Kansas City is buzzing with action as the second round of the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off today, Wednesday, March 11th, at the T-Mobile Center. Following a thrilling opening round on Tuesday, eight teams will compete for a place in the quarterfinals, continuing the path to Saturday’s championship game. The tournament, which began on March 10th, is showcasing some of the top talent in college basketball as teams battle for conference supremacy and a coveted spot in the NCAA tournament.
The Big 12 tournament has already seen some upsets, with No. 12 seed Arizona State defeating No. 13 seed Baylor 83-79 and No. 9 seed Cincinnati overcoming No. 16 seed Utah 73-66 on Tuesday. No. 10 seed BYU also secured a spot in the second round with a 105-91 victory over No. 15 seed Kansas State, and No. 14 seed Oklahoma State defeated an unlisted opponent 92-…
Today’s schedule features four matchups, beginning with No. 5 Iowa State facing off against Arizona State at 12:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. Following that, No. 8 UCF will take on No. 9 Cincinnati at 3:00 p.m. CT on ESPNU. The evening session will see No. 7 West Virginia battle No. 10 BYU at 7:00 p.m. CT on ESPN2, and the nightcap will pit No. 6 TCU against Oklahoma State at 9:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU. The winners of these games will advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12th.
Second Round Schedule – March 11th
Here’s a detailed look at today’s second-round matchups:
- Game 5: No. 5 Iowa State vs. No. 12 Arizona State | 12:30 p.m. CT | ESPN
- Game 6: No. 8 UCF vs. No. 9 Cincinnati | 3:00 p.m. CT | ESPNU
- Game 7: No. 7 West Virginia vs. No. 10 BYU | 7:00 p.m. CT | ESPN2
- Game 8: No. 6 TCU vs. No. 14 Oklahoma State | 9:30 p.m. CT | ESPNU
Arizona leads the field as the top seed, having secured its first Big 12 regular season title with a 16-2 record. Joining them with first-round byes are No. 2 seed Houston (14-4), No. 3 seed Kansas (12-6), and No. 4 seed Texas Tech (12-6). These teams will begin their tournament journeys in the quarterfinals on Thursday. A tiebreaker, based on head-to-head records, awarded the final double-byes to Kansas and Texas Tech over No. 5 seed Iowa State.
West Virginia secured its single-bye due to an undefeated record against the teams tied at 9-9. UCF earned its spot over No. 9 seed Cincinnati thanks to an 82-71 victory over TCU on February 17, as both teams held the same winning percentage against the top five teams in the conference standings. BYU, seeded 10th, lost all three matchups against the teams involved in the tie.
The tournament’s semifinals are scheduled for Friday, March 13th, with the championship game set to take place on Saturday, March 14th at 6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN. All games are being played at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
As the tournament progresses, the competition is expected to intensify, with each game carrying significant weight for teams vying for a conference championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Fans can follow all the action live on ESPN, ESPNU, and ESPN2, as well as through the official Big 12 Conference website and NCAA.com for bracket updates and scores.
The coming days will reveal which teams can withstand the pressure and advance towards the ultimate goal of claiming the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament title. Stay tuned for continued coverage as the tournament unfolds.
What matchups are you most looking forward to seeing play out in the quarterfinals? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
