Don’t count out OSU from NCAA berth

Three Big 12 men’s teams — Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri — are assured of NCAA Tournament berths. All are ranked in the top 15, all have 20 wins already and all have five losses or fewer.

But who else will make the NCAA from the Big 12? Here is the current standings, throwing OU, KU and Mizzou, plus Colorado, Iowa State and Texas Tech, which have no hope of being invited:

Kansas State 17-8, 6-5: current RPI 76

Texas 17-8, 6-5: current RPI 40

Nebraska 15-8, 5-5: current RPI 64

Oklahoma State 15-9, 4-6: current RPI 38

Texas A&M 18-8, 4-7: current RPI 52

Baylor 16-9, 4-7: current RPI 54

Any team that sinks into double-digit losses is playing with fire, and by Selection Sunday, all the other Big 12 hopefuls will be into double-digit defeats, with few sporting any kind of momentum.

OK, to guess what will happen down the stretch, let’s assume a few things. Let’s say any time these six hopefuls play each other, the home team wins. Any time they play one of the top three, they lose. Any time they play one of the bottom three, they win. Of course, every game won’t play out that way, but it’s not a bad place to start. And it’s giving the six teams the benefit of the doubt, since it’s more likely that they would lose at home to an OU, KU or Missouri than they would win at a Colorado, Iowa State to Tech.

Anyway, if that scenario plays out, here are the records going into the Big 12 Tournament: