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The Big 12 conference tournament tips off Tuesday with four first-round games as the league officially goes to 16 teams. Jerry Palm's latest bracketology update on CBS Sports has eight teams from the conference going to the NCAA tournament, though Baylor and West Virginia are on the bubble. Palm projects Houston to be on the No. 1 seed line. Here's a look at how the bracket sets up in the Big 12 conference tournament.

Big 12 Conference Tournament Schedule

First Round

No. 12 Oklahoma State vs. No. 13 Cincinnati
No. 9 TCU vs. No. 16 Colorado
No. 10 Kansas State vs. No. 15 Arizona State
No. 11 Utah vs. No. 14 UCF

Second Round

No. 5 Iowa State vs. No. 12 Oklahoma State/No. 13 Cincinnati
No. 8 West Virginia vs. No. 9 TCU/No. 16 Colorado
No. 7 Baylor vs. No. 10 Kansas State/No. 15 Arizona State
No. 6 Kansas vs. No. 11 Utah/No. 14 UCF

Quarterfinals

QF1 - No. 4 BYU vs. No. 5 Iowa State/No. 12 Oklahoma State/No. 13 Cincinnati
QF2 - No. 1 Houston vs. No. 8 West Virginia/No. 9 TCU/No. 16 Colorado
QF 3 - No. 2 Texas Tech vs. No. 7 Baylor/No. 10 Kansas State/No. 15 Arizona State
QF 4 - No. 3 Arizona vs. No. 6 Kansas/No. 11 Utah/No. 14 UCF

Semifinals

SF1 - Winner of QF1 vs. Winner of QF2
SF2 - Winner of QF3 vs. Winner of QF4

Final

Winner of SF1 vs. Winner of SF2

Seven of the top 30 defensive teams in KenPom reside in the Big 12, including three in the top 10. Houston (-105 to win the tournament at DraftKings) is the best of the bunch, sitting second in KenPom defensive efficiency. The Cougars are the best team in the conference in points allowed and opponent field-goal percentage but they do have some offensive firepower. L.J. Cryer (15.3 ppg) is one of the most experienced guards in the country, and is one of four players in Houston's rotation to shoot 40% or better from 3-point range. Houston has won 10 in a row since losing in overtime against Texas Tech, it's lone conference setback. If the Cougars make the conference tournament final, they should be locked into a No. 1 seed.

The Red Raiders (+425) have flipped the script from their time under Chris Beard, becoming a lethal offensive team this season. Grant McCasland's group is seventh in offensive efficiency on KenPom and is the lone Big 12 team to defeat Houston this season. The Red Raiders are third in the conference in points per game, second in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage and third in turnovers per game. JT Toppin (18.1 ppg) leads a balanced attack, with four players averaging double figures. Toppin has double-doubles in each of his last two games. Iowa State (+600) has an experienced group fresh off a run to the Sweet 16 a year ago, anchored by one of the feistiest defenses in the country. The Cyclones force 15.7 turnovers per game, ranking first among all power conference schools in the country. Iowa State also won this tournament last season, beating Houston in the title game. If Curtis Jones (17.0 ppg) can be more efficient, this is a dangerous unit.

Baylor (+5000) and West Virginia (+7500) have work to do to get off the bubble entering the conference tournament. The Bears have 10 wins across Quad 1 and Quad 2 games but also have a Quad 3 loss on their resume. Miami transfer Norchad Omier (15.6 ppg) and freshman VJ Edgecombe (15.0 ppg) have the ability to carry this team through the bracket, but the Bears likely have to make the semifinals to feel good on Selection Sunday. Baylor does have a win over West Virginia in the regular season, which could be a factor if the committee has to decide between both teams. The Mountaineers don't have a bad loss but have been inconsistent. West Virginia went 6-8 to close the regular season after defeating then-No. 2 Iowa State, but did win three of its last four games. Javon Small (18.5 ppg) is the conference's best scorer and can carry this team. If West Virginia wins its opening game, a matchup with Houston awaits in the quarterfinals. The Mountaineers would likely need to win that quarterfinal game to get off the bubble.

SportsLine expert Thomas Casale is backing Houston to win the Big 12 conference tournament. But which teams are experts backing in the other conference tournaments? You can get the best bets for every conference tournament at SportsLine. You can also find the SportsLine Projection Model's simulations for every game.