2025-26 Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings: Week 17

Ariel Puterman gives his Big 12 basketball power rankings heading into week 17 of the 2025-26 season.

Week 16 team of the week: Cincinnati Bearcats

Week 16 game of the week: Iowa State over Houston, 70-67

Week 16 player of the week: Anthony Dell’Orso, Arizona

Week 17 matchup of the week: Houston at Kansas

Week 17 under-the-radar matchup of the week: West Virginia at Oklahoma State

1) Arizona Wildcats

Last week’s ranking: 4 (+3)

Record: 25-2 (12-2)

Last week: W vs. #23 BYU (75-68), W at #2 Houston (73-66)

Next week: at Baylor (Feb. 24 – 9 p.m.), vs. #14 Kansas (Feb. 28 – 4 p.m.)

Quality wins: at Houston, at UConn, Florida (Neutral), BYU (2x), Alabama (Neutral), UCLA (Neutral), San Diego State (Neutral), at UCF, at TCU, Auburn, West Virginia, Oklahoma State

Bad losses: None

Projected seed: 1 seed

After finally losing two games last week to snap their undefeated season, Arizona bounced back and reminded everyone that they’re still one of the teams to beat. They beat BYU at home, then picked up one of the most impressive wins of the season, beating Houston on the road and gaining a one-game lead in Big 12 play.

Anthony Dell’Orso, who is usually just a role player, really stepped up in Koa Peat’s absence, leading the team in points in back-to-back games. They’ll need that effort again this Saturday, when they welcome Kansas to Tucson. Kansas ruined their undefeated season, and they’d love to get revenge for that.

2) Iowa State Cyclones

Last week’s ranking: 1 (-1)

Record: 23-4 (10-4)

Last week: W vs. #2 Houston (70-67), L at #23 BYU (69-79)

Next week: at Utah (Feb. 24 – 9 p.m.), vs. #16 Texas Tech (Feb. 28 – 4 p.m.)

Quality wins: at Purdue, Houston, Kansas, St. John’s (Neutral), Iowa, UCF, Creighton (Neutral), West Virginia, Oklahoma State (2x)

Bad losses: at Cincinnati

Projected seed: 2 seed

Iowa State started the week on top of the world, defeating Houston at Hilton and earning arguably their best win of the season. They followed that up, though, with a road loss to BYU. It’s not a bad loss at all, but Iowa State is now 4-4 on the road this season and 15-0 at home, and unfortunately for them, they can not play the Big 12 or NCAA Tournament at home. They face Utah this week on the road, which should boost that number, then welcome Texas Tech without JT Toppin.

3) Houston Cougars

Last week’s ranking: 2 (-1)

Record: 23-4 (11-3)

Last week: L at #6 Iowa State (67-70), L vs. #4 Arizona (66-73)

Next week: at #14 Kansas (Feb. 23 – 9 p.m.), vs. Colorado (Feb. 28 – 12 p.m.)

Quality wins: Texas Tech, Arkansas (Neutral), at BYU, at TCU, UCF, Auburn (Neutral), West Virginia

Bad losses: None

Projected seed: 1-2 seed

For the first time this season, Houston has lost back-to-back games. Both games were some of the toughest any team has to face, Iowa State on the road and Arizona. They now fall one game back of Arizona for the Big 12 title with four games to go. The bad news is they have to play Kansas on the road next. However, after that, they have an easy path to finish the season with momentum. Even with the losses, they’re still a one or two seed, and one of the biggest threats to win the title.

4) Kansas Jayhawks

Last week’s ranking: 3 (-1)

Record: 20-7 (10-4)

Last week: W at Oklahoma State (81-69), L vs. Cincinnati (68-84)

Next week: #5 Houston (Feb. 23 – 9 p.m.), at #2 Arizona (Feb. 28 – 4 p.m.)

Quality wins: Arizona, at Texas Tech, Iowa State, BYU, Tennessee (Neutral), at NC State, Missouri (Neutral), at Oklahoma State, TCU

Bad losses: Cincinnati

Projected seed: 3-4 seed

Kansas started the week with a dominant win over Oklahoma State. Darryn Peterson scored 20 points in the first half, but then subbed himself out with 17 to go in the second half and didn’t return. Regardless, the rest of the team stepped up. Then, on Saturday, in what should’ve been another easy win, they came out flat and let a Cincinnati team that isn’t even on the bubble dominate them. The team admitted the energy was flat, and they suffered a big loss as they fought for seeding.

Peterson played the whole game, but the saga continues. They’ll need him this week because they have a nightmare two games, playing Houston at Allen Fieldhouse, then traveling to Arizona in a game that Arizona can’t wait for after Kansas won round one.

