Big 12 scrambles for invites to 'Dance'

~ The conference could get as few as four bids to the NCAA tournament.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Days in the Big 12's regular season are dwindling to a precious few, and NCAA tournament bids may be going with them.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the conference seemed assured of at least five invitations when the selection committee emerges bleary-eyed on March 4 from its weekend of seclusion.

Many coaches were bravely hoping even for six, a Big 12 record last achieved in 2004-05.

But now with two regular-season weeks and the conference tournament to go, a more accurate prediction might be four. And that would tie for the worst the league ever did.

Kansas' Darrell Arthur scored over Kansas State's Lance Harris during Monday's Big 12 game in Manhattan, Kan. Kansas, the conference leader, won 71-62. (CHARLIE RIEDEL ~ Associated Press)

Co-leaders Kansas (23-4, 10-2 Big 12) and Texas A&M (22-4, 10-2) are assured of not only bids, but good seeds as well. Texas (19-7, 9-3), even though super freshman Kevin Durant seems to be cooling off a bit, is probably a cinch to nab its ninth straight bid under coach Rick Barnes.

After that, however, things start to get interesting.

The Kansas State Wildcats under first-year head coach Bob Huggins went into their Big Monday matchup against the ninth-ranked Jayhawks with eight conference wins, the most they've had since the Big 12 was formed. At 19-9 and 8-5, they're solidly in fourth place in a league where they've never finished higher than seventh.

No doubt, CBS would love to have Huggins in the tournament. And Kansas State does have a couple of marquee wins for the committee to ponder, including one at Texas. The Wildcats did suffer a 71-62 loss to Kansas night by upsetting Kansas at home.

But the way things keep getting jumbled week after week in the Big 12, very little seems certain.

Missouri forward Marshall Brown (15) watches as teammate and forward Leo Lyons (5) blocks the shot of Oklahoma State forward Mario Boggan (4) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007. Oklahoma State was defeated by Missouri 75-64.(AP Photo/Brody Schmidt)

No. 18 Oklahoma State (19-7, 5-6), considered an NCAA lock when it was 15-1, has gone into freefall and could get locked out.

Texas Tech (17-10, 6-6) has won two straight to creep back into the picture after losing five in a row and seemingly dropping out.

Tech has some bad losses against its name. But Bob Knight's Red Raiders have also gone 3-0 against the league's two best teams, Kansas and Texas A&M, which is certain to impress the committee.

Missouri, too, is on the upswing. The Tigers under first-year coach Mike Anderson are guaranteed a winning season after shocking Oklahoma State 75-64 in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Saturday. They have three conference road victories and their first win over a ranked team in more than a year.

Also in the picture at this point is Oklahoma (15-10, 6-6). The Sooners under first-year head coach Jeff Capel lost their second in a row Saturday, a 56-49 setback to Texas A&M.

But before that, they'd won four straight, and they head into an important game tonight at Missouri within hailing distance of the upper division. Like several of their Big 12 brethren, a fast finish, including a victory or two in the Big 12 tournament, could squeeze the Sooners in.

Losing to Missouri dropped Oklahoma State to below break-even in the league with a 5-6 mark. It was the fourth loss in five games for the Cowboys and their first at home since Feb. 13, 2006. Plus, the Cowboys are winless in conference road games, something the committee is sure to frown upon.

"We're not in it," said senior Mario Boggan, who had 16 points on Saturday. "Right now, we're looking at it as if we're not in there."

Coach Sean Sutton called the loss to Missouri "one of the least-inspired performances that I have ever seen one of our teams play in this arena in 17 years."

Missouri, with only a little prodding, might dream of sneaking into the NCAA for the first time since 2003.

"We've got four (regular-season) games left and whatever happens in the end, happens," said Keon Lawrence, a freshman guard who had 18 points at Oklahoma State.

Said Anderson, "We control our own destiny. It's going to be a possession here, a rebound there, a loose ball there."