Ariel Puterman gives his Big 12 basketball power rankings heading into week 3 of the 2025-26 season.
Week 2 team of the week: Arizona Wildcats
Week 2 game of the week: Arizona over UCLA
Week 2 player of the week: Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Week 3 matchup of the week: #3 UConn vs. #5 Arizona
Week 3 under-the-radar matchup of the week: South Florida at Oklahoma State
Before you read this, keep in mind that this is solely judging the two weeks. This doesn’t take into account any preseason rankings, only each team’s performance so far this season.
All games listed are EST
1) Arizona Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)
Record: 4-0
Last week: W vs. Northern Arizona (84-49), W vs. #15 UCLA (69-65)
Next week: at #3 UConn (Nov 19 – 7:00 p.m)
Quality wins: vs. Florida (neutral), vs. UCLA (neutral)
Bad losses:
The #1 spot is probably the only easy one to rank, and Arizona has shown that they are not one to mess with this season. After the opening night win against Florida, Arizona continued the tough scheduling, taking down UCLA in Los Angeles. Anthony Dell’Orso was terrific all game, and Jaden Bradley put the team on his back in the final minutes to secure the victory.
This week, yet another test, this time playing a UConn team that recently beat in-conference pals BYU. If they can win that one, this could be one of the best starts to a regular season in CBB history. This team checks all the boxes and is a legitimate championship threat.
2) Iowa State Cyclones
Last week’s ranking: 2 (+2)
Record: 3-0
Last week: W vs. Mississippi State (96-80)
Next week: vs. Stonehill (Nov. 17 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: Mississippi State
Bad losses:
Only one game for Iowa State last week, but an impressive one at that, defeating Mississippi State by 16. It never felt that close, with Iowa State leading by as much as 25 at one point against a team that has made the tournament consistently. Tamin Lipsey was terrific in this one, scoring 25 points and dishing six assists, while also adding three steals and a block. He’s the worthy award winner of our player of the week.
The defense was a bit concerning, but if they’re scoring like they did in this one, they should have few problems. This week, another slow one, but they face St. John’s and Creighton back to back next week, so all the rest and time to prep is much appreciated.
3) Houston Cougars
Last week’s ranking: 8 (+5)
Record: 4-0
Last week: W vs. Oakland (78-45), W vs. #22 Auburn (73-72)
Next week: vs. Rider (Nov. 20 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. Auburn (neutral)
Bad losses:
Houston got its signature win, beating Auburn in a “neutral” game in Alabama. It was closer than they would have liked, coming down to literally the last second, but they got it done. Kingston Flemings is proving to be a stud, leading the team in scoring the past three games, averaging 20.5 a game. Milos Uzan has struggled significantly to start the season, so when he gets into game shape, this team will be dangerous.
This week, another chance to pick up a free win. Then, they get Syracuse, who has looked good so far, and Tennessee, a team that is never easy. Hopefully, they can solve some of their problems by then and head into feast week looking like the number one team in the country that people thought they were.
4) BYU Cougars
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-2)
Record: 3-1
Last week: W vs. Delaware (85-68), L vs. #3 UConn (84-86)
Next week: vs. #24 Wisconsin (Nov. 21 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. Villanova
Bad losses:
It’s hard to evaluate this week from BYU. Against Delaware, a team that lost to a D2 team the week prior, they trailed at halftime by three. They would end up pulling away, but not the best performance overall from the Cougars. It could have been a lookahead spot to the next game against UConn, a team they could not beat.
However, that game was in Boston, so it felt more like a road environment, and they were able to keep this close despite being down two starters for most of the game after Kennard Davis had an off-court incident and Keba Keita suffered an injury in the first half.
AJ Dybantsa looked terrific in the second half after struggling early, and Richie Saunders continues to look great as well. They’ll need to keep this up, because they have no games off, taking on a tough Wisconsin team on Friday night.
5) Texas Tech Red Raiders
Last week’s ranking: 5 (-)
Record: 3-1
Last week: L vs. #14 Illinois (77-81), W vs. Milwaukee (80-63)
Next week: vs. Wake Forest (Nov. 20 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Texas Tech nearly got it done at Illinois, but came up just short. JT Toppin was a monster in that game, scoring 35 points to go with 11 rebounds and three blocks. He’s off to a monster start to the season and could very well be the early favorite for the Wooden Award.
Christian Anderson has cooled down slightly since that monster opening night, but is still averaging 19 points and nine assists a game, as well as 2.8 steals. They’ll play Wake Forest in Baha Mar, a game they should win, but Wake Forest gave Michigan a lot of trouble recently.
