Ariel Puterman gives his week 17 Big 12 basketball power rankings heading into the final week of Big 12 play.
Matchup of the week: Texas vs. Kansas
Sneaky good matchup of the week: Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State
All game times are listed in EST.
1) Kansas Jayhawks
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)
Record: 24-5 (12-4)
Last week: @ #24 TCU (W) 63-58, West Virginia (W) 76-74
Next week: Texas Tech (Feb. 28 – 9 p.m.), @ #8 Texas (Mar. 4 – 3 p.m.)
Best wins: Texas, Baylor, Indiana, Kansas State, @ TCU, @ Missouri, Iowa State, NC State, Duke, Kentucky
Worst losses: N/A
Current Tournament Position: 1 seed (Waldo’s Watchlist, Matty Brackets, ESPN, CBS Sports, Making the Madness)
The Jayhawks stayed hot, extending their winning streak to six games. KU just needs to win one more game to clinch a share of the Big 12 basketball title, and have a great opportunity to do so on Tuesday against Texas Tech. Currently, Kansas wants the #1 overall seed so they can play the second weekend in Kansas City. If they keep winning in this conference, then it’ll be difficult to deny them this reward.
2) Kansas State Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 5 (+3)
Record: 22-7 (10-6)
Last week: #9 Baylor (W) 75-65, @ Oklahoma State (W) 73-68
Next week: Oklahoma (Mar. 1 – 8 p.m.), @ West Virginia (Mar. 4 – 2 p.m.)
Best wins: @ Texas, Kansas, Baylor (x2), TCU, Iowa State
Worst losses: @ Butler
Current Tournament Position: 2 seed (ESPN, CBS Sports), 3 seed (Making the Madness, Waldo’s Watchlist), 4 seed (Matty Brackets)
Who could have expected Kansas State to be second in the Big 12 basketball power rankings heading into the final week? Major props to Coach Tang, Nowell, Johnson, and the rest of the team. Kansas State takes two unranked opponents to end the season, and they can really use that as an opportunity to not only keep their momentum going but solidify their position on the two-seed line on Selection Sunday.
3) Baylor Bears
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-1)
Record: 21-8 (8-6)
Last week: @ #14 Kansas State (L) 65-75, #8 Texas (W) 81-72
Next week: @ Oklahoma State (Feb. 27 – 9 p.m.), #23 Iowa State (Mar. 4 – Noon)
Best wins: Kansas, UCLA, Texas, @ TCU, Gonzaga, Arkansas
Worst losses: N/A
Current Tournament Position: 2 seed (Waldo’s Watchlist, CBS Sports, Matty Brackets, Making the Madness), 3 seed (ESPN, CBS Sports)
The winner of the Texas-Baylor game got the 3 seed, and Baylor was able to take that one by double digits. Keyontae George got hurt in that one, and everyone is hoping that it’s nothing serious. Like Kansas State and Texas, Baylor is teetering between the two and three-seed line, so a big week ahead can help them improve their stock.
4) Texas Longhorns
Last week’s ranking: 3 (-1)
Record: 22-7 (11-5)
Last week: #23 Iowa State (W) 72-54, @ #9 Baylor (L) 72-81
Next week: @ #24 TCU (Mar. 1 – 9 p.m.), #3 Kansas (Mar. 4 – 4 p.m.)
Best wins: @ Kansas State, Baylor, Gonzaga, TCU, Iowa State, Creighton
Worst losses: N/A
Current Tournament Position: 2 seed (Waldo’s Watchlist, Matty Brackets, ESPN, Making the Madness, CBS Sports)
Texas has lost three straight road games and plays TCU on the road on Wednesday. They have the talent, but sometimes the pieces don’t all fall together for them. Texas would like at least a share of the Big 12 basketball title, and would need to most likely win both games this week to do so.
5) TCU Horned Frogs
Last week’s ranking: 4 (-1)
Record: 19-10 (8-8)
Last week: #3 Kansas (L) 58-63, @ Texas Tech (W) 83-82
Next week: #8 Texas (Mar. 1 – 9 p.m.), @ Oklahoma (Mar. 4 – 3 p.m.)
Best wins: @ Kansas, @ Baylor, Kansas State, Providence, Iowa, Oklahoma State
Worst losses: Northwestern State
Current Tournament Position: 5 seed (Waldo’s Watchlist, Making the Madness), 6 seed (ESPN, CBS Sports), 7 seed (Matty Brackets)
TCU remains dangerous when healthy, but they couldn’t beat the Jayhawks at home. They’re still missing some size, but it’s good to see them getting healthier. They have a big game this week against Texas, which will be a great indicator of how good they can be. The last time the two teams played, TCU jumped out to a big lead, but Texas made a massive comeback. TCU is hoping that won’t be the case this time.
