Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings: Texas Among Conference's Worst
How do the Big 12 power rankings look as we head into conference play on December 30?
On December 30, the Big 12 will dive into its conference play in basketball. Every school has played 12 games heading into this with every team at or above .500. Seven of the 10 teams also have double-digit wins as we close out 2016.
Texas has struggled for the first part of the season and hasn’t shown many signs of improvement. They have dealt with issues with finding a point guard. However, does that leave them at the bottom of the conference?
The Big 12 should have an entertaining conference schedule coming up. But before that, how do all 10 teams rank on December 29?
Dec 27, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Kerwin Roach Jr. (12) shoots against the Kent State Golden Flashes during the first half at the Frank Erwin Center Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
texas longhorns
Texas has had a rough 2016 season, mostly with their offense struggling in almost every game. There have also been problems closing out fourth-quarter leads, which happened on numerous occasions throughout the first 12 matchups.
Perhaps the toughest blow out the year came against Kent State on Tuesday night. This saw the Longhorns get upset, 63-58 at home behind poor shooting from the field. Free throws have also been an issue and were once again with 10 missed from the charity stripe.
The top players for Texas, Jarrett Allen and Tevin Mack, have looked strong early on, but the just about everyone else hasn’t been able to find their stride. Not having an established point guard hasn’t helped either, something Texas doesn’t seem close to resolving as conference play approaches.
Big 12 games won’t make things any easier for Texas. They don’t have to play the heart of their schedule for another few weeks, but if Kent State can’t be beaten, how winnable are the games against the lower end of the conference?
Dec 17, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Christian James (3) reacts after a play against the Memphis Tigers during the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
oklahoma sooners
Oklahoma is just ahead of Texas at the No. 9 spot in the opening Big 12 rankings. They were 6-2 for a time, but have lost three consecutive games to Wichita State, Memphis, and Auburn. None of these were by more than five points, which may be a welcome sign for the Sooners. However, these losses will hurt if they want to contend for an NCAA Tournament spot in March.
Over the next 10 days, Oklahoma will face No. 3 Baylor and No. 4 Kansas, two of their toughest games of the season. These will be proving grounds for how Lon Kruger and company may fare throughout the year. If they can win one of these two games, then this school may have a chance at making some noise in the back half of the conference.
iowa state cyclones
Iowa State looked great their first five games, all of which resulted in wins. However, they would go on to lose three of their next four matchups, including by just two points to No. 11 Gonzaga, 73-71. This is the only ranked opponent that the Cyclones have played so far.
Since then, they have won games against Drake and Mississippi Valley State University by double digits. This has been behind solid play from senior guard Matt Thomas and Nazareth Mitrou-Long, who exploded for 37 points against Drake on 14 of 18 shooting.
ISU will play Texas Tech on December 30, their first Big 12 game of the season. They will then have four of their next six games on the road, two of which will be against No. 4 Baylor and the 11-1 TCU Horned Frogs.
Dec 14, 2016; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Leyton Hammonds (23) looks to pass the ball during the second half against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Cowboys won 102-66. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
oklahoma state cowboys
Putting any team with a 10-2 record at seventh in the conference rankings is difficult. Oklahoma State has had a very good start to the season by beating pretty much everyone who they were supposed to. They did lose to North Carolina by 32 points, though, and dropped a tough game to Maryland. If anything, these may be matchups that look better on their tournament resume in a few months.
The Cowboys have had one of the conference’s best offenses so far. They are led by Jawun Evans’ 20.2 points per game on 47 percent shooting. He also fills up the stat sheet with 3.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. Jeffrey Carroll and Phil Forte III have been other key contributors.
Three of OK State’s next five opponents are ranked as they head into Big 12 play. If they can manage to win two of them, then this team will be sitting well for March, unless there’s a decline in play as we head into the new year.
tcu horned frogs
TCU has looked dominant through 12 games with all 11 of their wins being by nine points or more. The only issue is they haven’t played any difficult opponents and lost to a 7-3 SMU team.
