Updated College Basketball Power Rankings for the Big 12
The Big 12 came into the season with plenty of hype and yet somehow exceeded expectations; it's clearly the best college basketball conference in the nation. Still, there are questions about which team is the best and which will advance the furthest.
With a couple of weeks remaining in the regular season, the conference is looking at the possibility of sending seven out of its 10 teams to the NCAA tournament. This would be quite a feat while truly showing how difficult things are for each team in league play.
Although Kansas remains in first place, it hasn't yet runaway with the regular-season title with just about everyone jumbled in the middle of the standings. While we don't know for sure how the teams will finish, we can judge them on what they have done and predict what will happen.
Here are the complete power rankings for the Big 12 along with a breakdown of how each team looks going forward.
10. Texas Tech (12-15, 2-12)
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What's Gone Right This Season
Tubby Smith cares about his defense, which has often been far ahead of the offense throughout his time at Kentucky and Minnesota. While offense has more to do with talent, defense is all about hard work and focus.
The good news is Texas Tech's defense is solid, holding opponents to less than 70 points in exactly two-thirds of its games this season. This is not an easy accomplishment with such a loaded schedule, but the Red Raiders have used this to their advantage to pull out some impressive wins.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
Unfortunately, the offense isn't quite as good as the defense. Junior guard Devaugntah Williams has been thrust into a leadership role, averaging a team high of 10.5 points per game.
Although this would be a solid first year with the program, the problem is he is the only person averaging double-figures. The squad moves the ball well but simply struggles to shoot both inside and outside the arc.
Aside from a pair of conference victories, this has been a rough couple of months for Texas Tech.
Postseason Potential
With a losing record that will only get worse, it's hard to imagine any postseason appearances for Texas Tech this season. This is simply the time to see what you have from the younger players on the roster and hope to see some improvement to end the year on a high note.
9. TCU (16-10, 3-10)
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What's Gone Right This Season
It might be difficult to remember, but TCU was actually ranked for a moment after a 13-0 start to the season. The early season win at Ole Miss also looks even better now, justifying the buzz for the Horned Frogs.
Meanwhile, the Horned Frogs remain competitive in the majority of their Big 12 games, dropping a couple in overtime while also beating Oklahoma State. This certainly gives some hope for the future at what is mostly a football school.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
The Big 12 schedule. With so many ranked teams and projected NCAA tournament squads, it makes sense that some team was going to end up at the bottom of the standings—regardless of talent.
TCU had an undefeated nonconference season but got a quick wake-up call with 10 losses in the next 11 games. The past two wins show signs of life, although this is still not enough to make up for the overall gap to the next spot in the rankings.
Postseason Potential
The past two wins allowed the Horned Frogs to clinch a winning season, which has it eligible for the NIT. However, the CBI is a more likely destination for this group.
Although many scoff at this third-tier tournament, this could be a valuable chance for TCU to keep growing as an organization.
8. Kansas State (13-14, 6-8)
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What's Gone Right This Season
It's clear that when this team is at full strength, it can beat just about anyone in the nation. Kansas State has five wins against the RPI Top 50, including a season sweep of Oklahoma.
Marcus Foster, Nino Williams and Thomas Gipson are a quality group that give this squad a legitimate chance of contending for an NCAA tournament bid.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
A lot of this season can be summed up by Foster, who lost playing time earlier in the season and then was suspended by Bruce Weber for violating team rules. Unsurprisingly, the Wildcats were lost without him.
The sophomore still has plenty of room to grow, but this season was lost by inconsistent play during a difficult stretch in the Big 12.
Postseason Potential
A stretch of five losses in a row killed any chance of playing in the NCAA tournament, but this is a team that would be a quality candidate for the NIT if it can get to .500.
Unfortunately, the last four regular-season games present more difficult challenges, and the year seems destined to end with more disappointment.
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7. Texas (17-9, 6-7)
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What's Gone Right This Season
The talent on this roster has been on display at various times this year with the top five scorers all breaking out with at least 19 points in a game this year. Myles Turner is transforming into the star fans have hoped to see, and the frontcourt of Turner, Cameron Ridley and Jonathan Holmes is as good as any in the nation.
Against inferior opponents, Texas has the ability to bully its way to a victory.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
This strategy hasn't been as effective against better opponents. Of the Longhorns' six conference wins, five of them are against the bottom three teams in the Big 12.
The dominant home win against West Virginia was really the only sign this team was able to beat a tough opponent. This has led to a rough stretch in the conference to fall into eighth place.
Postseason Potential
ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Texas safely in the field as a No. 8 seed in his latest Bracketology, but this seems overly generous for a squad that is 1-8 against the RPI Top 50.
With the next four games against ranked opponents, the Longhorns have a chance to either earn the much-needed big wins or completely fall apart down the stretch. The good news is if they do make the Big Dance, they will be a team no one wants to face.
6. West Virginia (20-6, 8-5)
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What's Gone Right This Season
West Virginia continues to prove people wrong with the ability to not only compete in the loaded Big 12 but also thrive. While in need of a resume-building win last week, the Mountaineers came through with a huge upset over Kansas.
Juwan Staten—who hit the game-winning layup against the Jayhawks—has transformed into one of the better playmakers in the nation. Pairing him with a defense that causes havoc for every opponent, and this squad will go far.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
This is certainly low in the rankings for a team that sits fourth in the current standings and coming off its biggest win of the year. On the other hand, the Mountaineers have benefited from a front-loaded schedule in the conference to post a great record.
Still, the biggest issue is whether West Virginia can get it done on the road. Three of the final five games are away from home, where this group has had some embarrassing losses this year (average of 22-point deficit against Texas, Oklahoma and Iowa State).
The next few weeks are a chance to prove doubters wrong once again.
Postseason Potential
As long as there is no epic collapse, West Virginia should be dancing this March, although the seed is very much up for debate.
The good news is this is a team that could make a deep run thanks to its defense, which ranks No. 1 in the nation in steal percentage, according to KenPom.com.
This will keep opponents off balanced and could lead to some big upsets.
5. Oklahoma State (17-9, 7-7)
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What's Gone Right This Season
Even after consecutive losses, Oklahoma State has to feel good about its standing in the Big 12. The Cowboys have proven their ability to beat top opponents with season sweeps over Texas and Baylor, as well as a home win over Kansas.
With solid defense and two of the best scorers in the conference between Phil Forte and Le'Bryan Nash, this team can clearly play with anyone.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
This team can also lose to anyone. Oklahoma State has suffered bad losses both in conference (Kansas State and TCU) and out of conference (South Carolina), severely hurting their resume.
OSU has played the second-toughest conference schedule so far, according to KenPom.com, so things will get easier in the round-robin format. However, the Cowboys have to be more consistent to avoid more bad losses with Texas Tech and TCU coming up.
Postseason Potential
The NCAA tournament seems like an almost certainty at this point, but the seed is still a mystery due to the inconsistency of the team's play to this point.
On the plus side, the wins over Kansas and Baylor should give this group confidence to take on any opponent in March Madness.
4. Baylor (19-7, 7-6)
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What's Gone Right This Season
An uneventful nonconference season caused Baylor to be overlooked a bit in the Big 12, but the squad has responded with some impressive wins during the past two months.
This team has offensive balance with six players averaging between eight and 13 points per game to go with some of the best rebounders in the nation. Rico Gathers could finish the year with the rebounding title with an average of 12.2 per game, which would make him the first to accomplish the feat from a power conference since Blake Griffin in 2009.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
Baylor has become reliant on its outside shooting with Royce O'Neal, Taurean Prince and Kenny Chery all knocking down shots at a high rate from three-point range. In conference games, the Bears get 31.3 percent of their points from beyond the arc, which is the most in the Big 12, according to KenPom.com.
This becomes a bad thing when those shots aren't falling, like in losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State. Offensive rebounding can only go so far when you can't shoot.
Postseason Potential
This is clearly an NCAA tournament team that has a chance to get a protected top-four seed. The problem is the offensive inconsistency on a squad that lacks one truely elite scorer.
