photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Frank Mason III (0) is fouled hard by TCU guard Desmond Bane (1) during the first half, Friday, Dec. 30, 2016 at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Frank Mason III (0) is fouled hard by TCU guard Desmond Bane (1) during the first half, Friday, Dec. 30, 2016 at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self and veteran Jayhawks such as Frank Mason III, who have been through more conference encounters than they can count off the top of their heads, will tell you there is nothing easy about winning the Big 12 — even if the Jayhawks have done so 12 years in a row.

The first couple of stops on what many imagined would be an uneventful journey to KU’s 13th consecutive league crown, though, back up the case made by those responsible for the conference dominance some observers have taken as a foregone conclusion.

The No. 3-ranked Jayhawks couldn’t ever completely bury TCU on the road in their Big 12 opener, and it took a controversial buzzer-beater at the end of regulation for them to defeat rival Kansas State inside Allen Fieldhouse.

Victories, of course, often are considered more important than the minutia that made them possible. But Self said opening league play with back-to-back taxing outings should give his players something to think about as they prepare for a Saturday home game against Texas Tech (12-2 overall, 1-1 Big 12) and the next couple of months in front of them.

“But I think there’s been a lot of nice reminders for our guys on just how hard it is to win,” the 14th-year KU coach said, “and especially in a league where — I mean, this is no disrespect to anybody — but I think most, in fans’ minds, think if you go to TCU, based on the past few years, that that should be a game that you should for sure win. And as coaches, we know that we’re gonna have to play to win, because they’re so much improved.”

This week, the Big 12 has three teams — No. 2 Baylor, No. 3 KU and No. 7 West Virginia — ranked among the top seven in the country in the AP poll. Even the unranked teams have generated some buzz just two games into the conference schedule. The Red Raiders knocked off WVU on Tuesday, in Lubbock, Texas, on the same night K-State had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds at Kansas. The next day, Iowa State lost by two at Baylor. Eight of the league’s 10 teams have at least one Big 12 victory already, and only Kansas and Baylor enter the weekend without a conference loss.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Devonte' Graham (4) look to pass during the first half, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017 at Allen Fieldhouse.

KenPom.com ranks the Big 12’s eight best teams among the top 40 in the country: No. 2 WVU, No. 6 BU, No. 7 KU, No. 27 ISU, No. 28 Tech, No. 30 K-State, No. 38 TCU and No. 39 Oklahoma State. And even the Cowboys lost at No. 79 Texas, which has struggled to a 7-7 start in Shaka Smart’s second season.

“Well, I think there’s no question that our league is underrated,” Self said, “and it’s rated very high, and it’s still underrated. I think you could say, you could make a strong case, that the ACC has more good teams in their league than anybody else. But that’s also in large part the numbers are so much bigger. They’ve got five more teams … to pick from.

“But I think our league is a monster,” Self continued. “And you know, coaches after games sometimes can be emotional and mad or happy, and there’s been a time or two I’ve been that way, as well. But the TCU win was a good win. They’re gonna beat a lot of people at TCU.”

An even stronger argument along those lines could be made for K-State (12-2, 1-1), and Self said the Jayhawks (13-1, 2-0) don’t have to apologize for eking out a win against the Wildcats — even if KU avoided overtime because the officials didn’t whistle Svi Mykhailiuk for traveling.

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2017/jan/05/upon-further-review-self-saw-svis-walk-replay/

“Although I didn’t think we played well, I think Kansas State’s a really good team. I think they did some things that didn’t allow us to play well,” Self explained. “So I think winning at home is going to be a premium again. But I don’t think the home wins are gonna come as easy as a lot of people perceive them to be as they have in year’s past, because there’s just more good teams in our league.”

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Josh Jackson (11) pulls a rebound from Kansas State forward Wesley Iwundu (25) and Kansas State forward Dean Wade (32) during the second half, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017 at Allen Fieldhouse.

To his point, the latest NCAA Tournament projections from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi place six Big 12 teams in the field: Kansas, Baylor, West Virginia, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and TCU. Plus, Lunardi lists Texas Tech among the “first four out” and K-State in the “next four out” — so eight league teams, at least in early January, are in the mix for March Madness.

Mason, KU’s senior point guard who is averaging 18.5 points and 5.5 assists in Big 12 action, said there are easy lessons to take away from his team’s two narrow conference wins.

“Even when we’re not playing good we still have to rebound the ball and make the other team play as bad as we are,” Mason began. “You know, we have to stay coachable, keep ptichin’ the ball ahead, execute on the offensive end. And we have to make free throws, and just make the right play, make the extra pass.”

Quickly this season, the Jayhawks have been reminded it’s not easy to win in the Big 12. Their coach, as one might expect, plans on hammering that message home, and letting the players know there are no certainties in league play.

“And I think that’s the one thing that we really need to sell to all our players, and I think that other coaches will sell to their respective players is that, hey, everybody’s better than they were last year — for the most part,” Self said. “Everybody’s better. So don’t look at an opponent based on what happened last year. Everybody’s improved. Everybody’s added some nice pieces.”