Baylor Bears Basketball Tops NCAA Hoops Big 12 Power Rankings (1/2/2011)

The power rankings haven’t changed since last week, but the Big 12 conference season tips off tonight so it’s still good to see where all of the teams stand going into the conference slate.

I expect five Big 12 teams to make the NCAA tournament, but that number could expand to six depending on how Oklahoma and Texas A&M do during the conference schedule.

No. 1 Baylor Bears (13-0)

The most impressive team during the non-conference schedule was the Baylor Bears. Baylor went 5-0 against teams in the Top 50 of the Sagarin ratings, which was the most wins out of any team in the country.

Perry Jones III leads Baylor with 13.4 points per game. Baylor ranks No. 2 in the conference in scoring margin.

The Bears will kick off the conference slate tonight against Texas A&M.

No. 2 Missouri Tigers (13-0)

The Missouri Tigers also went undefeated in the non-conference but played a weaker schedule than Baylor did. The Tigers rallied on Friday night at Old Dominion to stay unbeaten and will take on Oklahoma tomorrow.

Marcus Denmon leads Missouri with 18.7 points per game. The Tigers lead the conference in points per game, scoring margin, field goal percentage, steals and turnover margin.

I think size and depth still could be an issue for this team, but I think it’s clear they will be competing for the Big 12 title all season long.

No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks (10-3)

The Jayhawks might not be as talented as years past, but they will still be at the top of the conference.

Thomas Robinson has been one of the most dominating players in the country.

Last game against North Dakota, Robinson scored 30 points and grabbed 21 rebounds. It was the first time since Wayne Hightower in 1961 that a Jayhawk scored 30 points and had 20 rebounds.

Kansas will host Kansas State on Wednesday.

No. 4 Kansas State Wildcats (11-1)

The Wildcats have been one of the hottest teams in the conference over the last two weeks. Kansas State has won six straight games and are now ranked in the Top 25. 

The Wildcats will get thrown to the wolves early in conference play, as their first three games are against Kansas, Missouri and Baylor.

No. 5 Texas Longhorns (10-3)

The Longhorns are a team that I’m still not sure about. They didn’t beat anybody good in their non-conference games, and they suffered losses to Oregon State, North Carolina St. and North Carolina.

Texas is led by J’Covan Brown who is averaging 19.3 points per game. With Brown, Texas is capable of beating anyone in the conference but I expect them to be a middle of the road team. I think Texas will make the tournament but it won’t be easy.

No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners (10-2)

The Sooners nearly grabbed a huge victory at Cincinnati last week but fell short by one point. The Sooners are led by Steven Pledger who averages 18.8 points per game.

Oklahoma has not defeated a team ranked in the Top 50 of the Sagarin ratings, and their best win is against Arkansas. The Sooners have work to do if they want to make the tournament but it’s not out of the question.

No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies (9-3)

Texas A&M has been the most disappointing team in the conference. Many people expected A&M to finish in the Top 3 of the conference but they are no where near that as of now.

The Aggies rank last in the Big 12 in points per game and No. 9 in the conference in turnover margin. Texas A&M does play very good defense so there is some hope that they can turn the season around, but this team has NIT-bound written all over it.

No. 8 Iowa State Cyclones (10-3)

As expected, the Cyclones are a much improved team, but they still have a lot of work to do before they can start thinking about an NCAA tournament bid.

Iowa State’s best victory was against Providence which isn’t saying much.

The Cyclones rank last in the conference in points allowed. I expect Iowa State to finish with an above .500 record, but they will still be towards the bottom of the conference.

No. 9 Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-6)

Oklahoma State was close to winning several key non-conference games but fell short every time. The Cowboys have played six teams in the Top 50 of the Sagarin ratings but unfortunately have only gone 1-5 in those games.

Oklahoma State is only shooting 41 percent from the field, which is last in the Big 12 Conference.

I think the Cowboys will be competitive in many Big 12 games, but it's going to be hard for them to finish much higher than No. 8 or No. 9 in the conference.

No. 10 Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-5)

Unlike Oklahoma State who has played six teams ranked in the Top 50, Texas Tech hasn’t played any and they have still struggled to a record of 7-5.

The Red Raiders are last in the conference in turnover margin and lack fire power. Tech is going to struggle to win more than three or four games in conference play.