She Said, He Said: Porter Moser and the Sooners started strong, but are they a shoo-in for the NCAA Tournament?

Porter Moser and his OU men's basketball team are a third of the way through Big 12 play, but after going 10-2 in the nonconference, the Sooners have started conference with a 2-4 record. The Sooners looked like a solid NCAA Tournament team only a few weeks ago, but now?

Is OU a shoo-in for March Madness?

Berry: No. The Sooners aren't in trouble, not yet anyway, but the last week and a half have created some trouble for OU's post-season hopes. The Sooners lost a home to Kansas, which was one of OU's best chances at a great win. They lost at TCU, which was a great opportunity for a road win. The Sooners have a good team, but two more thirds like this first six-game stretch, and OU won't make March Madness.

Jenni: The Big 12 is so, so tough this season. I know the conference produced a national champion last season in Baylor, but man, the league looks even tougher top to bottom this year. That means winning as much at home is a must. And stealing road wins is crucial. Frankly, the Kansas game at home and the TCU loss on the road are near misses that could come back to haunt OU.

Berry: Here's the problem. We don't even know who worst teams are in the Big 12. We figured Kansas State, but the Wildcats came to Norman and lost by one. K-State went to Texas this week and won. We thought OSU was taking on water, then the Cowboys win at Baylor. That's the No. 1 goal for a team like OU. Make sure you're not on the bottom.

Jenni: And after Tuesday night's loss, the Sooners are in a three-way tie for last place in the Big 12. The other two? Aforementioned K-State and Iowa State, which is ranked 15th in the nation. Told you this league was brutally tough. No doubt OU needs to get back on the winning track, but even at that, how many Big 12 teams could get into the NCAA Tournament? Seven seems likely. Eight totally possible. If that's the case, not finishing last — OSU is barred from the postseason, of course — would get OU into the tournament.

OU men's basketball schedule: How to watch the Sooners in 2021-22 NCAA season

Berry: The key probably is number of conference victories. Any team 8-10 or better will get in (outside of OSU). It's possible 7-11 gets a team in. But 6-12 is a no-go, and right now, OU is on pace for 6-12. And the Sooners' non-conference slate is troublesome. OU lost on a neutral floor to Utah State; the Aggies are 10-8 overall and 1-4 in the Mountain West Conference. OU lost at home to Butler; the 9-8 Bulldogs are 2-4 in the Big East. The Sooners' win at Central Florida could help; the 11-5 Knights are 3-3 in the American Conference. OU's home win over Florida WILL help; the 11-6 Gators are 2-3 in the SEC. So will the neutral-floor win over Arkansas; the 13-5 Razorbacks are 3-3 in the SEC. OU plays at second-ranked Auburn on Jan. 29. Tall task to win there.

Jenni: No doubt winning at Auburn will be tough. The same could be said for pretty much every Big 12 game remaining on OU's schedule. That's how stacked the conference is. But the difficulty of the league also creates opportunity. Win five more league games, and the Sooners are likely in the NCAA Tournament because of how quality each of those victories would be. Six home games remain against Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech, Texas, OSU and West Virginia. OU likely needs to win at least four of those, then steal a couple wins on the road. Easy? Nope. But OU has a good team. It must start stacking up the wins to prove that.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU basketball: Sooners' NCAA Tournament hopes depend on Big 12 close