After another week of hectic Big 12 basketball, here is an updated look at the Big 12 Power Rankings:
1. KANSAS JAYHAWKS
Simply put, the Jayhawks are nearly impossible to beat when they play at Allen Fieldhouse. In a game that wasn’t going their way against Iowa State, they found a way to pull out a win. When Christian Braun struggled to score against West Virginia, David McCormack and Jalen Wilson stepped up. Kansas moved the ball extremely well on Saturday, totaling 23 assists on 36 made baskets. Along with improved defense, Bill Self’s team seems to be as strong as ever as Big 12 play presses on.
2. TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
Widely considered the best team in the Big 12 heading into Saturday, Texas Tech headed north to Manhattan to play the only team yet to win a conference game. With Terrence Shannon Jr. set to make his return, it seemed like the Red Raiders were on their way to their 4th straight win. But the upset-minded Wildcats had different plans. The Red Raiders struggled all day to score the ball shooting just 39.6% from the field. While Texas Tech might be the best team in their conference, Saturday was just further proof of the strain the Big 12 can put on you.
3. BAYLOR BEARS
After starting the year 15-0, the Baylor Bears seem to be in a bit of a slump. The Bears rank 20th in points per game (81.5) and 13th in assists per game (18.1), but you wouldn’t know it from their last two games. The Bears have averaged just 58 points and 12 assists per game in their last two contests. One of the main reasons for the Bears being upset by Oklahoma State was the poor play of Adam Flagler and James Akinjo. The duo combined for just 2-18 shooting and 8 points Saturday. If the Bears hope to have success similar to that of last season, they will need their backcourt’s play to improve.
4. IOWA STATE CYCLONES
The Cyclones were a goaltending call away from having a rather impressive week. Despite coming short at Allen Fieldhouse, the Cyclones were able to regroup Saturday. Iowa State took command of their game against Texas Saturday behind a 21-8 run midway through the first half. The Cyclones got a major boost from Minnesota transfer Gabe Kalscheur. Kalscheur scored 22 points on an impressive 6-12 shooting from three-point range.
5. TEXAS LONGHORNS
Following a dominant performance against Red River Rival Oklahoma, Texas was less than stellar against Iowa State. The Longhorns were forced to go to their bench due to Timmy Allen’s early foul trouble. Despite others not stepping up, Senior Andrew Jones has played high-quality minutes for coach Chris Beard. Jones averaged 20 points in the last two games for Texas.
6. TCU HORNED FROGS
While it may not have been pretty, TCU found a way to go 2-0 this week. Despite Kansas State leading by 4 with 26 seconds to go, TCU found a way to win. On Saturday, TCU beat Oklahoma in overtime thanks to a late three by Chuck O’Bannon Jr. Minus Mike Miles, the Horned Frogs haven’t scored the ball particularly well. This has been overshadowed by TCU’s stifling defense. In their 3 conference games, the Horned Frogs have only allowed an average of 59.7 points per game.
7. WEST VIRGIRNIA MOUNTAINEERS
With a temporary hold on first place in the Big 12 on the line Saturday, West Virginia faced off against Kansas. Despite a competitive first half, the Jayhawks outscored West Virginia by 24 points in the second half. One of the key factors in Kansas’ bludgeoning of West Virginia on Saturday was post play. Without Oscar Tshiebwe, who transferred from West Virginia to Kentucky, David McCormack dominated the paint. West Virginia will also need more from Taz Sherman than the 5 points he provided Saturday going forward.
8. OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
Oklahoma State might be one of the most difficult teams to figure out in college basketball. After two less-than-inspiring road games, the Cowboys played Saturday against the top-ranked Bears, once again on the road. Unlike their previous two games, the Cowboys flexed their defensive prowess on Saturday. Only Two Baylor players scored more than 5 points, with the rest of the team going 7-31 (22.6%) from the field. The Cowboys also got a big game from Sophomore guard Bryce Thompson. Thompson scored a season-high 19 points Saturday in the Cowboys’ 61-54 victory.
9. OKLAHOMA SOONERS
After a promising 2-1 start to conference play, the Sooners suffered a setback this week. Not only did the Sooners get beat by their rival to the south, but they were also unable to close out a road win against TCU. In their first 3 Big 12 games, the Sooners scored 74.7 points per game, this past week they only scored an average of 55 points per game. Specifically, the Sooners three-point percentage has to improve. In their two losses against Texas and TCU, they shot a combined 17.1% from three.
10. KANSAS STATE WILDCATS
Even after a marquee win over Texas Tech, the Wildcats still find themselves in last place in the Big 12 Standings. While Saturday’s win over Texas Tech was a big step in the right direction for the Wildcats, they have to prove now that they can be consistent. One of the keys for the Wildcats was the return of Senior Mike McGuirl. After failing to close their game earlier in the week against TCU, McGuril’s leadership provided an edge to Kansas State’s play against the red hot Red Raiders.
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