March Madness 2012, Missouri Vs. Norfolk State: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Missouri Tigers should have no issue taking on the No. 15 seeded Norfolk St. Spartans. The line on the game favors Missouri by 22 points, so if Missouri even struggles against Norfolk State it would be a disappointment.

Over at SB Nation's Missouri blog Rock M Nation they provide three keys to this game:

The Whistles. Mizzou should by all means have too much for Norfolk State when all is said and done. However ... if Ricardo Ratliffe has two fouls before the first TV timeout, and Steve Moore picks up a second before the third TV timeout ... and Kim English is forced to body up against Kyle O'Quinn ... ? NSU is going to pound and pound and pound, and if Mizzou's positioning isn't sound, they could find themselves limited by foul trouble. In some ways, NSU is like a mini-Kansas State -- they can throw waves of similarly-talented bodies at you, and they don't mind getting into foul trouble if it means you do too. ("The Whistles" goes for NSU, too, by the way. Against their five best opponents -- Marquette twice, Drexel, Virginia Tech and Illinois State -- O'Quinnn fouled out three times.)

Play Your Game. There is no reason to believe Missouri will tighten up or panic if things stay tight for a while. They haven't made a habit of it this season. But in theory, NSU is big and physical enough to hang around with the Tigers, and the imminent Mizzou run will only come if the Tigers continue to play their game and trust themselves. If NSU goes on a little run and we start to see quick Phil Pressey 3-pointers and out-of-control drives, however, there might be reason to get a little nervous. Run the offense, take good shots, play sound defense, win. While we're at it...

Flipadelphia. We never necessarily know which Mizzou guard is going to catch fire, but one usually does, be it Marcus Denmon, Mike Dixon or Kim English. What makes Mizzou untouchable at times is when somebody is on fire and Phil Pressey is in complete and total control. As I said multiple times, despite Kim English averaging 23 points per game in the Big 12 Tournament, I'd have thought long and hard about giving Pressey the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award. Quite simply, when he is great, Mizzou is great. So, uh, be great, Flip.

Game date/time: Friday, March 16, 3:40 p.m. CT

Location: CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Neb.

TV: TNT

Radio: Tigers Radio Network

Streaming: NCAA March Madness Live

Line: Missouri (-22)

Go check out Rock M Nation for all things Missouri hoops. For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub. For a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

Wichita State Vs. VCU Final Score: Rams Upset Shockers 62-59

The No. 5 seeded Wichita St. Shockers came back from a 12-point halftime deficit against No. 12 seeded VCU Rams, but they could not complete the comeback as they fell 62-59. With the loss Wichita State became the first higher seed to fall on the first day of the NCAA Tournament.

Wichita state took their first lead in the second half on a three-pointer by Toure' Murry with 2:05 left to go up 59-57, but that three-point basket was the last points that Wichita State would score. VCU's Bradford Burgess would counter with a three-pointer of his own to go up 60-59 and Darius Theus sealed the game on a layup by Darius Theus to give VCU a 62-59. Wichita State's Garrett Stutz had a good look but his three-point attempt with two seconds left did not fall.

Wichita State's offense struggled as they made only 38 percent of their shots, and while they had three players in double figures with Joe Ragland leading the way with 15 points, but that was not enough to get the win.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a completeprintable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

Wichita State Vs. VCU Halftime Score: Shockers Trail 34-25

The No. 12 seeded VCU Rams are poised to be the first upset of the day as they lead the No. 5 Wichita St. Shockers 34-25 at the half. For most of the first half this game was a close, but over the last five minutes of the half Wichita State went on a cold streak and was outscored 13-1.

The defense for VCU has been strong as they have held Wichita State to 29 percent shooting from the field and 1-of-10 from three-point range. VCU has not done much better a they are shooting 38 percent from the field and also are struggling from beyond the arc as they have made only 3-of-13.

Carl Hall has come off the bench and is leading Wichita State with six points and nine rebounds, but starters Toure' Murry and Ben Smith have each chipped in with five points each. VCU's Bradford Burgess is leading all scorers with 13 points.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

Syracuse Vs. UNC Asheville: Kansas State Awaits Syracuse After Orange Defeats Bulldogs, 72-65

The Syracuse Orange defeated the UNC Asheville Bulldogs by a score of 72-65 in their second-round tournament game on Thursday night in CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. Even though the Bulldogs led at halftime, the Orange pulled ahead in the second half for the win, which means they will face the Kansas State Wildcats in the third round of the 2012 NCAA tournament.

Syracuse was led by James Southerland, who came off the bench and scored 15 points in the team's first tournament matchup. Starters Dion Waiters and Kris Joseph each scored 12 and Scoop Jardine chipped in 11. J.P. Primm almost led the Bulldogs to a major upset by scoring 18 points against Syracuse, who pulled away in the final seconds of the game. Jaron Lane added 16 points and Jeremy Atkinson chipped in 12 points.

The Wildcats will face the No. 1 seeded Orange in the Consol Energy Center on March 17, the time is currently unknown.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

Syracuse Vs. UNC Asheville: Bulldogs Lead Orange At Halftime, 34-30

At halftime in the Syracuse-UNC Asheville game, the Bulldogs lead the Orange by a score of 34-30 in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The winner between No. 1 seeded Syracuse and No. 16 seeded UNC Asheville, will go on to play the Kansas State Wildcats, the East's No. 8 seed team, in the third round.

Syracuse was led by Dion Waiters, who came off the bench to score 12 points. Brandon Triche added five and Baye Keita also came off the bench to chip in four points. UNC Asheville was led by Jeron Lane, who came off the bench to score nine points, while both J.P. Primm and Quinard Jackson added eight each and Matt Dickey chipped in five points.

Kansas State defeated Southern Mississippi by a score of 70-64 in the second round and awaits the winner of this game in the third round. I'm sure there are a lot of Wildcats fans that are rooting for the Bulldogs right now.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

March Madness 2012: Missouri And Kansas Could Still Meet Again...In The National Championship?

Today the annual madness of wall-to-wall college basketball explodes on the scene, with down-to-the-buzzer nail-biters assured and instant heartbreak weighing in the balance for the 64 teams worthy enough to make it this far as participants in the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, a.k.a. March Madness.

Six teams representing the Big 12 Conference are part of this year's field of 64. The NCAA Tournament field is comprised of the champions of 31 Division I conferences and 37 at-large teams. Four play-in games determine the final four teams in the field. This year the eight teams that vied for the last four sports were Vermont, Lamar, Western Kentucky, Mississippi Valley State, BYU, Iona, California and South Florida.

The Missouri Tigers received the automatic-qualifier bid from the Big 12 by virtue of winning the Big 12 Tournament championship, even though the Kansas Jayhawks were the league champions for the regular season for the eighth consecutive year. Both the Tigers and the Jayhawks were awarded No. 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, Missouri in the West Region and Kansas in the Midwest.

The region assignments themselves created some controversy, particularly with Mizzou fans who felt they should have been placed in the Midwest instead of Kansas because of having a better record, higher national ranking and, oh yea, the fact that the Tigers were the victors in the postseason conference tournament held last week in Kansas City. The Sweet Sixteen round for the Midwest Region will be contested in St. Louis. Instead of Missouri, however, it will potentially be Kansas that gets to play in St. Louis in the regional semifinals.

The Jayhawks received one of the five at-large bids that went to teams from the Big 12, along with Sunflower State rival Kansas State. The three other conference teams that are part of the 64-team field that sets out on the dream road to the Final Four beginning at midday today are Baylor, Iowa State and Texas.

