Big 12 Men's Basketball Power Ranking - Week 5
The Big 12 Conference has continued to give us surprise after surprise, with six teams separating themselves from the bottom but not enough to avoid periodic upsets. And with the Big 12 SEC Challenge completed and ending in the favor of the Big 12, we learned a lot about these teams. That means that we have another chance to rank the teams in the conference, and this week we have the entire crew weighing in.
A quick reminder on how our power rankings work. It is NOT just going to be restating the standings. It is entirely possible that a team that has a worse record lands higher on the list, especially if they are playing really well as of late. Similarly, it is also not going to be a "who's hottest" list. Instead, it will be a subjective mix of which team is playing better and which team we think IS better, with a tiebreaker going to teams that have significantly outperformed our expectations.
So with that, here is the Week 5 edition of the Blue Wings Rising Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings:
Editor's Note: These rankings were determined prior to tipoff of the action on Big Monday.
1. Kansas State Wildcats (18-3, 6-2 Big 12) - 49 Points, LW: 1
Last Week: 80-76 L at Iowa State, 64-50 W vs Florida
This Week: Tues at Kansas, Sat vs Texas
Sure the Wildcats lost this week, but so did all the other conference title contenders. And losing a tight game on the road against one of the better defenses in the conference is nothing to worry too much about. They have a tough slate this week, but even one win is enough to keep them in contention. And they have one of the best records with one of the hardest in-conference slates so far.
2. Kansas Jayhawks (17-4, 5-3 Big 12) - 41 Points, LW: 3
Last Week: 75-69 L at Baylor, 77-68 W at Kentucky
This Week: Tues vs Kansas State, Sat at Iowa State
I think this ranking is more about where people think this team is headed as opposed to where it is right now. Kansas lost three straight conference games, but the TCU loss was the only one that was concerning. And bouncing back against Kentucky on the road with Ernest Udeh emerging just a bit is enough to keep that optimism up.
3. Iowa State Cyclones (15-5, 6-2 Big 12) - 35 Points, LW: 4
Last Week: 80-76 W vs Kansas State, 78-61 L at Missouri
This Week: Mon at Texas Tech, Sat vs Kansas
Yes, they lost at Missouri. But it's hard to be too critical, as Caleb Grill's absence was a huge deal for this team. They held serve at home against Kansas State, but there is a potential stumbling block in Texas Tech before they try to get revenge on the Jayhawks this weekend.
Ed. Note: This description was written BEFORE the loss last night to Texas Tech.
4. Texas Longhorns (17-4, 6-2 Big 12) - 34 Points, LW: 5
Last Week: 89-75 W vs Oklahoma State, 82-71 L at Tennessee
This Week: Mon vs Baylor, Sat at Kansas State
Rodney Terry has done a magnificent job of keeping this talented roster together, and they are in a good position to earn at least a share of the title. I keep waiting for the wheels to fall off, even just a little bit. But this hasn't looked like other recent Texas teams, and it's getting harder and harder to assume they won't keep it going.
5. TCU Horned Frogs (16-5, 5-3 Big 12) - 30 Points, LW: 2
Last Week: 79-52 W vs Oklahoma, 81-74 (OT) L at Mississippi State
This Week: Tues vs West Virginia, Sat at Oklahoma State
The injury bug bit hard, with Mike Miles going down early against Mississippi State. And they were already without Eddie Lampkin in the game. But even before injuries this was a very up and down team, and it is hard to reward them with higher spots in the rankings when you don't really know what you are going to see from them.
6. Baylor Bears (16-5, 5-3 Big 12) - 27 Points, LW: 6
Last Week: 75-69 W vs Kansas, 67-64 W vs Arkansas
This Week: Mon at Texas, Sat vs Texas Tech
This FEELS low for them, but I think it would be easy to say that about whichever team slots into this spot. They have had a huge resurgence recently, but it's still fair to wonder if they might slip back into the same funk that hurt them to start the conference season.
7. Oklahoma State Cowboys (12-9, 3-5 Big 12) - 18 Points, LW: 7
Last Week: 89-75 L at Texas, 82-60 W vs Mississippi
This Week: Wed at Oklahoma, Sat vs TCU
They have been a fairly consistent team, getting some big wins and challenging the top teams in the conference. The dominant win over Mississippi should give them some confidence heading back into conference play, and they have a semi-favorable slate this week.
8. Oklahoma Sooners (12-9, 2-6 Big 12) - 17 Points, LW: 8
Last Week: 79-52 L at TCU, 93-69 W vs Alabama
This Week: Wed vs Oklahoma State, Sat at West Virginia
I'm a bit surprised that the win over Alabama didn't boost them up higher, but at the very least it gave them a marquee win to buoy up their tournament resume if they can't turn things around in the conference. They still have some work to do, but at least the weekend showed that they can.
9. West Virginia Mountaineers (13-8, 2-6 Big 12) - 10 Points, LW: 9
Last Week: 76-61 W at Texas Tech, 80-77 W vs Auburn
This Week: Tues at TCU, Sat vs Oklahoma
It was a great week for the Mountaineers, as they knocked off a ranked squad after picking up a road victory in the conference. They seem to be coming together and should provide a stiff test for anyone the rest of the season, and they are back in the conversation for the tournament bubble.
10. Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-10, 0-8 Big 12) - 5 Points, LW: 10
Last Week: 76-61 L vs West Vrirginia, 76-68 W at LSU
This Week: Mon vs Iowa State, Sat at Baylor
The road win over LSU was much needed for this team, and it shows just how much of their struggles have been related to the strength of the conference. They will nab at least a couple teams at home, but will they be able to get enough to stay in postseason discussion?.
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