5) BYU Cougars

Last week’s ranking: 6 (+1)

Record: 20-7 (8-6)

Last week: L at #4 Arizona (68-75), W vs. #6 Iowa State (79-69)

Next week: vs. UCF (Feb 24 – 11:00 p.m), at West Virginia (Feb 28 – 5:30 p.m)

Quality wins: Iowa State, Wisconsin (Neutral), Villanova (Neutral), Clemson (Neutral), Miami-Fla (Neutral), TCU

Bad losses: None

Projected seed: 6 seed

BYU lost a competitive game to Arizona, but the big story is that they finally picked up a big win in conference play. Before beating Iowa State, their best win was a home win against TCU, so adding this one to the resume is great for the optics. AJ Dybantsa is clearly the Big 12 POY at this point, going for 29,10, and 9 in the win vs. Iowa State. They have two big games this week for bubble teams, and while they’re two games behind the four seed currently, they’re still fighting for that double bye in the Big 12 tournament.

6) Texas Tech Red Raiders

Last week’s ranking: 5 (+1)

Record: 20-7 (10-4)

Last week: L at Arizona State (67-72), W vs. Kansas State (100-72)

Next week: vs. Cincinnati (Feb. 24 – 7 p.m), at #4 Iowa State (Feb. 28 – 4 p.m.)

Quality wins: at Arizona, Duke (Neutral), Houston, BYU, at West Virginia, Oklahoma State

Bad losses: at Arizona State

Projected seed: 3-4 seed

Texas Tech received some of the most heartbreaking news of the college basketball season when superstar JT Toppin tore his ACL in the loss to Arizona State. He will miss the rest of the season, which is obviously a devastating blow to a team with national championship aspirations. They at least bounced back strongly, beating Kansas State by 28 and scoring 100 points. Donovan Atwell stepped up, scoring 26 points, a season high. They don’t have the easiest week, but they’ve shown they can still win without Toppin, and would love to hold that double bye, which they are tied with Kansas for at this point of the season.

7) Cincinnati Bearcats

Last week’s ranking: 9 (+2)

Record: 15-12 (7-7)

Last week: W at #8 Kansas (84-68)

Next week: at #16 Texas Tech (Feb. 24 – 7 p.m), vs. Oklahoma State (Feb. 28 – 2 p.m.)

Quality wins: at Kansas, Iowa State, UCF

Bad losses: Eastern Michigan, at Arizona State

Projected seed: OUT

It might be too little too late, but no one is hotter in the Big 12 than Cincinnati right now. They’ve won four straight, including a 16-point win at Allen Fieldhouse, a place where teams not only don’t win, but don’t win by 16 points. The defense was always solid, but now the offense is humming as well. If they can beat Texas Tech on the road and then Oklahoma State, things could get interesting. Wes Miller knows he’s playing for his job, and a few more wins might be enough to give him another year.

8) UCF Knights

Last week’s ranking: 10 (+2)

Record: 19-7 (8-6)

Last week: W vs. TCU (82-71), W at Utah (73-71)

Next week: at #19 BYU (Feb. 24 – 11 p.m.), vs. Baylor (Feb. 28 – 8 p.m.)

Quality wins: Kansas, Texas Tech, at Texas A&M, TCU

Bad losses: None

Projected seed: 9-10 seed

After losing three straight, UCF had a very important week, winning both its games and staying locked into the tournament field. Fulks continues to be great, and Jordan Burks had his best game of the season against TCU. BYU is their last-ranked matchup of the regular season, so as long as they keep their hands clean, they should be dancing in a few weeks.

9) TCU Horned Frogs

Last week’s ranking: 7 (-2)

Record: 17-10 (7-7)

Last week: L at UCF (71-82), W vs. West Virginia (60-54)

Next week: vs. Arizona State (Feb. 24 – 9 p.m.), at Kansas State (Feb. 28 – 6:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: Iowa State, Florida (Neutral), Wisconsin (Neutral), Oklahoma State (2x), West Virginia

Bad losses: New Orleans, at Colorado, at Utah

Projected seed: Last Four In / First Four Out

TCU is the definition of a bubble team. Depending on which bracketologist you look at, they are either one of the last four in or one of the first four out. In a big week for them against ba ubble team, they split, winning the home game and dropping the road one. They probably need to win three of their last four and one Big 12 tournament game to safely be in. Besides playing at Texas Tech, they get Arizona State, Kansas State, and Cincinnati, so it’s definitely doable.

10) West Virginia Mountaineers

Last week’s ranking: 8 (-2)

Record: 16-11 (9-5)

Last week: L vs. Utah (56-61), L at TCU (54-60)

Next week: at Oklahoma State (Feb. 24 – 7 p.m.), #19 BYU (Feb. 28 – 5:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: Kansas, at UCF

Bad losses: Wake Forest, Utah

Projected seed: Next Four Out / OUT

When you’re trying to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the absolute last thing you want to do is lose a game at home to Utah. Alas, that was the case for West Virginia, and they followed that up with a loss to TCU. Now, they need to beat BYU and then some if they want to make the tournament in year one under Ross Hodge. It’s going to be an uphill battle, and they’ll need to start this week.

