Big 12 basketball power rankings: Iowa State back on top after wild weekend

Folks, I’ll be quite honest. Trying to figure out the Big 12 basketball power rankings each week will probably be the death of me. As a disclaimer, there will probably always be really good teams toward the bottom of this list.

Remember, the Big 12 is deep and the whole world knows it. All I’m doing is my best to figure out who the best teams are from top to bottom. So, without further ado, let’s do this.

1. Iowa State Cyclones (12-2, 2-0)

Fred Hoiberg is back on top. I would have put them here after this commercial was released, but now I’m confidently able to place them here because they have the conference’s best victory of any team so far — a road win in Morgantown. The scary thing is this team can get much better.

2. Kansas Jayhawks (13-2, 2-0)

Oh, I know Jayhawk fans will throw a hissy fit over this. Kansas has played great in the last four games and survived at Baylor — where it will be hard for anyone to win at. If you don’t agree with Kansas under Iowa State, they’ll play at Hilton Coliseum on Saturday and they could leapfrog them.

3. West Virginia Mountaineers (14-2, 2-1)

Poor shooting and not taking advantage of Iowa State’s mistakes cost them a rough home loss. They’ll need to rebound quickly with Oklahoma and Texas coming up.

4. Oklahoma State Cowboys (12-3, 2-1)

It’s time to stop sleeping on Okie State. Le’Bryan Nash and Phil Forte have put this team on their shoulders, but they have key roleplayers and a stifling defense to help win games. They’re better than we thought.

5. Texas Longhorns (12-4, 1-2)

Jan 10, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard

Jeff Newberry

(22) blocks the shot of Texas Longhorns forward

Jonathan Holmes

(10) during the first half at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

What’s up with Texas? It’s been a horrible week for the Longhorns, who got rocked by Oklahoma at home and then looked horrible on offense in Stillwater. They need to find some offense, and fast; their upcoming schedule is absolutely brutal.

6. Baylor Bears (12-3, 1-2)

How good is this defense? They shot under 30 percent from the field and still won a game. You could have this team above Texas as losing to Oklahoma and Kansas aren’t bad at all, but this offense needs a little bit more juice. It’s slightly worse than Texas.

7. Oklahoma Sooners (11-4, 2-1)

Dominating Texas in Austin was completely negated after Kansas State went to Norman and won in overtime. Taking a bad loss like that will make you tumble in these power rankings.

8. Kansas State Wildcats (9-7, 2-1)

If anyone argues that KSU should be over OU because they beat them on Saturday, relax. Head-to-head is part of the formula, and I considered the Wildcats as in the bottom tier with TCU and Texas Tech coming into this one. But everyone’s favorite dark horse in the Big 12 could be on the verge of turning things around.

9. TCU Horned Frogs (13-3, 0-3)

Three straight losses for TCU, who are about to fade into oblivion after an undefeated start. Sometimes playing a garbage non-conference slate doesn’t pay off, and it hasn’t yet for the Horned Frogs. But it’s hard to see this team with their defense and talent go winless in the Big 12 again.

10. Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-6, 0-3)

They’re really bad.

Don’t agree or would make a few changes? Let us know in the comments below.

Next: Big 12 weekly recap: Foster clutch vs. OU

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