With the end of January rapidly approaching, the Big 12 boasts one of the nation’s three remaining undefeated teams in No. 1-ranked Arizona.
The league also has five other teams ranked in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, including three in the top 10. Several teams appear to be serious national championship contenders.
Let’s take a deeper look inside the league with Hoop HQ’s Big 12 Power Rankings.
*This article is part of an ongoing conference power ranking series. Read our recent editions using the buttons below.
1. Arizona Wildcats
Record: 21-0 (8-0 Big 12)
The Wildcats held off BYU on the road Monday to remain unbeaten and match their 2013-14 team for the best start in school history. Freshman guard Brayden Burries scored 29 points and made a critical block late to seal the win. Arizona has spent the past two weeks as the nation’s unanimous No. 1 team with wins over ranked opponents Florida, UConn, Alabama and Auburn and looks for its 22nd straight win on Saturday against rival Arizona State.
2. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Record: 16-4 (6-1)
Few teams in the country are as hot as the Red Raiders, who have won nine of their last 10 games after battling injuries earlier this season. They beat Houston last Saturday for their fifth straight win to avenge a Jan. 6 loss to the Cougars. Texas Tech got 31 points and 12 rebounds from junior forward JT Toppin and finished with a 44-28 rebounding advantage in the victory. The Red Raiders, who beat then-No. 3 Duke on Dec. 20, head to UCF on Saturday for their only game of the week.
3. Houston Cougars
Record: 17-2 (5-1)
The Cougars saw their 11-game winning streak snapped last Saturday with a loss at Texas Tech despite a 42-point outburst by freshman guard Kingston Flemings. The two-time reigning Big 12 champs had won a conference-record 16 consecutive true road games before falling to the Red Raiders — the only team to beat Kelvin Sampson’s program last season in Big 12 play. Houston has two of its next three games at home, starting with a trip to TCU on Wednesday before facing Cincinnati on Saturday.
4. Iowa State Cyclones
Record: 18-2 (5-2)
On the heels of their first losses of the season, the Cyclones rolled to a pair of wins by a combined 43 points last week to continue the best start in program history. Sharpshooting junior forward Milan Momcilovic poured in 29 points in a win at Oklahoma State after versatile senior forward Joshua Jefferson had a 17-point, 10-rebound, 12-assist triple-double in a blowout of UCF. The Cyclones play four of their next six games at home, beginning Thursday against Colorado.
5. BYU Cougars
Record: 17-3 (5-2)
After beating Utah last Saturday, the Cougars rallied late before falling at home to top-ranked Arizona on Monday as star freshman forward AJ Dybantsa had 24 points on 6 for 24 shooting. Dybantsa exploded for a career-high 43 points in the win over Utah to break BYU’s single-game freshman scoring record, previously held by Danny Ainge. On Saturday, the Cougars head to Kansas in a potential matchup of Dybantsa and fellow freshman phenom Darryn Peterson.
6. Kansas Jayhawks
Record: 15-5 (5-2)
The Jayhawks have won four straight since a Jan. 10 loss at West Virginia following last week’s wins at Colorado and Kansas State. Senior guard Melvin Council Jr. had 18 points against the Buffaloes, and sophomore big man Flory Bidunga had a 21-point, 10-rebound effort at Kansas State, as previously mentioned Darryn Peterson was out with an ankle injury. The Jayhawks hope Peterson, who has missed 10 games this season due to injury, is back Saturday when they play BYU.
7. UCF Knights
Record: 15-4 (4-3)
The Knights beat Colorado last Saturday to end a two-game slide after recent top-10 losses to Arizona and Iowa State. Few things went right for UCF at Iowa State after Johnny Dawkins’ club had 19 turnovers playing without senior guard Jamichael Stillwell, who returned to help the hot-shooting Knights to a win against Colorado. UCF can add to its NCAA Tournament resume this week with home games against Arizona State and Texas Tech.
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8. West Virginia Mountaineers
Record: 13-7 (4-3)
It’s been an up-and-down first season for Ross Hodge as the Mountaineers have a win over Kansas among their four conference victories, but also losses to ranked Iowa State, Houston and Arizona by an average margin of 28 points. Last week featured a win at Arizona State behind Treysen Eaglestaff’s 23 points, then an 88-53 loss to Arizona in Tucson. They are home this week against Kansas State on Tuesday and Baylor on Saturday.
9. TCU Horned Frogs
Record: 13-7 (3-4)
The Horned Frogs ended a four-game slide last week with wins over Oklahoma State and Baylor. Sophomore forward David Punch had a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double and the last-second, go-ahead basket against the Cowboys. The flu sidelined Punch against Baylor, but TCU still escaped Waco with a 97-90 win as senior guard Jayden Pierre had a career-high 25 points. Next up is a home game Wednesday against Houston.
10. Arizona State Sun Devils
Record: 11-9 (2-5)
The Sun Devils snapped a three-game losing streak with Saturday’s 82-68 win over Cincinnati as senior guard Moe Odum had 33 points and 8 assists. It came a game after coach Bobby Hurley had voiced his frustration with his team after losing to West Virginia. This week presents more challenges with a game Tuesday at UCF before Saturday’s rematch with in-state foe Arizona.
11. Cincinnati Bearcats
Record: 10-10 (2-5)
Last week’s road losses at Arizona and Arizona State took some of the luster off Cincinnati’s Jan. 17 win over then-No. 2-ranked Iowa State. Coach Wes Miller remains on the hot seat after failing to make the NCAA Tournament in his previous four years. The Bearcats play three of their next four at home, with Baylor coming to town on Wednesday before Saturday’s contest at Houston.
12. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Record: 14-6 (2-5)
Last week included two tough losses for the Cowboys, including a 68-65 defeat at TCU before an 84-71 loss to Iowa State. Improved ball control is needed as Oklahoma State had 14 turnovers in both of those games. This week offers a chance to reboot as the Cowboys travel Saturday to Utah before a brutal stretch the following week against BYU and Arizona.
13. Baylor Bears
Record: 11-8 (1-6)
Scott Drew’s squad started 10-2 with a completely overhauled roster from last season before falling on hard times and losing three straight games. The Bears are 1-6 in Big 12 play for the first time since the 2006-07 season and face must-win games this week at Cincinnati and West Virginia if they want to jump back into the NCAA Tournament picture.
14. Colorado Buffaloes
Record: 12-8 (2-5)
The Buffaloes won their first two conference games before losing five straight, including a pair at home last week to Kansas and UCF. Both of those were winnable contests as Colorado had only three turnovers in the loss to the Jayhawks and shot better than 50 percent against the Knights. Four of their next six are on the road, with a Thursday matchup at Iowa State.
15. Kansas State Wildcats
Record: 10-10 (1-6)
Since starting 9-4, the Wildcats have dropped six of their last seven games, with the lone win coming last week over Utah behind 34 points from junior guard PJ Haggerty. Multiple injuries left Kansas State short-handed in last Saturday’s loss to rival Kansas. The schedule doesn’t let up this week with games against West Virginia and Iowa State.
16. Utah Utes
Record: 9-11 (1-6)
It’s been a rough first year so far for Alex Jensen at his alma mater as the Utes lost at Kansas State and BYU last week following a Jan. 17 win over TCU. Three of Utah’s next four games are at home, with Oklahoma State heading to town on Saturday.
Meet your guide
