Let the other conferences parade their pampered pooches, their Stanfords, Dukes and Michigan States. The Big 12 may not have a Best in Show contender among its six NCAA-worthy teams, but looks don't count in March. Results do.
The Big 12 has had purebreds in the past and still hasn't had one reach the Final Four. This year, the best the league has to offer is No. 8 Iowa State, the top seed in this week's Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.
This was a year when the top five seeds in the Big 12 tournament were not decided until the weekend's final games. Expect the tournament to be just as close.
Given the competitiveness within the league and the adversity its teams have had to endure, this might be the year a Big 12 team fights its way to college basketball's biggest stage.
Oklahoma State has dealt with tragedy. Missouri lost Player of the Year candidate Kareem Rush for seven games. Kansas missed Drew Gooden for five games. Oklahoma dismissed one of its best players, J.R. Raymond. Iowa State had to wean itself from Marcus Fizer. Texas' team chemistry completely changed.
Iowa State couldn't get to the Final Four with Fizer, but the Cyclones may get there without him. What they do have is four experienced seniors, including all-world point guard Jamaal Tinsley. It's reminiscent of the Utah team that made it to the Final Four the year after it lost Keith Van Horn.
Should the Big 12 tournament bracket follow form, a Texas-Iowa State rematch looms in the semifinals. Texas is the hottest team in the league, especially after manhandling Iowa State. The Longhorns have won six consecutive games and have looked especially tough in the Erwin Center, which UT now wants to reconfigure.
That renovation job won't be nearly as impressive as the one Rick Barnes has done on his team. The Longhorns are like a collection of spare parts expensive, custom-made parts that took some breaking-in before turning into a hot rod.
Chris Owens, Darren Kelly and Maurice Evans have all had to learn new roles and adjust their games. Now that it's second-nature for them, watch out for the Longhorns in Kansas City and beyond.
In the other half of the bracket are Kansas and Oklahoma. The Jayhawks know all about expectations in March, but only the most loyal KU fans expect a Final Four this year. Kansas has the players to do it, though, with an X-factor in Kenny Gregory, a dazzling player who could average 20 points per game in another system.
OU handed Texas its last loss, a 75-54 stomping in Norman, and the Sooners were stomped themselves by Oklahoma State, 72-44, in the next game. It's hard to get a handle on these Sooners, but that can work to their advantage in March.
There are a couple of wild cards: Missouri and Oklahoma State. Missouri is a gutsy ballclub that finally got Rush back from injury on Sunday Anyone with a heart will want to see Oklahoma State do well.
Oklahoma State has the ingredients for a postseason run, led by playmaker Maurice Baker and big man Fredrik Jonzen, but depth is a problem.
The Big 12 may not have a show ring-quality team, but it has good teams who have overcome injuries, suspensions and losses of one kind or another. Remember, college basketball in March isn't a dog show, it's a dogfight.
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