WATCH: It’s Big 12 Tourney week in KC. Here’s what to expect

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - It’s a big time in Kansas City, as the Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments begin later this week.

Kansas and Kansas State men’s teams are going to headline the skill on the court, as both have had a tremendous regular season heading into March Madness. The Jayhawks are ranked No. 3 in the nation, while the Wildcats are ranked No. 11. They will be slotted as the 1-seed and 3-seed in the Big 12 Tournament, meaning both receive byes and will start playing on Thursday.

KU is led by the unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year Jalen Wilson. Dajuan Harris, Jr., was voted the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, and KJ Adams took home the Most Improved Player.

Kansas State is led by the floor general Markquis Nowell and Coach of the Year Jerome Tang. Florida transfer standout Keyontae Johnson is a huge help to the Manhattan hoopers, after suffering what looked like a career-ending scare. He’s coming off a two-year absence from the court after suffering a medical emergency in 2020 – collapsing on the floor face-first during a game against Florida State.

Postseason play begins in just two days here at the T-Mobile Center, kicking off Wednesday. Festivities outside of the court include spirit rallies, the Big 12 run, and the Big 12 Big Q Competition featuring top pitmasters.

For the women’s side---This is the first time since 2014 the regular season conference title is shared, and it’s between Oklahoma and Texas.

We’ll see our local teams face off on the first day of games on the women’s side, which is Thursday. Kansas State takes on Texas Tech at 5 p.m. and Kansas plays TCU at 7:30, with both being played at Municipal Auditorium. The games can be watched on ESPN+.

Tickets are online at Big12Sports.com/BuyTickets, and you can also head over to the auditorium’s box office.

The play on the court matters the most, but also features around the court include musical acts coming to town, like Fat Joe and Shaquille O’Neal. There’s also going to be a friendly competition between on-air personalities like yours truly Joe Hennessy, Bill Hurrelbrink, and Marleah Campbell, who will be competing in a shooting contest on Saturday.

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