Wednesday Afternoon Point Guard: Big 12 Power Rankings

Power Rankings the Big 12 is like ranking Radiohead albums. OK Computer is number one, Pablo Honey is last, but everything in between you can make a good case for and it always changes. Here's where we are about a month from March Madness, here's where we are...

Locks

1. Kansas, 18-6, 9-2:

Last Week: West Virginia (W: 83, 69), Kansas State (L: 82, 85)

Next Up: TCU, Saturday.

Even with a loss at Kansas State, this is still the best team bar none. The depth of the Big 12 not only makes the Jayhawks' RPI look nice, but come tournament time, the consistency of talent they play game to game will have them finely tuned.

2. Kansas State, 17-7, 7-4

Last Week: Texas (W: 74, 57), Kansas (W: 85, 82)

Next Up: at Baylor, Saturday

The Wildcats probably have more drive than anyone else in the Big 12 and playing with a chip on their shoulder is going to be a huge plus as we ease into March. Marcus Foster may be the best Marcus in the Big 12 and showed it as he lit up the Longhorns' defense, putting up 34 points...on sixteen shots.

3. Texas, 19-5, 8-3

Last Week: Kansas State (L: 57, 74), Oklahoma State (W: 87, 68)

Next Up: West Virginia, Saturday.

The blowout over OSU is misleading, mainly because the Cowboys have had the worst drop-off of any other team in the country. Also when you're without the only piece holding your team together, Marcus Smart, and coming off an emotional loss in West Texas, things should be expected to go awry. Texas played well last night, but it was like beating a one-armed man in Foosball.

4. Iowa State, 18-5, 6-5

Last Week: TCU (W: 84, 69), West Virginia (L: 77, 102)

Next Up: Texas Tech

Going along with the analogy above, TCU made Melvin Ejiim look like Pete Maravich last Saturday.

The Cyclones can win, and I still like watching Deandre Kane play as much as anyone else in the conference, they just gotta be a little more consistent if they want to make a big tournament run.

5. Oklahoma, 18-6, 7-4

Last Week: Baylor (W: 88, 72)

Next Up: Texas Tech (Wednesday), at Oklahoma State (Saturday)

The Quiet Giant. Well, maybe not quite a "Giant", but Oklahoma's scrappiness and physicality are impressive. They're a bit boring to watch, but they're effective. They've also had the roughest travel schedule in the Big 12, so it'll be interesting to see what a well-rested Sooner team can do.

Flirting With Disaster

6. West Virginia 15-10, 7-5

Last Week: Kansas (L: 69-83), Iowa State (102-77)

Next Up: at Texas, Saturday

Better late than never, I guess. With the help of Juwan Staten and Eron Harris, West Virginia could easily slide its way into the tournament.

7. Oklahoma State 16-8, 4-6

Last Week: Texas Tech (L: 61, 65), Texas (L: 68-87)

Next Up: Oklahoma, Saturday

Yikes. At least Marcus Smart's "shove" put the friendly confines of Lubbock on display for the world. If March can be without a Nerlens Noel-Kentucky team in 2013, the Cowboys could easily be left out of the Madness in 2014.

2015 Is Our Year!

8. Texas Tech 12-11, 4-7

Last Week: Oklahoma State (W: 65, 61)

Next Up: at Oklahoma (Wednesday), at West Virginia (Saturday)

Too little , too late. This, coincidently, is the school's mission statement (that one was for Marcus Smart). I also heard that for every instance in which your fans unnecessarily rush the court, the sports Gods punish you with three loses. 2015. 2046 is our year!

9. Baylor 14-9, 2-8

Last Week: Oklahoma (L: 88, 72)

Next Up: at TCU (Wednesday), Kansas State (Saturday).

If a Baylor fan screams in a Waco quarry and no one's around to see it, does it still make a sound? It certainly has no echo and judging on how much Baylor fans love boasting about every Bear sport under the sun, you'd think they didn't even have a team this year. But all that is to be expected when your uniforms are modeled after one of these

10. TCU 9-13, 0-10

Last Week: Iowa State (L: 69, 84)

Next Week: Baylor (Wednesday), at Kansas (Saturday).

There's still light at the end of the tunnel, it just won't be this year. I feel like I should be a producer on Luck as much as I'm beating this dead horse, BUT---The Frogs have showed glimpses of being a good basketball team, and again---the lack of depth cuts deep. Getting out of this season with one, or even two wins, would be great momentum for next season.