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Utah fired its coach last month. ASU just might do the same with Bobby Hurley. And Colorado went 0-13 before finishing dead last in the 16-team league, stressing coach Tad Boyle’s considerable equity in Boulder.

But the Big 12 tournament offers everyone a chance for redemption, at least theoretically, so the Buffaloes took advantage Tuesday. They held on to beat ninth-seeded TCU 69-67 in a first-round game Tuesday at T-Mobile Center and will face eighth-seeded West Virginia on Wednesday.

“I’m thankful for the Big 12 that we all get to come here because the 16-seed can sometimes surprise some people like we did today,� Boyle said. “Now it’s our job to go do it tomorrow. It’s a new season.�

A new season after a forgettable “old� season. After losing three NBA Draft picks last summer — Cody Williams, Tristan da Silva, and K.J. Simpson — Colorado actually went 9-2 during an overall soft nonconference schedule that Boyle said was appropriate considering what the Buffaloes had lost.

They beat UConn and lost only to Michigan State and Iowa State in the Maui Invitational, then lost to Iowa State again in its Big 12 opener and spiraled from there.

By the time they visited McKale Center on Jan. 25 for UA’s 78-63 win, the Buffaloes were in the middle of what became an 0-13 start — with an even more backloaded schedule coming up. But Boyle said CU made improvements even during losses in a late schedule that included losses at Kansas State, Iowa State and Texas Tech.

“In January, I feel like we did not get better. We kind of plateaued,� Boyle said. “And the schedule favored us in January. It did not favor us in February. I said we can get better in February and still not win games — and that happened … These guys stuck together. They didn’t point fingers.�

Reset buttons

While ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ could face a rematch against Kansas on Thursday after losing to the Jayhawks last Saturday, Tuesday’s two afternoon games were even more immediate rematches: Colorado beat TCU again Tuesday after also doing so on Saturday in Boulder, Colorado, while Cincinnati avenged a loss at Oklahoma State on Saturday by beating the Cowboys 87-68 on Tuesday.

Doing so for the Bearcats involved flying back to Cincinnati on Saturday and some rest before traveling back westward to Kansas City.

“Getting home was important to reset,� Cincinnati coach Wes Miller said. “They got a good 24-hour breather, which I thought was important.

“We didn’t focus on what we didn’t do. We focused on the things we needed to do moving forward … Give our guys a ton of credit for turning the page. They’ve been pretty good at that all year.�

Familiar voices

ESPN is covering all of the Big 12 Tournament on its platforms, with many of the same people who worked conference games during the season.

ESPN said the Big 12 title game Saturday will be carried on ESPN with Jon Sciambi and Fran Fraschilla. ESPN has two other play-by-play announcers working the tournament, Roxy Bernstein and Mark Neely, as well as analysts King McClure and Sean Farnham.

Bernstein and Farnham frequently covered Pac-12 games in recent seasons.

‘Diesel’ coming

The T-Mobile Center isn’t exactly surrounded by the Las Vegas Strip, but the Big 12 is trumpeting that a number of performers will take the stage at the Power & Light district across the street.

They are scheduled to include Champagne on Wednesday, Montage on Thursday and Charly Jordan on Friday.

Then, after the title game on Saturday, Shaquille O’Neal — a.k.a “DJ Diesel� will take the stage.

“He’s become a fixture here at the Big 12,� commissioner Brett Yormark said. “We love having him with us again.�

KU duckie deal

Not only is Kansas holding the obligatory pregame pep rally at the Power & Light District and holding a “fan hangout� there at McFadden’s Sports Saloon, but Jayhawk fans could also get a free KU-swagged rubber duck if they purchase a tray of four drinks at 7 Brew Coffee for $16.

The rubber duck is decked out in a basketball jersey with the Jayhawk logo and blue headband while holding a basketball.

The big number

33.7: Million dollars of economic impact Kansas City officials expect from the Big 12 women’s and men’s basketball tournaments this month.

Quotable

“Do you think I’m shy or no?� — Yormark, when asked if other power conferences are having a “disproportionate� influence on decisions in college sports today