Ariel Puterman gives his Big 12 basketball power rankings heading into week 16 of the 2024-25 season.
Matchup of the week: Iowa State at Houston (Feb. 22 – 2 p.m.)
Sneaky good matchup of the week: Kansas State at Utah (Feb. 17 – 9 p.m.)
All games listed are EST
1) Houston Cougars
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-1)
Record: 21-4 (13-1)
Last week: W vs. Baylor (76-65), W at #13 Arizona (62-58)
Next week: at Arizona State (Feb 18 – 9:00 p.m), vs. #10 Iowa State (Feb 22 – 2:00 p.m)
Quality wins: Baylor, at Arizona, at #17 Kansas, West Virginia (2x), at UCF, BYU
Bad losses: None
Seed projection: 2 seed (Making the Madness, ESPN, CBS Sports)
Houston reminded the rest of the Big 12 that it is theirs until further notice. They went on the road and beat Arizona, and now hold a two-game lead with six games to go. Milos Uzan scored a season-high 19 points, proving just how deep this team is and how many ways they can beat you.
They get another huge test this week, taking on Iowa State at home. A win here can not only keep them comfortably ahead of the rest of the Big 12, but can help them on their push to earn a one seed in the NCAA Tournament.
2) Texas Tech Red Raiders
Last week’s ranking: 3 (+1)
Record: 20-5 (11-3)
Last week: W vs. Arizona State (111-106 2OT), at Oklahoma State (93-55)
Next week: at TCU (Feb 18 – 8:00 p.m), vs. West Virginia (Feb 22 – 1:00 p.m)
Quality wins: #13 Arizona, at BYU, at #6 Houston, Baylor
Bad losses: None
Seed projection: 3 seed (ESPN, Making the Madness, CBS Sports)
Texas Tech got back on track, going 2-0 on the week. They survived quite the scare against Arizona State, going to double overtime in a high-scoring affair. Then, they dismantled Oklahoma State on the road, winning by 28. JT Toppin might have cemented himself as player of the year, averaging 36.5 PPG and 13.5 RPG last week.
This week, more opportunities to pick up wins ahead of March. They’re sitting at a three seed right now, and more importantly in the top 4 in the Big 12 rankings. If they can remain in the top 4, they can get that bye in the Big 12 tournament and get the extra rest.
3) Arizona Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-1)
Record: 17-8 (11-3)
Last week: L at Kansas State (70-73), L vs. #6 Houston (58-62)
Next week: at Baylor (Feb 17 – 10:00 p.m), vs. BYU (Feb 22 – 10:00 p.m)
Quality wins: Baylor, at Cincinnati, at West Virginia, UCF, #10 Iowa State, #12 Texas Tech, BYU
Bad losses: None
Seed projection: 3 seed (ESPN), 4 seed (CBS Sports, Making the Madness)
After the 11-1 start, Arizona dropped both games last week, losing to Kansas State on the road and Houston at home. Neither of these are bad losses, but makes it hard for them to win the Big 12 title. Up next, a Big Monday game at Baylor, then at home against BYU. Two big games, and a great chance to increase their resume even more.
4) Iowa State Cyclones
Last week’s ranking: 4 (-)
Record: 20-5 (10-4)
Last week: W at UCF (77-65), W vs. Cincinnati (81-70)
Next week: vs. Colorado (Feb 18 – 8:00 p.m), at #6 Houston (Feb 22 – 2:00 p.m)
Quality wins: #18 Marquette, #17 Kansas, Baylor, at #12 Texas Tech, Dayton (Neutral), at Iowa, UCF
Bad losses: Kansas State
Seed projection: 3 seed (ESPN, Making the Madness, CBS Sports)
The ‘Clones have ripped off three straight wins after the three-game slide. Having Momcilovic back has made a huge difference, and Curtis Jones is starting to look like his non-conference self. That Houston game will be monumental for this team’s ceiling. If they can win that game, people will start to see them as the title contenders they are once again.
5) Baylor Bears
Last week’s ranking: 6 (+1)
Record: 16-9 (8-6)
Last week: L at #6 Houston (65-76), W vs. West Virginia (74-71 OT)
Next week: vs. #13 Arizona (Feb 17 – 10:00 p.m), at Colorado (Feb 22 – 4:00 p.m)
Quality wins: Arkansas (Neutral), #9 St. John’s (Neutral), #17 Kansas, at UCF, West Virginia
Bad losses: at Gonzaga
Seed projection: 8 seed (CBS Sports), 9 seed (ESPN, Making the Madness)
Baylor continues to win and lose the games they’re supposed to, dropping to Houston, and then beating West Virginia. The West Virginia game wasn’t a breeze though, going to overtime after Robert Wright missed a late game shot. They’d love to bump up their seed and could do that with a home win against Arizona this week. The way they’ve been playing though, expect a win against Colorado and a loss against Arizona.
