Feb 14, 2023; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self gestures to his team on a play against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the second half at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Kansas won 87-76. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
1 – Kansas – 10-4
Surprise, surprise. The reigning national champs are back in the top spot with two weeks left to play in the regular season. Imagine being one of the idiots who counted Bill Self and his squad out after they lost three-straight last month. Couldn’t have been me (even though it was definitely me).
They’ll get a big test tonight when they go on the road to play a finally healthy TCU team in Fort Worth. Back-to-back games in Lawrence will pave the way for what should be a colossal clash on March 4 in Austin.
This week: @ TCU (Monday), vs. West Virginia (Saturday)
2 – Texas – 10-4
The Longhorns slipped up on the road in Lubbock last week then came back to gut out an overtime win at home against Oklahoma. The Longhorns just figure out ways to win. They’ll need to keep doing it this week, first at home against Iowa State, then on the road in Fort Worth. They still have to visit Waco before Kansas comes to town next month, too.
This week: vs. Iowa State (Tuesday), @ Baylor (Saturday)
3 – Baylor – 9-5
Scott Drew’s team has won 10 of its last 12 games with the only losses during that stretch being on the road to Texas and Kansas. They’ll need to handle business in Manhattan on Tuesday if they have any hopes of working their way into a split for the league title. Saturday’s date with Texas will help in that pursuit.
This week: @ Kansas State (Tuesday), vs. Texas (Saturday)
4 – Kansas State – 8-6
Just when you thought you could start to count the Wildcats out, they come up with a huge home win over Iowa State after erasing a double-digit deficit. Tuesday night’s game against Baylor is their biggest remaining on the schedule with games at Oklahoma, home against Oklahoma State and at West Virginia also left on the slate.
This week: vs. Baylor (Tuesday), @ Oklahoma (Saturday)
5 – Iowa State – 8-6
Iowa State needs one more win to seal its first .500 season in Big 12 play since 2018-19. The Cyclones need two wins to seal their first above .500 season in Big 12 play since 2016-17. Tomorrow night’s game in Austin will be a tall ask, but back-to-back home dates with Oklahoma and West Virginia should get the Cyclones over that hump, and help secure a first round bye in Kansas City.
This week: @ Texas (Tuesday), vs. Oklahoma (Saturday)
6 – TCU – 7-7
Is that Mike Miles’ music?! The Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year was back on Saturday, and he’s back with a vengeance. A 25-point win over surging Oklahoma State is more than enough to jump your way back up the power rankings. The Frogs still host Kansas (tonight) and Texas (March 1) with trips to Lubbock and Norman still on the schedule.
This week: vs. Kansas (Monday), @ Texas Tech (Saturday)
7 – Oklahoma State – 7-7
Mike Boynton’s team lost two in a row last week after winning seven of eight in the weeks leading up to last Tuesday’s game against Kansas. The Cowboys will be in the dance, which says a lot about Boynton’s program after they started out 1-4 in Big 12 play. He’s still got something cooking in Stillwater.
This week: @ West Virginia (Monday), vs. Kansas State (Saturday)
8 – Texas Tech – 4-10
Here come the Red Raiders! After losing eight-straight to open Big 12 play, Mark Adams’ team has suddenly won five of seven, including three-straight over the last week and a half against Kansas State, Texas and West Virginia. They still have a road trip to Norman (tomorrow), a home date with TCU (Saturday), a trip to Lawrence (next Tuesday) and a home date with Oklahoma State (a week from Saturday). Can this team get to seven wins and somehow find its way into the tournament?
This week: @ Oklahoma (Tuesday), vs. TCU (Saturday)
9 – West Virginia – 4-10
The Mountaineers’ path to seven league wins has gotten a lot more difficult after three-straight losses over the last week-plus. They’ve still got home dates with Oklahoma State and Kansas State sandwiched around road trips to Ames and Lawrence. Could WVU make the tournament with only six regular season league wins? They might need at least one in Kansas City to really feel safe.
This week: vs. Oklahoma State (Monday), @ Kansas (Saturday)
10 – Oklahoma – 3-11
What do we make of this program as year-two under Porter Moser approaches? They’re going to have to battle just to finish the season with an above .500 record overall. They’ve lost eight of their last 11 games. Somehow, one of their three wins came against an Alabama team that is steamrolling basically everyone else they’ve played. It still doesn’t make any sense.
This week: vs. Texas Tech (Tuesday), @ Iowa State (Saturday)
