As the Men’s Bracket of the “March Madness Tournament” has dwindled down to just sixteen teams there are many teams to look out for, in fact, four of the sixteen teams remaining are from the Big Twelve Conference.
The sixth-seeded BYU Cougars have certainly made their mark on this year’s tournament. The Provo, Utah natives have amassed wins over the eleven-seed VCU and an upset over the third-seeded Wisconsin Badgers in the Round of 32. In the tournament, their largest margin of victory was nine points, but their two-point victory over Wisconsin proved that they could compete with any team in the nation. The Cougars came into the tournament with a 26-9 overall record paired with a 14-6 conference record paired with a 15-2 at-home record. Head Coach Kevin Young and his team have found their success behind the three-point line, aided by sharpshooters Egor Demin and Richie Saunders, and look to use their exceptional three point shot making ability to beat the Alabama Crimson Tide and secure their spot in the Elite Eight.
Located southern of the Utah border is another Big Twelve team that made their way into the Sweet Sixteen. The Arizona Wildcats are led by Head Coach Tommy Loyd and standout Point Guard Caleb Love and are in for an intense matchup against the number one-seeded Duke Blue Devils and Cooper Flagg. Arizona found immediate success in their first year in the Big Twelve Conference, boasting a 24-12 overall record, going 14-6 in conference play. The Wildcats used their size and shot creating abilities to push past the thirteen-seeded Akron Zips in the first round followed by an intense matchup against the fifth-seeded Oregon Ducks in the Round of 32. The Wildcats will need to rely on their Guard, Caleb Love and their creative playmaking and shot creating abilities if they want to make their way past the Blue Devils.
The next team still standing is a team out of the Midwest and are arguably one of the best teams still standing. The number one-seeded Houston Cougars are set to face off against the fourth-seeded Purdue Boilermakers. After defeating tournament newcomers, the sixteen-seeded SIUE Cougars in the first round and holding off the eighth-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs. Kelvin Sampson’s team came into the tournament with a 32-4 overall record, going undefeated on the road and boasting a 16-1 conference record. Lj Cryer and the Cougars look to keep their championship-caliber season alive on Friday as they seek to utilize their advanced ball movement and shot-creating abilities.
The final Big Twelve team that remains is also located in the state of Texas. The Texas Tech Red Raiders are a number three seed in the tournament and look to keep their tournament run alive as they are set to face off against John Calapari’s tenth-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks. The Red Raiders finished their season with a 27-8 overall record paired with a 15-5 conference record. Head Coach Grant McCasland is going to rely on Big Twelve Player of the Year, JT Toppin, to have a stellar performance in order for his team to beat the bracket-busting Razorbacks and move on to the Elite Eight.
The competition is tight heading into this weekend of action. Any of the remaining teams have the rosters and capabilities to take home the NCAA title this year. While the SEC schools are the clear favorites to move on, the Big Twelve could be a dark horse to come around and have a team win it all this year.
