We’re approximately halfway through the NCAA regular season and most Power 5 conferences look like they have a solid projected regular season champion. For instance, Virginia is looking like the favorite to win the ACC, Ohio State and Purdue are the biggest contenders for the Big Ten, Arizona looks like a solid winner for the Pac-12, and Florida and Auburn are the leaders for the suddenly basketball dominant SEC. Something nobody’s really talking about, however, is what’s going on in the Big 12.
There is a FOUR-way tie for second, and one loss separating No. 7 Kansas from losing their sole number one spot. No. 15 West Virginia, No. 10 Texas Tech, unranked Kansas State, and No. 12 Oklahoma are all fighting for that spot of No. 1.
No. 7 Kansas, 17-4 (6-2 Conf)
Recently, on January 23rd, No. 12 Oklahoma upset the No. 5 Jayhawks. This leaves the Hawks with an overall 17-4 record, matching West Virginia and Texas Tech. The losses on the Jayhawks’ resume for the season so far are against unranked Washington, No. 16 Arizona State, No. 18 Texas Tech and No. 12 Oklahoma. Granted, 3 out of those 4 losses are against ranked teams, and the weeks without Silvio De Sousa and the loss of 5-star recruit Billy Preston didn’t really help much.
No. 12 Oklahoma, 15-5 (5-3 Conf)
Oklahoma has been a solid team on the brink of collapse recently. Their only true threat is 5 Star recruit Trae Young, who’s absolutely tearing it up on the court. Their losses to No. 6 West Virginia and unranked Kansas State, as well as a complete reliance on Trae Young to carry the team, have put a serious damper on their play, but expect the Sooners to make a solid run during the big dance as long as Trae Young gets the support he needs.
No. 10 Texas Tech, 17-4 (5-3 Conf)
Texas Tech is kind of the team nobody really expected to show up in Big 12/National Champion talks, however they’ve made their claim and are ready to show the world that they’re better than what they’ve been in the past. After a mediocre 18-14 season last year (6-12 in Big 12 play), they’ve showed up fighting this season, with significant wins over No. 10 Kansas, No. 2 West Virginia and No. 18 Baylor. They’ve also had some crushing losses against unranked Texas, Seton Hall, and Iowa State.
The Red Raiders are a solid defensive team, ranked No. 7 in defensive scoring, however they show an overall evenness in their offensive play. If they continue to play how they play, they have a chance to overcome Oklahoma, Kansas, and West Virginia, and somehow take over the Big 12.
No. 15 West Virginia, 16-5 (5-3 Conf)
West Virginia is a solid and mighty team. The Mountaineers are being led by Senior Jevon Carter, their defensive strength is what wins games. Sure, their offense is solid with four players averaging double digits including Carter, but their defense is scary. They have one player averaging 3.3 Blocks per game in Sagaba Konate, and Jevon Carter is tied for No. 1 nationally in steals per game.
It’s hard to blow off West Virginia as being a National Championship contender, never mind the Big 12 Champion for both the Regular Season and Tournament. Losses against No. 25 Texas A&M, unranked TCU, No. 10 Kansas and No. 8 Texas Tech are concerning, but their wins against Kansas State, No. 7 Oklahoma, and No. 15 Virginia are wins to cement their status as a threat.
Kansas State, 16-5 (5-3 Conf)
Now, on to my final and favorite team to win the Big 12, Kansas State. The wildcats are, in my opinion, underrated and not talked about except after a big win. They’ve lost 5 games, two of which were against unranked Tulsa and Arizona State. That disappointed many wildcat fans at the beginning, but once the Big 12 regular season hit, Wildcat fans knew that there was something more to this season. An eight-point loss to No. 6 West Virginia and a blowout loss to No. 18 Texas Tech were discouraging, but the one point loss to No. 12 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse brought fire back into the hearts of Wildcat fans nationwide. An 87-69 blowout over No. 4 Oklahoma and a win over No. 24 Ranked TCU gave, especially with a home game vs. Kansas later tonight, a fighting chance for the regular season crown. Now, tied for second in the Big 12 and one possible win over Kansas away from being tied for first, Kansas State is the most likely underdog to win the Big 12.
It’s a toss up, nobody knows what’s going to happen, and it’s probably been the most exciting Big 12 season since 1988 when it was only a Big 8. We’ll just have to see what the future holds, who upsets who, and who can hold stamina and stride through to the end of the regular season.