Big 12 Men's Power Ranking - Week 7

No matter how well we think we know the strength of these teams in this conference, the Big 12 Conference slate still has a bunch of surprises in store for us. Multiple upsets have happened in just the last week and a half, and that has made our attempts to rank these teams even harder. But that's no excuse to not try, and so we got the crew together to try and figure out which teams are the best in the conference.

A quick reminder on how our power rankings work. It is NOT just going to be restating the standings. It is entirely possible that a team that has a worse record lands higher on the list, especially if they are playing really well as of late. Similarly, it is also not going to be a "who's hottest" list. Instead, it will be a subjective mix of which team is playing better and which team we think IS better, with a tiebreaker going to teams that have significantly outperformed our expectations.

So with that, here is the Week 7 edition of the Blue Wings Rising Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings:

Editor's Note: These rankings were determined prior to tipoff of the action on Big Monday. All voting was completed Sunday night. However, due to some editorial difficulties, we weren't able to get these posted until today. The records below reflect all action through Friday.

1. Texas Longhorns (20-6, 9-4 Big 12) - 48 Points, LW: 1

Last Week: 88-80 L at Kansas, 94-60 W vs West Virginia
This Week: 74-67 L at Texas Tech, Sat vs Oklahoma

Remembering that these rankings were voted on before the loss to Texas Tech, there was plenty of reason to believe that Texas was at least even with the Jayhawks, even though they just lost to them in Allen Fieldhouse. This conference has shown multiple times that it is ridiculously difficult to win on the road, so we shouldn't necessarily hold that against them. But the big thing for them is their occasional stretches where they lose their poise. The game against Texas Tech showed how big of an issue that can be.

With all that being said, this is still a VERY talented team, arguably the best in the conference. With Rodney Terry showing that he is able to hold this team together well, I'm expecting them to stay towards the top in the Big 12 race.

2. Kansas Jayhawks (21-5, 9-4 Big 12) - 47 Points, LW: 3

Last Week: 88-80 W vs Texas, 78-55 W at Oklahoma
This Week: 87-76 W at Oklahoma State, Sat vs Baylor

I think this ranking has at least some level of not trying to seem biased as a part of it. If we are going by recent stretches, that Jayhawks have been one of the hottest teams in the conference, even before facing Oklahoma State. But it is still fair to question if there are going to be off days for this team where everyone struggles, or if the new consistency from the bench is here to stay.

3. Baylor Bears (20-6, 9-4 Big 12) - 38 Points, LW: 5

Last Week: 82-72 W vs Oklahoma, 72-68 W at TCU
This Week: 79-67 W vs West Virginia, Sat at Kansas

The game against the Jayhawks will have a huge impact on the Big 12 race, and it's fair to wonder whether the current hot streak has come from fortunate stretches of the schedule. They have the best offense in the conference by far, but also the worst defense by far. With so much variance, it's hard to know exactly where to slot them, but it definitely shouldn't be very low.

T-4. Iowa State Cyclones (17-8, 8-5 Big 12) - 30 Points, LW: 2

Last Week: 76-71 L at West Virginia, 64-56 L vs Oklahoma State
This Week: 70-59 W vs TCU, Sat at Kansas State

It is completely fair to question whether the Cyclone or Wildcats are better, especially given the fact that they shared the same conference record coming into the week. And the offensive struggles for Iowa State have put them into some tough situations. But this tie will be broken by their game on Saturday.

T-4. Kansas State Wildcats (19-7, 7-6 Big 12) - 30 Points, LW: 4

Last Week: 82-61 W vs TCU, 71-63 L at Texas Tech
This Week: 79-65 L at Oklahoma, Sat vs Iowa State

Both Jerome Tang and TJ Otzelberger are deservedly under consideration for National Coach of the Year, but I think it's fair to say that the Wildcats are more of a surprise. The loss at Oklahoma is a bit puzzling, but a big bounce back can help mitigate that damage.

6. Oklahoma State Cowboys (16-10, 7-6 Big 12) - 29 Points, LW: 7

Last Week: 71-68 W vs Texas Tech, 64-56 W at Iowa State
This Week: 87-76 L vs Kansas, Sat at TCU

Oklahoma State is charging back into consideration for a high seed in both the Big 12 tournament and the NCAA Tournament. They are one of the hottest teams in the conference, and escaping Texas Tech before beating Iowa State give them two really good wins. They have a chance to climb further, just a single point behind in these rankings.

7. TCU Horned Frogs (17-9, 6-7 Big 12) - 22 Points, LW: 6

Last Week: 82-61 L at Kansas State, 72-68 L vs Baylor
This Week: 70-59 L at Iowa State, Sat vs Oklahoma State

They really need to halt this losing streak, but it's been difficult considering they have played a bunch of teams ahead of them. Injuries this season has derailed some of the consistency they have been used to, and they need to find a way to get some of that back if they are looking to make a run.

8. West Virginia Mountaineers (15-11, 4-9 Big 12) - 13 Points, LW: 8

Last Week: 76-71 W vs Iowa State, 94-60 L at Texas
This Week: 79-67 L at Baylor, Sat vs Texas Tech

This team is still dangerous at home, but they really need to keep winning to get some consideration for an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. But their advanced metrics are much better than their record would show. They can't afford any more losses though. 

9. Texas Tech Red Raiders (14-12, 3-10 Big 12) - 11 Points, LW: 10

Last Week: 71-68 L at Oklahoma State, 71-63 W vs Kansas State
This Week: 74-67 W vs Texas, Sat at West Virginia

This surge was somewhat expected, but it's still impressive to see them turn it on here. They have been electric at home and still have a chance to make a lot of noise. They aren't completely out of the running for the NCAA Tournament, but they still have a long way to go.

10. Oklahoma Sooners (13-13, 3-10 Big 12) - 7 Points, LW: 9

Last Week: 82-72 L at Baylor, 78-55 L vs Kansas
This Week: 79-65 W vs Kansas State, Sat at Texas

Does that win over Kansas State say more about the Sooners or the Wildcats? I'm not sure, as this Oklahoma team has been in complete freefall prior to that game. They still have a few chances to get back on the bubble, but they have to stay above .500.

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