Big 12 Power Rankings: KU-Tech showdown between league’s 2 best teams looms
photo by: Nick Krug
Kansas guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (10) defends against a three from West Virginia forward Lamont West (15) during the first half, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018 at Allen Fieldhouse.
While the perception of the vast majority of teams fluctuates throughout the college basketball season, we have reached a point where it is safe to identify Texas Tech and Kansas as the two best teams the Big 12 has to offer.
Whether you have thought that for weeks or just recently reached that conclusion this sets up as one of the conference’s most anticipated weeks.
The Jayhawks first have to deal with Trae Young and Oklahoma on ESPN’s Big Monday, and the Red Raiders need to win at Oklahoma State on Wednesday, but Saturday’s KU-Tech rematch in Lubbock, Texas, between the two current first-place teams could turn out to be the deciding factor in the 2018 conference title race.
What’s more, the winner of Round 2 between Kansas and Texas Tech will emerge as the league’s best candidate for a deep NCAA Tournament run — especially if Red Raiders star Keenan Evans has recovered from the toe injury he suffered in a two-point road setback at Baylor.
Hopefully we will get to see both teams at full strength for their February showdown and beyond.
Big 12 standings (4 games remaining)
Texas Tech, 10-4
Kansas, 10-4
West Virginia, 8-6
Kansas State, 8-6
Baylor, 7-7
Texas, 6-8
Oklahoma, 6-8
TCU, 6-8
Oklahoma State, 5-9
Iowa State, 4-10
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. 19, 2018
No. 1 – Texas Tech (22-5)
Kenpom ranking: No. 8
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +5.7
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 18 Nevada (OT), No. 31 Baylor, at No. 11 Kansas, No. 47 Kansas State, No. 13 West Virginia, No. 75 Oklahoma State, No. 42 Texas (OT), at No. 21 TCU, No. 96 Iowa State, at No. 47 Kansas State, No. 38 Oklahoma
Losses: No. 40 Seton Hall, at No. 38 Oklahoma, at No. 42 Texas, at No. 96 Iowa State, at No. 31 Baylor
No. 2 – Kansas (21-6)
Kenpom ranking: No. 11
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +1.5
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 32 Kentucky, No. 45 Syracuse, at No. 42 Texas, at No. 21 TCU, No. 96 Iowa State, No. 47 Kansas State, at No. 13 West Virginia, No. 31 Baylor, No. 26 Texas A&M, at No. 47 Kansas State, No. 21 TCU, at No. 96 Iowa State, No. 13 West Virginia
Losses: No. 95 Washington, No. 35 Arizona State, No. 8 Texas Tech, at No. 38 Oklahoma, No. 75 Oklahoma State, at No. 31 Baylor
No. 3 – West Virginia (19-8)
Kenpom ranking: No. 13
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +5.6
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 37 Missouri, No. 1 Virginia, at No. 75 Oklahoma State, at No. 47 Kansas State, No. 38 Oklahoma, No. 42 Texas, No. 47 Kansas State, at No. 38 Oklahoma, No. 21 TCU
Losses: No. 26 Texas A&M, at No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 11 Kansas, at No. 21 TCU, No. 32 Kentucky, at No. 96 Iowa State, No. 75 Oklahoma State, at No. 11 Kansas
No. 4 – Baylor (17-10)
Kenpom ranking: No. 31
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +1.2
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 27 Creighton, No. 42 Texas, No. 75 Oklahoma State, No. 96 Iowa State, at No. 75 Oklahoma State, No. 11 Kansas, at No. 42 Texas (2OT), No. 8 Texas Tech
Losses: at No. 12 Xavier, No. 14 Wichita State, at No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 21 TCU (OT), at No. 13 West Virginia, at No. 96 Iowa State, at No. 11 Kansas, No. 47 Kansas State, at No. 33 Florida, at No. 38 Oklahoma
No. 5 – Kansas State (19-8)
Kenpom ranking: No. 47
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -1.5
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: at No. 96 Iowa State, No. 75 Oklahoma State, No. 38 Oklahoma, No. 21 TCU, at No. 42 Texas, at No. 75 Oklahoma State, No. 96 Iowa State
Losses: No. 35 Arizona State, No. 119 Tulsa, No. 13 West Virginia, at No. 8 Texas Tech, at No. 11 Kansas, No. 11 Kansas, at No. 13 West Virginia, No. 8 Texas Tech
No. 6 – TCU (18-9)
Kenpom ranking: No. 21
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +2.4
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 18 Nevada, at No. 31 Baylor (OT), No. 96 Iowa State, No. 13 West Virginia, at No. 75 Oklahoma State, No. 42 Texas, No. 75 Oklahoma State
Losses: No. 38 Oklahoma, No. 11 Kansas, at No. 42 Texas (2OT), at No. 38 Oklahoma (OT), at No. 47 Kansas State, at No. 85 Vanderbilt, No. 8 Texas Tech, at No. 11 Kansas, at No. 13 West Virginia
No. 7 – Texas (16-11)
Kenpom ranking: No. 42
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -1.9
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 24 Butler, at No. 96 Iowa State (OT), No. 21 TCU (2OT), No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 96 Iowa State, No. 38 Oklahoma, at No. 38 Oklahoma
Losses: No. 3 Duke (OT), No. 9 Gonzaga (OT), No. 23 Michigan, No. 11 Kansas, at No. 31 Baylor, at No. 75 Oklahoma State, at No. 13 West Virginia, at No. 8 Texas Tech (OT), No. 47 Kansas State, at No. 21 TCU, No. 31 Baylor (2OT)
No. 8 – Oklahoma (16-10)
Kenpom ranking: No. 38
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -0.4
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 52 USC, at No. 14 Wichita State, at No. 21 TCU, No. 75 Oklahoma State, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 21 TCU (OT), No. 11 Kansas, No. 31 Baylor
Losses: No. 39 Arkansas, at No. 13 West Virginia, at No. 47 Kansas State, at No. 75 Oklahoma State (OT), at No. 43 Alabama, at No. 42 Texas, No. 13 West Virginia, at No. 96 Iowa State, at No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 42 Texas
No. 9 – Oklahoma State (15-12)
Kenpom ranking: No. 75
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -6.1
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 28 Florida State, No. 96 Iowa State (OT), No. 42 Texas, No. 38 Oklahoma (OT), at No. 11 Kansas, at No. 13 West Virginia
Losses: No. 26 Texas A&M, No. 14 Wichita State, No. 13 West Virginia, No. 38 Oklahoma, at No. 47 Kansas State, at No. 31 Baylor, at No. 8 Texas Tech, at No. 39 Arkansas, No. 21 TCU, No. 31 Baylor, No. 47 Kansas State, at No. 21 TCU
No. 10 – Iowa State (13-13)
Kenpom ranking: No. 96
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -5.1
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 31 Baylor, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 13 West Virginia, No. 38 Oklahoma
Losses: at No. 37 Missouri, No. 223 Milwaukee, No. 47 Kansas State, No. 42 Texas (OT), at No. 75 Oklahoma State (OT), at No. 11 Kansas, at No. 21 TCU, at No. 42 Texas, No. 15 Tennessee, at No. 31 Baylor, at No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 11 Kansas, at No. 47 Kansas State
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
• Jan. 29 — Top 3: Kansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma