Team-by-team previews for the Big 12 Tournament

No. 1 Kansas

▪ Quarterfinal opponent: No. 8 K-State-No. 9 TCU winner, about 2 p.m. Thursday (ESPN2)

▪ Season series: 1-1 vs. K-State, 2-0 vs. TCU

▪ Record: 24-7, 13-5 Big 12

▪ National ranking: No. 9

▪ NCAA Tournament projection: No. 2 seed

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▪ One year after bowing out to Iowa State in the semifinals, Kansas hopes to claim the seventh Big 12 tournament title of Bill Self’s tenure. The Jayhawks have recorded at least 24 victories for the last 10 seasons, and their 13 league wins were the program’s lowest total since 2005-06. If the Jayhawks can win at least two games in Kansas City, they should have a solid chance of earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 2 Iowa State

▪ Quarterfinal opponent: No. 7 Texas-No. 10 Texas Tech winner, 6 p.m. Thursday (ESPNU)

▪ Season series: 2-0 vs. Texas, 1-1 vs. Texas Tech

▪ Record: 22-8, 12-6 Big 12

▪ National ranking: No. 17

▪ NCAA Tournament projection: No. 3 seed

▪ Iowa State returns to Kansas City to defend its tournament title. The Cyclones came back from a 21-point deficit to beat Oklahoma last week, which ended a two-game skid. Iowa State is the only team in the nation with six players averaging in double figures, led by Georges Niang at 15.2. Point guard Monte Morris is one of the nation’s best, averaging 5.4 assists and 1.2 turnovers.

No. 3 Oklahoma

▪ Quarterfinal opponent: No. 6 Oklahoma State, about 8:30 p.m. Thursday (ESPNU)

▪ Season series: Oklahoma, 2-0

▪ Record: 21-9, 12-6 Big 12

▪ National ranking: No. 15

▪ NCAA Tournament projection: No. 4 seed

▪ Big 12 player of the year Buddy Hield put back a miss just before the buzzer to give Oklahoma a victory over Kansas in the season finale, and now the emotions swing to rival Oklahoma State in the tournament opener. The Sooners haven’t won at the Big 12 Tournament since 2011. A top-four NCAA seed is possible for Oklahoma.

No. 4 Baylor

▪ Quarterfinal opponent: No. 5 West Virginia, 11:30 a.m. Thursday (ESPN2)

▪ Season series: Baylor, 2-0

▪ Record: 23-8, 11-7

▪ National ranking: No. 14

▪ NCAA Tournament projection: No. 3 seed

Nobody in the Big 12 is hotter than forward Taurean Prince, who has led Baylor in scoring for six straight games, including four 20-plus point outings. The Bears and Kentucky are the only two teams in the country that have led all of their games by at least six points. Nobody dominates the glass like Rico Gathers, who ranks among the national leaders at 11.7 boards per game.

No. 5 West Virginia

▪ Quarterfinal opponent: No. 4 Baylor, 11:30 a.m. Thursday (ESPN2)

▪ Season series: Baylor, 2-0

▪ Record: 23-8, 11-7 Big 12

▪ National ranking: No. 20

▪ NCAA Tournament projection: No. 4 seed

▪ West Virginia faces the team it wanted to avoid for as long as possible. Baylor beat the Mountaineers twice by a combined 30 points. West Virginia has played three straight games without scoring leader Juwan Staten, recovering from a knee injury. But the Mountaineers lost in overtime at Kansas and beat Oklahoma State in the final week.

No. 6 Oklahoma State

▪ Quarterfinal opponent: No. 3 Oklahoma about 8:30 p.m. Thursday (ESPNU)

▪ Season series: Oklahoma, 2-0

▪ Record: 18-12, 8-10 Big 12

▪ National ranking: N/R

▪ NCAA Tournament projection: No. 9 seed

The Cowboys built a strong NCAA Tournament resume over the first three-quarters of the league season, which is a good thing because the Pokes are limping into Kansas City as losers of five of six. Oklahoma State opens the tournament with a Bedlam date, and the Cowboys have never lost to OU (3-0) in a Big 12 Tournament game.

No. 7 Texas

▪ First-round opponent: No. 10 Texas Tech, about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday (ESPNU)

▪ Season series: Texas, 2-0

▪ Record: 19-12 overall, 8-10 Big 12

▪ National ranking: N/R

▪ NCAA Tournament projection: No. 11 seed

▪ The Longhorns were living up to the preseason hype early on, winning 10 of their first 11, with the lone loss at Kentucky. In that game, Texas was tied at halftime. But the Longhorns battled injuries and inconsistency and dropped out of the polls and in the standings. They looked like a sure NCAA Tournament team for much of the season but are seen as a right-side-of-the-bubble team now.

No. 8 Kansas State

▪ First round opponent: No. 9 TCU, 6 p.m. Wednesday (ESPNU)

▪ Season series: 1-1

▪ Record: 15-16, 8-10 Big 12

▪ National ranking: N/R

▪ NCAA Tournament projection: Out

▪ The Wildcats view their trip to Kansas City as their final opportunity to save an up-and-down season. Their five wins against RPI top 25 teams rank third nationally behind Kansas and Villanova, but a 3-12 record away from Bramlage Coliseum has dropped them below .500. One of those three victories came against Texas A&M at Sprint Center. K-State did not place a single player on any of the Big 12’s all-conference teams, but Nino Williams, Thomas Gipson and Marcus Foster were all honorable mentions.

No. 9 TCU

▪ First-round opponent: No. 8 Kansas State, 6 p.m. Wednesday (ESPNU)

▪ Season series: 1-1

▪ Record: 17-14, 4-14 Big 12

▪ National ranking: N/R

▪ The Horned Frogs took a step in the right direction this season, doubling their league victory total over the previous two years combined. Senior guard Kyan Anderson, a second-team All-Big 12 pick by The Star, leads the way, and there’s an inside presence with Kenrich Williams, Amric Fields and Karviar Shepherd. TCU seeks its first Big 12 Tournament victory. It’s the first time the Frogs haven’t been a No. 10 seed in their three years in the league.

No. 10 Texas Tech

▪ First-round opponent: No. 7 Texas about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday (ESPNU)

▪ Season series: Texas, 2-0

▪ Record: 13-18, 3-15 Big 12

▪ National ranking: N/R

▪ The Red Raiders finished last, but coach Tubby Smith’s team didn’t give up on the season. They went 1-4 in the last four but were within five points of Baylor twice and Oklahoma while beating Oklahoma State. Against Baylor last Friday, guard Devaugntah Williams made eight of nine three-pointers and finished with 28 points. Tech had one of its worst offensive outings of the season in its last game against Texas, a 56-41 loss on Feb. 14.

This story was originally published March 10, 2015 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Team-by-team previews for the Big 12 Tournament."