WVU getting glossed right over again.
Would you say the Big 12 is the best conference in the country top to bottom? Everyone expected Iowa State to be the weak link but they’re beating everyone. I don’t see any of these teams being an easy out. — Andrew G.
I would, and frankly, it’s not looking close. The emergence of Iowa State is a massive deal on this front, obviously, because that was a really bad team last year. Sure, 2-22 overall and 0-18 in the conference might not have been the most accurate representation of Iowa State’s level — it feels harsh, in retrospect, especially considering Kansas State won four league games and wasn’t all that much better than the Cyclones. But yes, when your league is as routinely good top to bottom as the Big 12, when you have Baylor and Kansas (and Texas and Texas Tech and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and so on and so forth) anchoring things at the high end, then turning a winless team into one that looks extremely likely to get into the NCAA Tournament has a way of elevating the league overall.
We should also mention TCU and Kansas State here, too. Both finished in the 140s in adjusted efficiency last year (TCU 140th, K-State 147th). TCU currently ranks 67th at KenPom. The Wildcats are 71st. Whether either team makes a run at a tournament bid — TCU’s best win is Texas A&M, Kansas State has gone 1-3 in noteworthy nonconference games (though it did win at Wichita State) — those are both at least solid-to-average high-major teams. When that’s the bottom of your league, your league is really, really good
Would you say the Big 12 is the best conference in the country top to bottom? Everyone expected Iowa State to be the weak link but they’re beating everyone. I don’t see any of these teams being an easy out. — Andrew G.
I would, and frankly, it’s not looking close. The emergence of Iowa State is a massive deal on this front, obviously, because that was a really bad team last year. Sure, 2-22 overall and 0-18 in the conference might not have been the most accurate representation of Iowa State’s level — it feels harsh, in retrospect, especially considering Kansas State won four league games and wasn’t all that much better than the Cyclones. But yes, when your league is as routinely good top to bottom as the Big 12, when you have Baylor and Kansas (and Texas and Texas Tech and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and so on and so forth) anchoring things at the high end, then turning a winless team into one that looks extremely likely to get into the NCAA Tournament has a way of elevating the league overall.
We should also mention TCU and Kansas State here, too. Both finished in the 140s in adjusted efficiency last year (TCU 140th, K-State 147th). TCU currently ranks 67th at KenPom. The Wildcats are 71st. Whether either team makes a run at a tournament bid — TCU’s best win is Texas A&M, Kansas State has gone 1-3 in noteworthy nonconference games (though it did win at Wichita State) — those are both at least solid-to-average high-major teams. When that’s the bottom of your league, your league is really, really good
