Big 12 men's basketball is bonkers, ridiculous and, again, the nation's best college hoops
Big 12 men's basketball is bonkers, ridiculous and, again, the nation's best college hoops
What seems like years, we’ve been hearing the same thing.
Not the Big Ten, nor the SEC, nor even the ACC, which built its brand on the hardwood, but the Big 12 instead, is the nation’s best men’s basketball conference.
I’m not sure how it’s possible, but right now, if you can believe it, it’s not.
So say the conference RPI rankings, because wherever you may find them, here’s the list:
1. SEC
2. ACC
3. Big East
4. Big Ten
5. Big 12
Is that possible?
If it’s about statistical measurables, maybe.
Perhaps because the league’s newbie programs’ non-conference slates, those of Houston, Cincinnati, Central Florida and BYU, have not caught up to their original conference brethren. Or maybe there are other reasons, though they fail to spring to mind.
Whatever, I don’t buy it.
Not only does this season appear no different than the last few, but the conference appears better than ever and here’s an evidentiary starting point:
Four days ago, in each squads’ conference opener, then-No. 2 and now-No. 3 Kansas topped TCU 83-81 inside Allen Fieldhouse, yet the Jayhawks could not have done it without an inside-the-final minute flagrant foul ruled against the Horned Frogs’ Ernest Udeh for his actions as he stole the entry pass of Kevin McCullar.
Udeh need not have swung his right arm backward and into the face of Kansas center Hunter Dickinson. The steal was already his. But he did, Dickinson hit both free throws, the Jayhawks got the ball out of bounds, Dajuan Harris followed with his own basket and, entirely thanks to that four (or six?) point swing, Kansas eked out the victory.
Despite losing, TCU (11-3, 0-1 Big 12) continues to sport a terrific record and, should the line not move precipitously, will remain a four- to five-point favorite tonight when ninth-ranked Oklahoma (13-1, 1-0) visits Fort Worth in what figures to be another terrific early-season conference matchup.
Oh, by the way, having played the Jayhawks so close, and being the betting favorite against the Sooners, care to guess where the Horned Frogs are ranked?
They’re not ranked at all.
Nor are they receiving a single vote in the coaches’ poll. And, though receiving votes in the media-voted AP Top 25, they would only be tied for 45th (out of 48) were the poll carried out to include every vote-getter.
How can this be?
Is there an explanation?
If the Big 12’s the nation’s best league, how can TCU be left out of the conversation when it’s won 11 games and should have beaten Kansas in Lawrence?
Exactly.
The Big 12 is so strong, even its forgotten teams are terrific.
Take a look.
Houston (14-0, 1-0) is ranked No. 2, Kansas (13-1, 1-0) is ranked No. 3, OU is ranked No. 9, Baylor (12-2, 1-0) is ranked No. 14, BYU (12-2, 0-1) is ranked No. 18, Texas (11-3, 0-1) is ranked No. 25.
If the AP poll were carried out to include every vote-getter, Cincinnati (12-2, 1-0) would be ranked 29th, Texas Tech (12-2, 1-0) would be ranked 31st and Iowa State (11-3, 0-1) would be ranked 38th.
Kansas State (11-3, 1-0) is off to a great start, won its first conference game and two of its three losses came to then-ranked teams, Southern Cal and Miami, but is receiving less love than TCU.
No votes at all.
Only Central Florida (9-4, 0-1), Oklahoma State (8-6, 0-1) and West Virginia (5-9, 0-1) entered the week with fewer than 11 wins.
All of the above records were accurate entering Tuesday night. The rankings cannot change until next week. Tuesday nights results were as follows:
Iowa State 57, Houston 53 | Baylor 81, BYU 72 | Texas 74, Cincinnati 73
Kansas State 81, West Virginia 67 | Texas Tech 90, Oklahoma State 73
Another way to look at it?
Entering Tuesday, eight of the Big 12’s 14 programs could be found in ESPN’s NCAA tournament bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s brackets and here they are with seed and region:
Kansas, No. 1, West.
Houston, No. 1 South.
OU, No. 4, Midwest.
Baylor, No. 4, East.
BYU, No. 6, West.
Iowa State, No. 10, Midwest.
Texas Tech, No. 10, South.
Cincinnati, No. 10, East.
Of course, there are scenarios in which all of those teams, TCU and Kansas State, too, might reach the tourney.
Which conference is Lunardi prognosticating to send more?
None.
He has the SEC also sending eight, the Big Ten and Big East six, the ACC five and the Pac-12 and Mountain West both four.
So bet on the Big 12, whose tenth team, say the pollsters, is favored to beat the whole nation’s No. 9 team inside Schollmaier Arena tonight.
The Sooners might need to pull that one out. Saturday, they’re at Kansas.
The whole thing’s ridiculous.
That’s Big 12 basketball.