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College basketball power rankings: The blessing and curse of the Big 12

By Mike Phillips

LAWRENCE, KS - JANUARY 31: Joseph Yesufu #1 of the Kansas Jayhawks drives against Keyontae Johnson #11 of the Kansas State Wildcats during the game at Allen Fieldhouse on January 31, 2023 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KS - JANUARY 31: Joseph Yesufu #1 of the Kansas Jayhawks drives against Keyontae Johnson #11 of the Kansas State Wildcats during the game at Allen Fieldhouse on January 31, 2023 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /
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Marquis Nowell, Kansas State Wildcats.
G Marquis Nowell, Kansas State Wildcats. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

The Big 12 is the nation’s deepest conference. How many of its teams cracked this week’s college basketball power rankings?

Even though the ACC and Big Ten get all the headlines, college basketball fans know that the Big 12 is the nation’s best conference. Besides being the home of the defending national champions, the league’s 10 teams all rank inside the Top 70 of the NET Rankings, including eight of the top 35, making participation in this league both a blessing and a curse.

Big 12 teams looking for a resume boost can find a quality game at every turn but it has never been easier to find an ill-timed three-game losing streak either, especially when six Big 12 teams were ranked inside the Top 15 of the Week 13 AP Top 25 poll. Surviving this gauntlet is a war of attrition and it is fair to wonder if the league will cannibalize some of its bubble entrants to the point that the Big 12 gets fewer NCAA Tournament teams than it deserves.

How many Big 12 schools cracked the Top 10 in this week’s power rankings? Read on to find out, but first we’ll begin with this week’s Honorable Mentions, which includes a distinctive Big 12 feel once again.

Week 14 College Basketball Power Rankings – Honorable Mentions

Note: All rankings referenced in this story are based on the Week 13 AP Top 25 poll.

Kansas State, Iowa State, TCU, Saint Mary’s Virginia

You have to pour one out for Kansas State, which was in the Top 10 last week but fell out after losing a pair of tough conference games in Week 13. There is no shame in losing at Kansas or falling to Texas, but playing in a league like the Big 12 will create some trying times for even the best schools.

Iowa State’s loss at Texas Tech early in the week was unfortunate since their dominant performance against Kansas on Saturday was Top-10 worthy. The same can be said for TCU, which nearly completed a furious comeback at Oklahoma State to secure a good 2-0 week but the Cowboys held on to deny a Top 10 spot to the Horned Frogs.

Virginia is out of the Top 10 after losing at Virginia Tech, which is not a good look for a team with legitimate title aspirations. We also welcome Saint Mary’s to this tier of the rankings for the first time this season after the Gaels, who are ranked sixth in the NET, knocked off Gonzaga in overtime to seize control of the WCC.