Big 12 MBB power rankings: Houston rises to No. 1 after Arizona’s loss, Kansas climbs
Welcome to the Hotline’s Big 12 men’s basketball power rankings, a weekly assessment of the conference using analytics and common sense, with a strand of pasta occasionally heaved at the wall when mayhem is rampant. The power rankings will be published each Tuesday through the end of the regular season. (Last week’s edition focused on Arizona’s daunting stretch and the benefits that would come with a loss.)
Results and NET rankings through Monday
1. Houston (21-2/9-1)
Results: beat UCF 79-55, won at BYU 77-66
NET ranking: No. 6
Comment: Not since the 2020-21 season have the Cougars been more efficient offensively than defensively, per the Pomeroy Ratings (points-per-possession scored and allowed). But as of now, they are No. 4 nationally in offense and No. 9 in defense. (Previous: 2)
2. Arizona (23-1/10-1)
Results: beat Oklahoma State 84-47, lost at Kansas 82-78
NET ranking: No. 2
Comment: Arizona fans should resist the urge to blame the loss on referee Tony Padilla — he didn’t cause Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat to shoot 4-of-19 from the field — and instead embrace the defeat. It will make the Wildcats a better team in the long run. Losing, at least on a limited basis, is actually beneficial. (Previous: 1)
3. Kansas (19-5/9-2)
Results: beat Utah 71-59 and Arizona 82-78
NET ranking: No. 13
Comment: The Hotline won’t go as far as suggesting the Jayhawks are better off without mercurial wing Darryn Peterson, but the thought certainly crossed our mind repeatedly in the second half Monday night. (Previous: 4)
4. Iowa State (21-2/8-2)
Results: beat Baylor 72-69
NET ranking: No. 5
Comment: As with Arizona, it’s about to get real for the Cyclones, who face Kansas, Houston, BYU, Texas Tech and Arizona in a 17-day stretch that could have been scheduled by Edgar Allen Poe himself. (Previous: 3)
5. Texas Tech (17-6/7-3)
Results: won at West Virginia 70-63
NET ranking: No. 18
Comment: The Red Raiders are in worse shape relative to the lead pack than it appears due to a triple-whammy road schedule down the stretch that features trips to Tucson, Ames and Provo. And they don’t play any of the heavyweights at home, only middleweights. (Previous: 5)
6. BYU (17-6/5-5)
Results: lost at Oklahoma State 99-92 and to Houston 77-66
NET ranking: No. 19
Comment: The Cougars have dropped four in a row and five of six, and the skid isn’t for lack of scoring punch. They are soft on defense and won’t survive the first weekend of the NCAAs unless that changes. (Previous: 6)
7. UCF (17-6/6-5)
Results: lost at Houston 79-55 and at Cincinnati 92-72
NET ranking: No. 44
Comment: In case the math isn’t obvious, we’ll lay it out: Losing by 20 at Cincinnati is twice as bad as losing by 24 at Houston. (Previous: 7)
8. Baylor (13-10/3-8)
Results: beat Colorado 86-67, lost at Iowa State 72-69
NET ranking: No. 46
Comment: On the bright side, there are a slew of winnable games down the stretch, even for a team that often appears allergic to defense. (Previous: 9)
9. Colorado (14-10/4-7)
Results: lost at Baylor 86-67, beat Arizona State 78-70
NET ranking: No. 72
Comment: We used to count on the Buffaloes being multiple games over .500 at home and multiple games under .500 on the road. Now, they are merely mediocre in Boulder, which leaves no path to relevance. (Previous: 8)
10. TCU (14-9/4-6)
Results: beat Kansas State 84-82
NET ranking: No. 53
Comment: If the Hotline had access to the NET algorithm, we would turn TCU’s loss to New Orleans into a win and re-run the calculation just to quantify the damage it has caused. (Previous: 10)
11. Oklahoma State (16-7/4-6)
Results: beat BYU 99-92, lost at Arizona 84-47
NET ranking: No. 65
Comment: Not unreasonable to think the Cowboys could finish above .500 in conference play. And depending on how things shake out at the top of the standings, Steve Lutz might be a serious candidate for Big 12 Coach of the Year. (Previous: 11)
12. West Virginia (15-9/6-5)
Results: won at Cincinnati 59-54, lost to Texas Tech 70-63
NET ranking: No. 62
Comment: The same could be said for the Mountaineers and first-year coach Ross Hodge, by the way. (Previous: 12)
13. Cincinnati (12-12/4-7)
Results: lost to West Virginia 59-54, beat UCF 92-72
NET ranking: No. 69
Comment: Each of UC’s victories have come by at least three possessions (i.e., no close wins). Hard to believe there are many teams in Division I that can make the same claim. (Previous: 13)
14. Arizona State (12-12/3-8)
Results: won at Utah 71-63, lost at Colorado 78-70
NET ranking: No. 80
Comment: We are used to seeing Bobby Hurley’s teams play rugged defense but struggle to score. This version is far worse at preventing points than producing them. (Previous: 14)
15. Kansas State (10-13/1-9)
Results: lost at TCU 84-82
NET ranking: No. 91
Comment: The strength of the Big 12 lies at the top, with a slew of NCAA title contenders, and near the bottom, where even a team that’s 1-9 in conference play has a NET ranking in the top 100. (Previous: 15)
16. Utah (9-14/1-9)
Results: lost to Arizona State 71-63 and at Kansas 71-59
NET ranking: No. 129
Comment: That said, there’s always one team that doesn’t get the message. (Previous: 16)
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