6) Texas Tech Red Raiders
Last week’s ranking: 8 (+2)
Record: 16-13 (5-11)
Last week: @ Oklahoma (W) 74-63, #24 TCU (L) 82-83
Next week: @ #3 Kansas (Feb. 28 – 9 p.m.), Oklahoma State (Mar. 4 – 6 p.m.)
Best wins: Texas, Kansas State, Iowa State, @ West Virginia
Worst losses: N/A
Current Tournament Position: OUT
Texas Tech is on the verge of making the tournament, but they still need a win or two to do so. A win against TCU would have really helped them, but now they’ll have to win at Kansas in order to get back in this week. If Fardaws Aimaq was healthy all year, there’s no doubt they’d be securely in the tournament right now, but obviously, that wasn’t the case. Big week ahead for the Red Raiders.
7) West Virginia Mountaineers
Last week’s ranking: 9 (+2)
Record: 16-13 (5-11)
Last week: Oklahoma State (W) 85-67, @ #3 Kansas (L) 74-76
Next week: @ #23 Iowa State (Feb. 27 – 9 p.m.), #14 Kansas State (Mar. 4 – 2 p.m.)
Best wins: Pittsburgh, TCU, Iowa State, Auburn, Oklahoma State, UAB
Worst losses: N/A
Current Tournament Position: 10 seed (Matty Brackets), 11 seed (Waldo’s Watchlist, ESPN, CBS Sports, Making the Madness)
West Virginia lies in the last four in line on most bracketologies, a position you don’t want to be in heading into March. The metrics favor them, but the 13 losses and 11 conference losses are not a great look and something the selection committee takes very seriously. They have two ranked matchups next week, so if they can win at least one, that’ll go a long way in deciding if they’ll go dancing in two weeks.
8) Iowa State Cyclones
Last week’s ranking: 6 (-2)
Record: 17-11 (8-8)
Last week: @ #8 Texas (L) 54-72, Oklahoma (L) 50-61
Next week: West Virginia (Feb. 27 – 9 p.m.), @ #9 Baylor (Mar. 4 – Noon)
Best wins: Kansas, Texas, Baylor, Kansas State, TCU (x2), North Carolina
Worst losses: N/A
Current Tournament Position: 3 seed (Matty Brackets), 4 seed (ESPN, CBS Sports), 6 seed (Waldo’s Watchlist, Making the Madness)
Iowa State picked the wrong time to get cold, losing five of their last six. Their offense has disappeared, scoring under 55 in both games this week, and they are now 2-8 on the road this season. While they’re safely in the tournament, they need to figure things out or they could be packing their bags before the weekend starts.
9) Oklahoma State Cowboys
Last week’s ranking: 7 (-2)
Record: 16-13 (7-9)
Last week: @ West Virginia (L) 67-85, #14 Kansas State (L) 68-73
Next week: #9 Baylor (Feb. 27 – 9 p.m.), @ Texas Tech (Mar. 4 – 6 p.m.)
Best wins: TCU, Iowa State (x2), West Virginia
Worst losses: Southern Illinois
Current Tournament Position: 11 seed (Waldo’s Watchlist, Matty Brackets, ESPN), OUT (CBS Sports, Making the Madness)
Speaking of teams getting cold at the wrong time, Oklahoma State is also a “Last 4 team in” heading into the last week of the regular season. They’ve lost four in a row, and don’t really seem to have the same intensity they had during the five-game win streak. Oklahoma State is currently the seven seed in the Big 12, meaning they’d have to play an extra game in the Big 12 tournament. They’d love to win both games this week and get out of the extra game.
10) Oklahoma Sooners
Last week’s ranking: 10 (-)
Record: 14-15 (4-12)
Last week: Texas Tech (L) 63-74, @ #23 Iowa State (W) 61-50
Next week: @ #14 Kansas State (Mar. 1 – 8 p.m.), #24 TCU (Mar. 4 – 3 p.m.)
Best wins: Alabama, Kansas State, @Iowa State, West Virginia, Seton Hall
Worst losses: Sam Houston State
Current Tournament Position: OUT
It looks like Oklahoma can’t make the tournament unless they win the Big 12 one, but no better way to gain momentum going into that than two wins next week. They looked good on the road against Iowa State, and this team is capable of pulling off a few upset wins.
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