- As the center of Big 12 basketball for at least four days, Kansas City is reaping the benefits from hosting the Big 12 Tournament this week. Officials say it will bring about $18 million in revenue to the area, and if you’ve ever visited the Sprint Center complex, you’ll know why. Located in the Power and Light district, the surrounding bars, restaurants and other venues make this a special location downtown. Unfortunately, that doesn’t do a whole lot for the players, who are cooped up in a hotel room all weekend (presumably). For fans, though, it’s a nice perk.
- And that’s partly why some people argue the Big 12 Tournament should stay in KC after the contract runs out next year. Of course, with Missouri leaving, that would mean the league would host its men’s basketball tournament in a state where zero members of the Big 12 are located. That would be odd, sure, but Kansas City is still centrally located for Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State. But as Scott Drew mentioned in that article, it’s a huge disadvantage for Texas schools, which have never won the Big 12 Tournament. Pick your poison.
- There are two kinds of people in this world. People who care about uniforms, and people who don’t care about uniforms. I fall in the latter category. If you do too, stop reading. But if you’re the kind of person that gets downright giddy over the prospect of a new design, read on. And watch for Baylor this weekend in the Big 12 Tournament. Although I’m an Anti-Uniform kind of guy, I can admit that even those lime green jersey look pretty sweet.
- Texas Tech says it wants to play its best basketball when the Big 12 Tournament rolls around. Well, Red Raiders, here’s your chance. Luckily, they’ll actually get to face seventh-seeded Oklahoma State without Le’Bryan Nash, who head coach Travis Ford said won’t play as he nurses an injury. Maybe that’s the break this team needs to secure a victory and march on to the quarterfinals against Missouri on Thursday.
- The aforementioned Cowboys are one of the thinnest teams in the league, and they’re even thinner without Nash. But Kansas State? They’re not thin at all. In fact, Frank Martin is banking on his depth to win him a Big 12 Tournament title this weekend. He said depth helped Kansas State win the Diamond Head Classic in December, and the Wildcats are going to need a similar effort to pull off a few upsets in Kansas City.