The Big 12 conference has had a bit of a down year after losing two of its best teams — Texas and Oklahoma — to the SEC.
Still, the conference has five nationally ranked teams and another receiving votes, as well as seven programs currently slated to make the NCAA Tournament. The conference is full of experienced players, which has largely prevented underclassmen from getting significant minutes.
However, there are still a handful of first-year players that are getting the job done, including one of the conference's best players.
Delaney Gibb, G, BYU
While BYU has struggled this year in Big 12 play, Delaney Gibb has been a major bright spot for the Cougars. The Raymond, Alberta native is currently ninth in the conference in scoring at 16.9 points per game and is in the top 20 for both assists and steals. She has been a force on both ends of the floor this season and is already one of the league's most well-rounded players.
She has filled up the stat sheet all season long but her best performance came on the road against Washington State where she scored 26 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists in a win. She does have the most turnovers in the conference, so if she can take better care of the ball in the future it will dramatically increase her team's chances of winning.
Emely Rodriguez, G, UCF
Rodriguez has been a bright spot for UCF this season. Even though the team is at the bottom of the barrel in the Big 12, the Miami, Florida native is second on her team in scoring at 11.2 points per game. She is also recording 5.1 rebounds per game and is active as both a passer and a defender.
Her best performance of the year came against the conference's best team, TCU, where she scored 16 points and added six rebounds, five assists and two steals in a narrow loss. Rodriguez still has glaring faults in her game as she struggles with taking care of the ball and scoring efficiently, but for a young player, all the pieces are there.
Chloe Mann, G, Cincinnati
Chloe Mann has been a solid contributor for the Bearcats this season. Her numbers will not blow you away at 8.8 points per game and just over one rebound, assist and steal, but she can fill it up for Cincinnati at times.
Her best game was a 26-point performance against Baylor earlier in February in which she also added two rebounds and two steals. Mann struggles with scoring efficiency, as her percentages of 27.5 percent from the field and 22.4 percent from the 3-point line are a bit problematic for the Bearcats at times. But the young player has a lot of room to grow and is already showing signs of being a good player in the Big 12.