The Big 12 is once again lots of fun, but this time with an added wrinkle: Kansas looks very vulnerable for the first time in a very long time. If you like drama and intrigue, this is the league to watch, with no clear favorite and a lot of teams figuring to be competing for bids throughout the rest of the season. There are a lot of great games coming up, and I'm excited to see what happens. I'll be following those games live on Twitter @ThreePointRange, so be sure to follow me there and interact with me during the games.
Thoughts
- I wrote about the Big 12/SEC Challenge over the weekend, so for all my thoughts on that challenge, check it out here.
- Ochai Agbaji has been a revelation for Kansas this season. He came in as a top 150 recruit, and he was redshirting the year up until the Udoka Azubuike injury. Bill Self made the decision to burn his redshirt and brought him into the fray, and he's been really impressive in his 7 games. He's averaging 8.6 points a game, more than fellow freshman Quentin Grimes, and 4 rebounds while shooting 38.9% from three, which is one of the best marks on the team. You could legitimately argue he's one of the three best players on the Kansas roster at the moment, and he was the leading scorer for the game when Kansas lost to Texas. He is certainly a player to watch going forward, and he looks like he'll be a star in Lawrence.
- Iowa State has been so good this season, and it looks like they could get even better. A large part of their success so far has been based on newcomers, with transfers Marial Shayok and Michael Jacobson doing really well and freshmen Talen Horton-Tucker and Tyrese Haliburton arriving ahead of schedule. However, one guy who got lost in the fray was star player last season Lindell Wigginton, who missed a lot of the early season with an injury, but looks like he is back. He scored 18 against Ole Miss over the weekend, and then 28 against West Virginia. If they get another high scorer into the mix, they can raise their ceiling even higher and they look like the largest challenger to Kansas for the Big 12 title.
- In the aforementioned Big 12/SEC article, I thought Shaka Smart might've been on the hot seat. However, after their victory over Kansas, I am backing off that statement. They had an excellent game plan defensively, and it worked beautifully. They were double teaming Dedric Lawson in the post, and making the guards beat them, which they could not. I think we will see some more teams utilizing this strategy, since Kansas' guard play has been sporadic at best, and Lawson has been incredible. I also love the matchup of Jaxson Hayes on Lawson, with his length and defensive ability bothering Dedric, who had a pedestrian 13 points on 4-15 shooting, and 7 rebounds. Meanwhile, Texas hit 10 threes, which is huge for them going forward, and they absolutely killed Kansas on the glass. If I'm Bill Self, I would be worried about this game and what was revealed about how easy it is to beat them.
- Baylor absolutely murdered Oklahoma in Norman 77-47, and for those keeping score at home, Baylor is now 5-2 in conference and looks like one of the best teams in the conference, despite the loss of Tristian Clark for the year. Makai Mason has come on strong, and he has begun to look like the player we saw at Yale. It is wild how well Scott Drew has done in Big 12 play, completely turning the fortunes of a team that lost to Texas Southern and Stephen F Austin in non-conference play and looked like a Big 12 bottom feeder in conference play.
Power Rankings
1. Iowa State (2)
Record: 16-5, 5-3
2. Texas Tech (4)
Record: 17-4, 5-3
3. Kansas (1)
Record: 16-5, 5-3
4. Baylor (5)
Record: 14-6, 5-2
5. Kansas State (3)
Record: 15-5, 5-2
6. Texas (7)
Record: 11-8, 3-4
7. TCU (6)
Record: 15-5, 3-4
8. Oklahoma (8)
Record: 15-6, 3-5
9. Oklahoma State (9)
Record: 8-11, 2-5
10. West Virginia (10)
Record: 9-10, 1-6
What To Watch
- Texas travels to Ames to play Iowa State, as two teams who have beaten Kansas face off. The Kansas win kind of masked some problems for the Longhorns, who came in to this game have lost 5 of their last 7, and they have streaky shooting at best. I think that Iowa State will be able to win this game at home, for a few reason. First off, Hilton Magic is a very real thing, and the Cyclones are certainly a better team on their home court. Also, this is a high level offensive team, and I think Texas will come back down to Earth after they've had some hot shooting from behind the arc recently, and I believe that the Longhorns lose by double digits in this contest.
