1. Kansas Jayhawks (16-3, 5-1) – The Jayhawks were able to fend of pesky Oklahoma and Texas teams, and seem to be firmly back on track after stumbling at Iowa State back on Jan. 17th.
This Saturday’s in-state showdown with Kansas State doesn’t seem so easy all of the sudden however. Kansas would benefit greatly if freshman Cliff Alexander can keep up his 14 points and 11 rebounds averages from the two games last week. (This week: TCU, Kansas State, Iowa State)
2. West Virginia Mountaineers (17-3, 5-2) – The Mountaineers had a rather eventful weekend, highlighted by that crazy 86-85 overtime win at home against TCU that they were very lucky to pull off. Tuesday night’s 65-59 win over Kansas State was impressive considering the Wildcats level of play lately. Bob Huggins’ focus on defensive pressure paid off again, as West Virginia forced 25 Kansas State turnovers. (This week: Texas Tech)
3. Iowa State Cyclones (15-4, 5-2) – Well then. We all knew that there would be plenty of losses from each Big 12 team during conference play, but nobody figured that the parity would extend all the way down to Texas Tech, who beat the Cyclones at home 78-73 on Saturday. Iowa State is yet to play a conference game this season decided by 6 points or less, and their tight-rope walking ways caught up to them against the Red Raiders. The 89-86 win over Texas in Ames two days later was a good way to erase the memories of such a letdown, but shows that the Cyclones are yet to win in convincing fashion against conference foes. (This week: TCU, Kansas)
4. Kansas State Wildcats (12-9, 5-3) – Kansas State is making a serious case for bubble-team consideration since conference play began, and were able to avenge a previous loss by beating Oklahoma State 63-53 at home on Saturday. The two six-point losses to No.9 Iowa State and No.17 West Virginia were nothing to be ashamed about, and the Wildcats will get a chance to redeem them both, but first, the Jayhawks await Saturday. (This week: Kansas)
5. Oklahoma State Cowboys (14-6, 4-4) – The final scores from the Cowboys’ games last week are rather similar: 63-43, 63-53, 64-53. Two of those were wins over Texas Tech and Baylor, and one was a loss against Kansas State. That about sums up Oklahoma State’s season so far. The main factor in the two wins? LeBryan Nash and Phil Forte actually got some scoring help off the bench. So it goes for the Cowboys this year. (This week: Oklahoma)
6. Baylor Bears (15-5, 3-4) – The Bears erased any momentum they might have gained in an impressive 69-58 win over Oklahoma by falling to the Cowboys afterwards. Baylor’s balanced scoring attack seems like a positive, but the reality is the team is still searching for a player that can consistently shoulder the load if needed against tough competition. (This week: Texas)
7. Oklahoma Sooners (12-7, 3-4) – The Sooners had a rough week, falling to both Kansas and Baylor on the road. Oklahoma continued their habit of slow starts, a habit that will doom a team on the road in this conference. Their four-game stretch against ranked teams yielded a 1-3 record, but they’ll have a chance to make up the losses against easier competition in the next 10 days. (This week: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State)
8. Texas Longhorns (14-6, 3-4) – The loss to Kansas was closer than the 75-62 score would indicate, but the Longhorns had no answer for Cliff Alexander. Tuesday night’s close loss to Iowa State just poured salt on the wound. That 27-point over West Virginia on Jan. 17th is starting to look like a fluke at this point, and Texas is struggling to get to the level many of us predicted after Isaiah Taylor’s return. (This week: Baylor)
9. Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-9, 1-6) – The Red Raiders celebrated back-to-back 20-point+ losses by inexplicably defeating Iowa State. The only thing that makes such a win seem feasible is the fact that Tubby Smith is coaching. What’s that? You didn’t know Tubby Smith coached Texas Tech? (This week: Oklahoma, West Virginia)
10. TCU Horned Frogs (14-5, 1-5) – The Horned Frogs fall to the bottom of this week’s rankings, but it’s certainly not due to the near-miss against West Virginia. It’s just that, well, they didn’t beat Iowa State last week. Still, it’s strange to see a 14-5 team at the bottom of a conference, but it is what it is. Texas remains the only team to really dominate TCU so far this season. (This week: Kansas, Iowa State)
