Big 12 basketball season is officially in the history books and for the third consecutive year, the league finished with a losing NCAA Tournament record (5-7) and without a team in the Final Four. This year, it didn't even place a team in the Elite Eight.
Oklahoma's loss to Michigan State on Saturday ended the Big 12 season and of the league's seven tourney participants, four were eliminated by teams at least four seed lines below them in their respective brackets.
It was another forgettable year in the postseason for the Big 12, but here's where the Big 12 Power Rankings stand now that the season is complete. It's our first update since the end of the regular season.
1. Kansas: The Jayhawks' season ended with a frustrating loss to a determined, underseeded Wichita State team, but KU did reach the Big 12 title game after its 11th consecutive regular season title. An eligibility issue sidelined freshman Cliff Alexander for the season's final eight games, and there's plenty of buzz he'll be back next season. I'll believe it when I see it, but Perry Ellis, Frank Mason and Wayne Selden will be a daunting trio in 2016. A 12th consecutive title for the Jayhawks is a pretty safe bet if all three return.
2. Oklahoma: Michigan State--like Wichita State--was underseeded and sent the Sooners home in a thrilling Sweet 16 matchup. Still, Lon Kruger's impressive rebuild in Norman reached new heights this year. He once again showed a) why Oklahoma wanted him and b) why he's still one of the best coaches in the game. OU's record has improved every year since he's arrived and UNLV's record has worsened each year since he left.
3. Iowa State: We didn't update the power rankings before the tournament began, but the Cyclones would have been atop them after beating Kansas to win the Big 12 title. However, the shocking first-round upset loss to UAB lands them here. Fred Hoiberg's team was built for a deep tournament run, but defensive lapses sent it home early. The good news: this team isn't going away anytime soon. Dustin Hogue and Bryce Dejean-Jones may be the only losses for next year's squad, which will have a great shot to win the Big 12.
4. West Virginia: Here's hoping the rest of Daxter Miles' career at West Virginia is enough to not let an ill-advised "36-1" quote define his time in Morgantown. The Mountaineers entered the season with modest expectations and left with their first Sweet 16 appearance since a Final Four run in 2010. In a Kentucky-less region, Bob Huggins' team might have gone even deeper.
5. Baylor: The Bears' season ended with three losses in five games and one of its two wins came over Texas Tech. Everyone in green and gold will spend the summer wondering how the Bears squandered a 12-point lead in 2:40. Baylor was balanced, talented and built for at least a Sweet 16 run in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Instead, a promising season has gone to waste. Point guard Kenny Chery is going to be extremely difficult to replace, but look for Jonathan Motley to break out next season.
6. Oklahoma State: Oregon, one of the nation's hottest teams entering the tournament, was a brutal draw for the Cowboys. They didn't do themselves any favors when they lost six of their final seven games to plummet down the seed line. Le'Bryan Nash is one of the Big 12's best scorers and will leave a gigantic hole next season. OSU has to spend the offseason finding scoring options beyond Phil Forte or next year's going to be ugly.
7. Texas: Steve Patterson didn't have much of a choice when Rick Barnes followed up one of his most surprising seasons with one of his most disappointing. There simply wasn't a case to have Barnes return and the market for attractive coaching options is outstanding. The safe bet is for Gregg Marshall to end up in Austin. The Longhorns could have major success just around the corner. There was too much talent on the 40 Acres for Texas to finish any lower than third in the league this year.
8. Kansas State: The Wildcats' locker room was a disaster this season, but I never thought it would come to Bruce Weber dismissing Marcus Foster, the team's best player and leading scorer the last two seasons. Freshman Tre Harris is also gone and with Nino Williams and Thomas Gipson graduating, it's not hard to see the Wildcats stumble to a losing record next year, too.
9. TCU: There's tons of promise in Fort Worth for the Frogs, who were snubbed from the NIT and elected not to pursue a postseason bid in any of the pay-your-own-way tournaments. Kyan Anderson, Amric Fields and Justin Ziegler are all gone, but Karviar Shepherd, Chris Washburn and Kenrich Williams are building blocks for a foundation ... as long as Trent Johnson sticks around. His name has come up for the Arizona State opening.
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