02:17 AM CST on Thursday, March 9, 2006
Texas might have an outside shot at a No. 1 seed if it can win the Big 12 tournament. In any event, the Longhorns appear to be in good position to get a No. 2 seed. High point of the season: Two games after getting rolled by Duke and Tennessee, the Horns went to then-No. 4 Memphis and won, 69-58. The Horns followed their leader, P.J. Tucker, who posted 24 points and 13 rebounds. The confidence gained in the win helped UT beat then-No. 3 Villanova in Austin three games later, 58-55. Low point of the season: Losing by 21 points at Oklahoma State on Feb. 19. For the first time all season, the Horns showed a true lack of leadership when facing adversity. The same lack of com- pass surfaced again in a loss at Texas A&M last week – a setback that may end up costing Texas a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. What they have to lose: If Texas is a No. 2 seed instead of a No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament, it won't be the end of the world. What the Longhorns need more than anything is for sophomore guard Daniel Gibson to continue to gain confidence. Gibson ended a 10-game shooting slump by scoring 22 points in Sunday's 72-48 victory over Oklahoma. What they have to gain: The Longhorns have had certain players play well at times while others have struggled. Texas needs everyone to start playing well at the same time. That's what it's going to take for the Horns to make a deep run in the post- season. Texas has talent, but it has not had its best players put it all together in the same game. Chip Brown The Jayhawks are a lock for the tournament. They were regular- season co-champs with Texas and are ranked in the Top 25. But their RPI hasn't always reflected their lof- ty status and may keep them from getting higher than a No. 5 seed. High point of the season: A 73-46 romp over Kentucky made a nice splash, but it was a 59-58 victory Feb. 5 over Oklahoma, in the middle of a 10-game win streak, that established Kansas as a Big 12 title contender. The young Jayhawks rallied in the second half to knock off the gritty Sooners. Low point of the season: A 70-67 loss to Saint Joseph's at Madison Square Garden in the Jimmy V Classic left the Jayhawks sitting at 3-4 in early December. They had already lost a home game to Nevada, and it looked like the rebuilding job would be a long one. What they have to lose: Kansas could lose a seeding edge to Oklahoma with a loss to the Sooners in the semifinals. A loss in the quarterfinals would be equally damaging. There's a little matter of respect, as well. The Jayhawks lost at Texas, 80-55. Another loss to the co-champions on a "neutral" floor would lead to more bragging rights for the Longhorns. What they have to gain: KU's goal is to become a No. 4 seed or higher, which would help its case to open the NCAA Tournament in Dallas. Winning this weekend could be enough to get it done. But considering KU starts three freshmen and two sophomores, it's all icing. Its youth makes it an unlikely Final Four team, but its talent makes anything possible. Keith Whitmire With a third-place finish in the Big 12 standings, the Sooners probably are headed to their 11th NCAA appearance in the last 12 years. OU already has 20 victories and a strong RPI. Coach Kelvin Sampson's club is simply playing for a better seed in the tournament. High point of the season: Everything bounced OU's way against then-No. 4 Texas on Jan. 28. With ESPN's College GameDay crew broadcasting from Lloyd Noble Center, the Sooners banked in one 3-pointer after another and cruised to an 82-72 victory. Low point of the season: It's hard to imagine anything worse than the 92-68 whipping admin- istered by West Virginia on Dec. 22. The Mountaineers shot 66.7 percent from the floor. But the Sooners regrouped and finished with the fourth-best scoring defense in the Big 12 (62.8 points allowed a game). What they have to lose: Coaches and players boasted that four straight one-point wins down the homestretch instilled toughness and character. But OU looked flat in its regular-season finale at Texas. Is that confi- dence gone? Historically, OU gets hot in March, so this should be its time to shine. And the Big 12 tournament is its stage: OU has won three times. What they have to gain: Every player should look at this tournament as an opportunity to build up steam for the NCAAs. Taj Gray and Kevin Bookout have been an effect- ive 1-2 punch all season. Senior guard Terrell Everett must be a cool-headed floor leader. That means more good passes (179 assists) and few- er awkward shots (.402 shooting percentage). Brian Davis A&M may very well be in already; a quarterfinal victory seals a berth. Hard to deny a 20-win, 10-6 Big 12 squad, no matter how weak the nonconference schedule. The Aggies have held five opponents under 40 percent shooting during their seven-game win streak. High point of the season: Knowing they needed to beat then-No. 6 Texas for serious NCAA consideration, the Aggies gutted out a 46-43 victory last Wednesday in College Station on Acie Law's 22-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer. Low point of the season: A&M lost three consecutive games early in Big 12 play – at Oklahoma State, to Oklahoma, at Kansas State – in which the Aggies missed potential winning shots. What they have to lose: A blowout loss in the quarterfinals – especially if it were to fellow bubble team Colorado – could leave the Aggies on some shaky ground in their NCAA bid. A close defeat probably doesn't cost A&M a spot. The key for A&M is to continue playing well and carry its confidence and momentum into the postseason. What they have to gain: A&M probably can't improve its NCAA seeding a whole lot unless it makes a deep Big 12 run. The most important accomplishment for the Aggies may be getting one of the final monkeys off their backs: they didn't win a Big 12 tournament game in the conference's first nine years. Another vic- tory can also increase national respect for A&M. Rachel Cohen