by Justin Harper, The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City , Daily Oklahoman

The Cox Convention Center will host the 2009 Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament from March 12-15. From there, the Sooners will have to travel a good distance just to get back to Oklahoma City -- where the Ford Center will host an NCAA Regional on March 28 and 31. The first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament will be played at one of 16 "pod" sites, with the closest one to Norman being Lubbock, Texas.

Nonetheless, to succeed at making twin stops in OKC, the Sooners must navigate their way through the rigors of the Big 12 schedule, beginning with Saturday's visit to Nebraska.

"I'll tell you what, by the time the postseason rolls around, you know what you're made of after you compete in this kind of conference," said OU coach Sherri Coale.

True enough. Six conference teams are currently in The Associated Press rankings, five of which are from the Big 12 South. Four league teams -- No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 6 Baylor and No. 8 Texas -- are in the top 10.

"This might border on ridiculous to tell you the truth," said Coale. "It's an amazing league, and once again, the South (division) especially is unbelievably tough. But it makes it fun."

Fun and challenging. The Big 12 boasts such strength, conference teams can be the worse for wear after 16 games.

"We basically try and stay at one game at a time," said OU junior guard Nyeshia Stevenson. "We know, and it is always in the back of our minds, that our conference is the best. We are in it, and everyone has to watch out for it. There are no guaranteed games.

OU (12-2) is one of eight Big 12 teams with two or fewer losses, and no team has more than four defeats. Still, as tough as the league is, the Sooners are guaranteed a trip to the Big 12 tourney. Do well there (OU has won a league-best three tourney titles), and it would stand to reason the Sooners will be one of the nation's elite teams. And that type of success could easily result in a berth in the NCAA regional in Oklahoma City.

But Saturday's game is enough looking ahead for the Sooners.

"Honestly, it is one game at a time right now and you can't look past anybody or they will come back and beat you," said Sooner freshman Whitney Hand. "I think we have a challenging schedule, but I think we can handle it," Sooner freshman Whitney Hand.

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