As Big 12 conference play begins, TCU will host No. 3 Kansas, by far their toughest game of the early season. They will continue to need the balanced scoring attack of four players scoring just above 10 points per game. Kenrich Williams is also putting up 10 rebounds per game as a 6-foot-7 guard.
Friday night’s game will point the Horned Frogs in the direction they’ll likely be headed in as we get into 2017. If they play Kansas tough, it will go a long way for this season. If they can win, it would further benefit them.
Dec 21, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Keenan Evans (12) goes to the basket against the Longwood Lancers in the second half at United Supermarkets Arena. Texas Tech defeated Longwood 91-60. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
texas tech red raiders
Texas Tech is the second 11-1 team as we head into the Big 12 conference play. Like the others, they have dominated mostly underwhelming competition, including Group of Five teams and a few fringe Division I schools. It’s part of the reason why they’re not ranked heading into the end of the month.
The Red Raiders will face Iowa State before battling West Virginia and Kansas in the first week of the year. They are led by five double-digit scorers, all of which are averaging a field goal percentage above 46. This offense has been among the Big 12’s best, which should continue to be the case as the main part of their schedule begins.
kansas state wildcats
Kansas State is just one point away from being perfect. They went down to Maryland, 69-68 earlier this season, but have otherwise beaten everyone else in their way. However, like other Big 12 teams, they haven’t played the most difficult of schedules with no ranked opponents along the way. They will also get to face Texas and Oklahoma in two of their next three games too, which could make for the 12th and 13th wins of the season.
The Wildcats have had five double-digits scorers to lead the way with three of them averaging 2,8 assists or more per game. The only thing holding them back is free throw shooting, as Kansas State is averaging just 65 percent from the charity stripe.
Dec 23, 2016; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers forward Nathan Adrian (11) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Northern Kentucky Norse at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
West Virginia mountaineers
The first of three ranked Big 12 teams is West Virginia. They haven’t played an incredibly difficult conference schedule, but did hand No. 6 Virginia a loss, vaulting them up in the polls. Free throw shooting and 10 steals, which turned into points, helped this stingy defense live up to the hype of what coach Bob Huggins usually expects.
Five of the Mountaineers next six games are against unranked opponents, so they may be able to quickly add to their win total and gain ground in the polls soon. The exception is against Baylor, who has been one of the nation’s hottest teams. If WVU beats them, then they may jump into the top five.
kansas jayhawks
Kansas lost to a tough Indiana team in the opening game of the season, 103-99, which briefly tempered their high expectations. However, it’s been smooth sailing in Lawrence since with double-digit wins in all but one game (defeated Duke, 77-75 in the second game).
The Jayhawks now play seven consecutive unranked opponents, which could easily boost their win total to 18 and while keeping their No. 3 overall ranking. They will continue to be led by senior Frank Mason III and stud freshman Josh Jackson, who is shooting over 50 percent from the field. The only issue is free throw shooting, which has the team averaging 59 percent per game.
Dec 21, 2016; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears guard Ishmail Wainright (24) laughs on the bench during the second half against the Texas Southern Tigers at Ferrell Center. Baylor won 89-63. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
baylor bears
Baylor is the Big 12’s lone remaining unbeaten team. They started unranked, but toppled No. 4 Oregon, 66-49 to be vaulted into the AP Poll. They then beat ranked teams like Michigan State, Louisville, and Xavier to solidify their spot as one of the top teams in college basketball. It came as a surprise given the hype for Kansas and West Virginia.
The Bears have been sharp in just about all aspects on offense. They are shooting a steady 74 percent from the free throw line, 37 from beyond the arc, and 50 overall. This is from four double-digit scorers with Jonathan Motley heading the way with 16 points and 8.2 rebounds per game on 51 percent shooting.
Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Oklahoma will be Baylor’s next three opponents all of whom are unranked. This could continue their perfect season until the West Virginia game on January 10. They will then potentially have a huge game with Kansas on February 1.
How will these teams look in the upcoming set of Big 12 power rankings as we get into conference play?
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