On Monday afternoon, the College Basketball AP Top 25 was released, and the Big 12 took a small step forward from the previous week. Five teams from the league were included, and multiple teams had noticeable moves.
Arizona remained at No. 2, trailing only the Duke Blue Devils, while JT Toppin-less Texas Tech took a massive jump in the poll. The rest of the teams stayed in similar standing, and in some cases moved up a few spots.
Full Big 12 Rankings
- Arizona – No. 2
- Iowa State – No. 6
- Houston – No. 7
- Texas Tech – No. 10
- Kansas – No. 14
- BYU – Receiving Votes
THE RACE FOR ONE
With just two games remaining in the Big 12 regular season, the NCAA Tournament window is starting to take shape. It goes without saying that there is loads of competition on and around the bubble, but for the teams ranked inside the Top 25, it becomes about improving your standing for March. Arizona, pending any strange setbacks, has basically locked up a No. 1 seed. Now the question is whether they’ll be the only Big 12 program to earn that honor. Iowa State, Houston, and Texas Tech are all close, but likely with Toppin sidelined, the Red Raiders are eliminated from that possibility. Houston and Iowa State can get it done, but they’ll have to be perfect to close out the year. Iowa State plays No. 2 Arizona and Arizona State to close out the year, while Houston takes on Baylor and Oklahoma State.
NO BYU
A team that’s been ranked since the start of the season fell out of the poll on Monday, and you guessed it, it’s the BYU Cougars. Kevin Young’s group sits at 20-9 overall but is just 8-8 in league play. The Big 12 is a guantlet and no one is disputing that, but at this point in the season, the Cougars just don’t scream Top 25. A large part of that has to do with the season-ending injury to Richie Saunders, but despite that, the Cougars sit as the unnoficial 26th-ranked team in the country. They’ll still command respect in March and have the roster for a deep run, but it is worth noting what trajectory the team is trending toward.
