SB Nation Kansas City - March Madness 2012: Missouri And Kansas Could Meet Again...In the National Championship?https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48935/kc-fave.png2012-03-16T07:01:18-05:00http://kansascity.sbnation.com/rss/stream/26261802012-03-16T07:01:18-05:002012-03-16T07:01:18-05:00March Madness 2012, Missouri Vs. Norfolk State: Game Time, TV Schedule And More
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<p>The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/missouri-tigers" class="sbn-auto-link">Missouri Tigers</a> should have no issue taking on the No. 15 seeded <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/norfolk-st-spartans" class="sbn-auto-link">Norfolk St. Spartans</a>. The line on the game favors Missouri by 22 points, so if Missouri even struggles against Norfolk State it would be a disappointment.</p>
<p>Over at SB Nation's Missouri blog Rock M Nation they <a href="http://www.rockmnation.com/2012/3/15/2873549/ncaa-tournament-2012-missouri-norfolk-state" target="_blank">provide three keys to this game</a>:</p>
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<p><b>The Whistles</b>. Mizzou should by all means have too much for Norfolk State when all is said and done. However ... if <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123930/ricardo-ratliffe" class="sbn-auto-link">Ricardo Ratliffe</a> has two fouls before the first TV timeout, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52476/steve-moore" class="sbn-auto-link">Steve Moore</a> picks up a second before the third TV timeout ... and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52475/kim-english" class="sbn-auto-link">Kim English</a> 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.)</p>
<p><b>Play Your Game</b>. 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 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123927/phil-pressey" class="sbn-auto-link">Phil Pressey</a> 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...</p>
<p><b>Flipadelphia</b>. We never necessarily know which Mizzou guard is going to catch fire, but one usually does, be it <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52472/marcus-denmon" class="sbn-auto-link">Marcus Denmon</a>, 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.</p>
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<p><b>Game date/time</b>: Friday, March 16, 3:40 p.m. CT</p>
<p><b>Location</b>: CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Neb.</p>
<p><b>TV</b>: TNT</p>
<p><b>Radio</b>: <a href="http://www.mutigers.com/genrel/tiger-network.html" target="_blank">Tigers Radio Network</a></p>
<p><b>Streaming</b>: NCAA March Madness Live</p>
<p><b>Line</b>: <a href="http://www.oddsshark.com/ncaab/norfolk-state-missouri-odds-march-16-2012" target="_blank">Missouri (-22)</a></p>
<p><i style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Go check out <a href="http://rockmnation.com" target="_blank"><b>Rock M Nation</b></a> for all things Missouri hoops. For more on the <a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #232e80; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/2012/3/11/2862623/selection-sunday-2012-ncaa-bracket-schedule-seeds" target="_blank">2012 NCAA Tournament bracket</a>, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around <a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #232e80; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/" target="_blank">SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub</a>. For a complete <a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #232e80; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012/3/5/2846518/ncaa-bracket-2012-printable" target="_blank">printable NCAA Tournament bracket</a> 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.</i></p>
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https://kansascity.sbnation.com/missouri-tigers/2012/3/16/2876758/norfolk-state-vs-missouri-2012-march-madness-second-roundJeremy Mauss2012-03-15T20:38:17-05:002012-03-15T20:38:17-05:00Wichita State Vs. VCU Final Score: Rams Upset Shockers 62-59
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<p>The No. 5 seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/wichita-st-shockers">Wichita St. Shockers</a> came back from a 12-point halftime deficit against No. 12 seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/va-commonwealth-rams">VCU Rams</a>, 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.</p>
<p>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 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52918/bradford-burgess">Bradford Burgess</a> would counter with a three-pointer of his own to go up 60-59 and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100332/darius-theus">Darius Theus</a> sealed the game on a layup by Darius Theus to give VCU a 62-59. Wichita State's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/53202/garrett-stutz">Garrett Stutz</a> had a good look but his three-point attempt with two seconds left did not fall.</p>
<p>Wichita State's offense struggled as they made only 38 percent of their shots, and while they had three players in double figures with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124669/joe-ragland">Joe Ragland</a> leading the way with 15 points, but that was not enough to get the win.</p>
<p><i style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">For more on the <a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #232e80; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/2012/3/11/2862623/selection-sunday-2012-ncaa-bracket-schedule-seeds" target="_blank">2012 NCAA Tournament bracket</a>, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around <a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #232e80; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/" target="_blank">SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub</a> for a complete<a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #232e80; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012/3/5/2846518/ncaa-bracket-2012-printable" target="_blank">printable NCAA Tournament bracket</a> 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.</i></p>