- In what is probably the best game in conference this week, Texas Tech heads to Kansas in a clash atop the Big 12. This is a massive game, as Kansas is looking to get back on track at home and avoid a three game losing streak, while Texas Tech looks to establish themselves as a legitimate Big 12 contender. The obvious question is how Dedric Lawson plays against a stout Texas Tech defense. Kansas really needs him playing well to succeed, and I'm unsure if he can given how the Red Raiders pack the lane. I think Kansas needs at least one guard to step up, and I don't know if someone does. However, Texas Tech needs to figure out how to score, and while they did that last game, I'm unsure if they will be dropping even 60 in this game. I think the defense of Texas Tech wins out, but it'll be very close.
- The last time TCU faced Baylor, the Horned Frogs won 85-81 at home. That was a different Baylor team, with Tristian Clark still healthy and not riding a 5 game winning streak. The Bears really struggled from three last time out, making just 25% of their threes, although they outrebounded the Horned Frogs. It will be a fascinating clash, especially in Waco, although I think TCU gets the sweep in this one. I don't see Baylor doing much better from three, especially since the Horned Frogs do a good job defending the arc, and I think the wing combination of Desmond Bane and Kouat Noi gets enough buckets for TCU to win this one on the road.
- There's an intense in-state battle coming up, with Kansas at Kansas State. It's very much like the Texas Tech game, except Kansas State is worse than the Red Raiders. This could be a game that decides Kansas' Big 12 title hopes, and it'll be really interesting to see what happens here. On thing that has been understated about Kansas this year is they have a pretty good defense, and I think that could be the biggest factor in this game, since Kansas State like flat out cannot score. I also think Dedric Lawson can feast against Dean Wade and Makol Mawien, which is pretty huge for the Jayhawks. As long as Wade and Barry Brown don't go bonkers for the Wildcats, I think Kansas gets a win on the road.
Full Big 12 Schedule 2/1-2/6
2/2
Oklahoma @ West Virginia
Texas @ Iowa State
Texas Tech @ Kansas
Kansas State @ Oklahoma State
TCU @ Baylor
2/4
West Virginia @ Texas Tech
Iowa State @ Oklahoma
2/5
Kansas @ Kansas State
2/6
Baylor @ Texas
Oklahoma State @ TCU
Tournament Tracker
Locks: N/A
Right now, I don't think any Big 12 team is for sure going to make the tournament. I certainly think there is a way in which every team misses out on the tournament, although I'm probably playing it a little conservative.
In the Field: Kansas, Iowa State, Texas Tech
These three teams are in very good spots, especially Kansas. The Jayhawks could very easily be a lock, with non-conference victories over Michigan State, Marquette, Tennessee, and Villanova. However, they've locked bad since Udoka Azubuike went down, and I could see them collapsing down the stretch. As for the other two, they have very good resumes and are playing well, and look like good bets to get a 5 seed or better come March.
Bubble: Kansas State, Baylor, TCU, Texas, Oklahoma
The bubble is pretty crowded right now, and I'm interested to see what happens. For now, all these teams have good wins (K State and Baylor beat Iowa State and Texas Tech, TCU has Texas and Florida on their resume, and Texas took down Purdue, North Carolina, and Kansas), but have some tough losses (Kansas State lost to Tulsa and Texas A&M, Baylor to Texas Southern and Stephen F Austin, TCU lost to Lipscomb, and Texas lost to Radford and VCU), and then there is Oklahoma, that has no big wins, but no bad losses. TCU is in the best spot, with Lipscomb being their worst loss, and that is by no means bad, and I think they can take down some of the top teams in the conference down the road.
