The Big 12 men’s basketball season is about to go dark for the next several days as teams enjoy the holidays and prepare for conference action starting on Dec. 30.
Each of the league’s 16 teams wrapped up their non-conference slates on Sunday, and just one team — Baylor — will play a game between now and next Monday, when the first league games are scheduled to be played.
For that reason, this will be our last power rankings before conference action begins. Beginning in January, the men’s power rankings will appear every Monday here at Heartland College Sports until we get to the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.
Plus, we’re changing the format ever so slightly. I’ll still rank all 16 teams, but each week we’re going to focus on four teams in particular. This time, it’ll be the four new teams — Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.
Enjoy the break. Now let’s get to the rankings.
No. 1 Iowa State (10-1, Last Ranking: 1)
No. 2 Cincinnati (10-1, Last Ranking: No. 2)
No. 3 West Virginia (9-2, Last Ranking: No. 3)
No. 4 Houston (8-3, Last Ranking: 5)
No. 5 Arizona State (9-2, Last Ranking: No. 4)
Since our last rankings, the Sun Devils lost to Florida. So both of Arizona State’s losses are to Top 10 teams. For that reason, it’s still not easy to get a read on ASU. Bobby Hurley’s team has quality mid-major wins over Saint Mary’s, New Mexico and Grand Canyon. But a win over a Big 12 team will be paramount to keeping the Sun Devils high in these rankings. I could see them falling fast if they prove their start was less impressive than it seems now.
Guard Joson Sanon leads with 14 points per game, one of five ASU players averaging double figures. Freshman Jayden Quaintance is averaging 9.4 points and 8.3 rebounds and could really make a move in Big 12 play.
No. 6 Kansas (9-2, Last Ranking: 6)
No. 7 Colorado (9-2, Last Ranking: No. 7)
Colorado has already played a pseudo-conference game after falling hard against Iowa State out in Maui. But, the Buffs were playing that game after upsetting then-No. 2 UConn. Since losing to Iowa State the Buffaloes have won four games in a row, including blowing out their in-state rival Colorado State.
Coach Tad Boyle had to turn over his roster, so 9-2 entering conference play is certainly acceptable. Guard Julian Hammond III leads the Buffs with 13.1 points, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals. I sense that this team could have rebounding issues in Big 12 play.
No. 8 Texas Tech (9-2, Last Ranking: No. 8)
No. 9 Baylor (7-3, Last Ranking: 9)
No. 10 BYU (9-2, Last Ranking: No. 12)
No. 11 UCF (9-2, Last Ranking: No. 10)
No. 12 Oklahoma State (8-3, Last Ranking: No. 11)
No. 13 Arizona (6-5, Last Ranking: No. 16)
Arizona has played a brutal schedule and ultimately I believe it will help the Wildcats. All five of Arizona’s losses have come to high-major teams. I’m not sure any team in the conference has taken that many major tests. Arizona should be low here because it is 0-5 in those games. But I also believe the Wildcats can rise quickly.
Four players, led by guard Caleb Love’s 15.2 points, are averaging double figures. How the Wildcats replace center injured center Motiejus Krivas is going to be a pivot point in their season. Arizona just burned Emmanuel Stephen’s redshirt hoping the talented freshman is the answer.
No. 14 TCU (7-4, Last Ranking: No. 15)
No. 15 Utah (6-2, Last Ranking: No. 13)
Utah took one last test against Iowa on a neutral court and fell by seven points. Utah lost both games to high-majors and also has a loss to mid-major power Saint Mary’s.
The Utes are a great shooting team and guard Gabe Madsen may end up being the conference’s leading 3-point shooter. Three Utes average double figures. Utah has the potential to be one of the highest-scoring teams in the conference by season’s end. But does that travel? The Utes will find out really fast when they go to Baylor on Dec. 31.
No. 16 Kansas State (6-5, Last Ranking: No. 14)
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