6) Baylor Bears
Last week’s ranking: 3 (-3)
Record: 3-0
Last week: W vs. Tarleton State (94-81)
Next week: None
Quality wins: vs. Washington
Bad losses:
Just one game this week for Baylor in a weirdly scheduled non-conference. They’ll head into feast week with just three games played, while some will head in with 5-6. Cameron Carr is the real deal. He scored 27 in the win, and after averaging 4.8 a game last year, he’s up to 23.7 through three games.
The defense is definitely a concern. They’ve now allowed 81 points to two mid-major teams, but weirdly enough, had their best defensive performance against Washington. They can spend all week working on it because they play no one, then take on Creighton and Saint John’s back-to-back.
7) Oklahoma State Cowboys
Last week’s ranking: 6 (-1)
Record: 4-0
Last week: W vs. Prairie View A&M (94-67), W vs. Texas A&M CC (85-69)
Next week: vs. South Florida (Nov. 19 – 8 p.m.), vs. Nicholls (Nov. 22 – 3 p.m.)
Quality wins: Texas A&M
Bad losses:
Oklahoma State continues to look strong, especially offensively. They’ve scored 85+ in all four games, and Anthony Roy is back, scoring 15 to lead the team in the win against Texas A&M CC. They did lead by just two at halftime, but would go on to score 48 points in the second half.
The game against South Florida should be a really great game. South Florida has looked like the best team in the American, and how Oklahoma State performs in that one could be an indicator of this team’s ceiling. It might fall under the radar in the college basketball world, but make sure to check this game out.
8) West Virginia Mountaineers
Last week’s ranking: 11 (+3)
Record: 3-0
Last week: W vs. Pittsburgh (71-49)
Next week: vs. Lafayette (Nov. 17 – 7 p.m.), vs. Clemson (Nov. 21 – 6:30 p.m.), Xavier OR Georgia (Nov. 23 – TBD)
Quality wins: Pittsburgh
Bad losses:
Beating your rival is great. Beating your rival by 22 is even better. West Virginia took care of business at home against Pitt. Harlan Obioha was the surprise star, scoring 19 points on 8-9 shooting. Jasper Floyd continues to do a little bit of everything as well, adding 13 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. West Virginia has now had four leading scorers in four games, and that balance is key long-term.
They’ll get another ACC test this week against Clemson in the Shriner’s Children Classic. They’ll face either Xavier or Georgia after that, which could be two more non-conference wins to boost the resume.
9) Colorado Buffaloes
Last week’s ranking: 15 (+6)
Record: 3-0
Last week: W vs. Providence (97-88)
Next week: vs. Alabama State (Nov. 17 – 9 p.m.), vs. UC Davis (Nov. 21 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins: Providence
Bad losses:
Colorado had the 3rd best win in the entire conference last week, beating Providence at home. They scored 97 points in the win, with four players scoring 15 or more. After the rough start in week one, this is very encouraging for this team as they continue to learn with the new pieces meshing with the returners.
Tad Boyle is still a great coach, and should have this team at 5-0 heading into the end of November. As long as the offense keeps playing like this, Colorado can certainly finish a lot higher than last year in the Big 12, which isn’t saying much.
10) Kansas State Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 10 (+3)
Record: 3-0
Last week: W vs. California (99-96)
Next week: vs.Tulsa (Nov. 17 – 8 p.m.), vs. Mississippi State (Nov. 20 – 9:30 p.m.), Nebraska OR New Mexico (Nov. 21 – TBD)
Quality wins: California
Bad losses:
Kansas State was dominating California, leading by 19 at halftime thanks to 55 points. This game never really felt close despite the score, and Cal isn’t great, so maybe some minor concern they were able to bring it within five, but no need to panic. David Castillo has been a great surprise, shooting 76% from the field and three so far this season, and Nate Johnson has shown why he was the MAC POY last year.
You, of course, have to talk about PJ Haggerty, who has led the team in scoring all three games and is tied with JT Toppin for the Big 12 lead in PPG. They play in the Hall Of Fame Classic in Kansas City this week, playing Mississippi State in the first round, who lost pretty convincingly to Iowa State last week. Based on that result, they’ll face either Nebraska or Mississippi State, two tough opponents.
