Big 12 Men’s Basketball Power Rankings: Cats Still on Top, Barely
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Big 12 men’s basketball is a gauntlet. Every game can be crazy. On any given day, any team can beat any other team, as recent results have shown. Currently, six of the league’s ten teams are ranked in the Top 20. That means chances are every game each week has at least one ranked team playing, and many times, both teams will be ranked.
But which team is the best? How do the ten teams rank among themselves? We have brought together a group from across the league to vote each week during the season on the Big 12 Power Rankings. There are 21 participants in this group, which consists of the KillerFrogs editorial staff plus one or two fans from each of the other schools in the league. Each week, each participant provides their rankings 1-10. Those rankings are compiled, and the average rank is then listed below.
This week, most teams stayed where they were last week. The only change was Kansas moving up two spots, which bumped TCU and Iowa State down one spot each.
Here's where our panel of voters ranked the teams this week:
(Team records are as of 1/22/23; games since then were not considered when voters made their selection)
Big 12 Men's Basketball Power Rankings
10. Texas Tech (11-10, 0-8)
Last week, with the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday, all Big 12 teams only had one conference game. In that game, Tech hosted West Virginia in a battle of the teams at the bottom of the league standings. WVU got the win on the road, keeping Tech at the bottom spot, at least for now.
9. West Virginia (13-8, 2-6)
Congrats, Mountaineers. You got another conference win, this time on the road against Texas Tech. And you got a win over a Top 15 team at home in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. But you needed more than those to move you up. Win a few more games, and then we will see.
8. Oklahoma (12-9, 2-6)
What a crazy week the Sooners had last week. First, they traveled to Fort Worth and got dismantled by the Frogs in a very lopsided game – 79-52. Then they hosted then No. 2 Alabama in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. They did to Bama what TCU did to them, dismantling them in a 93-69 lopsided win. The craziness in both directions was not enough to move the needle. At least not yet.
7. Oklahoma State (12-9, 3-5)
The Pokes traveled to Austin last week and lost by double digits to the No. 10 Longhorns. Then got a 22-point win over Ole Miss in the Challenge. Despite an overall record over .500, OSU remains under .500 in league play. The best they can do, unless they start beating some ranked league opponents, is to remain the best team of the bottom four.
6. #11 Baylor (16-5, 5-3)
Last week, the Bears gave Kansas their third straight loss in an exciting 75-69 win in Waco on Big Monday. They got a win over Arkansas in the Challenge, but it was hard fought. Baylor hasn’t had the season they expected, but they are still a team to be reckoned with as the conference battle intensifies.
5. #13 Iowa State (15-5, 6-2)
The top six teams in the league will all end up with some big wins and some strange losses. Iowa State got the win over K-State last week, then lost to Tech this week (even though that game won’t be considered until next week’s rankings). They’ve got the power to get some big wins down the road. Let’s see which team shows up.
4. #15 TCU (16-5, 5-3)
TCU got the big win, as mentioned above, over Oklahoma. But they did struggle on Saturday against Mississippi State. They found themselves down double digits but did fight back and force OT before eventually falling to the Bulldogs. Mike Miles Jr. is injured, and Eddie Lampkin Jr. is not 100%. TCU will need both of them down the stretch if they want to see themselves move up in these rankings.
3. #8 Kansas (17-4, 5-3)
Last week, KU lost to Baylor on the road, giving them their third consecutive conference loss. They had a big win over Kentucky in the Challenge. Perhaps, their skid stopped, and they are back to their championship performance level.
2. #10 Texas (17-4, 6-2)
Texas remains at No. 2 in our weekly Power Rankings. But they are closing in on K-State. The margin of votes between the two teams is very thin. The road to the league championship definitely runs through Austin this season.
1. #7 Kansas State (18-3, 6-2)
Kansas State lost last week to Iowa State but then got then beat Florida at home on Saturday. For now, they sit at the top, but that’s certainly in jeopardy, especially after getting blown out this week by Kansas. The Wildcats’ average ranking among our 21 voters was 1.74. Texas is at 1.95. Next week probably will see some flip-flopping there.
Other FanNation Power Rankings
How do other FanNations rank the Big 12? Check them out here:
Kansas – Blue Wings Rising
Note: Power Rankings are determined by fans representing most of the ten schools currently in the Big 12 Conference.
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