Fansided

Top 5 Conferences In College Basketball

By Bryce Olin

Dec 23, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Stanley Johnson (5) disputes a call towards his bench during a game against UNLV at Thomas and Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Stanley Johnson (5) disputes a call towards his bench during a game against UNLV at Thomas and Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 23, 2014; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Demarcus Holland (2) and forwards Jonathan Holmes (10) and Connor Lammert (21) react against the Stanford Cardinal during the second half at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center. Stanford beat Texas 74-71. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2014; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Demarcus Holland (2) and forwards Jonathan Holmes (10) and Connor Lammert (21) react against the Stanford Cardinal during the second half at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center. Stanford beat Texas 74-71. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Big 12

Projected Tournament Teams: Kansas, Baylor, Texas, TCU, Oklahoma, Iowa State, West Virginia

Overall
Rk School W L W-L%
1 Texas Christian 12 0 1.000
1 West Virginia 11 1 .917
1 Baylor 10 1 .909
1 Iowa State 9 1 .900
1 Texas 10 2 .833
1 Kansas 9 2 .818
1 Oklahoma State 9 2 .818
1 Texas Tech 9 3 .750
1 Oklahoma 8 3 .727
1 Kansas State 7 4 .636

Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CBB: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.

The Big 12 doesn’t have the power at the top as some of the other conferences around the country, but there’s plenty of depth within the conference to make a really interesting fight in conference play.

Ultimately, I think Kansas is the best team in the Big 12, but any team can beat them in the Big 12 because of Kansas’ youth and inexperience.

Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa State are the teams in the Big 12 that will go the farthest in the NCAA tournament, if they make it of course. Those three teams have veteran leadership who know what it takes to win in the tournament. Teams like Baylor, TCU, and West Virginia will struggle this season because they haven’t “been there” with his group of players.

I like the Big 12 to pull some major upsets this season in NCAA tournament with Iowa State possibly making a Final Four run.

Fred Hoiberg has the shooters to beat anyone in the nation, including Kentucky if the Cyclones are on. Can they string six great games together? Probably not, but five is definitely within reason.

Texas would be another good darkhorse Final Four pick. Jonathon Holmes, who is averaging 12.6 PPG, is as good of a scorer as there is in the country when given the opportunity.

Anyone could make the NCAA tournament from the Big 12. There’s really no bad Big 12 teams this season, not even Texas Tech.

Obviously, all ten teams couldn’t make the tournament but why not eight?

The team with the most losses in Kansas State and they’re 7-4. That’s not even bad.

Next: ACC