KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ The Big 12 Tournament tips off Wednesday at the Sprint Center with perhaps the most intriguing matchups in recent history.
The opener is Bedlam, also known as Oklahoma-Oklahoma State. The eighth-seeded Cowboys face the No. 9 Sooners _ at 6 p.m. The second game matches seventh-seeded Texas, fighting for its NCAA Tournament life, against No. 10 Iowa State, the defending champion.
Nine teams, all but the Cyclones, hold NCAA Tournament ambition as an at-large entry, with some having more work to do than others. The winner gets the league's automatic qualifier.
In an event that could be as competitive as any in its 22-year history, 10 teams bring 10 narratives to Kansas City.