Texas women's basketball vs. Iowa State: Big 12 title game prediction, scouting report

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Big 12 will close out its 2023-24 women's basketball season on Tuesday night when Texas (29-4) meets Iowa State (20-10) in the championship game of the conference tournament.

If Texas beat Iowa State at the T-Mobile Center (8 p.m., ESPN2, 103.1), the Longhorns won't be around to defend their championship next season. Texas is heading to the Southeastern Conference in a few months. If Iowa State wins, the Cyclones will be aiming for a three-peat in Kansas City in 2025.

The second seed in the tournament field, Texas has worked its way through the bracket by beating No. 7 Kansas and No. 3 Kansas State. Fourth-seeded Iowa State ousted No. 5 Baylor in the quarterfinals before upsetting top-seeded Oklahoma in the semifinals.

Here's what you need to know about the matchup:

Oh, you again?

This will mark the fourth straight season that Texas and Iowa State have run into each other in Kansas City. Texas sent Iowa State home from the Big 12 Tournament in both 2021 and 2022. During the 2023 tournament, Iowa State beat UT in the championship game.

Texas and Iowa State only played once during this most-recent regular season. Back on Feb. 17, the Longhorns recorded an 81-60 victory over ISU in Austin.

"Well, obviously coming into the game, we're going to prepare super well," UT guard Shaylee Gonzales said. "Defense-wise, we've got to lock in. Obviously focus on that post player, the freshman. She is a really good player. And obviously, we're going to keep shooting, getting in the gym and getting our shots up."

League's top freshmen to be featured on Tuesday

The Big 12 finale will feature the two best freshmen in the conference. This season, Texas freshman point guard Madison Booker and Iowa State freshman center Audi Crooks were both unanimous picks for the Big 12's all-conference team. Kansas State center Ayoka Lee and Oklahoma forward Skylar Vann, who are both seniors, were the only other unanimous honorees on the 10-player team.

Booker also shared the Big 12 Player of the Year award with Vann.

Booker is contributing 16.7 points, 4.9 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game this season. Crooks is averaging 18.7 points and 7.7 rebounds.

For those fans of trivia at home, Oklahoma's Courtney Paris (2006) and Baylor's Nina Davis (2014) are the only freshmen to ever win the Most Outstanding Player award at the Big 12 Tournament.

Schaefer applauds Big 12's move to T-Mobile Center

This is the 15th time that the Big 12 Tournament has been held in Kansas City since the league tipped off during the 1996-97 season. But the league champion has never cut down the nets at the T-Mobile Center. Despite this arena being the longtime home of the men's basketball tournament for the conference, the Big 12 women had always played their tournament games at nearby Municipal Auditorium.

Last year, the Big 12 announced that both of its tournaments would take place at the T-Mobile Center in the future.

Vic Schaefer told reporters on Monday that he had been advocating for a venue change since he accepted the head coaching job at Texas after the 2019-20 season. Schaefer then applauded Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark for putting both tournaments in the same gym.

"I get it, Municipal had 10 NCAA Championships or Final Fours, but that was in the '60s," Schaefer said. "Our kids deserved to be in this building and playing in there. I don't think you can tell any difference in any atmosphere in that arena versus Municipal. I think our game, our conference, the Big 12, warrants that and our fans and our players deserve it. I think that atmosphere (today) was fantastic! That's the way it's supposed to be.

"I told the Commissioner, I said credit to him for moving it over here because you know what, it should have been done ten years ago. You haven't had an ice tub until you get in a horse trough. That's what the ice tubs were like over at the other place. That's not right. He's got it right. He's figured it out, and kudos for him doing that."

Texas vs. Iowa State prediction

Texas. With a roster full of talented freshmen, the Big 12's future belongs to Iowa State. The present, though, will belong to the Longhorns.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas, Iowa State play for title at Big 12 basketball tournament