11) Arizona State Sun Devils

Last week’s ranking: 11 (-)

Record: 14-13 (5-9)

Last week: W vs. #13 Texas Tech (72-67), L at Baylor (68-73)

Next week: at TCU (Feb. 24 – 9 p.m.), vs. Utah (Feb. 28 – 2:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: Texas Tech, Texas (Neutral), Santa Clara, Oklahoma State

Bad losses: Oregon State, Colorado (2x)

Projected seed: OUT

Arizona State is playing some of its best basketball this season, beating Texas Tech at home. Yes, JT Toppin got hurt in that game, but they were leading for most of the game and at the time of the injury. They led against Baylor for a large chunk of the game as well, but couldn’t stick it out. Arizona State has two easier games this week before a tough final two games to close the regular season. It doesn’t seem like they’ll be able to get the bye, so now it’s just trying to get as high a seed as possible.

12) Colorado Buffaloes

Last week’s ranking: 14 (-2)

Record: 15-12 (5-9)

Last week: W vs. Oklahoma State (83-69)

Next week: vs. Kansas State (Feb. 25 – 9 p.m.), at #5 Houston (Feb 28 – 12 p.m)

Quality wins: TCU

Bad losses: at Colorado State, Northern Colorado

Projected seed: OUT

Colorado picked up an easy win in their lone game of the week against a struggling Oklahoma State team. Sebastian Rancik had ten rebounds, and Barrington Hargress added eight assists. They have two more great opportunities for wins against Kansas State this week and Utah next week, and no Colorado fan should be upset with a seven-win season after last year. Colorado made some noise in last year’s tournament; let’s see if they can do it again.

13) Baylor Bears

Last week’s ranking: 12 (-1)

Record: 14-13 (4-10)

Last week: L at Kansas State (74-90), W vs. Arizona State (73-68)

Next week: vs. #2 Arizona (Feb. 24 – 9 p.m.), at UCF (Feb. 28 – 8 p.m.)

Quality wins: San Diego State (Neutral), Creighton (Neutral), at West Virginia

Bad losses: at Memphis, at Kansas State

Projected seed: OUT

It’s safe to say that Baylor fans can’t wait to see this season end, especially after a 16-point loss to Kansas State. The defense just hasn’t performed, a far cry from those national champion teams. Only four more games, though, but two tough ones against future tournament teams in Arizona and UCF.

14) Oklahoma State Cowboys

Last week’s ranking: 13 (-1)

Record: 16-11 (4-10)

Last week: L vs. #8 Kansas (69-81), L at Colorado (69-83)

Next week: vs. West Virginia (Feb. 24 – 7 p.m.), at Cincinnati (Feb. 28 – 2 p.m.)

Quality wins: BYU, UCF, Texas A&M, South Florida

Bad losses: at Arizona State, at Colorado

Projected seed: OUT

Oklahoma State has now lost five straight games, and all hopes of making the tournament seem to be dead. It is very unfortunate for a team with good wins, but they got cold at the wrong time, and sometimes that’s how life goes. They face two teams ahead of them in the standings, hoping to possibly keep their hopes alive. Fallah and Roy will have to play their very best if they want any chance of making that come true.

15) Utah Utes

Last week’s ranking: 15 (-)

Record: 10-17 (2-12)

Last week: W at West Virginia (61-56), L vs. UCF (71-73)

Next week: vs. #4 Iowa State (Feb. 24 – 9 p.m.), at Arizona State (Feb. 28 – 3:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: at West Virginia

Bad losses: Cal Poly, Mississippi State, at Colorado, at Kansas State, Arizona State

Projected seed: OUT

Dare I say Utah basketball is playing well right now? In the last three games, they lost to Cincinnati by four, beat West Virginia, and then lost to UCF by 2. They’re staying competitive and defensively have looked a lot better. It’s obviously too little too late, but they can absolutely play spoiler the rest of the season and the Big 12 tournament as they look to build on next season.

16) Kansas State Wildcats

Last week’s ranking: 16 (-)

Record: 11-16 (2-12)

Last week: W vs. Baylor (90-74), L at #13 Texas Tech (72-100)

Next week: at Colorado (Feb. 25 – 9 p.m.), vs. TCU (Feb. 28 – 6:30 p.m)

Quality wins: at Creighton, California

Bad losses: Bowling Green, at Arizona State

Projected seed: OUT

Kansas State finally picked up win number two of conference play, beating Baylor comfortably at home. They followed that up with a blowout loss to Texas Tech. Right now, the number one priority for Kansas State is finding a new coach. The second priority is trying to pick up a few wins and play spoiler as teams fight for seeding. Safe to say this season won’t be etched in the Kansas State history books.

Previous Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings