Big 12 Power Rankings: Kansas clearly the league’s best team
photo by: Nick Krug
Kansas guard Devonte' Graham (4) roars after a bucket and a Texas Tech foul during the second half on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 at United Supermarkets Arena.
For much of the conference schedule, the identity of the Big 12’s best team was either in a state of flux or up for debate.
It’s no longer disputable.
In 2018, Kansas, as usual, is without equal in this league.
West Virginia couldn’t finish off the Jayhawks after taking big leads in both meetings with the conference’s perennial champion. Oklahoma couldn’t make stops or rebound with any sort of consistency and fell off a cliff. The Big 12’s top KU challenger, Texas Tech, suffered an untimely injury to its best player, senior Keenan Evans, and enters the final week of the regular season on a three-game losing streak — including Saturday’s loss in Lubbock, Texas, to Kansas.
So here we are again, with the calendar about to turn over to March and Bill Self’s Jayhawks once more the league’s supreme team.
KU is beatable, for sure, especially when its 3-pointers aren’t falling. But there is no other Big 12 roster a coach would rather have heading into the impending postseason than the one featuring seniors Devonte’ Graham and Svi Mykhailiuk and 7-foot sophomore Udoka Azubuike.
The Madness of March is just around the corner, and the 14-time defending champion of the Big 12 — we should have all seen this coming — looks more suited than any of its peers to make a meaningful run in the NCAA Tournament, with a stellar résumé, filled with quality victories.
Big 12 standings (2 games remaining)
Kansas, 12-4
Texas Tech, 10-6
West Virginia, 10-6
Kansas State, 9-7
TCU, 8-8
Baylor, 7-9
Texas, 7-9
Oklahoma, 7-9
Oklahoma State, 6-10
Iowa State, 4-12
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. 26, 2018
No. 1 – Kansas (23-6)
Kenpom ranking: No. 9
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +3.3
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 24 Kentucky, No. 51 Syracuse, at No. 43 Texas, at No. 21 TCU, No. 98 Iowa State, No. 49 Kansas State, at No. 12 West Virginia, No. 36 Baylor, No. 30 Texas A&M, at No. 49 Kansas State, No. 21 TCU, at No. 98 Iowa State, No. 12 West Virginia, No. 39 Oklahoma, at No. 11 Texas Tech
Losses: No. 95 Washington, No. 37 Arizona State, No. 11 Texas Tech, at No. 39 Oklahoma, No. 69 Oklahoma State, at No. 36 Baylor
No. 2 – Texas Tech (22-7)
Kenpom ranking: No. 11
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +4.4
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 23 Nevada (OT), No. 36 Baylor, at No. 9 Kansas, No. 49 Kansas State, No. 12 West Virginia, No. 69 Oklahoma State, No. 43 Texas (OT), at No. 21 TCU, No. 98 Iowa State, at No. 49 Kansas State, No. 39 Oklahoma
Losses: No. 31 Seton Hall, at No. 39 Oklahoma, at No. 43 Texas, at No. 98 Iowa State, at No. 36 Baylor, at No. 69 Oklahoma State, No. 9 Kansas
No. 3 – West Virginia (21-8)
Kenpom ranking: No. 12
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +6.6
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 45 Missouri, No. 1 Virginia, at No. 69 Oklahoma State, at No. 49 Kansas State, No. 39 Oklahoma, No. 43 Texas, No. 49 Kansas State, at No. 39 Oklahoma, No. 21 TCU, at No. 36 Baylor, No. 98 Iowa State
Losses: No. 30 Texas A&M, at No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 9 Kansas, at No. 21 TCU, No. 24 Kentucky, at No. 98 Iowa State, No. 69 Oklahoma State, at No. 9 Kansas
No. 4 – TCU (20-9)
Kenpom ranking: No. 21
Average point differential in Big 12 play: +3.1
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 23 Nevada, at No. 36 Baylor (OT), No. 98 Iowa State, No. 12 West Virginia, at No. 69 Oklahoma State, No. 43 Texas, No. 69 Oklahoma State, at No. 98 Iowa State, No. 36 Baylor
Losses: No. 39 Oklahoma, No. 9 Kansas, at No. 43 Texas (2OT), at No. 39 Oklahoma (OT), at No. 49 Kansas State, at No. 86 Vanderbilt, No. 11 Texas Tech, at No. 9 Kansas, at No. 12 West Virginia
No. 5 – Kansas State (20-9)
Kenpom ranking: No. 49
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -1.2
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: at No. 98 Iowa State, No. 69 Oklahoma State, No. 39 Oklahoma, No. 21 TCU, at No. 36 Baylor, at No. 43 Texas, at No. 69 Oklahoma State, No. 98 Iowa State, No. 43 Texas
Losses: No. 37 Arizona State, No. 110 Tulsa, No. 12 West Virginia, at No. 11 Texas Tech, at No. 9 Kansas, No. 9 Kansas, at No. 12 West Virginia, No. 11 Texas Tech, at No. 39 Oklahoma
No. 6 – Baylor (17-12)
Kenpom ranking: No. 36
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -0.2
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 28 Creighton, No. 43 Texas, No. 69 Oklahoma State, No. 98 Iowa State, at No. 69 Oklahoma State, No. 9 Kansas, at No. 43 Texas (2OT), No. 11 Texas Tech
Losses: at No. 13 Xavier, No. 17 Wichita State, at No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 21 TCU (OT), at No. 12 West Virginia, at No. 98 Iowa State, at No. 9 Kansas, No. 49 Kansas State, at No. 26 Florida, at No. 39 Oklahoma, No. 12 West Virginia, at No. 21 TCU
No. 7 – Texas (17-12)
Kenpom ranking: No. 43
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -2.2
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 20 Butler, at No. 98 Iowa State (OT), No. 21 TCU (2OT), No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 98 Iowa State, No. 39 Oklahoma, at No. 39 Oklahoma, No. 69 Oklahoma State
Losses: No. 3 Duke (OT), No. 8 Gonzaga (OT), No. 16 Michigan, No. 9 Kansas, at No. 36 Baylor, at No. 69 Oklahoma State, at No. 12 West Virginia, at No. 11 Texas Tech (OT), No. 49 Kansas State, at No. 21 TCU, No. 36 Baylor (2OT), at No. 49 Kansas State
No. 8 – Oklahoma (17-11)
Kenpom ranking: No. 39
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -2.9
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 42 USC, at No. 17 Wichita State, at No. 21 TCU, No. 69 Oklahoma State, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 21 TCU (OT), No. 9 Kansas, No. 36 Baylor, No. 49 Kansas State
Losses: No. 38 Arkansas, at No. 12 West Virginia, at No. 49 Kansas State, at No. 69 Oklahoma State (OT), at No. 47 Alabama, at No. 43 Texas, No. 12 West Virginia, at No. 98 Iowa State, at No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 43 Texas, at No. 9 Kansas
No. 9 – Oklahoma State (16-13)
Kenpom ranking: No. 69
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -4.9
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 35 Florida State, No. 98 Iowa State (OT), No. 43 Texas, No. 39 Oklahoma (OT), at No. 9 Kansas, at No. 12 West Virginia, No. 11 Texas Tech
Losses: No. 30 Texas A&M, No. 17 Wichita State, No. 12 West Virginia, No. 39 Oklahoma, at No. 49 Kansas State, at No. 36 Baylor, at No. 11 Texas Tech, at No. 38 Arkansas, No. 21 TCU, No. 36 Baylor, No. 49 Kansas State, at No. 21 TCU, at No. 43 Texas
No. 10 – Iowa State (13-15)
Kenpom ranking: No. 98
Average point differential in Big 12 play: -5.8
Top-50 & Big 12 wins: No. 36 Baylor, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 12 West Virginia, No. 39 Oklahoma
Losses: at No. 45 Missouri, No. 206 Milwaukee, No. 49 Kansas State, No. 43 Texas (OT), at No. 69 Oklahoma State (OT), at No. 9 Kansas, at No. 21 TCU, at No. 43 Texas, No. 14 Tennessee, at No. 36 Baylor, at No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 9 Kansas, at No. 49 Kansas State, No. 21 TCU, at No. 12 West Virginia
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
• Feb. 5 — Top 3: Texas Tech, Kansas, West Virginia