If things go wrong in a big game, will Prince or Chery be able to carry the offense? That question could lead to an early exit if things go wrong.
3. Oklahoma (18-8, 9-5)
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What's Gone Right This Season
The ability to earn wins in different ways is a major asset for a team looking to make a run, and Oklahoma does this well.
The Sooners have won a high-scoring shootout against Iowa State and a low-scoring battle against Oklahoma State. They have wins where they dominated the whole time like against Texas or where they need to pull out a come-from-behind effort, like against Texas (sorry Longhorn fans).
With an elite defense and great offensive scorers, this is a quality squad.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
Eight losses are quite a bit for a team of this quality. Some of these have been pretty bad, too, including defeats to Washington and Creighton, as well as a pair of losses against Kansas State.
If you take these away, Oklahoma could be looking at a Big 12 title and possible No. 1 seed. However, the Sooners seem to play down to their level of opponent at times. This is certainly something you need to look out for in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.
Postseason Potential
As long as Oklahoma keeps doing what it is doing, it will have a top-four seed in the NCAA tournament. With a favorable draw, Buddy Hield and Co. could legitimately make a run to the Final Four.
The problem is you can't overlook anyone in March because if you do, it will be a quick exit. Hopefully, Lon Kruger's team has learned from past losses and will be completely focused to get to at least the second weekend.
2. Iowa State (19-6, 9-4)
9 of 10
What's Gone Right This Season
When Iowa State is playing, you put the game on TV.
The Cyclones are simply so much fun to watch with an offense full of playmakers at just about every position. With six players averaging at least 10 points per game, this offense is as good as any in the nation and currently ranks 12th with just under 80 per game.
No matter who is on the other side of the court, the players remain mismatches and find a way to light up the scoreboard.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
"Hilton Magic" is alive as Iowa State is undefeated at home this season, but a 5-6 road/neutral record is a bit concerning. With the team so dependent on its shooting, changing the location can play a huge role in its success.
Additionally, there are still questions about the Cyclones defense and whether it is capable of making stops when needed. Jameel McKay has provided some much-needed rim-protection, but this might not be enough against quality frontcourts.
Postseason Potential
When Iowa State shoots well, there is legitimately no ceiling for this postseason. The ability to spread the floor and make shots either beyond the arc or driving to the open lane is almost unmatched across college basketball.
If the team doesn't suffer any devastating injuries like last year, a Final Four trip and even a national championship is certainly possible.
On the other hand, a stretch of six games is likely to feature at least one poor shooting day. With a questionable defense, this could limit the run to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight.
1. Kansas (21-5, 10-3)
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What's Gone Right This Season
Every time someone is ready to write off Kansas, Bill Self finds a way to stay on top of the Big 12 standings. The Jayhawks are seeking their 11th-consecutive regular-season title—and with a one-game lead, they have to feel pretty good about their chances.
Kansas played the most difficult schedule in the country this season, and while there were some speed bumps, it has made it through on the other side with an impressive record.
With a young roster that features no contributing seniors, it's hard not to be amazed.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
Kansas didn't just have two nonconference losses this year, it was embarrassed twice. Kentucky and Temple (yes, Temple) each dominated the Jayhawks with margins of at least 25 points. Even though this was months ago, it isn't something you can just forget.
Meanwhile, the inconsistency of the squad's best players have been apparent throughout the year as Perry Ellis, Frank Mason and Wayne Selden have disappeared at times.
With freshmen Kelly Oubre and Cliff Alexander generally failing to live up to expectations, there are still a lot of question marks surrounding this team.
Postseason Potential
The Jayhawks are battle-tested with the ability to make a deep run in March. They have gotten better throughout the year with increased defensive focus and an offense finally taking advantage of its ability to shoot from outside.
That being said, Kansas' success will likely come down to matchups, as a great defense could cause it problems.
A trip to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight should be expected with a Final Four berth possible, but the run might be shortened if a team like Utah, San Diego State or Louisville ends up in the same part of the bracket.
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