Where TCU Men's Basketball Ranks in the New Big 12 Power Rankings

The TCU men’s basketball team is in the midst of a rollercoaster campaign that has seen it climb to some very high highs but also tumble into depths of despair that rival Shakespearean tragedy. At the moment, the Horned Frogs are in the middle of one of their miserable spells, with the most recent poor performance being a petrifying and debilitating defeat to the woeful Colorado Buffaloes on Feb. 1st.

Obviously, life is tough in the Big 12, which is one of, if not the most difficult, college basketball conferences in America. Still, one would think Jamie Dixon’s squad could put up a better fight than it has as of late. Even with the recent downward trend, it’s important to analyze where TCU stacks up with the rest of the league.

To do that, 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.

In the inaugural ranking for 2026, the Frogs finished at No. 13, a reasonable spot given their recent efforts. What’s more, TCU’s placement was relatively stable across multiple ballots, meaning just about everyone agrees the team is near the bottom of the conference. Of course, the aim for TCU men’s basketball for the rest of the season will be improving on this mark — and, hopefully, making the NCAA Tournament.

Frogs Land Near Bottom of Big 12 in Latest Power Ranking

1. Arizona (Average Ranking: 1.75 – 22-0, 9-0 Big 12)

2. Houston (1.75 – 19-2, 7-1)

3. Texas Tech (3.5 – 16-6, 6-3)

4. Iowa State (4.25 – 20-2, 7-2)

5. Kansas (4.5 – 17-5, 7-2)

6. BYU (6.25 – 17-4, 5-3)

7. UCF (7.25 – 17-4, 6-3)

8. West Virginia (7.75 – 14-8, 5-4)

9. Cincinnati (9.25 – 11-11, 3-6)

10. Oklahoma State (10.25 – 15-6, 3-5)

11. Baylor (11.25 – 12-9, 2-7)

12. Colorado (11.75 – 13-9, 3-6)

13. TCU (12.75 – 13-9, 3-6)

Jan 14, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; TCU Horned Frogs forward Xavier Edmonds (24) looks on during the first half against the BYU Cougars at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

14. Kansas State (14.25 – 10-12, 1-8)

15. Utah (14.75 – 9-12, 1-7)

16. Arizona State (11-11, 2-7)

The top of the Big 12 is fairly clear, as Arizona and Houston have considerably separated themselves over the first several months of the season. Arizona, the No. 1 team in the country at 22-0, has consistently dominated the competition, with its Jan. 10 game against the Frogs being no exception. The same can be said, for the most part, about Houston; other than a close loss to Texas Tech on Jan. 24, the Cougars have maneuvered through their Big 12 schedule largely unscathed.

Texas Tech, Iowa State, and Kansas form the next major grouping. All three schools can legitimately win the conference — as long as Arizona lets its foot off the gas at some point. Even if they can’t claim the Big 12’s ultimate prize, watch out for these squads once March rolls around. There are plenty of teams across the U.S. that would be scared to play the Red Raiders, Cyclones, and Jayhawks.

The depth of the Big 12 reveals itself throughout the rest of the top half of the power rankings. BYU, UCF, and West Virginia make up the middle cluster, yet each can knock off the league’s elite on a given day. Like the teams above them, BYU, UCF, and West Virginia are all capable of going on an NCAA Tournament run.

Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Colorado all sit ahead of the Frogs, though not by much. Other than Cincinnati — whom TCU has not played — and Colorado, which beat TCU 87-61 on Feb. 1, the Horned Frogs have shown some grit against that group. They defeated Oklahoma State earlier in the season and took down Baylor twice, including once in Waco. This portion of the ranking can likely be described as recency bias, particularly when it comes to positioning relative to the Bears. TCU’s loss to Colorado was so lopsided that it’s difficult to place the Frogs any higher than No. 13. Reasonable and respectable.

The bottom of the conference is fairly self-explanatory. Kansas State, Utah and Arizona State have shown little to no life throughout the season, and their placement is likely interchangeable. It doesn’t take a sage to know those schools won’t be making the NCAA Tournament when everything is said and done.

What’s Next for TCU Men’s Basketball?

TCU will play back-to-back home games against Kansas State on Feb. 7 and No. 7 Iowa State on Feb. 10 as it tries to snap out of the funk it has been in over the last week. The Frogs will then travel to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State on Feb. 14 before heading to Orlando to take on UCF on Feb 17.