Game #214. After going to town on a burnt end sandwich, we lick our fingers for the Big 12 Tournament Final in Kansas City.
Kansas and Texas have given us some of the most memorable games in Big 12 history. In 2003, KU beat the Longhorns behind 24 points and 23 rebounds from Nick Collison. In the 2006 Big 12 final, a young Kansas team starting three freshmen and two sophomores shut down LaMarcus Aldridge to capture tournament gold. The next year, Kevin Durant lit up Allen Fieldhouse for 25 first half points and followed it up a week later with a 37-point, six-block effort in the last game of the conference tournament. Kansas and Texas met up again in the 2008 final, with national championship hero (or villain, depending on your tastes) Mario Chalmers torching the nets for 30 points on 8-12 shooting from beyond the arc. This year should be no different. Kansas lost to UT on January 22 after the Jayhawks were up all night grieving with Thomas Robinson over his mother’s death, and were zapped by the second half. Texas took advantage and rolled to victory, and from the minute the clock ran out that day, KU has longed for a second shot at the Longhorns. Both teams have taken care of business this week in Kansas City, and after yesterday’s semifinals played to seed, we very well could have another classic brewing tonight, so pull up a chair and join us as the Big 12 crowns a tournament champ!