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https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/3/15/2876444/wichita-state-vs-vcu-final-score-rams-upset-shockers-62-59Jeremy Mauss2012-03-15T19:23:31-05:002012-03-15T19:23:31-05:00Wichita State Vs. VCU Halftime Score: Shockers Trail 34-25
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<p>The No. 12 seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/va-commonwealth-rams">VCU Rams</a> are poised to be the first upset of the day as they lead the No. 5 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/wichita-st-shockers">Wichita St. Shockers</a> 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146493/carl-hall">Carl Hall</a> 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 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52918/bradford-burgess">Bradford Burgess</a> is leading all scorers with 13 points.</p>
<p><i style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">For more on the <a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #232e80; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/2012/3/11/2862623/selection-sunday-2012-ncaa-bracket-schedule-seeds">2012 NCAA Tournament bracket</a>, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around <a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #232e80; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/">SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub</a> for a complete <a style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #232e80; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012/3/5/2846518/ncaa-bracket-2012-printable">printable NCAA Tournament bracket</a> 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.</i></p>
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https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/3/15/2876274/ncaa-tournament-wichita-state-vcu-halftime-scoreJeremy Mauss2012-03-15T16:56:05-05:002012-03-15T16:56:05-05:00Syracuse Vs. UNC Asheville: Kansas State Awaits Syracuse After Orange Defeats Bulldogs, 72-65
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<p>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.</p>
<p>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 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52510/kris-joseph">Kris Joseph</a> each scored 12 and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26307/scoop-jardine">Scoop Jardine</a> chipped in 11. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52657/j-p-primm">J.P. Primm</a> almost led the Bulldogs to a major upset by scoring 18 points against Syracuse, who pulled away in the final seconds of the game. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100140/jaron-lane">Jaron Lane</a> added 16 points and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146374/jeremy-atkinson">Jeremy Atkinson</a> chipped in 12 points.</p>
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<th class="td-left"> <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/events/95738">Final - 3.15.2012 </a> </th> <th>1</th> <th>2</th> <th>Total</th>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/unc-asheville-bulldogs">UNC-Asheville Bulldogs</a> </span></td>
<td>34</td>
<td>31</td>
<td class="highlight">65</td>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> </span></td>
<td>30</td>
<td>42</td>
<td class="highlight">72</td>
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<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/events/95738">Complete Coverage ></a></span></p>
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<p>The Wildcats will face the No. 1 seeded Orange in the Consol Energy Center on March 17, the time is currently unknown.</p>
<p><i>For more on the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/2012/3/11/2862623/selection-sunday-2012-ncaa-bracket-schedule-seeds">2012 NCAA Tournament bracket</a>, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/">SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub</a> for a complete <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012/3/5/2846518/ncaa-bracket-2012-printable">printable NCAA Tournament bracket</a> 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.</i></p>
<p><a title="Check out the SB Nation Channel on YouTube" href="http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=sbnation"><img onclick="_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'SBN YouTube Integration', 'HTML Article Insert - Grey']);" style="margin-left: -15px" alt="Check out the SB Nation Channel on YouTube" src="http://assets.sbnation.com.s3.amazonaws.com/youtube/youtube-article-insert.png"></a></p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2012/3/15/2875846/2012-ncaa-tournament-syracuse-unc-asheville-kansas-state-wildcats-final-scoreJason Garrison2012-03-15T15:30:41-05:002012-03-15T15:30:41-05:00Syracuse Vs. UNC Asheville: Bulldogs Lead Orange At Halftime, 34-30
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<p>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.</p>
<p>Syracuse was led by Dion Waiters, who came off the bench to score 12 points. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100046/brandon-triche" class="sbn-auto-link">Brandon Triche</a> 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 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52657/j-p-primm" class="sbn-auto-link">J.P. Primm</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52660/quinard-jackson" class="sbn-auto-link">Quinard Jackson</a> added eight each and Matt Dickey chipped in five points.</p>