Baylor is seeded third in the South Region, where No. 1 overall tournament seed Kentucky resides; Iowa State, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005, is seeded No. 8 in the South. Texas, making its 14th consecutive tournament appearance under coach Rick Barnes, is the No. 11 seed in the East region, where the top seed is Syracuse.

Kansas State, 21-10 on the year and the Big 12's fifth-place finisher, gets the ball rolling in the Big Dance, as far as Big 12 participants are concerned. The Wildcats tip off in one of the early games on Thursday from Pittsburgh, Pa. Their opponent is the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (25-8) out of Conference USA. The Golden Eagles are coached by former Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy, who made two NCAA Tournament appearances with the Cyclones.

The Wildcats' strength in the paint, on the boards and on defense should be enough to get them to the second round, but they will have their hands full with Southern Mississippi, which features balanced scoring and bench strength. K-State will need everything in coach Frank Martin's arsenal just to survive round one. As an eight/nine team in the NCAA Tournament, however, surviving your first game draws you the worst possible second-round matchup, a date with East Region No. 1 seed Syracuse. Unfortunately, that's where K-State's season will come to a heartbreaking end.

As the three seed in the South, Baylor will face 14th-seeded South Dakota State in its first-round matchup in Albuquerque, also on Thursday. The Jackrabbits are the champions of the Summit Conference. Both teams have identical 27-7 season records, although the level of competition in the Big 12 is unquestionably stronger. It may not mean anything, but Baylor's seven losses are all to Big 12 opponents. The Bears are a perfect 15-0 against foes outside of the Big 12.

Baylor should get beyond the first weekend, and if that reality plays out for the Bears, they are likely to find No. 2-seeded Duke waiting in the South Region semifinal round, followed by Kentucky, if they're that good and lucky.

The final game on Thursday involving a Big 12 team is another eight- and nine-seed matchup with Iowa State (22-10), the higher seed, going against defending national champion Connecticut (20-13) in Louisville, Ky. This will be an extremely tough challenge for the Cyclones. UConn is not as good this year as last, but they are definitely tournament tested, which will give the reigning champs a decided leg up on upstart Iowa State. No. 1 seed Kentucky awaits the winner on Saturday.

Back to the two signature teams from our area, Missouri (30-4) appears to have the best path to advance to the Final Four in New Orleans. Making the relatively safe assumption that the Tigers will get by opening-round opponent Norfolk State (25-9) on Friday in Omaha, they will face the winner of the 7-10 game between Florida (23-10) and Virginia (22-9) in the round of 32. If the seeds hold true, Mizzou would then go up against third-seeded Marquette and, most likely, Michigan State, in the West Region final.

Missouri is a very dangerous team in this tournament and extremely difficult to prepare for. The Tigers are unlike any other team in the field in that they are extremely quick and will more than make up for their lack of size and length with exceptional shooting and scoring proficiency. I would not be surprised to see Missouri shoot right through the first four rounds and be one of the four teams headed to New Orleans in a couple of weeks.

Kansas 27-6), on the other hand, has to be thinking about the rude treatment the Jayhawks have received from so-called mid-major opponents in tournaments of the recent past, and as a No. 1 seed. Barring a major upset, the Jayhawks should make it to the Elite 16 (I'd be shocked if they didn't), but I'm not at all comfortable picking Bill Self's guys to advance beyond the Elite Eight, if they even make it that far.

Kansas' likely opponent if they were to make it to the Midwest Region championship game would be Roy Williams' (yea, that guy) Tar Heels of North Carolina. ACC champion North Carolina may not be as good as previously advertised, especially given injuries to key personnel, but Kansas is also more vulnerable this season than in the past.

The final team carrying a Big 12 banner in the NCAA tourney is Texas (20-13), which drew Cincinnati (24-10) out of the Big East as its opening-game opponent. The Longhorns are a good but far from great team that will probably be one and done, but definitely won't make it to the Sweet Sixteen.

As much as I'd like to see two Big 12 teams in the Final Four for the first time since 2002 (Oklahoma and Kansas), I don't think that will happen. And if you're really a dreamer, how about the prospect of a Missouri-Kansas NCAA national championship final? It's certainly possible, but candidly not a high probability.

What a way that would be to end the longstanding Border War basketball series between these two bitter rivals. I don't think you could create a more ideal scenario for a series finale.

For more information:

For more news and information about Big 12 Conference sports.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

NCAA Tournament Predictions 2012: Kentucky Favored In South Region

The Kentucky Wildcats are the No. 1 team in the country and the top ranked team among all No. 1 seeds in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Thus it's not surprising that Sports Illustrated has Kentucky headed to the Final Four in New Orleans after winning the South region.

Andy Staples writes, "Whether the Wildcats needed another loss to attain the proper mindset is highly debatable, but they got one. It would be shocking if this group didn't come into the tournament with a laser focus and punch its ticket to New Orleans."

Local fans will likely be rooting for Wichita State to crash the party and change the outcome listed above, but the Shockers are going to have a tough time in the South from the outset, starting with their second round game against Shaka Smart's VCU team. The Shockers had a great season, but it's likely to end sooner rather than later.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

March Madness Predictions: Kansas Jayhawks Favored In Midwest Region

Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel has the task of predicting how the Midwest region will play out for the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and he has good news for Kansas Jayhawk fans: he has them all the way to New Orleans in the Final Four. To do so, North Carolina will have to fall among others, but he believes Bill Self's team will be standing in the end.

Mandel writes, "Bill Self's Jayhawks have had a slew of tourney misfortune when faced with capable mid-majors (Bucknell in 2005, Bradley in '06, Northern Iowa in '10 and VCU last year), so it's entirely possible that Saint Mary's or Belmont (who I'm picking to reach the Sweet 16) could torment them this year. But provided Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor get through the first two rounds they'll be at a distinct advantage playing in partisan St. Louis, and they'll catch a break when Creighton or Michigan takes down North Carolina."

Kansas plays No. 15 Detroit in the tourney's second round.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

March Madness Predictions: Kansas State Predicted Over Southern Miss

The East region features a great match-up for local college basketball fans in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament with the No. 8 Kansas State Wildcats facing off against the No. 9 seeded Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Andy Glockner of Sports Illustrated says that the game shouldn't be as close as it might look at first glance, and that Kansas State should have the upper hand.

Glockner writes, "The Golden Eagles were RPI darlings this season, but more analytical ranking systems tell a much different story. Southern Miss finished the season 71st in Pomeroy and 67th in Sagarin's Predictor rankings, making them much more akin to a 13-seed in performance than a 9. Mix in five losses in their final 10 Conference USA games and Kansas State's ultraphysical style against a team that was a galling 313th in D-I in 2-point FG%, and this may not be a very long stay for C-USA's at-large representative."

The next round would likely feature a prominent match-up for Frank Martin's squad versus the No. 1 seeded Syracuse.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

March Madness Predictions 2012: Michigan State Favored Over Missouri In West By Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated’s George Dohrmann is predicting the West region for the 2012 NCAA Tournament and unlike many, he’s actually going with the No. 1 seed. In this case, Michigan State is the top seed and Tom Izzo is a strong name to consider this time of year given the record of the Spartans’ coach. However, the Missouri Tigers seem lost in Dohrmann’s process.

Dohrmann writes, “It is a boring choice, but there isn’t a team in the region with the same combination of talent, experience and coaching acumen. When in doubt, pick the team coached by Tom Izzo.”

The Tigers were a 30 win team from a power conference like the Big 12 and are red hot right now after a strong run through the conference tournament that demolished the three-seeded Baylor Bears. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top in the West.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

NCAA Tournament 2012: K-State Season Still A Success No Matter Outcome Of Southern Miss Game

The K-State Wildcats enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed and without major expectations. Despite fact they may not make a deep run this season should be remembered positively.

Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket: Second Round Action All Set

Now that the field of 64 in the NCAA Tournament is all set, here a look at the most updated printable bracket. Kansas State and Southern Mississippi go head-to-head in Pittsburgh at 11:30 a.m.

It's probably impossible for your bracket to be messed up at this point, so no need to worry. But make sure you're paying attention to the SB Nation updates so that you know your bracket is still safe. Chaos and literal madness is likely to happen if the Western Kentucky and Mississippi Valley game were any indication of what is to come in this tournament.

Schedule:

12:40 p.m. -- Kansas State vs. Southern Miss
7:15 p.m. -- Wichita State vs. VCU

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

March Madness 2012, Wichita State Vs. VCU: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Wichita State Shockers look to build on last season's NIT championship when they open second-round play in the NCAA Tournament against the VCU Rams.

The Rams are no strangers to tournament success becoming just the third No. 11 seed ever to reach the Final Four last season. VCU is a 12 seed this time around and earned their second consecutive trip to the Big Dance by edging Drexel in the CAA Conference Tournament final.

Wichita State hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2006 when it earned a trip to the regional semifinals. The Shockers have a 27-5 record, won the Missouri Valley regular season title but fell in the conference tournament to Illinois State.

VCU defeated Wichita State 68-67 last season in the only previous meeting between the two schools.

Game date/time: Thursday, March 15, 7:15 p.m. ET

Location: Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon

TV: CBS

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

March Madness 2012: Phil Pressey Key To Tournament Success For Missouri

The Missouri Tigers need a big tournament from Phil Pressey if they want to win the West region and head to New Orleans for the pinnacle of March Madness: The Final Four.

March Madness 2012, Kansas State Vs. Southern Miss: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Kansas State Wildcats earned a No. 8 seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament and will take on No. 9 Seed Southern Miss when second round play begins on Thursday. The Wildcats finished 22-10 on the season and were the only team to defeat the Missouri Tigers twice this season.

Southern Miss sports a 25-8 record. The Golden Eagles are a tight nit and a rugged crew that embody their coach Larry Eustachy who was on top of the coaching world 10 years ago before falling from grace swiftly due to some bad personal decisions and an addiction to alcohol. Eustachy is sober now and has Southern Miss in the NCAA Tournament proving that he still has what it takes to get it done at the highest level.

Game date/time: Thursday, March 15, 12:40 p.m. ET

Location: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

TV: truTV

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket: 2012 Field Ready To Play

Western Kentucky and Brigham Young already played their way into the tournament. Vermont and Lamar are trying to do the same tonight. Then the field of 64 will be set and the 2012 NCAA Tournament can commence in the way that most of us think of it -- without the smaller lead-ins and with the over-saturation that 16 games in one day can bring. For those who have been procrastinating about joining that office pool or trying your hand at fortune telling after last year's disaster, here's your chance.

Below we have an updated bracket for you to check out that's updated through Tuesday night's games. Kentucky or Kansas? North Carolina or Michigan State? You're likely to lose anyway, but it's fun to at least aim for bragging rights. At least that's what we tell ourselves.

Here's the up-to-date 2012 NCAA Tournament printable bracket, updated through the morning of March 14.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

NCAA Tournament 2012: Thomas Robinson Named Top Player Heading Into Midwest Region Play

As Kansas faces the long road ahead to New Orleans in the upcoming 2012 NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest region, the good news is that they have the top player among the 16 teams, including No. 1 seed North Carolina, according to Stewart Mandel. Thomas Robinson is simply that good

Robinson has been putting together a Player of the Year type campaign in Lawrence this season for a KU team that many predicted to take a slide. Instead, Bill Self helped his players coalesce around two stars in Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor and the strategy paid off in the form of an eighth straight Big 12 conference title.

Mandel writes, “The co-favorite for national player of the year, Robinson is a beast on the boards, averaging 11.8 per game (No. 2 nationally) to go with 17.9 points on 53 percent shooting. Besides the UNC pair of Zeller and Henson, there aren’t many players in this region that can match his physicality.”

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NCAA Tournament 2012: Wichita State Versus VCU Labeled 'Juiciest Match-Up' Of South Region

As Sports Illustrated’s’ Andy Staples breaks down the South Region in the upcoming 2012 NCAA Tournament, he holds the first round match-up between Wichita State and Virginia Commonwealth as his favorite. Specifically he calls it the “juiciest match-up”, but he makes his point well when analyzing the entertaining contest that opens up the region. He writes:

The Shockers will face Shaka Smart and the team that shocked college basketball in 2011. For VCU, this is a very different team than the one that raced from the First Four to the Final Four last year. Guard Bradford Burgess is the only returning starter, but the Rams have won 17 of 18 and guaranteed their place in the field by winning the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.

Wichita State, the regular-season champion of the Missouri Valley Conference, hasn’t been to the tournament since a Sweet 16 run in 2006, but Shockers coach Gregg Marshall has plenty of tourney experience. Marshall led Winthrop to seven NCAA tournaments, beating sixth-seeded Notre Dame in the first round of the 2007 tournament.

The Shockers could present under-the-radar problems for other teams despite their 27-5 record, but first they must get past their own sleeper ahead of them. Shaka Smart could cement his status as one of the top young coaches in college basketball if he can work his magic two years running.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

Barack Obama Selects Missouri Among Final Four Teams, Picks UNC To Win 2012 NCAA Tournament

Barack Obama has released his full bracket on ESPN and it’s clear that Obama believes what many sportswriters and college basketball fans have been declaring all along: the Missouri Tigers were shafted in the seeding. The President himself chose the Missouri Tigers to make the trip to the Final Four in New Orleans along with the Kentucky Wildcats, Ohio State Buckeyes and North Carolina Tar Heels.

The Tigers are seeded second to Michigan State and were even chosen as the final No. 2 seed despite having 30 wins from a power conference like the Big 12. The move didn’t make sense at the time, and many are choosing Mizzou to make it that far — a sign that no one quite understands the charm of the Spartans as the top seed.

Frank Haith’s team has enjoyed a magical run in his first year replacing Mike Anderson and it will be an incredible cap to it all if they can make the Final Four.

For more on this matchup and the impending March Madness season, check out SB Nation's college hoops news hub. Stay tuned to Bring on the Cats and SB Nation Kansas City for more Kansas State Wildcats recaps, previews and news updates.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

March Madness 2012: Missouri Ready To Make History In NCAA Tournament

Missouri has never made a Final Four. Could 2012 be the end of a 73-year wait for Tiger fans? This team has the tools to be that special team.

NCAA Tournament Predictions: Barack Obama Predicts Missouri, Kentucky Among Final Four Teams

President Barack Obama has filed his official 2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket and he's picked the Missouri Tigers to make it all the way to the Final Four in New Orleans, showing that most believe the Tigers should have won the No. 1 seed over the Michigan State Spartans. The other choices for the President include Kentucky, Ohio State and North Carolina.

The Missouri Tigers won 30 games in a power conference, so it's clear that they can play with anyone. They split the season series with Kansas and demolished the Baylor Bears in the Big 12 conference final. For those who knock them for a poor non-conference schedule, the team has done everything it can do with what it has been given. And it's clear that Missouri can score on anyone at will.

Obama has a bracket challenge available for those interested in matching wits with the leader of the free world.

For more on this matchup and the impending March Madness season, check out SB Nation's college hoops news hub. Stay tuned to Bring on the Cats and SB Nation Kansas City for more Kansas State Wildcats recaps, previews and news updates.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Tournament 2012: Syracuse C Fab Melo Will Not Play, Kansas State Could Benefit In Third Round

The Kansas St. Wildcats are preparing for their first game in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, but on Tuesday, some news came out that could bode extremely well for the Wildcats, should they advance.

