Big 12 Power Rankings: This league is too good to have a ‘worst’ team
photo by: Nick Krug
Kansas guard Devonte' Graham (4) maneuvers for a shot against TCU forward Vladimir Brodziansky (10) during the first half on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018 at Allen Fieldhouse.
The selection committee is not going to invite all 10 Big 12 teams to the NCAA Tournament.
Still, the more we see from these teams in conference play the more it appears every roster in the league would be capable of winning at least a “First Four” or first-round matchup in The Big Dance. There truly aren’t any weaklings or feeble opponents in the Big 12.
While Iowa State is in 10th place in the standings, it’s hard to label the Cyclones as the conference’s worst team. ISU already has defeated Texas Tech, West Virginia and Oklahoma in Hilton Coliseum. And perennial league champion Kansas could be next (Tuesday at 6 p.m., ESPN2).
Is Texas the worst team? The Longhorns own wins over the first-place Red Raiders and OU.
It can’t be Oklahoma State. The Cowboys over the course of the past two weeks won on the road in Lawrence and Morgantown, W.Va.
At this point it’s easier to pick a best team than a worst one in this loaded conference.
KU coach Bill Self stated this past week — before the Jayhawks lost by 16 at Baylor, a team that seemed in the mix for the “worst” label as recently as seven days ago — the Big 12 is surpassing the lofty expectations he had for it going into conference play.
“Whenever the leaders in the league have as many losses as what this league has, sometimes it gives the appearance of mediocrity. But that’s not true at all. It’s just that everybody here can play,” Self said.
“I’ve never seen a league this deep,” the 15th-year KU coach added. “We may have 10 teams that are as good as any league’s best 10 teams have — and they may have 14 or 15 teams in their league.”
No favored team is safe, regardless of venue, this year in the Big 12. It’s kind of a shame we won’t get to see all 10 programs take a crack at the madness of March.
Big 12 standings (6 games remaining)
Texas Tech, 9-3
Kansas, 8-4
West Virginia, 7-5
Kansas State, 6-6
Oklahoma, 6-6
TCU, 5-7
Baylor, 5-7
Oklahoma State, 5-7
Texas, 5-7
Iowa State, 4-8
Here’s a look at this week’s Big 12 Power Rankings. Each team’s best victories and its losses — good, bad and in between — are considered in this process, using KenPom.com’s ratings to classify the league’s most and least impressive squads to date. Results from all league games also are listed.
Big 12 Power Rankings — Feb. 12, 2018
No. 1 – Texas Tech (21-4)
Kenpom ranking: No. 8
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +6.0
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 19 Nevada (OT), No. 34 Baylor, at No. 14 Kansas, No. 56 Kansas State, No. 16 West Virginia, No. 66 Oklahoma State, No. 44 Texas (OT), at No. 22 TCU, No. 91 Iowa State, at No. 56 Kansas State
Losses: No. 35 Seton Hall, at No. 31 Oklahoma, at No. 44 Texas, at No. 91 Iowa State
No. 2 – Kansas (19-6)
Kenpom ranking: No. 14
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +0.6
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 33 Kentucky, No. 46 Syracuse, at No. 44 Texas, at No. 22 TCU, No. 91 Iowa State, No. 56 Kansas State, at No. 16 West Virginia, No. 34 Baylor, No. 21 Texas A&M, at No. 56 Kansas State, No. 22 TCU
Losses: No. 98 Washington, No. 32 Arizona State, No. 8 Texas Tech, at No. 31 Oklahoma, No. 66 Oklahoma State, at No. 34 Baylor
No. 3 – West Virginia (18-7)
Kenpom ranking: No. 16
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +5.9
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 38 Missouri, No. 1 Virginia, at No. 66 Oklahoma State, at No. 56 Kansas State, No. 31 Oklahoma, No. 44 Texas, No. 56 Kansas State, at No. 31 Oklahoma,
