Big 12 Rankings: Kansas State near the bottom, despite Top 10 win

Another week is in the books for the Big 12 basketball season. Kansas State and many other teams in the league did a good job of showing what the Big 12 is all about. Good enough to win some important games and flawed enough to not be able to survive an off night because of the league’s depth. The KSO quartet tries to make sense of the whacky outcomes the Big 12 provides on a nightly basis.

1. Houston Cougars

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

The Cougars failed another road test in the Big 12, as they were eaten alive by Allen Fieldhouse for the first time. Trailing by nearly 20 multiple times in the second half, they did cut the deficit to 10 points once but never threatened in Lawrence. They rebounded with a blowout win over Oklahoma State during the midweek. It was so easy that Kelvin Sampson decided to take the rest of the game off by getting ejected early in the second half.

T-2. KANSAS JAYHAWKS

Mason: 1 DY: 4 Drew: 4 Fan: 2

Kansas went 1-1 since the last set of rankings came out, but the way they achieved that record is a good snapshot of their season. They have impressive home wins but are just 1-4 on the road in Big 12 play. Five of their last eight games are against ranked opponents and that includes road trips to Lubbock, Waco and Houston. They have wins as good as anyone in the Big 12, but head-scratching losses are holding them back and might make their inevitability of winning the Big 12 falter. Their flaws were put on show against Kansas State during Monday’s loss.

T-2. BAYLOR BEARS

Mason: 4 DY: 2 Drew: 2 Fan: 3

Scott Drew was the victim of wild officiating last weekend. But without him, his team still managed a solid Top 25 win over Iowa State. Baylor is similar to Kansas, finding success at home but has encountered road struggles. A win on Saturday at Kansas would turn the Bears into a serious contender for the league crown.

4. IOWA STATE CYCLONES

Mason: 3 DY: 3 Drew: 3 Fan: 4

Milan Momcilaovic had Iowa State a half second or less away from a 2-0 week in Texas. Unfortunately for the Cyclones, he got his game-winner off late in Waco. They did get a road win at Texas, but everybody has been winning in the Moody Center this season. Iowa State’s stable of steady scorers makes them dangerous and they can force plenty of turnovers.

5. TCU HORNED FROGS

Mason: 5 DY: 5 Drew: 5 Fan: 7

TCU is just 5-4, but might have the steadiest performances in the Big 12. Until their 11-point loss last time out against Texas, every Big 12 game they played in had been decided by single digits. Mixed in there is a loss to Cincinnati and a near loss to Oklahoma State, but also a 3OT win at Baylor. The outcome may be a mystery, but every game will be a battle with the Frogs.

6. OKLAHOMA SOONERS

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

5-5 seems right for the Sooners, who are volatile enough for a 20-point win at Kansas State and a 16-point win against BYU, but have an 11-point loss at UCF sandwiched in the middle. After Bedlam this weekend things will get tougher for Porter Moser’s squad. Baylor, Kansas, Iowa State and Houston are still on the schedule, plus a road trip to Austin to end the regular season.

7. BYU COUGARS

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

BYU is waiting in the wings to shoot up the Big 12 standings. Their first nine games were tricky, but now they enter the lighter portion of Big 12 play. Their next three games are against K-State, UCF, and at Oklahoma State. They also will play K-State and Oklahoma State a second time as things wind down.

8. TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

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

Times have gotten tough in Lubbock. The Red Raiders are falling back to earth after their hot start in the Big 12. The three-game losing streak they are on includes a home loss to Cincinnati. After what should be a get-right game against UCF this weekend, Kansas comes to town on Big Monday. Then a road trip to Ames next weekend could shove the Red Raiders down the league standings before the end of February.

9. TEXAS LONGHORNS

Mason: 9 DY: 8 Drew: 11 Fan: 10

These guys are a mess. If not for fortuitous bounces against Cincinnati and Baylor, they could easily be 2-8 in Big 12 play. They are just 1-4 at home against conference foes. Their success, if you can call it that, on the road is likely because they have avoided tougher road games so far. Four road games remain for Texas and all are against Top 25 teams. This team has good talent, but the pieces may not fit and the person putting the puzzle together (Rodney Terry) might not be meant for the job. It feels like Texas’ ceiling is 8-10.

10. CINCINNATI BEARCATS

Mason: 11 DY: 11 Drew: 8 Fan: 9

Cincinnati is 4-5 in the Big 12, but all five losses are by five points or less and have come to good teams, outside of West Virginia. They probably deserve more respect, but winning is the real currency in sports and they just don’t have enough of it right now.

11. KANSAS STATE WILDCATS

Mason: 10 DY: 10 Drew: 10 Fan: 11

Getting your worst loss and best win in a three-day stretch also perfectly surmises K-State’s season. The Wildcats at their best have been capable of putting up a fight against anyone and anywhere. But when one or two things are off, things get ugly. While floating near the bottom four of the league, the Wildcats have to use their win over Kansas as a building block for team success. Tylor Perry has also picked up his play over the last three games, averaging 23 points per game and shooting it 41% from three.

12. UCF KNIGHTS

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

An NIT team that has played well enough, they could spoil other teams’ nights.

13. WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS

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

Nothing they do the rest of the way matters, their start to the season was too bad. Jesse Edwards is playing again and they will be a tough quad-three win for anybody that has to face them.

14. OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS

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

It seems like the only way Oklahoma State was going to win multiple games in the Big 12 this season was if someone decided to not play defense against them. Kansas State obliged last weekend and the Cowboys now have two conference wins. Teams going to Gallagher-Iba should beware, only KU has won by more than five points in GIA this season.