The Syracuse Orange head into the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the East Region, and will face off with the No. 8 seed Wildcats should Kansas State defeat the No. 9 Southern Miss. Golden Eagles on Thursday.

According to the official Syracuse athletics website, center Fab Melo will miss the NCAA Tournament due to undisclosed eligibility issues. This could be huge for Kansas State and is undeniably a terrible blow for the Orange.

Click here for a complete, printable 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket.

For more on this matchup and the impending March Madness season, check out SB Nation's college hoops news hub. Stay tuned to Bring on the Cats and SB Nation Kansas City for more Kansas State Wildcats recaps, previews and news updates.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Tournament 2012 Kansas Jayhawks: TV Times, Game Schedules And More

The Kansas Jayhawks take on the Detroit Titans, a program that has not sniffed the NCAA Tournament since 1999. It will be the obvious underdog against the favorite match-up, with Kansas coming in as the No. 2 seed and Detroit the No. 15 seed.

The game will be televised on truTV Friday, just before 9 p.m CT. Marv Albert and Steve Kerr are on the call. Craig Sager will be on the sideline doing interviews in colorful suits. Here is a look at the game schedule and information, as well as the Midwest Region bracket.

Matchup: No. 2 Kansas vs. No. 15 Detroit

Game date/time: Friday, March 16, 8:57 p.m. CT (approximate)

Location: CenturyLink Arena, Omaha, NE

TV: truTV

Announcers: Marv Albert and Steve Kerr (Craig Sager, sideline reporting)

Bracket: No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Lamar OR Vermont (Friday)

No. 8 Creighton vs. No. 9 Alabama (Friday)

No. 5 Temple vs. No. 12 California OR South Florida (Friday)

No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 13 Ohio (Friday)

No. 2 Kansas vs. No. 15 Detroit (Friday)

No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 10 Saint Mary's (Friday)

No. 3 Georgetown vs. No. 14 Belmont (Friday)

No. 6 San Diego State vs. No. 11 NC State (Friday)

For updates on the NCAA basketball hub page. To read more about the Kansas Jayhawks, visit Rock Chalk Talk.

NCAA Basketball Tournament 2012 Predictions: Dick Vitale Has Missouri In Final Four

There is perhaps no other figure and voice more prominent and recognizable in the college basketball world than Dick Vitale. He's been a staple for decades now within the college game, so of course we're interested to know who Vitale has winning the whole thing and what he thinks of local favorites. While he has Anthony Davis and Kentucky winning the whole thing, the good news is that he also has the Missouri Tigers beating the Michigan State Spartans and making it to the Final Four in New Orleans.

His short summary reads "Frank Haith's magical year continues all the way to New Orleans." That's a great summation of a season that no one saw coming, and Missouri fans have to love the promise of going to New Orleans in Haith's first season. This will definitely be a fantastic post-season in for college basketball fans.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation’s Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation’s NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Tournament Predictions 2012: Jay Bilas Has Kentucky Over Rest Of No. 1 Seeds

Perhaps no one among sports media will have as vanilla of an 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket prediction than Jay Bilas of ESPN. Bilas has every No. 1 seed headed to the Final Four in New Orleans and predicts an ultimate Kentucky victory, the first for John Calipari, when all is said and done.

That's not to say that he is far-fetched for saying so. In fact, it's the exact opposite. Bilas believes in the selection committee enough to pick Michigan State over Missouri and the rest of the top seeds as well. About Missouri, he writes, "Sparty can match Missouri at most spots, but Kim English will stretch the Michigan State defense to its limits. Michigan State has size and can rebound, which has given Missouri some trouble. I think Michigan State will go to the Final Four."

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation’s Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation’s NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket: March Madness Begins Tuesday

The deadline should be coming today for you to get your 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket in for your various office pools or other competitions that you have together. Perhaps you win the league trophy every year. Others of you might lose out to the girl who picks by her favorite uniform color or cutest mascot or where she'd rather live on the map. Either way, there's something about the Madness of March that brings us back every year to make the same predictions even though most of us lose.

Make sure to check out the printable bracket below to make your predictions. For those looking for tips, the link below will also take you to various predictions and analysis.

You can find the printable bracket for the 2012 NCAA Tournament right here.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

Kansas Jayhawks Forward Thomas Robinson Projects As No. 7 Pick In The 2012 NBA Draft

In a little over three months, the 2012 NBA Draft will be upon us. Mock Drafts will fly left and right, trades will be discussed frequently and young men will wear some of the nicest suits they've ever had on in their life. Yes, its time for the way too early 2012 NBA Mock Draft post, courtesy of Tom Ziller.

Thomas Robinson could be college basketball's player of the year, and his reward could be a trip across the northern border as the No. 7 pick in the draft:

7. TORONTO RAPTORS: THOMAS ROBINSON, KANSAS

Robinson, a super-athletic 6'9, 240-pound forward who can control the backboards, is the perfect complement to Andrea Bargnani. More importantly, Robinson and last year's lottery pick, Jonas Valanciunas, should form an excellent front-court duo going forward. -- Tjarks

Robinson will have plenty of opportunity to raise his draft stock in the NCAA tournament as Kansas plays the Detroit Titans in the second round. The 2012 NBA Draft will be June 28th in New York City.

For more on the Kansas Jayhawks, be sure to check out Rock Chalk Talk. For all your March Madness news and info, head on over to SB Nation's college basketball news hub.

NCAA Bracket 2012: Missouri Tigers Picked To Win West Region By Sporting News

The Michigan State Spartans are the No. 1 seed. The Missouri Tigers might be becoming the favorite. As predictions continue to roll in, the Tigers find themselves featured more and more among the favorites to make it to New Orleans for the 2012 Final Four in this year's NCAA Tournament. Mike DeCourcy is the latest and the Sporting News columnist says he favors Mizzou over the Spartans.

He writes, "Mizzou has appeared in more NCAA Tournaments without reaching the Final Four than any school, save for BYU. So it seems safe to say the Tigers are the best program never to make it. There haven’t been a lot of times when they were supposed to make it—this is the third time as a No. 2, and only in 1994 were they a No. 1—but this is an exciting, hungry team that is difficult to defend and hungry to excel. History will be made"

Frank Haith would certainly win every coach of the year award if the Tigers were to win it all and would prove the naysayers wrong, of which there were many at his hiring, myself included. Either way, Mizzou has enjoyed an incredible season and they deserve any accolades that come their way.

2012 NCAA Tournament Schedule: Wichita State Opens Play Thursday

Despite losing out on an automatic bid by dropping out of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, Wichita State (27-5) will make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006 against last year's Final Four upstart VCU (28-6), on Thursday evening in Portland, Oregon. WSU will make its ninth total NCAA Tournament appearance, their first since a Sweet 16 run in '06.

The Shockers played VCU in 2011, losing to the Rams 68-67 in Wichita. The Shockers were 2-2 against Top 25 teams this season, and are 8-9 overall in NCAA Tournament play.

Date / Time: Thursday, March 15, 6:15 p.m. CT

TV: CBS

Steaming: CBS Sports

Bracket: Click here for SB Nation's printable NCAA Tournament bracket

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick'em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

For all your March Madness news and info, head on over to SB Nation's college basketball news hub.

NCAA Bracket 2012: Kansas Jayhawks Predicted To Make Final Four

The predictions are rolling out this morning and the news is looking good for local college basketball fans. Bill Connelly is the SB Nation's college basketball editor and he's predicting major success for the Big 12, landing two of the final four spots in New Orleans. Kansas, he predicts, will even go on to the title game against Kentucky.