6) BYU Cougars
Last week’s ranking: 11 (+5)
Record: 17-8 (8-6)
Last week: W at West Virginia (73-69), W vs. Kansas State (80-65)
Next week: vs. #17 Kansas (Feb 18 – 9:00 p.m), at #13 Arizona (Feb 22 – 10:00 p.m)
Quality wins: Baylor, at UCF, Arizona State, at West Virginia, Kansas State
Bad losses: at Providence
Seed projection: 10 Seed (Making the Madness), Last Four in (ESPN, CBS Sports)
BYU loves messing around with the bubble. Anytime they fall off the bubble, they win a couple of games. Then, when they’re comfortable, they drop some games to get back on it. Last week, they got back on, going 2-0 and entering the last four in.
Tough week ahead though. They’ll face Kansas at home, then travel to Arizona on Saturday. If they can win one, that should be enough to get them off the bubble for now, but a 0-2 week could mean trouble as we near the end of the regular season.
7) Kansas State Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 5 (-2)
Record: 13-12 (7-7)
Last week: W vs. #13 Arizona (73-70), L at BYU (65-80)
Next week: at Utah (Feb 17 – 9:00 p.m), vs. Arizona State (Feb 23 – 4:00 p.m)
Quality wins: West Virginia, at #10 Iowa State, #17 Kansas, #13 Arizona
Bad losses: Liberty, Wichita State
Seed projection: Next Four Out (ESPN, Making the Madness), OUT (CBS Sports)
Kansas State’s magical run finally came to an end, but not before taking down Arizona to add yet another quality win. Kansas State still has some work to do, and with only one more game left against a projected tournament team, they could realistically enter the Big 12 tournament with a 12-8 conference record.
We saw them lose once in Utah, and they are hoping they won’t do so again. Then, they take on an Arizona State team in a free fall. This Kansas State team will make the selection committee work overtime, but they have to keep winning in order to fall into that position.
8) Kansas Jayhawks
Last week’s ranking: 7 (-1)
Record: 17-8 (8-6)
Last week: W vs. Colorado (71-59), L at Utah (67-74)
Next week: at BYU (Feb 18 – 9:00 p.m), vs. Oklahoma State (Feb 22 – 4:00 p.m)
Quality wins: #3 Duke (Neutral), UNC, #11 Michigan State (Neutral), at UCF, #10 Iowa State
Bad losses: None
Seed projection: 4 seed (ESPN), 5 seed (CBS Sports), 6 seed (Making the Madness)
Kansas drops its third road game in a row, and the losses keep getting worse and worse. They haven’t won back-to-back games this month, and it’s looking more and more likely they’ll have to play an extra game in the Big 12 tournament. The effort and chemistry don’t seem to be there, but with March looming, let’s see if Bill Self and the team can unlock a new gear.
9) TCU Horned Frogs
Last week’s ranking: 10 (+1)
Record: 14-11 (7-7)
Last week: W vs. Oklahoma State (73-72), W at Arizona State (74-70)
Next week: vs. #12 Texas Tech (Feb 18 – 8:00 p.m), at Cincinnati (Feb 22 – 12:00 p.m)
Quality wins: at Baylor, Xavier, BYU, West Virginia
Bad losses: Santa Clara (Neutral), Colorado State (Neutral)
Seed projection: OUT (ESPN, CBS Sports, Making the Madness)
TCU has quietly been winning, and while they’re not in tournament consideration, going 7-7 in Big 12 play is impressive. They have different guys step up on any given night, and Jamie Dixon continues to be a floor raiser. They still don’t have a Top 25 win though, but will have a chance against Texas Tech at home. Expect a great in-state environment in that one.
10) West Virginia Mountaineers
Last week’s ranking: 7 (-1)
Record: 15-10 (6-8)
Last week: L vs. BYU (69-73), L at Baylor (71-74 OT)
Next week: vs. Cincinnati (Feb 19 – 7:00 p.m), at #12 Texas Tech (Feb 22 – 1:00 p.m)
Quality wins: #10 Iowa State, at #17 Kansas, Gonzaga (Neutral), #13 Arizona (Neutral), Georgetown
Bad losses: None
Seed projection: 10 seed (ESPN), Last Four in seed (CBS Sports, Making the Madness)
West Virginia is heading in the wrong direction, and is now 2-6 in their last eight, including back-to-back losses this week. Javon Small is doing all he can, but they just don’t have enough firepower behind him with Tucker DeVries being out for the season. They’ll face Cincinnati and Texas Tech this week, but another 0-2 week will mean big trouble for Mountaineers fans.
