70-64, in the final game of the night. It’s a huge win for head coach Bruce Weber and the program. The victory has the potential to move Kansas State onto the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble as other bubble teams have lost early in conference tournaments. For the Bears, it likely means the end of their hopes to be a No. 2 seed.
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With two upsets in the quarterfinals, the most likely finals matchup appears to be Iowa State against West Virginia, both the Horned Frogs and Wildcats will be motivated to pick up additional wins for their resumes on Friday. It should another day of exciting hoops in Kansas City.