Sports Take: Big 12 is undoubtedly the deepest hoops conference in the country

By Tyler White | Sports Writer

Big 12 basketball is tough. Every conference game is an all-out battle to the end. No game is guaranteed, and no lead is safe.

Going into Tuesday’s matchups across the country, the Big 12 is dominating just about every ranking out there. According to KenPom — which utilizes numerous advanced statistics to analyze and determine each team’s efficiency margin — 12 out of the 14 teams in the conference are sitting in the top 75. Even outliers Oklahoma State (123) and West Virginia (136) are ranked better than other conferences’ bottom feeders.

On ESPN, the Basketball Power Index currently has all 14 teams inside the top 67 for remaining strength of schedule, which shows how difficult the upcoming games are for everyone. Additionally, the BPI’s Game Predictions typically have Big 12 battles at a “high matchup quality,” meaning all of the games are strong matchups and have some of the best upside in the country.

Looking ahead to March Madness, the BPI currently has No. 5 Houston as the clear favorite to win the tournament, with a near 21% advantage over runner-up favorite No. 2 Purdue. In ESPN’s Bracketology, the Big 12 has the most number of teams projected to make the tournament at nine.

Similarly, the Big 12 has six teams ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll, with an additional three teams receiving votes in the poll. With the most programs inside the top 25 of any conference, this goes to show just how dominant the league is. Unfortunately, a lot of teams lose and gain rankings each week simply because of how often the Big 12 cannibalizes itself.

To show just how wild the Big 12 truly is, let’s take a look at No. 13 Baylor’s win against No. 14 Iowa State on Saturday. From this victory, there’s a large cycle of all the teams that lead right back to Baylor, with each team beating an opponent in the Big 12. Bear with me, as this will be long-winded.

Baylor beat Iowa State, which at the time the No. 12 team in the nation. The Cyclones handled Oklahoma State, which may not seem like much since the Cowboys sit at the bottom of the conference with a 2-7 record in league play. Oklahoma State, though, picked up a win versus West Virginia, which was a toss-up game since these are the two bottom feeders in the conference.

Nonetheless, the Mountaineers put Cincinnati, which has been one of several impressive Big 12 newcomers, in the rearview mirror. The Bearcats upended a top-25 ranked opponent in No. 23 Texas Tech in Lubbock, which goes to show how even a favored home-court matchup isn’t necessarily a guaranteed win.

The Red Raiders rallied against No. 21 BYU in an intense top-25 matchup. The Cougars took care of an unranked Texas, which has been on the outskirts of the rankings, jumping back and forth between receiving votes and being ranked in the 20s. The Longhorns topped a highly ranked Oklahoma, handing it its third loss in conference play at the time.

The Sooners blew out Kansas State, which has had flashes of brilliance in beating top-ranked teams. The Wildcats destroyed UCF, one of the lower ranked teams in the conference, which has still put together a strong resume. The Knights stunned a top-3 Kansas squad in a surprising 16-point comeback victory.

The Jayhawks escaped a steadily rising TCU team by two points. The Horned Frogs squeaked by then-No. 2 Houston on a massive last-second layup. The Cougars managed a 22-point victory over Kansas State, and the Wildcats edged Baylor in overtime.

Though it seems just like various games and results going on here, it shows just how intense Big 12 play can be. There are probably numerous other ways that a win cycle can be found, which only explains how unpredictable the winners of the games really are.

With all but two Big 12 programs within two games of being in first place, the remaining weeks will be exciting and intense. As we’ve seen, the Big 12 may very well be the best conference in the country — but who will take the crown?