11) Cincinnati Bearcats
Last week’s ranking: 9 (-2)
Record: 15-10 (5-9)
Last week: W vs. Utah (85-75), L at #10 Iowa State (70-81)
Next week: at West Virginia (Feb 19 – 7:00 p.m), vs. TCU (Feb 22 – 12:00 p.m)
Quality wins: Xavier, Dayton (Neutral), BYU
Bad losses: None
Seed projection: OUT (ESPN, CBS Sports, Making the Madness)
An expected 1-1 week for Cincinnati, but with six games left, it’s all-or-nothing time. They only play one ranked team for the rest of the season, so they can generate some serious momentum here. They’ll have to keep playing through Jizzle James, who scored 25 points in back-to-back games for the Wildcats.
12) Utah Utes
Last week’s ranking: 12 (-)
Record: 14-11 (6-8)
Last week: L at Cincinnati (75-85), W vs. #17 Kansas (74-67)
Next week: vs. Kansas State (Feb 17 – 9:00 p.m), at UCF (Feb 23 – 4:00 p.m)
Quality wins: BYU, #17 Kansas
Bad losses: None
Seed Projection: OUT (ESPN, CBS Sports, Making the Madness)
The Utes picked up their biggest win of the season, beating Kansas at home. Gabe Madsen had a career night, and Utah being 6-8 might be the best surprise in the Big 12. Let’s see if they can keep winning this week against Kansas State and Utah.
13) Arizona State Sun Devils
Last week’s ranking: 15 (+2)
Record: 12-13 (3-11)
Last week: L at #12 Texas Tech (106-111 2 OT), L vs. TCU (70-74)
Next week: vs. #6 Houston (Feb 18 – 9:00 p.m), at Kansas State (Feb 23 – 4:00 p.m)
Quality wins: at West Virginia, Saint Mary’s (Neutral), Grand Canyon (Neutral), New Mexico (Neutral)
Bad losses: None
Seed Projection: OUT (ESPN, CBS Sports, Making the Madness)
Arizona State has now lost five in a row and hasn’t won a HOME game since January 4th. They came close to breaking the losing streak against Texas Tech, but couldn’t get it done. There will certainly be questions about the future of Bobby Hurley, and with a home game against Houston and a road game against Kansas State, expect the slide to continue.
14) Oklahoma State Cowboys
Last week’s ranking: 14 (-)
Record: 12-13 (4-10)
Last week: L at TCU (72-73), L vs. #12 Texas Tech (55-93)
Next week: vs. UCF (Feb 19 – 9:00 p.m), at #17 Kansas (Feb 22 – 4:00 p.m)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: FAU (Neutral)
Seed Projection: OUT (ESPN, CBS Sports, Making the Madness)
Oklahoma State was shocked by TCU after a three quarters court pass landed in Vesean Allette’s hands, who would make a three at the buzzer. They lost all momentum after that, getting embarrassed at home to Texas Tech. Not an ideal season one for Steve Lutz, but plenty of games left to build momentum on, starting with a home game against UCF.
15) UCF Knights
Last week’s ranking: 13 (+2)
Record: 13-12 (4-10)
Last week: L vs. #10 Iowa State (65-77), L at Colorado (63-76)
Next week: at Oklahoma State (Feb 19 – 9:00 p.m), vs. Utah (Feb 23 – 4:00 p.m)
Quality wins: vs. #8 Texas A&M, at #13 Texas Tech, at Arizona State
Bad losses: Kansas, at Colorado
Seed projection: OUT (ESPN, CBS Sports, Making the Madness)
If you told a UCF fan after the last-second heartbreaker to Houston on January 8th that they would go 1-7 in their next eight and move themselves well off the bubble, they’d laugh at you. Unfortunately, that’s the case for this team, and it is highlighted by a road loss to Colorado, who came into the week without a win in 2025.
Dawkins’ future is not looking bright, and no one can seem to play defense. This team has allowed over 70 points in all but two conference games. The good news is, no more ranked games the rest of the season, but the way they’re playing, that might not matter.
16) Colorado Buffaloes
Last week’s ranking: 16 (-)
Record: 10-15 (1-13)
Last week: L at #17 Kansas (59-71), W vs. UCF (76-63)
Next week: at #10 Iowa State (Feb 18 – 8:00 p.m), vs. Baylor (Feb 22 – 4:00 p.m)
Quality wins: UConn (Neutral)
Bad losses: None
Seed Projection: OUT (ESPN, CBS Sports, Making the Madness)
Colorado finally won a Big 12 game! That’s all that really matters at this point, and they have nothing to lose the rest of the season. Good job, Buffaloes!
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 15
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 14
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 13
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 12
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 11
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 10
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 9
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 7
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 6
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 5
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 4
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 3
Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 2
[…] Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 16 […]
[…] Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings Week 16 […]