Predicting the Final Big 12 College Basketball Standings
Which Team Will Win the Big 12 Conference?
Conference play is only a couple of weeks in, but it is never too early to predict who the winner of a conference will be. So here we are, predicting the final Big 12 college basketball standings for the 2013-14 season.
Kansas is the hottest team in the conference right now. That is kind of hard to argue against since the Jayhawks have beaten four ranked Big 12 teams in their last five games and since they are the only undefeated team left.
Still, teams like Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Iowa State and others are more than capable of winning the Big 12 title.
With that in mind, all three of those teams already have two or more losses. Kansas State is the closest to Kansas in the standings at 4-1.
It is a shame that Baylor was so good in its non-conference schedule, but has already lost four conference games. Starting off at 1-4 in the Big 12 is very tough to recover from, especially since there are currently six ranked teams.
The Bears are one of them, though. Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma are the other five.
It is going to be interesting to see if anyone can catch Kansas. Yes, it only has a one-game lead in the standings, but it has basically beaten all of the top teams in the Big 12.
Well, read on to see a prediction of the final Big 12 college basketball standings. Will Bill Self’s team take the title or will someone catch them?
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10. TCU Horned Frogs
TCU is 9-8 overall and 0-5 in the Big 12. I am sure it will get its first win in conference play eventually, but the Big 12 is one of the most complete conferences from top to bottom. With that said, capturing that first victory is not going to be easy.
9. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech managed to beat Baylor at home, which is a good victory for any team in college hoops. Yes, the Bears have gotten off to a bad start in Big 12 play, but they are still a top 25 team.
With that in mind, Texas Tech’s only other conference win came against TCU. It does have the talent to finish at No. 7 in the standings, but I think that is as high as we can possibly go with this team.
8. West Virginia Mountaineers
Bob Huggins is still the head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers, so I guess anything is possible--in a good way--for this team.
Still, West Virginia lost five games in its non-conference schedule and it is just 2-3 in conference play so far. However, it has showed that it can beat the worst teams in the conference on the road, like TCU and Texas Tech. Translation: West Virginia should not finish in last place.
7. Texas Longhorns
Finishing at No. 7 in the Big 12 Conference this year should not be looked at as a bad thing. This conference is stacked to say the least and I really think six teams can sneak into the NCAA tournament, although four or five is more likely.
Texas beat North Carolina on the road earlier in the season and it has already beaten Iowa State. Both teams were ranked in the top 15 at the time.
The Longhorns have the talent to finish in the top five, but I still think the six teams in front of them are more talented.
6. Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma may only have a 3-2 record in the conference, but those losses have come against Kansas and Kansas State. The Sooners do have three solid wins in the Big 12 already, which came against Iowa State, Texas and Baylor.
Maybe they will finish in the top five of the conference standings and maybe they won’t. I am going with No. 6 despite them beating three solid opponents.
Still, the Sooners are more than capable of making the dance. They do have five players who are averaging 10 or more points per game and two players who are averaging 16 or more.
5. Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State won 10 games in a row at one point this season. During that span, it beat teams like Ole Miss, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State and George Washington.
It recently lost to Kansas, but has won two games in a row since then, including a victory over the Oklahoma Sooners.
This Wildcats team has a solid resume and if the season ended today, they would likely be in the Big Dance.
4. Baylor Bears
Baylor has already lost to Iowa State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Kansas in the Big 12. The Bears have only beaten TCU.
Still, this is a team that has beaten Colorado and Kentucky and it has a very talented team. With that said, Baylor has to get back on track in a hurry if it is actually going to prove me right by finishing at No. 4.
3. Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State has some of the best players in the Big 12. One of them is Melvin Ejim and the other is DeAndre Kane. However, you cannot forget about Georges Niang. He is averaging 15.2 points per game and all.
Kane and Ejim are averaging 16 or more points per game.
Iowa State went undefeated in its non-conference schedule and it even won its first two games in the Big 12. The Cyclones have lost to Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas in back-to-back-to-back games, but this team is way too talented to keep on losing.
It has already beaten Michigan and Iowa (among others).
2. Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas is easily the hottest team in the conference. It has beaten four ranked opponents in a row. Its five conference victories have come against Oklahoma, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Baylor.
Not many teams--if any--can beat those five teams in a season, let alone in a row.
Still, there is one team that is more experienced and just as talented as it.
1. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State was my pick to win the Big 12 entering the season and that has not changed.
The Cowboys may have lost to Kansas, but they only lost by two and the game was played on the road for them. I am sure the outcome will be a lot different when Oklahoma State plays the Jayhawks at home.
Regardless, Marcus Smart and co. have already lost two road games in the Big 12 and will have to get better if they plan on winning the title. Beating quality teams at home may get a team into the dance, but beating quality teams on the road is what wins championships.