He writes, "With North Carolina still a bit of an unknown, the Jayhawks are likely the steadiest team in the region. Tyshawn Taylor could either shoot Kansas to a national title or bumble his way to a loss to Purdue, but Robinson, Taylor and company are still in good shape to make a run here, especially in the St. Louis region."

Connelly has the Jayhawks losing to Kentucky in the final game, but a finals appearance for a team that many believed would be a rebuilding year for Bill Self would be an incredible accomplishment. The Jayhawks have been surprising people all season with their ability to play with anyone despite graduating so many seniors and losing the Morris Twins and Josh Selby to the NBA Draft. This might just be Self's finest hour.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation’s Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation’s NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

2012 NCAA Tournament Schedule: Missouri Opens Play Friday

The Missouri Tigers (30-4, 14-4 Big 12) will take their Big 12 Tournament title to Omaha, Nebraska, for their first round match-up against Norfolk State, winners of the MEAC Tournament in a 2/15 game in the West region Friday afternoon. Missouri claimed its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid with the Big 12 Tournament title game win over Baylor. The Tigers' 30 wins sets an all-time school record, and their Big 12 Tournament win was their second in four years.

Date / Time: Friday, March 16, 3:40 p.m. CT

TV: TNT

Steaming: CBS Sports

Bracket: Click here for SB Nation's printable NCAA Tournament bracket

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick'em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

For more on the Missouri Tigers, be sure to check out Rock M Nation. For all your March Madness news and info, head on over to SB Nation's college basketball news hub.

NCAA Tournament Predictions: Missouri Chosen To Make Final Four By SB Nation

Bill Connelly of SB Nation has his predictions out for the 2012 NCAA Tournament and the Missouri Tigers are quicky becoming the pick du jour of several sportswriters to come out of the West region. While Michigan State is the No. 1 seed, Connelly says he has to go with his gut on this, even though the move could “backfire.”

Connelly writes, “We are disrespecting the hell out of Tom Izzo and Michigan State at this point — virtually everybody is picking the Tigers, it seems — and that will almost certainly backfire, especially with the potential for Missouri to slip up against Florida/Virginia or Marquette. But I go with the smoking hot team regardless, even though it makes me nauseous to pick my alma mater to go that far.”

The Tigers won 30 games in the Big 12 and smoked the Baylor Bears in the conference title game, so it's not a stretch to see them emerging from the field. They score at will, are very efficient and are red hot at the right time.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation’s Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation’s NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Bracket 2012: Missouri's Seeding Called Into Question

The Missouri Tigers were among the teams fighting for a No. 1 seed down the stretch. Even without a strong non-conference schedule, the team finished with 30 wins, split their Border War series with Kansas and demolished the Baylor Bears for the Big 12 tournament title. Yet the team was called the last of the No. 2 seeds -- a No. 8 ranking overall. That much is ridiculous at this point and many are calling the selection committee into question.

ESPN's Jason King writes, "I’ve got to think that a more than a handful of people choked on their cheese puffs when committee chair Jeff Hathaway said during a live interview that Missouri was the fourth No. 2 seed behind Kansas, Duke and Ohio State. Seriously, at what point does the "eyeball factor" come into play?

"The Tigers are 30-4 and completely dominated a strong Baylor team in the championship game of the Big 12 tournament Saturday. Sure, Missouri’s non-conference strength of schedule was poor. But to imply Frank Haith’s squad would’ve been a No. 3 seed had it lost on Saturday is concerning."

The Tigers are being picked by many as a Final Four selection and it will be interesting to see the reasoning of others if the Tigers do well. Then again, a short run by Frank Haith's team would only validate the raised eyebrows of the ones calling these shots.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

2012 NCAA Tournament Schedule: Kansas Opens Play Friday

The Kansas Jayhawks (27-6, 16-2 Big 12) will be the closing act of the 2012 NCAA Tournament's "second round" (which is the actual first round, with the four Dayton, Ohio play-in games becoming the "first round") on Friday evening when they play Detroit, winners of the Horizon League Tournament.

The opening game will mark Kansas' fifth entry into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed (seeding began in 1979), most recently as 2003. 2012 marks the 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance for Kansas, and their 41st overall.

Date / Time: Friday, March 16, 8:57 p.m. CT

TV: truTV

Streaming: NCAA March Madness Live

Bracket: Click here for SB Nation's printable NCAA Tournament bracket

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick'em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

For more on the Kansas Jayhawks, be sure to check out Rock Chalk Talk. For all your March Madness news and info, head on over to SB Nation's college basketball news hub.

NCAA Tournament 2012: Missouri Placed Among Top Transition Teams In College Basketball

The West region is going to be an interesting one if only for its ability to play transition basketball. As ESPN Stats and Info notes, the Missouri Tigers are among the top seeds in the West but they're also playing with some fast company -- teams that are able to run the floor well and score before you know it.

They write, "Six of the top 12 teams in tempo (possessions per game) in the NCAA tournament are in the West Region. Brigham Young and Iona play in the first round. Seven teams that led their conference in transition points per game are in that region (Michigan State, Missouri, Marquette, Murray State, Memphis, and Iona)."

That should make for some very exciting games, specifically as those teams begin to play one another in later rounds. An early Marquette and Missouri match-up could be quite entertaining and certainly a Michigan State vs. Missouri game would as well -- although that could be said for any No. 1 vs. No. 2 seed.

The Missouri Tigers have certainly had a great season under Frank Haith in his first year and 30 wins for any power conference team coming into the tourney is a testament to their scoring ability. This is going to be a fun tournament to watch.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Bracket 2012: Missouri Predicted By 7.7 Percent Of Entrants To Win Title By ESPN

In ESPN's Tournament Challenge, the stats are rolling in and the University of Kentucky is the heavy favorite for all entrants into their prediction contest for the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Yet after the big three seeds, the Missouri Tigers come in fourth and the Kansas Jayhawks come in sixth, giving the Big 12 two of the biggest favorites in the country.

Interestingly enough, Baylor even comes in 10th, which means the Big 12 has three of the top ten teams as predicted by entrants and yet none of them are a top seed in the tournament, The final No. 1 seed went to Michigan State as the Big Ten winner, although that was the most questionable among the top tier seeds overall. Here's ESPN's complete list of the top ten:

Kentucky: 32.1 percent
North Carolina: 15 percent
Syracuse: 11.2 percent
Missouri: 7.7 percent
Michigan State: 6.7 percent
Kansas: 5.8 percent
Ohio State: 4.1 percent
Duke: 3.9 percent
Florida State: 2.8 percent
Baylor: 1.5 percent

NCAA Bracket 2012 Reactions: Kansas, Missouri Still In Great Shape As 2 Seeds

Big 12 heavyweights Kansas and Missouri both entered the weekend with a chance to claim a No. 1 overall seed, but for entirely different reasons, both fell short, and will compete in the regions designed to favor North Carolina and Kentucky, respectively.

With their loss to Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals, Kansas' hopes of a No. 1 seed disappeared, despite a regular season title. However, Rock Chalk Talk points out that, despite being a No. 2, the Midwest region's geography leans heavily to KU's favor in the coming games:

The good news for the Jayhawks is that they will be staying in the Midwest.

The path to the Final Four for Kansas will go through Omaha and St. Louis which means the Jayhawks won't have to travel far from home and the overall the draw is challenging but still manageable.

