More parity than ever in Big 12 basketball this season

By Staff     Feb 15, 2018

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Kansas center Udoka Azubuike (35) puts a shot over Iowa State forward Solomon Young (33) during the second half, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

When Big 12 coaches say any team can beat any other conference member anywhere, this year it’s not just coaches spewing platitudes. It’s the truth. The best evidence of that lies in the fact that all three of first-place Texas Tech’s losses (Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa State) came against schools with losing conference records.

A look at some Big 12 numbers during Bill Self’s time at Kansas demonstrate that the difference between schools at the top and bottom is smaller than ever.

Year First place Last place Games
Behind
17-18 Texas Tech (10-3) Iowa State (4-9) 6 (5 left)
16-17 Kansas (16-2) Texas (4-14) 12
15-16 Kansas (15-3) TCU (2-16) 13
14-15 Kansas (13-5) Texas Tech (3-15) 10
13-14 Kansas (14-4) TCU (0-18) 14
12-13 KU/K-St. (14-4) TCU (2-16) 12
11-12 Kansas (16-2) Texas Tech (1-17) 15
10-11 Kansas (14-2) Iowa State (3-13) 11
09-10 Kansas (15-1) Nebraska (2-14) 13
08-09 Kansas (14-2) Colorado (3-13) 11
07-08 KU/Texas (13-3) Baylor (4-12) 9
06-07 Kansas (14-2) Colorado (4-12) 10
05-06 KU/Texas (13-3) Baylor (4-12) 9
04-05 KU/Oklahoma (12-4) Baylor (1-15) 11
03-04 Oklahoma State (14-2) Texas A&M (0-16) 14

The shrinking gap between the school with the highest average scoring margin and the lowest has narrowed greatly the past two seasons.

Year Top
Scoring
Margin
Bottom
Scoring
Margin
Difference
17-18 WVU +6.7 OSU -4.6 11.3
16-17 WVU +6.7 UT -6.1 12.8
15-16 KU +8.5 TCU -13.4 21.9
14-15 KU +6.8 TT -13.5 20.3
13-14 KU +10.2 TCU -17.8 28
12-13 KU +9.7 TT -14.7 24.4
11-12 KU +11.9 TT -15.9 27.8
10-11 UT +13.1 ISU -8.6 21.7
09-10 KU +12.4 NU -10.1 22.5
08-09 KU +10.5 CU -11.9 22.4
07-08 KU +16.8 CU -7.8 24.6
06-07 KU +17.3 CU -13.1 30.4
05-06 UT +15.1 MU -9.8 24.9
04-05 OU +9.3 BU -14.8 24.1
03-04 OSU +10.4 BU -11.6 22
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51714More parity than ever in Big 12 basketball this season