Big 12 Rankings: Kansas State moves up after Top 10 win

Kansas State leads the Big 12 with three other schools at 3-1, but just because they have the wins doesn’t mean the KSO staff is sold on them being one of the best teams in the Big 12. Here is how Mason Voth, Derek Young, Drew Galloway and ksu_FAN make sense of the last week of Big 12 hoops with their rankings.

1. HOUSTON COUGARS

Mason: 2
DY: 1
Drew: 1
Fan: 2

Houston calmed the waters on Wednesday with a blowout win over Texas Tech. But the Cougars likely still have lingering questions after starting Big 12 road play at 0-2. Houston should be able to get another win this weekend against UCF in the Fertitta Center. Top to bottom, this might be the most talented team in the league and are led by one of the best guards in the league with LJ Cryer.

2. KANSAS JAYHAWKS

Mason: 1
DY: 3
Drew: 2
Fan: 1

Kansas has recovered from its loss to UCF by victimizing the state of Oklahoma. The Jayhawks are back in the driver’s seat of the Big 12 after the two double-digit wins. The biggest positive in the last week for Kansas is Johnny Furphy’s 15-point outburst against Oklahoma State. While he is starting games, the depth beyond the four main contributors would be a step in the right direction if Kansas is really going to be the best team in the league.

3. BAYLOR BEARS

Mason: 3
DY: 2
Drew: 3
Fan: 6

It might be a stretch to call Baylor’s 3-0 start fraudulent in the Big 12, but it was certainly fortunate. They survived tight games against okay teams. They got their wake-up call on Tuesday in Manhattan. Baylor took over 20 more shots than Kansas State and lost in overtime. Under 33% shooting from the field and 18% from three paints an ugly picture for a team that was the best shooting team in the country during non-conference play.

4. TCU HORNED FROGS

Mason: 4
DY: 4
Drew: 4
Fan: 9

Vibes were fairly high for TCU after the weekend where they secured another top ten win. TCU is a good example of what can happen if you don’t take advantage of your chances on the road. Just as easily as they could be 2-0 on the road, they are actually 0-2 after a loss to Cincinnati.

5. IOWA STATE CYCLONES

Mason: 6
DY: 5
Drew: 5
Fan: 8

Iowa State is currently finding out what many know. You can tread water by taking care of business at home in the Big 12, but at some point you are going to have to steal some road games. That is yet to happen for the Cyclones, who have lost road trips to Oklahoma and BYU. This weekend the Clones are on the road to face No. 19 TCU. Kansas State awaits when Iowa State returns from Fort Worth for a Wednesday night showdown.

6. TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

Mason: 8
DY: 6
Drew: 7
Fan: 4

Of the four teams tied at the top of the Big 12, they are the only one to have lost their game by 20+ points. They were fortunate to survive their home game with K-State last weekend. This team is a solid bunch, but I think they will find the middle of the pack soon.

7. KANSAS STATE WILDCATS

Mason: 7
DY: 7
Drew: 6
Fan: 7

Tied for first place in the Big 12 at 3-1, K-State picked up their biggest win of the season on Tuesday against Baylor. The offense remains a question, but the defense is quickly becoming one of the best in the country. They need to take care of business this weekend against Oklahoma State, but next week will be a massive litmus test for the Cats. They hit the road to face Iowa State and Houston.

8. OKLAHOMA SOONERS

Mason: 5
DY: 9
Drew: 10
Fan: 5

The easiest way to cool off a two-game losing streak is by facing West Virginia, whom Oklahoma easily took care of on Wednesday in Norman. This team is still a good bet for regression from their play early in the season, but the upcoming games on the schedule aren’t the most challenging you can get in the Big 12. On the road in Cincinnati this weekend, they return home in the midweek to face a reeling Texas squad.

9. BYU COUGARS

Mason: 10
DY: 10
Drew: 8
Fan: 3

Apologies to Mark Pope for continuing to be a hater and doubter, but I never bought into their early-season success. They have gained more respect from me and they are no slouches, but I still think the better teams in the league should handle BYU. The Cougars have played on the road at Baylor and UCF, this weekend they get their first true Big 12 crowd experience in Lubbock.

10. CINCINNATI BEARCATS

Mason: 9
DY: 8
Drew: 9
Fan: 10

Cincinnati is 2-2 and their losses to Baylor and Texas are by a combined four points. Wes Miller has built a team that is competing with anyone in the Big 12 rather quickly. They are infinitely better than the two seasons he had in the AAC already. This weekend they get a chance for a second straight top 25 win when Oklahoma comes to town. This team doesn’t have an overwhelming talent to lead the way, but they feature eight guys who are averaging at least 7.5 points per game.

11. UCF KNIGHTS

Mason: 11
Drew: 11
DY: 11
Fan: 11

Outside of their blowout loss to start league play against Kansas State, the Knights have battled in every other game. They have overcome 16-point deficits against Kansas and Texas for wins, and took BYU to the final buzzer. Can they keep the scrappiness up for 14 more games to become a Big 12 bubble team? It seems unlikely, but this might be turning into Johnny Dawkins‘ second most impressive season behind the Tacko Fall NCAA Tournament team.

12. TEXAS LONGHORNS

Mason: 12
DY: 12
Drew: 12
Fan: 13

Max Abmas has been as advertised, but it hasn’t mattered for Texas in Big 12 play. Overall there is talent on this team and the numbers don’t look bad, but Rodney Terry is proving to be proficient in losing (and whining). They are fortunate to not be 0-4 as it took fortunate bounces and maybe an uncalled travel for their win over Cincinnati at just before the clock expired. The home loss to UCF and subsequent reaction after is alarming for a team that had been in the Top 25 most of the season.

13. WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS

Mason: 13
DY: 13
Drew: 13
Fan: 12

Leave it to ksu_FAN to support the Osborne County guy in Josh Eilert by having him a spot higher than the rest of us. Maybe they will get better and compete a bit more this season, but this team is still bad. Their win over Texas says more about the Longhorns right now than it does West Virginia. It is the only win against a Power 6 school this season for the Mountaineers who have been beaten by double-digits in their three other Big 12 games.

14. OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS

Mason: 14
DY: 14
Drew: 14
Fan: 14

Mike Boynton: nice guy, bad Big 12 basketball coach. Hot seat.

Author’s Note: Oklahoma State was ranked dead last in football power rankings the week before beating K-State and turning into a good team. Here is to hoping that does not happen in basketball.