New Big 12 Power Ranking Power Rankings Boost TCU NCAA Tournament Projection

Jamie Dixon couldn’t have asked for a better end to the regular season. After a roller-coaster beginning to the campaign that saw the TCU Horned Frogs produce fantastic victories against potent squads like Florida and Wisconsin, as well as lose to pitiful schools like New Orleans and Notre Dame, the team has come out the other side glorious and victorious. Eight of TCU’s last nine games have resulted in wins, and it doesn’t appear as if the momentum is stopping anytime soon.

The latest batch of triumphs came against rival and top-10-ranked Texas Tech in Lubbock and against a surging Cincinnati team seeking to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Both wins were impressive. Now, TCU sets its sights on the Big 12 Tournament in the hopes that it can improve its seed line heading into the Big Dance.

Before the Frogs can do that, however, it’s important to look backward at what has been one last time. KillerFrogs fans were asked to rank each Big 12 team from best to worst, with the main goal being to analyze where the public sees the TCU men’s basketball team relative to its peers. Each participant filled out a ballot, with the average ranking of each team determining its placement in the final poll. TCU, which ranked No. 7 in last week’s Big 12 Power Rankings, moved up to No. 6 thanks to its recent wins. This placement is the highest TCU has been ranked in our power rankings this season.

To say that TCU is peaking at the right time would be an understatement. This is the best the team has looked all season. One can only hope that this hot streak carries into the rest of March.

Arizona and Houston Remain the Top Dogs in the Big 12 in Latest Power Rankings

1. Arizona (Average ranking: 1.0)
2. Houston (2.0)
3. Kansas (4.0)
4. Iowa State (4.2)
5. Texas Tech (5.3)
6. TCU (6.2)
7. BYU (7.2)
8. Cincinnati (8.7)
9. UCF (9.0)
10. West Virginia (9.2)
11. Colorado (11.5)
12. Arizona State (11.7)
13. Baylor (13.0)
14. Oklahoma State (13.8)
15. Utah (15.2)
16. Kansas State (15.7)

The only drastic movement from last week’s power rankings to this week’s came in the middle of the rankings. Texas Tech, thanks to two defeats at the hands of TCU and BYU, fell two spots from No. 3 to No. 5. The Red Raiders’ ability to make threes has carried them all season, but it cost them when it mattered most down the stretch against the Horned Frogs and Cougars.

In lieu of Texas Tech’s drop, Kansas rose to No. 3. The Jayhawks are once again a team to fear out of the Big 12. With Darryn Peterson at the helm, everything seems possible for the folks from Lawrence.

The rest of the poll was fairly chalky, as has been the case for the last several weeks. BYU dropped one spot despite picking up a big win over the Red Raiders. Cincinnati rose to No. 8, and UCF dropped to No. 9. Baylor, in the midst of one of its worst seasons in the past decade, got a slight consolation prize by moving to No. 13 from No. 14.

What’s Next for the Horned Frogs?

Feb 28, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs guard Brock Harding (2) is guarded by Kansas State Wildcats guard David Castillo (10) during the second half at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

While the expert analysis weighs in on the metrics, the heart of these rankings lies within the KillerFrog Fan Forum. Our community of die-hard Horned Frog Fans provides the real-time "pulse" of the season, offering a level of scrutiny and passion you won't find on national networks.

Beyond the forum, all eyes are now on Kansas City for the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament. As the No. 6 seed, TCU enjoys a critical second-round bye before taking the court Wednesday, March 11, at 8:30 p.m. CT. They will face the winner of the opening-round clash between No. 11 Colorado and No. 14 Oklahoma State. Whether it's a rematch against the Cowboys or a chance for revenge against the Buffaloes, the road to the Big 12 title (and solidified Tournament seed) starts under the bright lights of the T-Mobile Center. Either way, Jamie Dixon and company will be seeking to win and move on to face Kansas on March 12.

Historically, teams peaking in March within the Big 12 are the ones most likely to play "spoiler" during the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. TCU is no longer the "bubble' team. They are becoming a team that nobody wants to see on their side of the bracket. The focus now turns to maintaining this momentum and carrying that energy into the T-Mobile Center —and, who knows, maybe win its first-ever Big 12 Tournament title? Wouldn’t that be something to behold?