11) Cincinnati Bearcats
Last week’s ranking: 9 (-2)
Record: 4-0
Last week: W vs. Dayton (74-62), W vs. Mount St. Mary’s (72-55)
Next week: vs. #12 Louisville (Nov. 21 – 6:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Dayton
Bad losses:
Like West Virginia, Cincinnati picked up a win against its rival, Dayton, this week. They led the whole game and held Dayton to just 62 points. Day Day Thomas was great this week, leading the team in scoring in both games, while Baba Miller continues to average double-digit rebounds. Perhaps they were a little too confident after the Dayton win, because they were leading Mount Saint Mary’s by just two with 8:15 to go before pulling away.
Dayton was a good test for Cincy, but the real test will be against Louisville this week. If they can keep it close or even win in Cincinnati, then they’ll live up to the expectations given to them and become a team people start talking about as a tournament threat in the Big 12.
12) Kansas Jayhawks
Last week’s ranking: 10 (-2)
Record: 3-1
Last week: W vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi (77-46), W vs. Princeton (76-57)
Next week: vs. #4 Duke (Nov. 18 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Look, Kansas isn’t the 12th-best team in the Big 12, but with the teams ahead of them looking better so far, it’s hard to find a place to put them any higher than this. They looked great in their first game, but led Princeton, a team they were expected to beat by nearly 30, by just two early in the first half. Not having Darryn Peterson, who is now looking like he’s going to miss a decent amount of time, is going to be a concern.
Flory Bidunga has looked great, and Tre White had a solid week as well. Hopefully, the 16-point game from Kohl Rosario is reflective of some more consistent performances ahead. They’ve got the Champions Classic on Tuesday, facing Duke in the second game. Without Darryn Peterson, it will take a Bill Self coaching masterpiece to get past this team.
13) UCF Golden Knights
Last week’s ranking: 13 (-)
Record: 3-1
Last week: W vs. Florida A&M (97-60), W at Texas A&M (86-74)
Next week: vs. Oakland (Nov. 17 – 7 p.m.), vs. Pittsburgh (Nov. 20 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Texas A&M
Bad losses:
UCF joined Oklahoma State in taking down Texas A&M, but did it on the road, which is impressive. Jordan Burks had his best game of the season, scoring 21, and Carmelo Pacheco added 15 off the bench. After a shaky first week, UCF looked a lot better this week and will look to build off that in the upcoming week.
They’ll face Oakland first, a team that gave Purdue trouble, but Houston took care of them with ease. Then, a game against Pittsburgh as they look to add another Power 5 to their resume.
14) Arizona State Sun Devils
Last week’s ranking: 12 (-2)
Record: 2-1
Last week: L vs. #19 Gonzaga (65-77)
Next week: vs. Georgia State (Nov. 17 – 9 p.m.), at Hawaii (Nov. 20 – 11:59 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Arizona State did lose to Gonzaga, but they actually held their own, which is impressive against a team that beat Oklahoma and Creighton by large margins. They actually won the second half, and the lead never felt overwhelming, even though they weren’t necessarily in striking position for most of the game.
Now, this isn’t to say that this team looks great by any means, but it’s definitely encouraging for a team that could have made that game very ugly. This week, an interesting test, traveling to Hawaii, which nearly beat Oregon earlier this year. That game tips at midnight eastern, so it might be lost on most, but could be a good road win for the Sun Devils if they can squeak it out.
15) Utah Utes
Last week’s ranking: 14 (-1)
Record: 4-0
Last week: W vs. Holy Cross (87-69), W vs. Sam Houston (85-79)
Next week: vs. Purdue Fort-Wayne (Nov. 18 – 9 p.m.), vs. Cal Poly (Nov. 20 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Utah is 4-0, and you can’t apologize for winning, but they haven’t looked too convincing in doing so. They’ve won three of their four games by single digits, and are ranked 331st in the country in strength of schedule. Luckily for them, they scheduled an insanely easy non-conference, and will face two more this week.
Terrence Brown has been great, and Don McHenry has been a good second option; they just need to show more fight on the defensive end.
16) TCU Horned Frogs
Last week’s ranking: 16 (-)
Record: 2-2
Last week: W vs. Lamar (78-65), L vs. #6 Michigan (63-67)
Next week: vs. Kansas City (Nov. 19 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: New Orleans
TCU has to be the most confusing team in the country. Opening week, they lose to a mid-major, then win their next game by 41. Last week, they were up just one to Lamar at the end of the first half and trailed until the ten-minute mark in the second half.
Then, against Michigan, a top ten team in the country, they led by two at halftime, and trailed by just 2 with 18 seconds left in the game. We’re going to need to see some consistency from this team because we really don’t know what TCU team we’re going to get on any given night.
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