On Monday afternoon, the College Basketball AP Top 25 was released, and the Big 12 took a small step back from the previous. Six teams from the league were still included, though a few had some notable drops.
Arizona dropped to No. 4 after suffering its first and second losses of the season, as did BYU, which took a tumble. The rest of the teams stayed in similar standing, and in some cases moved up a few spots.
Full Big 12 Rankings
- Houston – No. 2
- Arizona – No. 4
- Iowa State – No. 6
- Kansas – No. 8
- Texas Tech – No. 13
- BYU – No. 23
Dominant But Complicated
Okay, when you check the AP Top 25 poll and see six league members ranked, that’s a great sign! The issue comes when you look at the bigger picture. Needless to say, the Big 12 has some incredible teams. The territory that comes with that is that because everyone is so talented, anyone can win on any given night. Now you may ask, ‘Why does that matter? It’s exciting!’ and yes, it absolutely is, but in order for the Big 12 to get multiple teams on the one-seed line come March, there needs to be enough respect for every team that the big dogs don’t creep down when losing a game or two. Arizona is, of course, highly respected. Houston and Iowa State are making incredible cases for one seeds as well, but it’s going to be a tight race to see who earns the top overall seed in the bracket, and who sticks alongside them from the Big 12.
What’s Happening With the Bubble?
There are some great teams fighting at the top of the league, but what about the teams that weren’t ranked? Well, folks, the bubble is shaping up to be an incredible race, and according to Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology update, the Big 12 has five teams on or near the bubble, including UCF, TCU, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and Baylor. Which of those teams is going to make a push? UCF has the best resume of the crew so far, but not one of those teams is considered a lock. The final six games will be exciting to watch if you’re a fan of high-level basketball! Get your popcorn ready!
