On Monday afternoon, the College Basketball AP Top 25 was released, and the Big 12 showed up in dominating fashion. Six teams from the league were included after some incredible showings in Week 12.
It should go without saying that undefeated Arizona sits atop the nation at No. 1 overall, thanks to its 20-0 record, but with this many teams showing up big, it speaks volumes about the league for a number of reasons. And in the Big 12, it’s a huge Big Monday match up with Arizona playing at BYU.
A League of Their Own
As I previously said, six teams appeared in the Top 25, and not just that, all six teams were inside the Top 15. That is actually nuts! Arizona kicked off the list at No. 1 overall, followed by No. 8 Iowa State, No. 10 Houston, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 13 BYU, and No. 14 Kansas. Collectively, between those six teams, the group sits a combined 103-15. There is no other league in the world of college basketball like the Big 12 Conference, and it stems from a mix of long-time league members and some incredible additions made by Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark through conference realignment. It’s a damn good day to be in the second-best league in the world.
Two Things to Note
For savvy Big 12 viewers or fans of either Texas Tech or Houston, you probably noticed something interesting about the list. Grant McCasland and the Texas Tech Red Raiders sit at No. 11, just one spot behind No. 10 Houston. That stands out for one reason and one reason only: Tech just took down Houston 90-86 in Lubbock, but was unable to cruise past them in national rankings. For the Red Raiders, it’s a bit of a kick in the head because of what just went down, but for many national voters, Houston’s 17-2 overall record and 5-1 record in conference play is viewed as a better resume than that of Texas Tech’s (16-4, 6-1 CONF). For now, it doesn’t matter much, considering both teams are on the fast track toward Top 16 overall seeds in the Big Dance, but when push comes to shove, it does add a little fuel to the fire.
Next, one of the loudest arguments of the year last year was the SEC’s so-called “chokehold” on college basketball. Experts and coaches around the world spent months debating the league and trying to anoint it as college basketball’s best, but in 2025-26, that conversation is dead. The SEC has just four Top 25 teams ranked, including No. 15 Arkansas, No. 18 Vanderbilt, No. 19 Florida (Preseason No. 1), and No. 23 Alabama. Glad to see all is right in the world, with the Big 12 on top.
Who’s Next?
One of the only downsides to this week’s update is the major drop between Kansas and the Big 12’s next-best team from a voter perspective. No other league members were even receiving votes to be ranked, and the next-best team in terms of NET is UCF at No. 38. They sit at 15-4 overall with a conference record of 3-2. They’ve been ranked this season already, climbing as high as No. 25, and now the question has changed from ‘Can they stay?’ to ‘Can they find their way back in?’ Only time will tell for the Knights, Horned Frogs, Bears, and everyone else looking to earn a spot among the nation’s best.
