The Big 12 race hasn’t even hit the home stretch, but it appears that there will only be two combatants duking it out to the finish line.
Texas Tech’s 89-81 win over West Virginia on Wednesday effectively took the Mountaineers out of that race barring a meltdown up front. The race is down to Kansas and Baylor, with both also battling for No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament.
If things hold form, there’s no reason for the tournament committee to avoid rewarding both teams despite their being in the same conference. Last season, three ACC teams were awarded No. 1 seeds. If you’re one of the top four teams in the regular season, the current committee doesn’t care where it is you’re from.
1. Baylor (18-1, 7-0) Last week: 1
The Bears were an impressive 2-0 on the road this week, winning both games with ease. Baylor drew a tough assignment going to Florida, but led by double digits most of the way in a 72-61 win. A packed Hilton Coliseum didn’t faze Baylor, either, as it cruised to a 67-53 win at Iowa State.
The Bears are 7-0 in league play for the first time since 1958, when they played in the Southwest Conference.
2. Kansas (17-3, 6-1) Last week: 2
The Jayhawks got by just fine during David McCormack’s two-game suspension for kicking people, surviving a challenge from a game Tennessee squad — the result is likely reversed if the game was in Knoxville — before blowing out Oklahoma State.
Saturday’s home game with Texas Tech is the most intriguing on the league schedule this week.
3. West Virginia (16-4, 4-3) Last week: 3
The Mountaineers look unbeatable at home and exceedingly beatable on the road. But if Derek Culver can continue making free throws like he did at Texas Tech, where he drained 14 of 16, more good than bad will come out of that defeat.
4. Texas Tech (13-7, 4-3) Last week: 5
Are the Red Raiders a better team than West Virginia when Terrence Shannon is in the lineup? Possibly. It would be nice to sort that issue out in a third meeting, but the Mountaineers and Red Raiders will likely end up on opposite ends of the bracket. My guess is Texas Tech’s three-point shooting masterpiece was an anomaly, and West Virginia is still the better team on a neutral floor.
5. TCU (13-7, 4-3) Last week: 4
A bad week for the Horned Frogs, who dropped games to Arkansas and Texas for a prompt plummet towards the bubble. A win at Baylor on Saturday would massively bolster TCU’s resume.
6. Texas (13-7, 3-4) Last week: 8
Not a good sign for the Big 12’s depth when a team West Virginia plastered by 38 points is pushing towards the top half of the league. The Horns have rebounded nicely from that disaster, showing heart in a 69-67 loss to a good LSU team before pulling off a 62-61 win at TCU.
7. Oklahoma (13-7, 3-4) Last week: 6
The Sooners challenged Baylor as well as anyone has in a 61-57 loss, but followed it with a dud at Kansas State in their next league game. Oklahoma is 1-4 over its past five Big 12 games, but has the talent to bounce back. The question is whether it will.
8. Kansas State (9-11, 2-5) Last week: 9
The Wildcats played well in a 77-74 loss at Alabama before returning home to knock off Oklahoma — a back-to-back that would have been a heck of a lot more difficult if this were a football schedule. (Though based on last season, it would have netted the same results).
9. Iowa State (9-11, 2-5) Last week: 7
How do you know Steve Prohm’s seat is scorching? Because Baylor coach Scott Drew had this to say this week:
“I know Steve Prohm is probably one of the classiest guys in our profession. He works his butt off, does an unbelievable job recruiting. He’s found players, developed them, got them to The League quicker than they ever expected, and I know that makes it tougher some seasons, but I respect the heck out of the job he does as far as the recruiting realm and how he executes on the court. I just wanted to make sure I said that because I know sometimes we forget how good coaches are. I really respect him.”
If your fellow coaches are telling everyone how awesome you are, it may already be too late.
10. Oklahoma State (10-10, 0-7) Last week: 10
It remains grim for the Cowboys, but they were able to snap their long losing streak with a road win at Texas A&M in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Though this team isn’t very good — at all — they’ve shown that they’re still willing to work for Mike Boynton. Which is more valuable than a fellow coach telling everyone how good he is.