As we head down the home stretch of the Big 12 basketball season, there are six teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble, according to Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology. There are several games this week that will determine who is on the bubble, and who isn’t. But as we look at the remaining schedules for these Big 12 bubble teams, here’s how I would rank these teams from hardest to easiest. The number in column 3 is the NET ranking for the teams to the right.
1. Baylor Bears
| Q1 | Home | (3) | 2 Arizona | 02/24/2026 | |
| Q1 | Away | (46) | UCF | 02/28/2026 | |
| Q1 | Away | (9) | 5 Houston | 03/04/2026 | |
| Q3 | Home | (117) | Utah | 03/07/2026 |
The Baylor Bears get Arizona at home and then have to go to Houston next weekend. They’re the only team with two Top 5 teams left on the schedule. They do have what is perceived to be a lay-up game with Utah, but even the Utes are getting better and playing closer games as of late, while UCF wants to solidify its spot as a Tournament team.
2. Arizona State Sun Devils
| Q1 | Away | (47) | TCU | 02/24/2026 | |
| Q3 | Home | (117) | Utah | 02/28/2026 | |
| Q1 | Home | (13) | 14Â Kansas | 03/03/2026 | |
| Q1 | Away | (8) | 4Â Iowa St. | 03/07/2026 |
Arizona State crept onto the “Next, Next Four Out” from Lunardi this week, but man it’s a tough stretch for the Sun Devils. No one has a tougher final week of the season than ASU with Kansas and Iowa State, splitting those games at home and on the road. The TCU match up this week is a tough one as well, as both teams fight for the bubble.
3. Cincinnati Bearcats
| Q1 | Away | (15) | 16 Texas Tech | 02/24/2026 | |
| Q3 | Home | (82) | Oklahoma St. | 02/28/2026 | |
| Q1 | Home | (19) | 19 BYU | 03/03/2026 | |
| Q1 | Away | (47) | TCU | 03/07/2026 |
The Bearcats are one of the hottest teams in the league after their win over Kansas on Saturday. Can they keep it going? Their ranked games are against Texas Tech and BYU, two teams who have lost a star to injury, so it’s manageable, but they will have to split these games, at worst, to have a chance.
4. UCF Knights
| Q1 | Away | (19) | 19Â BYU | 02/24/2026 | |
| Q2 | Home | (49) | Baylor | 02/28/2026 | |
| Q3 | Home | (82) | Oklahoma St. | 03/03/2026 | |
| Q1 | Away | (63) | West Virginia | 03/06/2026 |
The UCF Knights play BYU this week, their one final ranked opponent, and then three games against teams who some may still consider bubble teams. Joe Lunardi has Baylor and West Virginia still in the conversation, while dropping Oklahoma State from his bubble this week. UCF is one of the “Last Four Byes” as of this week, but really needs to finish strong to avoid sweating out Selection Sunday.
5. TCU Horned Frogs
| Q2 | Home | (68) | Arizona St. | 02/24/2026 | |
| Q2 | Away | (100) | Kansas St. | 02/28/2026 | |
| Q1 | Away | (15) | 16Â Texas Tech | 03/03/2026 | |
| Q2 | Home | (51) | Cincinnati | 03/07/2026 |
TCU finds itself as one of the “Last Four In”, but they need a 3-1 finish to feel like that will hold before going to Kansas City for the Big 12 Tournament. And if they can win in Lubbock, with Tech missing JT Toppin, that would go a long way as well for the Frogs. But from a SOS perspective, they only have one Quad 1 game left on their schedule, which is tied for the fewest of any team on this list.
6. West Virginia Mountaineers
| Q2 | Away | (82) | Oklahoma St. | 02/24/2026 | |
| Q1 | Home | (19) | 19Â BYU | 02/28/2026 | |
| Q2 | Away | (100) | Kansas St. | 03/03/2026 | |
| Q2 | Home | (46) | UCF | 03/06/2026 |
The Mountaineers need a clean sweep to close the season to have a chance, since their Strength of Schedule is not strong. Three Quad 2’s, with only one Quad 1, and it’s BYU at home this weekend. This is the easiest of the bunch, but easiest doesn’t mean it gives them the best chance to make the Big Dance, it could also mean it gives them the fewest opportunities to impress the NCAA Tournament committee.