Rock M Nation has a podcast devoted entirely to the Tigers' fortunes on Selection Sunday. While it was a record setting swan song season in the Big 12 for Mizzou, fans are now focused on a perceived sleight in national seeding. The Tigers entered the day thought to be in contention for a No. 1 seed, but selection committee chair Jeff Hathaway pointed to the Tigers' weak opponent strength-of-schedule as the reason for rating them the lowest No. 2 seed.

Click here for a printable bracket of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

For more on the Kansas Jayhawks, check out Rock Chalk Talk, and Missouri info is available at Rock M Nation. Get all your March Madness updates from SB Nation's college basketball page.

NCAA Tournament 2012: Kansas Jayhawks Could Enjoy Midwest Layout

The Kansas Jayhawks could have a nice road in front of them in the Midwest region of any of the top seeds in the 2012 NCAA Tournament field. That's because while North Carolina stands in their way on the road to the Final Four, the region isn't nearly as loaded as some others (like the South). Instead, there are some potential upsets that could prove helpful to KU as well as just having a slightly less compelling group on paper compared to others.

SB Nation's Chris Dobbertean writes, "You could argue that a potential meeting between North Carolina and Kansas in the regional final would be the NCAA Tournament's overall 4 vs. 5 game. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, if the game comes to pass, they'll have to play it far closer to Lawrence than Chapel Hill. Of course, if Roy Williams' team plays like it did for most of Sunday afternoon in Atlanta, Creighton, Michigan or even Temple could knock them out well before they travel to St. Louis. As for the Jayhawks, their draw sets up rather well, particularly if the Belmont finally breaks through and upsets Georgetown."

If Kansas makes it to the Final Four the year after losing the Morris twins to the NBA Draft as well as Josh Selby and several graduating seniors, it would be Bill Self's best coaching job to date. Many believed this might be the down year that someone else could win the Big 12 title, but Self claimed his eighth straight this year. Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor stepped up as much as everyone hoped and they should be dangerous come tourney time.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Tournament 2012: Missouri And Kansas Predicted To Make Final Four

As predictions begin to roll in about the 2012 NCAA Tournament, it's interesting to note just how highly many think of the Big 12 teams in the contest, and yet they didn't earn a No. 1 seed. Myron Medcalf of ESPN is the latest to make some bold predictions and says that two Big 12 teams will occupy half of the Final Four in New Orleans when all is said and done.

Medcalf writes, "Among the 2-seeds, Missouri has the easiest path to New Orleans. The Tigers’ speed and perimeter versatility will pose matchup problems for every team in the West Region, including No. 1 seed Michigan State. Kansas losing in the first round to Detroit? Nah. The Jayhawks will beat every team in the Midwest, including the Tar Heels if they face them in the Elite Eight."

If the teams could end up facing each other for another Border War showdown, it would be an incredible game to watch considering how great the first two were this season. What a way for a rivalry so storied to end on the biggest stage possible. The way the two teams have played all season, this scenario is not as far-fetched as some might believe.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

2012 NCAA Tournament Schedule: Kansas State Opens Play On Thursday

The Kansas State Wildcats draw Southern Miss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to be played on Thursday, March 15. The game will be televised on truTV with a 12:40 p.m. ET tip off.

Kansas State earned a No. 8 seed after finishing 21-10 on the season. The Wildcats don't figure to be an easy out in the tournament after they earned victories over Missouri twice and Baylor. Consistency was the issue for the Wildcats as they also suffered losses to Oklahoma and Iowa State during the conference season.

Southern Miss finished second in Conference USA during the regular season but fell to Marshall in the semifinals of the conference tournament.

Game date/time: Thursday, March 15, 12:40 p.m. ET

TV: truTV

For more on this matchup and the impending March Madness season, check out SB Nation's college hoops news hub. Stay tuned to SB Nation Kansas City for more Wildcats recaps, previews and news updates. Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NIT Bracket 2012: Big 12 Avoids Secondary Tournament Altogether

While many teams are looking this morning to the National Invitational Tournament, otherwise known as the 2012 NIT, to see where their teams landed outside of the main field of 64, the Big 12 can rejoice knowing that everyone conceivably had a chance made it into the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Yet for fans of schools like Washington or Arizona, the NIT offers hope for some bragging rights and momentum heading into next season. Here's the full bracket for the 2012 NIT.

Region 1
No. 1 Washington Huskies vs. No. 8 Texas-Arlington Mavericks
No. 4 Northwestern Wildcats vs. No. 5 Akron Zips
No. 3 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 6 LSU Tigers
No. 2 Dayton Flyers vs. No. 7 Iowa Hawkeyes

Region 2
No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 8 Savannah St. Tigers
No. 4 Middle Tenn. St. Blue Raiders vs. No. 5 Marshall Thundering Herd
No. 3 La Salle Explorers vs. No. 6 Minnesota Golden Gophers
No. 2 Miami Hurricanes vs. No. 7 Valparaiso Crusaders

Region 3

No. 1 Seton Hall Pirates vs. No. 8 Stony Brook Seawolves
No. 4 Mississippi St. Bulldogs vs. UMass Minutemen
No. 3 Drexel Dragons vs. Central Florida Knights
No. 2 St. Joseph's Hawks vs. No. 7 Northern Iowa Panthers

Region 4
No. 1 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 8 Bucknell Bison
No. 4 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles vs. No. 8 Nevada Wolf Pack
No. 3 Stanford Cardinal vs. No. 6 Cleveland St. Vikings
No. 2 Mississippi Rebels vs. No. 7 Illinois St. Redbirds

For more on the NIT, be sure to check out our NCAA basketball hub. Also be sure to check out our 2012 NCAA Tournament for more on the Big Dance.

NCAA Tournament 2012: Betting Odds Place Kansas, Missouri At 12-1 To Win National Title

The 2012 NCAA Tournament field been set and it didn't take long for the official betting odds to come out for the 68 teams vying for the men's college basketball national championship. The Kentucky Wildcats are the favored team as the SEC winners and the No. 1 overall seed at 7-2. Led by Anthony Davis, it's going to be hard for anyone to take them out. As for local teams, the Missouri Tigers and Kansas Jayhawks are tied for fifth overall at 12-1 odds. In between are North Carolina, Michigan State and Ohio State. Surprisingly, Syracuse is at 12-1 as well despite being a top seed.

Opening Odds for NCAA Tournament's top teams:
Kentucky 7-2
North Carolina 9-1
Michigan St. 10-1
Ohio St. 10-1
Kansas 12-1
Missouri 12-1
Syracuse 12-1
Duke 25-1
Louisville 30-1
Baylor 35-1
Marquette 35-1
Florida St. 40-1
Vanderbilt 40-1
Wichita St. 45-1
New Mexico 50-1
Wisconsin 50-1
Georgetown 55-1
Memphis 65-1
Cincinnati 75-1
Kansas St 75-1
Indiana 80-1
UNLV 80-1

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

Printable NCAA Bracket: 2012 Tournament Field Set

The final round of 64, er, 68 is now available for you and your office mates or college friends to print and develop those 2012 NCAA Tournament betting pools that inevitably frustrate us all when the girl choosing teams based on uniform colors or mascot cuteness actually wins. But here we are again, searching for those printable brackets so we can fill out our picks in the hopes of achieving some kind of fortunetelling glory. Well, search no more.

You can find the printable bracket for the 2012 NCAA Tournament right here.

Now you have the chance to say, "I knew Norfolk State had a deep tournament run in them" or something else equally as ridiculous. Go ahead, since nothing sounds worse than "I just chose them because my cousin used to live there."

