Ariel Puterman gives his Big 12 basketball power rankings heading into week 6 of the 2023 season.
Matchup of the week: #6 Baylor at Michigan State
Sneaky good matchup of the week: Dayton at Cincinnati
All games listed are EST
1) Kansas Jayhawks
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)
Record: 9-1
Last week: W vs. Kansas City (88-69), W vs. Missouri (73-64)
Next week: at Indiana (Dec. 16 – 12:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: UConn, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri
Bad losses: N/A
Kansas proved superior to their neighboring state Missouri this week, going 2-0. The bench is still concerning, but the Big 4 of Hunter Dickinson, KJ Adams, Kevin McCullar, and Dajuan Harris is just so good that they can take any team. Up next, the Jayhawks head to Bloomington to face an Indiana team who’s struggled, and will look for this as a way to try to get back on track.
2) Baylor Bears
Last week’s ranking: 4 (+2)
Record: 9-0
Last week: W vs. Seton Hall (78-60)
Next week: vs. Michigan State (Dec. 16 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: Florida, Auburn, Seton Hall
Bad losses: N/A
Baylor keeps winning games, and they looked great against Seton Hall, a Power 6 conference opponent. The scoring is there, as they’ve scored 75+ in every game this season. The defense is good but can improve. If you still don’t believe in Baylor, watch their next two matchups. Next, they face Michigan State, a team that has severely underperformed and are desperate for a big win. Then, Duke on the 20th.
3) Houston Cougars
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-)
Record: 10-0
Last week: W vs. Rice (75-39), W vs. Jackson State (89-55)
Next week: vs. #21 Texas A&M (Dec. 16 – 2:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Utah, Dayton, at Xavier
Bad losses: N/A
Houston started the week by crushing Rice, then repeated that action on Saturday against Jackson State. However, Houston was only up eight against Jackson State at the half. It feels like Houston might be sleepwalking through their easy schedule so far, but they’ll have arguably their toughest matchup this week, facing off against Texas A&M. If they win that one, they’ll head into the new year and conference play undefeated.
4) Oklahoma Sooners
Last week’s ranking: 5 (+1)
Record: 9-0
Last week: W vs. Providence (72-51), W vs. Arkansas (79-70)
Next week: vs. Green Bay (Dec. 16 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins: Providence, Arkansas, USC, Iowa
Bad losses: N/A
Oklahoma has been one of the best surprises in college basketball this season, going 2-0 against power conference opponents this week to remain one of the final unbeatens in college basketball. Javian McCollum led the way, scoring 19 and 20 in the two games, and led the team in assists as well. They have a bye week this week, but then play by far their hardest competition of the season on the 20th, facing North Carolina.
5) BYU Cougars
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-3)
Record: 8-1
Last week: W vs. Evansville (96-55), L at Utah (73-69)
Next week: vs. Denver (Dec. 13 – 9 p.m.), vs. Georgia State (Dec. 16 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins: San Diego State, Arizona State, NC State
Bad losses: N/A
BYU finally lost, but did so in one of the hardest places to play and by just four. BYU still doesn’t have the resume to be at the top, but the analytics love them, and as long as they keep blowing out their inferior opponents that will continue. Luckily for them, they close out nonconference play with four straight nonconference opponents.
6) Kansas State Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 11 (+5)
Record: 8-2
Last week: W vs. Villanova (72-71 OT), W vs. LSU (75-60)
Next week: vs. Nebraska (Dec. 17 – 3 p.m.)
Quality wins: Villanova, Providence, at LSU
Bad losses: N/A
Kansas State flies up the rankings after their big week, extending their winning streak to five. It wasn’t easy, as a last-second stepback three by Tylor Perry gave them the victory against Villanova, but they’re finding ways to win these close games, an invaluable trait for any team. They face another competitive matchup this week, facing off against a Nebraska team coming off a big win against Michigan State.
7) Iowa State Cyclones
Last week’s ranking: 9 (+2)
Record: 8-2
Last week: W vs. Iowa (90-65), W vs. Prarie View A&M (107-56)
Next week: vs. Florida A&M (Dec. 17 – 6 p.m.)
