Does anyone want to win the Big 12? We're still taking orders. Kansas handed Iowa State and Oklahoma the keys to at least a share of the title last Monday, and Iowa State couldn't wait to hand them right back.
It's all about the Sooners and Jayhawks down the stretch, but there are still seed lines to be improved, big wins to be captured and final home games to be played. I'd expect this to be an emotional week for players like Perry Ellis, Phil Forte, Le'Bryan Nash and dozens of other four and five-year players who'll soon start playing games to extend their careers by another 24, 48 hours or another week.
1. Kansas 23-6, 12-4 Big 12. Last week: 1. With Oklahoma and West Virginia on this week's schedule, KU still has work to do to lock up its 11th consecutive title. After losing to K-State, the Jayhawks caught a break with Iowa State's loss to Baylor. Bill Self somehow survived the harrowing crush of Kansas State fans on Monday night and the rest of us survived a weeklong conversation about a court-storming tradition in college basketball that will never end. Perry Ellis is coming on strong and making a case for himself as the Big 12 Player of the Year after averaging 22 points in his last five outings.
2. Oklahoma 20-8, 11-5. Last week: 3. The Sooners won eight of their last nine games to seize fate of their title hopes, but they'll have to earn it with Monday's huge showdown at Iowa State and Saturday's home finale against KU. Buddy Hield picked a good time to snap out of a slump, scoring 21 and grabbing 13 boards to help OU rally late and beat TCU on Saturday.
3. Baylor 22-7, 10-6. Last week: 5. The Bears have won four consecutive games and snapped Iowa State's 21-game home winning streak on Wednesday. Life is always better when you shoot 54 percent from three like Baylor did last week.
4. West Virginia 22-7, 10-6. Last week: 4. You saw on Saturday how badly West Virginia needs Juwan Staten's knee to get back to 100 percent in time for the tournament. The Mountaineers have enough trouble scoring in the halfcourt without their best shot creator. Negative X-rays on running mate Gary Browne's ankle were good news, but WVU's chief objective in the next two weeks is getting healthy.
5. Iowa State 20-8, 10-6. Last week: 2. ISU caught a break with Kansas' loss to K-State and promptly lost its next two games to end any shot it had of a Big 12 title. Considering how strong OU, Baylor and West Virginia have been in recent weeks, the Cyclones took a long tumble after losses to K-State and Baylor. ISU has enough scoring to cause headaches for anyone, but shot selection and perimeter defense have to improve to prevent being a fatal flaw in the tournament.
6. Kansas State 15-15, 8-9. Last week: 8. The Wildcats have come alive, but only did so after falling under .500 and well outside the bubble. K-State knocked off Kansas and Iowa State in the same week thanks to a combined 37 points on 15-of-24 shooting by Nigel Johnson last week. Before last week, Johnson had only scored in double figures twice since K-State's second game of the season.
7. Oklahoma State 17-11, 7-9: Last week: 6. Travis Ford is obliterating the goodwill from his fan base he earned from the wins over Kansas and Baylor earlier in the month. With a tournament bid teed up for a tip-in, the Pokes have lost their last four games, presumably bottoming out with an embarrassing loss to Texas Tech in Lubbock. Reaching the tournament is still possible, but it's fair to say Wednesday's home date with the Horned Frogs (who started this losing streak) is a must-win. You might say the same about OSU's conference tourney opener.
8. Texas 17-12, 6-10. Last week: 7. Speaking of disappointment, Texas is the owner of its second four-game losing streak in just over a month. It also owns ever-dwindling--nearly nonexistent--tournament hopes. Isaiah Taylor is one of the league's best and most exciting players and Texas nearly stole a gigantic win at KU on Saturday, but the reality for the Longhorns is an ugly one. Rick Barnes will face serious heat after the season. Texas is far, far too talented to be in the bottom half of any league and Barnes also has a new boss in Steve Patterson. You could easily make the case that Texas has more raw talent on its roster than Kansas and yet, this is how the standings look.
9. TCU 17-12, 4-12. Last week: 9. The Frogs have forced opponents to take them seriously and are easily the league's most improved team this year. After losing seven consecutive games, TCU has taken three of of their last five, including wins over Kansas State and Oklahoma State, and nearly nipped Oklahoma in Norman. All this, despite arriving at OU less than 12 hours before the game because of snow that forced the team to take a train north.
10. Texas Tech 13-17, 3-14. Last week: 10. Devaugntah Williams' game-winning three against Oklahoma State gave Tech the best moment of its season to end its final home game. "These guys gave me one of the best days of my life," Tech's Clark Lammert said after the game. "I love these guys. To go out with a win was just awesome. I'll remember D-Will for the rest of my life." It's been a rough, disappointing year in Lubbock, but that was a huge bright spot.
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