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NIT Bracket Selection Show: TV Time, Bracketology

There won't be much in the way of local interest in the National Invitation Tournament, otherwise known as the 2012 NIT, since every team that had a legit case to make it into the 2012 NCAA Tournament from the Big 12 made it in. The Texas Longhorns represented the only real bubble team, so instead the NIT will be more about smaller schools from other regions. Fans of Washington, Drexel and Oral Roberts are among those expected to watch the NIT selection show.

But if you're a diehard basketball fan who wants to know about the next round of 32, then you can catch all of the information below. If you're an import from another school like Miami, you certainly have our condolences.

Here's the information for the NIT Selection Show:

Time: 9 p.m. Eastern, two hours after the NCAA Selection Show ends.

TV information: You can find the NIT Selection show on ESPNU.

Bracketology: Looking for a head start? Head over to NIT-ology and The Bracket Project for a look at the projected field.

For more on the NIT, be sure to check out our NCAA basketball hub. Also be sure to check out our 2012 NCAA Tournament for more on the Big Dance.

NCAA Bracket 2012: Wichita State Has Chance To Shock Basketball World

Pat Forde has made his list of 10 teams that could upset the power balance in the 2012 NCAA Tournament and the 27-5 Wichita State Shockers are certainly one of the best candidates from outside the power conferences to make a strong run deep into the tournament field.

They are the No. 5 seed in the South and face Virginia Commonwealth in their first game. They’ll have to take out the Indiana Hoosiers likely in the next round to advance to the Sweet Sixteen like they did in 2006.

Forde writes, “The Shockers have simply had a great season; their five losses are by a total of 29 points, and two were in overtime. This is a senior-laden bunch that coach Gregg Marshall has brought along steadily since they arrived on campus, winning the NIT last season and now finally earning an NCAA bid. They have inside-outside capability offensively and are solid on defense.”

The senior leadership should play a good role in helping them advance to the field of 32, but Tom Crean’s Hoosiers will be tough to beat. However, you don’t discount a team with only five losses on the season no matter where they’re from.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Tournament 2012: Drexel, Nevada, Miami And Oral Roberts Were Last Four Teams Ousted From Bracket

For those fan bases from various schools wondering why your particular college or university didn’t make the 2012 NCAA Tournament, there is a bit of reprieve for you as the selection committee for the entire affair has made themselves available as they explain why they chose what they chose. Surprisingly they’ve also listed the four teams that were the last ones ousted before the bracket was release: Drexel, Nevada, Miami (Fl.) and Oral Roberts.

Each of those squads has reasons to be frustrated and arguments for inclusion over some others perhaps. At the same time, there has to be a bit of comfort in knowing that it was a tough decision to the end for each of these teams like Drexel, for instance, who finished 19-1 in their last 20 games. Not including the Dragons has some upset, but at the very least they can know that it was down to the wire.

Each team is likely headed to the NIT, which will be announced on ESPNU.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Tournament 2012 Bracket Update: Kansas State Is 8 Seed, Will Face Southern Miss on Thursday

The Wildcats earned a 8 seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament and will face Southern Miss in their first game.

Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket: Office Pools Available Here

Those of you looking to play bookie tomorrow morning in your annual NCAA Tournament office pools, look no further. Your 2012 march madness brackets are now available from SB Nation. The field has been revealed, and Selection Sunday has spoken. The question is, can you beat the odds of 1 in 13-plus million and get them all correct?

You can find the printable bracket for the 2012 NCAA Tournament right here.

Will you go out on a limb and choose a random school to win? How about choose like my wife and go with the cutest mascots or top uniforms (depends on the year and how bored she is at work)? Or are you a play-it-safer and just pick the highest seeds the whole way until the Final Four?

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Tournament Bracket 2012: Kentucky, Syracuse, Michigan State And North Carolina Grab Top Seeds

The top seeds have all been set and they’ve gone to the teams you would have expected, maybe with the exception of the Michigan State Spartans. The Kentucky Wildcats, North Carolina Tar Heels and Syracuse Orangemen were all comfortably nestled into their No. 1 seed slots before the unveiling of Selection Sunday began.

The entire field has been set and you can see the <a href=“http://www.sbnation.com/2012/3/5/2846518/ncaa-bracket-2012-printable target=”new">entire bracket here. The fields all look very even although the buzz on Twitter is that the South region in particular looks very heavy. Kentucky, Duke, Baylor and Indiana are the top four seeds and other teams like Wichita State, Notre Dame, Xavier and UNLV could all be very dangerous.

But that could be the case for every region. The Missouri Tigers are going to try to show up the Spartans if they can both reach the Elite Eight to prove the doubters wrong on the selection committee. The Kansas Jayhawks, meanwhile, will be the No. 2 seed in the Midwest as they try to take a team most believed was destined to rebuild after major exits last offseason to the NBA and make a Final Four run.

Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Bracket 2012: Kansas Takes On Detroit In First Round

The Kansas Jayhawks have narrowly missed out on being a top seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, but they'll still face a lightweight opponent in the first round in the form of the Detroit. The Jayhawks were bounced in the Big 12 semi-finals by a red hot Baylor Bears team that finally started to make good on their potential, but Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor should help Bill Self's team make a strong run come tourney time.

The Detroit Titans are 22-13 on the season and earned a trip to the Big Dance by winning the Horizon League Tournament. Detroit defeated Valparaiso in the tournament championship 70-50. The Lions enter the tournament on a five-game winnings streak and have won 10 of their last 11 games.

For more on the 2012 NCAA men's basketball tournament, check out the SB Nation storystream here. Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Bracket 2012: Missouri Tigers Face Norfolk State In First Round

The Missouri Tigers have enjoyed a magical 2011-12 basketball season that no one saw coming in Frank Haith's first year. Now the build-up of the regular season comes to its fruition as the Tigers hope to prove to everyone just how good they really are with a deep post-season run. They'll begin by facing the OPPONENT in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament and with shooters like Marcus Denmon, Kim English and Michael Dixon, Jr., they should move on rather easily.

The Norfolk State recently won the MEAC championship in Atlanta and it's been a banner year for Norfolk State athletics. Matt Michalec writes, "The men’s basketball team also helped the Norfolk State athletics program pull off a rare double win in football and basketball. This marks just the sixth time in MEAC history that the same school has won both the MEAC football (including ties) and men’s basketball tournament titles in the same year, and first time since Hampton University did it in 2005-06."

For more on the 2012 NCAA men's basketball tournament, check out the SB Nation storystream here. Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Bracket 2012: Kansas State Faces Southern Miss In First Round

The Kansas State Wildcats are going to be a difficult opponent for Southern Miss to figure out given their roller coaster of a season this year. Frank Martin has his team into yet another tourney, but the Wildcats' inability to be consistent makes them a difficult team to judge. The Wildcats took out Missouri twice in the Big 12 season and showed they can play with anyone on any given night. However, they also lost twice to the sub-.500 Oklahoma Sooners.

As for their opponent, Southern Miss finished with a 25-8 overall record and finished in second place in Conference USA. The Golden Eagles lost in the semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament 73-62 to Marshall. Southern Miss has wins over Memphis, Ole Miss and South Florida on their resume this season.

For more on this matchup and the impending March Madness season, check out SB Nation's college hoops news hub. Stay tuned to SB Nation Kansas City for more Wildcats recaps, previews and news updates.

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Selection Sunday: Big 12 Lands Six Teams In NCAA Tournament With Texas Inclusion

The Texas Longhorns grabbed a No. 11 seed in the unveiling of the NCAA Tournament bracket tonight and that gave the Big 12 six teams overall vying for the national championship. The Longhorns will have to face the No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats in the first round.