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<th class="td-left"> <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/events/95738">0:00 remaining in the 1st</a> </th> <th>1</th> <th>2</th> <th>Total</th>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="undecided"> <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/unc-asheville-bulldogs">UNC-Asheville Bulldogs</a> </span></td>
<td>34</td>
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<td class="highlight">34</td>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="undecided"> <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/syracuse-orange">Syracuse Orange</a> </span></td>
<td>30</td>
<td></td>
<td class="highlight">30</td>
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<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/events/95738">Complete Coverage ></a></span></p>
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<p><span style="line-height: 16px;">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.</span></p>
<p><i>For more on the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/2012/3/11/2862623/selection-sunday-2012-ncaa-bracket-schedule-seeds" target="_blank">2012 NCAA Tournament bracket</a>, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/" target="_blank">SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub</a> for a complete <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012/3/5/2846518/ncaa-bracket-2012-printable" target="_blank">printable NCAA Tournament bracket</a> 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.</i></p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=sbnation" title="Check out the SB Nation Channel on YouTube"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com.s3.amazonaws.com/youtube/youtube-article-insert.png" alt="Check out the SB Nation Channel on YouTube" style="margin-left: -15px" onclick="_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'SBN YouTube Integration', 'HTML Article Insert - Grey']);"></a></p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2012/3/15/2875093/ncaa-tournament-syracuse-unc-asheville-halftime-score-kansas-state-wildcatsJason Garrison2012-03-15T14:00:26-05:002012-03-15T14:00:26-05:00March Madness 2012: Missouri And Kansas Could Still Meet Again...In The National Championship?
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<p>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.</p>
<p>Six teams representing the <a href="http://www.big12sports.com">Big 12 Conference</a> 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.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/missouri-tigers">Missouri Tigers</a> received the automatic-qualifier bid from the Big 12 by virtue of winning the Big 12 Tournament championship, even though the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/kansas-jayhawks">Kansas Jayhawks</a> 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><b>For more information:</b></p>
<p><i>For more news and information about </i><a href="http://www.big12sports.com">Big 12 Conference</a><i> sports.</i></p>
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https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2012/3/15/2874675/march-madness-2012-missouri-kansas-NCAA-Mens-TournamentChip Rouse2012-03-15T09:27:45-05:002012-03-15T09:27:45-05:00NCAA Tournament Predictions 2012: Kentucky Favored In South Region
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/kentucky-wildcats">Kentucky Wildcats</a> 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. </p>
<p><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/andy_staples/03/12/NCAA.South.primer/index.html#ixzz1pCBAW3sl" target="_blank">Andy Staples writes</a>, "<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; text-align: left;">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."</span></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><i>For more on the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/2012/3/11/2862623/selection-sunday-2012-ncaa-bracket-schedule-seeds">2012 NCAA Tournament bracket</a>, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/">SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub</a> for a complete <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012/3/5/2846518/ncaa-bracket-2012-printable">printable NCAA Tournament bracket</a> 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.</i></p>
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https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2012/3/15/2873912/ncaa-tournament-predictions-2012-kentucky-south-regionMatt Conner2012-03-15T09:22:41-05:002012-03-15T09:22:41-05:00March Madness Predictions: Kansas Jayhawks Favored In Midwest Region
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<p>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.</p>
<p><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/stewart_mandel/03/12/NCAA.Midwest.primer/index.html#ixzz1pCASLuKp" target="_blank">Mandel writes</a><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; text-align: left;">, </span>"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."</p>
<p>Kansas plays No. 15 Detroit in the tourney's second round.</p>
<p><i>For more on the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/2012/3/11/2862623/selection-sunday-2012-ncaa-bracket-schedule-seeds" target="_blank">2012 NCAA Tournament bracket</a>, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012-ncaa-tournament/" target="_blank">SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub</a> for a complete <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2012/3/5/2846518/ncaa-bracket-2012-printable" target="_blank">printable NCAA Tournament bracket</a> 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.</i></p>
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https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2012/3/15/2873897/march-madness-predictions-kansas-jayhawks-2012-midwest-regionMatt Conner