Out: Oklahoma State, West Virginia
These two teams are, unfortunately, not going to be in the bracket. Oklahoma State just hasn't gotten the wins they need to in order to have a resume, despite how much I like this team, so they will be sitting it out, and West Virginia has been a dumpster fire this season, although they somehow have a win over Kansas. Bottom line however, they'll be sitting at home in March.
Thoughts
- I wrote about the Big 12/SEC Challenge over the weekend, so for all my thoughts on that challenge, check it out here.
- Ochai Agbaji has been a revelation for Kansas this season. He came in as a top 150 recruit, and he was redshirting the year up until the Udoka Azubuike injury. Bill Self made the decision to burn his redshirt and brought him into the fray, and he's been really impressive in his 7 games. He's averaging 8.6 points a game, more than fellow freshman Quentin Grimes, and 4 rebounds while shooting 38.9% from three, which is one of the best marks on the team. You could legitimately argue he's one of the three best players on the Kansas roster at the moment, and he was the leading scorer for the game when Kansas lost to Texas. He is certainly a player to watch going forward, and he looks like he'll be a star in Lawrence.
- Iowa State has been so good this season, and it looks like they could get even better. A large part of their success so far has been based on newcomers, with transfers Marial Shayok and Michael Jacobson doing really well and freshmen Talen Horton-Tucker and Tyrese Haliburton arriving ahead of schedule. However, one guy who got lost in the fray was star player last season Lindell Wigginton, who missed a lot of the early season with an injury, but looks like he is back. He scored 18 against Ole Miss over the weekend, and then 28 against West Virginia. If they get another high scorer into the mix, they can raise their ceiling even higher and they look like the largest challenger to Kansas for the Big 12 title.
- In the aforementioned Big 12/SEC article, I thought Shaka Smart might've been on the hot seat. However, after their victory over Kansas, I am backing off that statement. They had an excellent game plan defensively, and it worked beautifully. They were double teaming Dedric Lawson in the post, and making the guards beat them, which they could not. I think we will see some more teams utilizing this strategy, since Kansas' guard play has been sporadic at best, and Lawson has been incredible. I also love the matchup of Jaxson Hayes on Lawson, with his length and defensive ability bothering Dedric, who had a pedestrian 13 points on 4-15 shooting, and 7 rebounds. Meanwhile, Texas hit 10 threes, which is huge for them going forward, and they absolutely killed Kansas on the glass. If I'm Bill Self, I would be worried about this game and what was revealed about how easy it is to beat them.
- Baylor absolutely murdered Oklahoma in Norman 77-47, and for those keeping score at home, Baylor is now 5-2 in conference and looks like one of the best teams in the conference, despite the loss of Tristian Clark for the year. Makai Mason has come on strong, and he has begun to look like the player we saw at Yale. It is wild how well Scott Drew has done in Big 12 play, completely turning the fortunes of a team that lost to Texas Southern and Stephen F Austin in non-conference play and looked like a Big 12 bottom feeder in conference play.
Power Rankings
1. Iowa State (2)
Record: 16-5, 5-3
2. Texas Tech (4)
Record: 17-4, 5-3
3. Kansas (1)
Record: 16-5, 5-3
4. Baylor (5)
Record: 14-6, 5-2
5. Kansas State (3)
Record: 15-5, 5-2
6. Texas (7)
Record: 11-8, 3-4
7. TCU (6)
Record: 15-5, 3-4
8. Oklahoma (8)
Record: 15-6, 3-5
9. Oklahoma State (9)
Record: 8-11, 2-5
10. West Virginia (10)
Record: 9-10, 1-6
What To Watch
- Texas travels to Ames to play Iowa State, as two teams who have beaten Kansas face off. The Kansas win kind of masked some problems for the Longhorns, who came in to this game have lost 5 of their last 7, and they have streaky shooting at best. I think that Iowa State will be able to win this game at home, for a few reason. First off, Hilton Magic is a very real thing, and the Cyclones are certainly a better team on their home court. Also, this is a high level offensive team, and I think Texas will come back down to Earth after they've had some hot shooting from behind the arc recently, and I believe that the Longhorns lose by double digits in this contest.