The Kansas Jayhawks and Missouri Tigers were already understood to be in the tournament. The same can be said for the Baylor Bears and the Kansas State Wildcats. The Iowa State Cyclones also likely felt very good about their chances and they landed a No. 8 seed opposite UConn. It was Texas that represented the real bubble entry for the Big 12.

Every other team in the Big 12 had a losing record, so any team that was a possibility for the conference made it in. Here are the official Big 12 match-ups for the NCAA Tournament:

No. 2 Kansas vs. No. 15 Detroit
No. 2 Missouri vs. No. 15 Norfolk State
No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 UConn
No. 11 Texas vs. No. 6 Cincinnati
No. 8 Kansas St. vs. No. 9 Southern Miss
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 South Dakota St.

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NCAA Bracket 2012: Iowa State, UConn Faces Off In South Region Of Tournament

The Iowa State Cyclones were one of the Big 12’s surprises this season and warranted a spot in the NCAA Tournament tonight with the announced match-up of the Cyclones at the No. 8 seed in the South region playing against the storied Connecticut program as the No. 9 seed.

The winner will have to go on to face Anthony Davis and the Kentucky Wildcats (most likely) in the second round (er, third round technically), so there’s likely going to be a short trip to the tournament for either team. But the Cyclones would have warranted a slightly higher seed if they had shown up stronger in the Big 12 tournament. Instead they have a hard road ahead.

The Cyclones are one of six Big 12 teams that made the tournament.

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NCAA Tournament 2012 Bracket Update: Wichita State Is No. 5 Seed, Will Face VCU On Thursday

Wichita State earned a 5th seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament and will play VCU in its first game.

2012 NCAA Bracket: Kansas, North Carolina Lands In Midwest Region

After a successful regular season, the Kansas Jayhawks have landed the No. 2 seed in the Midwest region for this year's NCAA Tournament, as the selection committee announced on Sunday. The Jayhawks won the Big 12 regular conference title for the eighth straight season.

The Midwest region should pose numerous challenges for a talented Kansas team. In the first round of the tournament, the Jayhawks will be facing 15-seeded Detroit with the winner moving on to face the winner of No. St. Mary's vs. the No. 10 seeded Purdue in the second round.

The Jayhawks are obviously among the best teams in the division, but the No. 1 seed North Carolina will post the biggest threat to move on to the Final Four.

For more on this matchup and the impending March Madness season, check out SB Nation's college hoops news hub. Stay tuned to SB Nation Kansas City for more Jayhawks recaps, previews and news updates.

2012 NCAA Bracket: Kansas State Lands In East Region, Could Face Syracuse

After a successful regular season, the Kansas State Wildcats have landed the No. 8 seed in the East region for this year's NCAA Tournament, as the selection committee announced on Sunday. The Wildcats got an at-large invitation after failing to win the conference tournament in a season in which they took out the top ranked Missouri Tigers twice in conference play.

The East region should pose numerous challenges for a talented Kansas State team. In the first round of the tournament, the Wildcats will be facing No. 9-seeded Southern Miss with the winner likely moving on to face No. 1 seeded Syracuse Orangemen in the second round if they can get past the No. 16 UNC Asheville.

For more on this matchup and the impending March Madness season, check out SB Nation's college hoops news hub. Stay tuned to SB Nation Kansas City for more Wildcats recaps, previews and news updates.

March Madness Bracket 2012: How Missouri Got There

Missouri fought through a ton of adversity to finish the regular season 30-4. The Tigers will be looking to transfer their unprecedented success into the program's first Final Four appearance.

2012 NCAA Bracket: Wichita State Lands In South Region, Could Face Kentucky

After a successful regular season, the Wichita State Shockers have landed the fifth seed in the south region for this year's NCAA Tournament, as the selection committee announced on Sunday. The Shockers earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Missouri Valley Tournament

The South region should pose numerous challenges for a talented Wichita State team. In the first round of the tournament, the Shockers will be facing 12th-seeded VCU, with the winner moving on to likely face No. 4 seeded Indiana in the second round.

If the Shockers have some success early in the tournament, they could eventually face the likes of Kentucky, Duke or Baylor, the region's top-three seeds, in later rounds.

For more on this matchup and the impending March Madness season, check out SB Nation's college hoops news hub. Stay tuned to SB Nation Kansas City for more Shockers recaps, previews and news updates.

2012 NCAA Bracket: Missouri And Michigan State Land In West

After a successful regular season, the Missouri Tigers have landed the No. 2 seed in the West region for this year's NCAA Tournament, as the selection committee announced on Sunday. The Tigers received an automatic bid after winning the 2012 Big 12 Tournament.

The West region should pose numerous challenges for a talented Missouri team. In the first round of the tournament, the Tigers will be facing 15-seeded Norfolk State with the winner moving on to face No. 7 seeded Florida Gators against No. 10 Virginia in the second round.

The top seed is No. 1 Michigan State, the team that likely kept Missouri from taking the top spot, so it will be interesting to chart both teams as they head toward the Final Four. Other top teams in the region include Marquette and Louisville.

For more on this matchup and the impending March Madness season, check out SB Nation's college hoops news hub. Stay tuned to SB Nation Kansas City for more Tigers recaps, previews and news updates.

NCAA Tournament 2012: Kansas, Missouri Officially Miss Out On No. 1 Seeds

The Missouri Tigers and Kansas Jayhawks both have legitimate complaints to take up with the selection committee for the 2012 NCAA Tournament. That’s because both teams were passed over for a No. 1 seed in a season where either team deserved a spot as one of the top four programs in the country. Instead, the Big 12 winners and the conference tourney champs were both left high and dry.

The Jayhawks won the Big 12 outright from the regular season, but the Tigers beat Baylor for the Big 12 tournament title. The Tigers even had a 30 win season from a power conference. Instead it was Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina and Michigan State at the top.

From the AP report, “The madness in March Madness began before the brackets even came out. Kentucky, Syracuse and North Carolina all earned top seeding for the NCAA tournament Sunday despite weekend losses that brought even more intrigue to the three-week, 67-game tournament.”

That final spot could have went to one team from a power conference, including the 30-win Missouri Tigers. Instead, the Big Ten grabbed and left the Big 12 high and dry.

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NCAA Bracket 2012: Wichita State Faces VCU In First Round

The Wichita State Shockers have lived up to their name so far in the 2011-12 men's college basketball season and now stand ready to prove their No. 16 ranking in the AP Top 25. At 27-5, the Shockers have put on quite a display so far, but they've had a hard time against ranked teams thus far, splitting the season series with Creighton and losing to then No. 15 Alabama.

As for their first round opponent, the Shockers hope to stave off the VCU Rams who landed the 12 seed in the South Regional. VCU finished 28-6 and 15-3 in the Colonial Athletic Conference. The Rams defeated Drexel in the CAA Tournament 59-56. VCU had a memorable run during last season's run to the Final Four.

Here's a look at the South Region of the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket:

No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 16 Mississippi Valley State/Western Kentucky (Thursday)

No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 UConn (Thursday)

No. 5 Wichita State vs. No. 12 VCU (Thursday)

No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 13 New Mexico State (Thursday)

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh (Friday)

No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Xavier (Friday)

No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 South Dakota State (Thursday)

No. 6 UNLV vs. No. 11 Colorado (Thursday)

For more on Wichita State, visit our team page. For more coverage of Wichita State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Kansas City. Click here for a link to our NCAA bracket 2012.

NCAA Tournament 2012: Kansas And Missouri Both No. 2 Seeds In Latest Joe Lunardi Bracketology

Kansas lost the No. 1 seed when they lost to Baylor in the Big 12 conference tournament. Missouri certainly warrants a top seed as well by taking out Baylor and capping an incredible Big 12 season for the Tigers.