This town isn't big enough for the four of 'em
More than Big 12 title at stake for UT, KU, OU and A&M
01:30 AM CST on Thursday, March 9, 2006
Most national college basketball pundits believe Texas will return to Dallas next week when the NCAA Tournament stages first- and second-round games at American Airlines Center. Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M would love to play in Dallas, too, although they are projected to land in one of the seven other subregionals, anywhere from San Diego to Jacksonville, Fla. UT fans should keep one thing in mind before rushing out to get those NCAA tickets, though: Through Sunday Photos: DMN All-Big 12 men's team Big D means big bucks for Big 12 Return trip to Dallas isn't guaranteed
Thursday's previews (.pdf)
Bracket (.pdf) Nothing's guaranteed when the selection committee is involved. "We won the league last year and didn't get to play in Oklahoma City," Sooners coach Kelvin Sampson said. OU was 12-4 in league play last season and split the Big 12 championship with Kansas. The Sooners even beat the Jayhawks during the regular season. But Sampson's club was shipped to Tucson, Ariz., for the first and second rounds, whereas the Jayhawks made the relatively short trip to Oklahoma City's Ford Center. The Sooners failed to reach the Sweet 16. KU lost its opener to Bucknell. Texas is 25-5, ranked eighth and has an RPI in the top 10. But the lesson should be clear for the Longhorns: keep winning. A strong performance in the Big 12 tournament may be the only way to sew up a spot in the Dallas subregional, which begins March 17. Coach Rick Barnes deflected questions about UT's chances of playing in Dallas in the NCAA Tournament's early rounds. "I haven't even looked at any of it," Barnes said this week. "I would just assume that it's a site they would want to have some Texas people [attend]. But in terms of doing more work, I don't think your work is ever done." Conference officials would love to host UT and another Big 12 school during the NCAAs, and Kansas and OU certainly have had seasons that merit trips to Dallas. The 17th-ranked Jayhawks (22-7) shared the Big 12 regular-season championship with the Longhorns. And the selection committee has rewarded good Kansas teams in recent years, much to their fans' delight. Kansas played early-round games in St. Louis (2002), Oklahoma City (2003 and 2005) and Kansas City (2004). However, the selection committee may consider sending the Jayhawks to Dayton, Ohio, just as easily. Kansas opened the NCAAs in Dayton in 2001. The No. 22 Sooners (20-7) split with the Longhorns and had a big lead against the Jayhawks, only to lose by one. OU also had four straight one-point wins down the stretch against teams in the lower half of the Big 12 standings. Attention-getting routs they were not. Whatever happens, the Sooners can't claim the NCAA is out to run up their frequent-flier mileage. OU landed in the Dallas subregional in 2002. Two wins here propelled the Sooners on to the Final Four. In 2003, OU played in the Oklahoma City subregional. Projecting where A&M will land is mere guesswork. The Aggies have been in the NCAA Tournament only twice since 1980. Considering A&M finished fourth in the league standings and has an RPI in the high 40s, it's doubtful the team will land in Dallas. But winning the Big 12 tournament could change things. "There are a lot of teams out there that will do well in the NCAA Tournament," A&M coach Billy Gillispie said. "But there are a lot of teams that still have work to do, and we're one of those teams." E-mail brdavis@dallasnews.com A look at the teams that have hopes of making the NCAA Tournament and playing in first- and second- round games in Dallas: Chances: Good, but a few more wins would help. Why? Beating Villanova and Memphis and winning a share of the Big 12 regular-season championship should be enough for the Horns to play in front of their fans for the first two rounds. Chances: Fair, but it may not matter. Why? Changes to the Wright Amendment are a blessing for Kansas fans hoping to come to Dallas two straight weeks. But Dallas seems too far for Jay- hawks fans to travel en masse to make a major, vocal difference. Chances: Not likely, but stranger things have happened. Why? The Sooners don't have many impressive non- conference wins, and getting blown out by the Longhorns in the regular-season finale in Austin didn't help their chances. Chances: Start packing your bags, Aggies. Why? A&M has no recent NCAA Tournament history to speak of, and the team finished fourth in the conference. Being ranked 48th in the RPI doesn't help at all. 
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