Quality wins: Iowa, VCU
Bad losses: N/A
There’s nothing better than taking on your rival and blowing them out, which is exactly what the Cyclones did to the Hawkeyes this week. They weren’t done there, beating Prarie View A&M by 49. This team has talent and depth, they just need to show that against an elite team, which we haven’t seen. We won’t see this until conference play, and expect Iowa State to head into it 11-2.
8) Texas Tech Red Raiders
Last week’s ranking: 10 (+2)
Record: 6-2
Last week: W vs. Omaha (87-58)
Next week: vs. Oral Robers (Dec. 12 – 9 p.m.), vs. Vanderbilt (Dec. 16 – 7:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Michigan
Bad losses: N/A
The Red Raiders still have a lot to prove, but one thing they don’t have to is their depth. They extended their streak of different leading scorers to five after Kerwin Walton led them against Omaha. They play Vanderbilt on Saturday, a Power 6 opponent they should beat easily. If they lose this one, then we’ll have a strong idea of what this team will look like in conference play.
9) Cincinnati Bearcats
Last week’s ranking: 6 (-3)
Record: 7-1
Last week: L at Xavier (84-79)
Next week: vs. Bryant (Dec. 12 – 7 p.m.), vs. Dayton (Dec. 16 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: Georgia Tech
Bad losses: N/A
The Bearcats finally fell, losing to their rivals Xavier on the road by just five. The first true road game of the year is always the hardest, so it’s not time to hit the panic button yet, but they still lack a convincing quality win this season. They have that chance this week. First, they face Bryant, who beat FAU earlier this season, then face Dayton on a neutral court, arguably one of the best mid-major teams.
10) Texas Longhorns
Last week’s ranking: 7 (-3)
Record: 7-2
Last week: L at #8 Marquette (86-65), W vs. Houston Christian (77-50)
Next week: vs. LSU (Dec. 16 – Noon)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Texas has quietly been one of the biggest disappointments all season. That continued this week when they got obliterated by Marquette on the road. Marquette is a great team, but Texas didn’t even put up a fight and still lacks a quality win as we enter mid-December. They have their first non-ranked Power 6 opponent on Saturday, facing off against LSU, a team that lost to Kansas State by 15 last week. This is a great chance to get back on track.
11) TCU Horned Frogs
Last week’s ranking: 8 (-3)
Record: 7-1
Last week: L vs. #24 Clemson (74-66)
Next week: vs. Arizona State (Dec. 16 – 10 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
TCU had a massive chance to put a solid nonconference win to their resume at home, and failed to do so. Clemson came out on top, making TCU’s resume look a little concerning. They still have the easiest strength of schedule in the country, and Arizona State, Old Dominion, and Texas A&M Commerce to close out the season isn’t going to turn any heads on Selection Sunday. They’ll need Jameer Nelson Jr. to step up, as he’s shot just 5-20 and 1-9 from deep in the past two games.
12) UCF Knights
Last week’s ranking: 12 (-)
Record: 6-3
Last week: W vs. Jacksonville (94-62), L vs. Ole Miss (70-68)
Next week: None
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: Stetson
UCF took on one of the final undefeated teams, Ole Miss, and nearly came out on top. They are still a bottom-three team in the Big 12, but they’ve stayed competitive, and can definitely steal a few games in conference play. The Knights get the week off, something no Big 12 basketball team has had this year.
13) West Virginia Mountaineers
Last week’s ranking: 13 (-)
Record: 4-5
Last week: L vs. Pittsburgh (80-63), W vs. Drexel (66-60)
Next week: vs. UMass (Dec. 16 – 6:30 p.m)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: Monmouth
This week went as expected for the Mountaineers, losing to Pitt and beating Drexel. The good news is they should finally have Kriisa back, and hopefully, their 500th appeal to the NCAA about Battle’s waiver will be approved. Their next three games are against mid-major schools, so hopefully they can go 3-0 and enter the new year with a winning record.
14) Oklahoma State Cowboys
Last week’s ranking: 14 (-)
Record: 4-5
Last week: L at Southern Illinois (70-68), W vs. Tulsa (72-57)
Next week: vs. Oral Roberts (Dec. 17 – 5 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: Abilene Christian, Notre Dame, Southern Illinois
Good for Oklahoma State for playing a road game against a mid-major, something we rarely see, but you have to win those. Every game matters in college basketball, especially when you’re in the best conference in college basketball, so finishing nonconference play undefeated will be essential. Will they have a different coach by then? That is yet to be determined.
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