- In what is probably the best game in conference this week, Texas Tech heads to Kansas in a clash atop the Big 12. This is a massive game, as Kansas is looking to get back on track at home and avoid a three game losing streak, while Texas Tech looks to establish themselves as a legitimate Big 12 contender. The obvious question is how Dedric Lawson plays against a stout Texas Tech defense. Kansas really needs him playing well to succeed, and I'm unsure if he can given how the Red Raiders pack the lane. I think Kansas needs at least one guard to step up, and I don't know if someone does. However, Texas Tech needs to figure out how to score, and while they did that last game, I'm unsure if they will be dropping even 60 in this game. I think the defense of Texas Tech wins out, but it'll be very close.
- The last time TCU faced Baylor, the Horned Frogs won 85-81 at home. That was a different Baylor team, with Tristian Clark still healthy and not riding a 5 game winning streak. The Bears really struggled from three last time out, making just 25% of their threes, although they outrebounded the Horned Frogs. It will be a fascinating clash, especially in Waco, although I think TCU gets the sweep in this one. I don't see Baylor doing much better from three, especially since the Horned Frogs do a good job defending the arc, and I think the wing combination of Desmond Bane and Kouat Noi gets enough buckets for TCU to win this one on the road.
- There's an intense in-state battle coming up, with Kansas at Kansas State. It's very much like the Texas Tech game, except Kansas State is worse than the Red Raiders. This could be a game that decides Kansas' Big 12 title hopes, and it'll be really interesting to see what happens here. On thing that has been understated about Kansas this year is they have a pretty good defense, and I think that could be the biggest factor in this game, since Kansas State like flat out cannot score. I also think Dedric Lawson can feast against Dean Wade and Makol Mawien, which is pretty huge for the Jayhawks. As long as Wade and Barry Brown don't go bonkers for the Wildcats, I think Kansas gets a win on the road.
Full Big 12 Schedule 2/1-2/6
2/2
Oklahoma @ West Virginia
Texas @ Iowa State
Texas Tech @ Kansas
Kansas State @ Oklahoma State
TCU @ Baylor
2/4
West Virginia @ Texas Tech
Iowa State @ Oklahoma
2/5
Kansas @ Kansas State
2/6
Baylor @ Texas
Oklahoma State @ TCU
Tournament Tracker
Locks: N/A
Right now, I don't think any Big 12 team is for sure going to make the tournament. I certainly think there is a way in which every team misses out on the tournament, although I'm probably playing it a little conservative.
In the Field: Kansas, Iowa State, Texas Tech
These three teams are in very good spots, especially Kansas. The Jayhawks could very easily be a lock, with non-conference victories over Michigan State, Marquette, Tennessee, and Villanova. However, they've locked bad since Udoka Azubuike went down, and I could see them collapsing down the stretch. As for the other two, they have very good resumes and are playing well, and look like good bets to get a 5 seed or better come March.
Bubble: Kansas State, Baylor, TCU, Texas, Oklahoma
The bubble is pretty crowded right now, and I'm interested to see what happens. For now, all these teams have good wins (K State and Baylor beat Iowa State and Texas Tech, TCU has Texas and Florida on their resume, and Texas took down Purdue, North Carolina, and Kansas), but have some tough losses (Kansas State lost to Tulsa and Texas A&M, Baylor to Texas Southern and Stephen F Austin, TCU lost to Lipscomb, and Texas lost to Radford and VCU), and then there is Oklahoma, that has no big wins, but no bad losses. TCU is in the best spot, with Lipscomb being their worst loss, and that is by no means bad, and I think they can take down some of the top teams in the conference down the road.
Out: Oklahoma State, West Virginia
These two teams are, unfortunately, not going to be in the bracket. Oklahoma State just hasn't gotten the wins they need to in order to have a resume, despite how much I like this team, so they will be sitting it out, and West Virginia has been a dumpster fire this season, although they somehow have a win over Kansas. Bottom line however, they'll be sitting at home in March.
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