Losses: No. 21 Texas A&M, at No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 14 Kansas, at No. 22 TCU, No. 33 Kentucky, at No. 91 Iowa State, No. 66 Oklahoma State
No. 4 – Oklahoma (16-8)
Kenpom ranking: No. 31
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -0.4
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 47 USC, at No. 18 Wichita State, at No. 22 TCU, No. 66 Oklahoma State, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 22 TCU (OT), No. 14 Kansas, No. 34 Baylor
Losses: No. 45 Arkansas, at No. 16 West Virginia, at No. 56 Kansas State, at No. 66 Oklahoma State (OT), at No. 43 Alabama, at No. 44 Texas, No. 16 West Virginia, at No. 91 Iowa State
No. 5 – TCU (17-8)
Kenpom ranking: No. 22
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +2.4
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 19 Nevada, at No. 34 Baylor (OT), No. 91 Iowa State, No. 16 West Virginia, at No. 66 Oklahoma State, No. 44 Texas
Losses: No. 31 Oklahoma, No. 14 Kansas, at No. 44 Texas (2OT), at No. 31 Oklahoma (OT), at No. 56 Kansas State, at No. 87 Vanderbilt, No. 8 Texas Tech, at No. 14 Kansas
No. 6 – Oklahoma State (15-10)
Kenpom ranking: No. 66
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -4.6
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 25 Florida State, No. 91 Iowa State (OT), No. 44 Texas, No. 31 Oklahoma (OT), at No. 14 Kansas, at No. 16 West Virginia
Losses: No. 21 Texas A&M, No. 18 Wichita State, No. 16 West Virginia, No. 31 Oklahoma, at No. 56 Kansas State, at No. 34 Baylor, at No. 8 Texas Tech, at No. 45 Arkansas, No. 22 TCU, No. 34 Baylor
No. 7 – Kansas State (17-8)
Kenpom ranking: No. 56
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -3.6
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: at No. 91 Iowa State, No. 66 Oklahoma State, No. 31 Oklahoma, No. 22 TCU, at No. 44 Texas
Losses: No. 32 Arizona State, No. 119 Tulsa, No. 16 West Virginia, at No. 8 Texas Tech, at No. 14 Kansas, No. 14 Kansas, at No. 16 West Virginia, No. 8 Texas Tech
No. 8 – Baylor (15-10)
Kenpom ranking: No. 34
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +1.2
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 23 Creighton, No. 44 Texas, No. 66 Oklahoma State, No. 91 Iowa State, at No. 66 Oklahoma State, No. 14 Kansas
Losses: at No. 13 Xavier, No. 18 Wichita State, at No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 22 TCU (OT), at No. 16 West Virginia, at No. 91 Iowa State, at No. 14 Kansas, No. 56 Kansas State, at No. 38 Florida, at No. 31 Oklahoma
No. 9 – Texas (15-10)
Kenpom ranking: No. 44
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -3.1
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 20 Butler, at No. 91 Iowa State (OT), No. 22 TCU (2OT), No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 91 Iowa State, No. 31 Oklahoma
Losses: No. 5 Duke (OT), No. 7 Gonzaga (OT), No. 27 Michigan, No. 14 Kansas, at No. 34 Baylor, at No. 66 Oklahoma State, at No. 16 West Virginia, at No. 8 Texas Tech (OT), No. 56 Kansas State, at No. 22 TCU
No. 10 – Iowa State (13-11)
Kenpom ranking: No. 91
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -4.4
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 34 Baylor, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 16 West Virginia, No. 31 Oklahoma
Losses: at No. 38 Missouri, No. 211 Milwaukee, No. 56 Kansas State, No. 44 Texas (OT), at No. 66 Oklahoma State (OT), at No. 14 Kansas, at No. 22 TCU, at No. 44 Texas, No. 12 Tennessee, at No. 34 Baylor, at No. 8 Texas Tech
Previous rankings:
• Jan. 9 — Top 3: WVU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma
• Jan. 15 — Top 3: Texas Tech, West Virginia, Oklahoma
• Jan. 22 — Top 3: Kansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma