Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings: Hello Darkness My Old Friend

The non-conference has wrapped up and now each team has played a conference game, some games have been exciting and some have been poor coached. We are about half way through the season and I think it’s safe to say that we know where every team stands in the Big 12 as of right now.

1. Kansas (12-2, 1-0)

Bill Self set the tone of the Big 12 season with a home win over West Virginia, where they held the Mountaineers to just 53 points. Devon Dotson and Udoka Uwazurike looks like the best 1-2 punch in the conference and are just getting better. I know it’s early, but it looks like the Big 12 is the Jayhawks to lose once again. However, Kansas has a trip to Hilton Coliseum and a home game against the other juggernaut in this conference coming up.

This week: (1/8 @ Iowa State, 1/11 vs Baylor)

2. Baylor (11-1, 1-0)

Death. Taxes. And a Scott Drew coached team being really freaking good at defense. Baylor is one of the best defensive teams in the country that is paired with a really effective and gritty offensive team. The Bears have propelled to #4 in the country after wins over Villanova, Arizona, and Butler and just a loss in the second game of the season to Washington. I could see this team winning the Big 12 title this season and we will see the legitimacy of that after their next two games.

This week: (1/7 @ Texas Tech, 1/11 @ Kansas)

3. West Virginia (12-2, 1-1)

I went back and forth with the third and fourth spot, but I settled with the Mountaineers because of their huge win over an Ohio State team that was in the top five. In the last edition of these rankings, I wasn’t sure if this was fools gold or not and Bob Huggins has proven that this team is legit. Their only loss other than a seven point loss in Phog Allen was a two-point loss to St. Johns. The freshman, Oscar Tshiebwe is a force to be reckoned with and I’m crossing my fingers that this is his only season in Morgantown.

This week: (1/11 @ West Virginia)

4. Texas Tech (10-3, 1-0)

Since losing three in a row early in the season, the Red Raiders have gotten closer to Chris Beard form. They aren’t as good as last year, but a win against Louisville and a dominant opening performance against Oklahoma State showed that Jahmi’us Ramsey and Texas Tech have the potential to be players in the Big 12. We will see how real this team is after they play two ranked teams at home this week.

This week: (1/7 vs Baylor, 1/11 vs West Virginia)

5. Texas (10-3, 0-1)

It’s Shaka Smart’s year to prove it for Texas and all that he’s proven so far is that he is the head coach of a mediocre basketball program. I put them 5th because the middle of these rankings feels fitting for a tenure and season that has included an upset every now and then along with some head scratching losses.

This week: (1/8 vs Oklahoma, 1/11 vs Kansas State)

6. Oklahoma (10-3, 1-0)

Lon Kruger’s team is a huge question mark to me still and that’s why are in this position of the Big 12. They started off the Big 12 season with a five point win over K-State at home, which isn’t an impressive win, but it also isn’t a loss. Texas, OU, and this next team are in the TBD tier of these power rankings until I see some more Big 12 games.

This week: (1/8 @ Texas, 1/11 @ Iowa State)

7. TCU (10-3, 1-0)

Jamie Dixon has a pretty solid squad as usual. Desmond Bane is really good and RJ Nembhard went off against Iowa State, but this team is a banked in three away from it’s best win being Air Force. I’m not saying they are bad, but they are in the same spot as Oklahoma and still need a quality win to separate themselves from the Jakku of the Big 12.

This week: (1/7 @ K-State, 1/11 vs Oklahoma State)

8. Kansas State (7-6, 0-1)

To start, I think that Kansas State is the worst team in the Big 12 and I think that Bruce Weber is the worst coach in the conference. With that said, the Wildcats don’t have a loss as bad as Iowa State and they haven’t been embarrassed like Oklahoma State. That’s not saying that K-State has been world beaters, because they haven’t. They lost back-to-back games to Mississippi State and Saint Louis before beating Tulsa and kicking off Big 12 play with a five point loss to Oklahoma. There isn’t a lot of talent on this roster and it’s showing.

This week: (1/7 vs TCU, 1/11 @ Texas)

9. Oklahoma State (9-5, 0-2)

In two Big 12 games, the Pokes have scored a combined 91 points in two losses. The Cowboys averaged margin of defeat this season is 19 points, which is uhhhh... not great Bob.

This week: (1/11 @ TCU)

10. Iowa State (7-6, 0-1)

In the month of December, Iowa State beat Seton Hall which was pretty cool, then they got embarrassed at home by Iowa, lost to the one-win Florida A&M Rattlers. They started off January and Big 12 play with a loss at TCU that definitely should have been a win if it weren’t for an all-time choke job. The Cyclones have hit rock bottom, but the good news is that Tyrese Haliburton is the best player in the conference. FOR THE RECORD I LOVE STEVE PROHM BUT HE HAS SOME SERIOUS GROUND TO MAKE UP AS A COACH. HIS GAME PLANNING AND IN-GAME ADJUSTMENTS NEEDS TO IMPROVE A LOT IF HE WANTS TO KEEP HIS JOB.

This week: (1/8 vs Kansas, 1/11 vs Oklahoma)