The Big 12’s reputation took a serious hit this past weekend, with the midwest league that appeared deep and competitive during the past several weeks coming up on the losing end of the Big 12/SEC Challenge, 6-4.
The perceived lower-tier teams in the conference so often dominated by Kansas weren’t the only ones to blame, either. Oklahoma’s road loss at Alabama, West Virginia’s home defeat against Kentucky and TCU’s misstep at Vanderbilt makes one question just how well the top of the Big 12 actually stacks up with the rest of the country.
The Mountaineers, who had looked so solid for much of the year, now have dropped four of their past five games.
OU followed up a win over Kansas with a loss to an Alabama squad that might be the eighth-best team in the SEC.
Baylor, ranked as high as No. 16 in the AP Top 25 in November, had dropped seven of its previous nine games.
Selection Sunday is now just under six weeks away and the Big 12 overall looks vulnerable.
> **WINNERS – 2018 BIG 12/SEC CHALLENGE**
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> Kansas, 79-68, vs. Texas A&M
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> Texas Tech, 70-63, at South Carolina
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> Texas, 85-72, vs. Ole Miss
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> Kansas State, 56-51, vs. Georgia
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> Kentucky, 83-76, at West Virginia
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> Alabama, 80-73, vs. Oklahoma
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> Florida, 81-60, vs. Baylor
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> Tennessee, 68-45, at Iowa State
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> Vanderbilt, 81-78, vs. TCU
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> Arkansas, 66-65, vs. Oklahoma State
Here’s a rundown of the Big 12’s most NCAA Tournament-ready teams as of late January, ranked from first to 10th.
*Each team’s best victories and its losses — good, bad and in between — are considered in this process, using KenPom.com’s ratings, to classify the league’s most and least impressive squads to date.*
Big 12 Power Rankings — Jan. 29, 2018
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**No. 1 – Kansas (17-4)**
*Kenpom ranking*: No. 9
*Average point differential in Big 12 play:* +0.9
*Top-50 wins*: No. 25 Kentucky, at No. 26 TCU, No. 43 Syracuse, at No. 42 Texas, No. 35 Kansas State, at No. 14 West Virginia, No. 36 Texas A&M
*Losses*: No. 91 Washington, No. 28 Arizona State, No. 11 Texas Tech, at No. 22 Oklahoma
**No. 2 – West Virginia (16-5)**
*Kenpom ranking:* No. 14
*Average point differential in Big 12 play:* +6.2
*Top-50 wins*: No. 49 Missouri, No. 2 Virginia, at No. 35 Kansas State, No. 22 Oklahoma, No. 42 Texas
*Losses*: No. 36 Texas A&M, at No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 9 Kansas, at No. 26 TCU, No. 25 Kentucky
**No. 3 – Oklahoma (15-5)**
*Kenpom ranking*: No. 22
*Average point differential in Big 12 play:* +1.0
*Top-50 wins*: No. 48 USC, at No. 19 Wichita State, at No. 26 TCU, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 26 TCU (OT), No. 9 Kansas
*Losses*: No. 47 Arkansas, at No. 14 West Virginia, at No. 35 Kansas State, at No. 68 Oklahoma State (OT), at No. 56 Alabama
**No. 4 – Texas Tech (17-4)**
*Kenpom ranking:* No. 11
*Average point differential in Big 12 play:* +2.6
*Top-50 wins*: No. 18 Nevada (OT), at No. 9 Kansas, No. 35 Kansas State, No. 14 West Virginia
*Losses*: No. 32 Seton Hall, at No. 22 Oklahoma, at No. 42 Texas, at No. 116 Iowa State
**No. 5 – Kansas State (16-5)**
*Kenpom ranking*: No. 35
*Average point differential in Big 12 play:* +3.1
*Top-50 wins*: No. 22 Oklahoma, No. 26 TCU
*Losses*: No. 28 Arizona State, No. 135 Tulsa, No. 14 West Virginia, at No. 11 Texas Tech, at No. 9 Kansas
**No. 6 – TCU (15-6)**
*Kenpom ranking*: No. 26
*Average point differential in Big 12 play:* +2.4
*Top-50 wins*: No. 44 SMU, No. 18 Nevada, No. 14 West Virginia
*Losses*: No. 22 Oklahoma, No. 9 Kansas, at No. 42 Texas (2OT), at No. 22 Oklahoma (OT), at No. 35 Kansas State, at No. 92 Vanderbilt
**No. 7 – Texas (14-7)**
*Kenpom ranking*: No. 42
*Average point differential in Big 12 play:* -2.6
*Top-50 wins*: No. 30 Butler, No. 26 TCU (2OT), No. 11 Texas Tech
*Losses*: No. 4 Duke (OT), No. 7 Gonzaga (OT), No. 24 Michigan, No. 9 Kansas, at No. 51 Baylor, at No. 68 Oklahoma State, at No. 14 West Virginia
**No. 8 – Baylor (12-9)**
*Kenpom ranking*: No. 51
*Average point differential in Big 12 play:* -3.1
*Top-50 wins*: No. 23 Creighton, No. 42 Texas
*Losses*: at No. 12 Xavier, No. 19 Wichita State, at No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 26 TCU (OT), at No. 14 West Virginia, at No. 116 Iowa State, at No. 9 Kansas, No. 35 Kansas State, at No. 21 Florida
**No. 9 – Oklahoma State (13-8)**
*Kenpom ranking*: No. 68
*Average point differential in Big 12 play:* -4.9
*Top-50 wins*: No. 20 Florida State, No. 42 Texas, No. 22 Oklahoma (OT)
*Losses*: No. 36 Texas A&M, No. 19 Wichita State, No. 14 West Virginia, No. 22 Oklahoma, at No. 35 Kansas State, at No. 51 Baylor, at No. 11 Texas Tech, at No. 47 Arkansas
**No. 10 – Iowa State (11-9)**
*Kenpom ranking*: No. 116
*Average point differential in Big 12 play:* -5.6
*Top-50 wins*: No. 11 Texas Tech
*Losses*: at No. 49 Missouri, No. 217 Milwaukee, No. 35 Kansas State, No. 42 Texas (OT), at No. 68 Oklahoma State (OT), at No. 9 Kansas, at No. 26 TCU, at No. 42 Texas, No. 10 Tennessee
**Previous rankings:**
– [Jan. 9 — Top 3: WVU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma][1]
– [Jan. 15 — Top 3: Texas Tech, West Virginia, Oklahoma][2]
– [Jan. 22 — Top 3: Kansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma][3]
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/smithology/2018/jan/9/big-12-power-rankings-which-teams-appear/edit/
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/smithology/2018/jan/15/big-12-power-rankings-no-gimmes-in-this-/
[3]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/smithology/2018/jan/22/big-12-power-rankings-jayhawks-emerge-as/