Chase for the Big 12 title: Who has the edge?

You could put it up there with life’s certainties — death, taxes, Kansas winning the Big 12 in men’s basketball. Well, maybe not this year.

The Jayhawks have won the league regular-season title every year since 2005, a record-tying 13 in a row. Just past the halfway point in the current campaign, Kansas does indeed have a share of first place. But the Jayhawks also have a lot of company, making the home stretch anything but certain.

In fact, the Big 12 standings remain tightly bunched with four games separating first and last place.

When all is said and done, of course, all a first-place finish really means is the top seed in the conference tournament, which right now looks about as wide open as the Grand Canyon. But with a month to go in the regular season, four teams have winning records in Big 12 play. Here’s a quick look at that quartet and their potential paths to a top finish.

Kansas

As mentioned, the Jayhawks are tied for the lead at 7-3. Kansas missed an opportunity to grab the outright lead on Saturday, however, losing at home to Oklahoma State. Allen Fieldhouse hasn’t been nearly as daunting as in years past; KU has lost three true home games this season including two in conference play. The Jayhawks’ next three games are theoretically winnable. Tuesday’s home date with TCU is followed by trips to Baylor and Iowa State, the pair bringing up the rear in the standings. Then comes a three-game stretch against their primary pursuers, culminating in a Feb. 24 visit to ...

Texas Tech

Speaking of the Red Raiders, arguably the league’s most surprising team shares the top spot with Kansas thanks in large measure to a huge win in Lawrence. Since then, however, Texas Tech came back to earth a bit with a 1-3 stretch that included a puzzling performance at Iowa State. The Red Raiders appear to be back on course, riding a four-game winning streak into Wednesday’s home rematch with the Cyclones. Before that date with the Jayhawks, however, the Raiders have a Feb. 13 home date with Oklahoma, and immediately after the Kansas game they must make the long journey to West Virginia.

Oklahoma

The Sooners are tough to figure. It’s not fair to say they are a one-man show with Trae Young, but it’s equally true that when he isn’t at his best the team can struggle ... as it did in Saturday’s loss at Texas. In theory, Oklahoma will have the easiest closing stretch of the contenders with its final three games against teams currently worse than .500 in the conference. But the Sooners face a tough gantlet over their next five contests, starting Monday night at home against West Virginia. Weeknight road trips to Texas Tech and Kansas will follow and in the midst of those is a Saturday, Feb. 17, home rematch with the Longhorns.

West Virginia

WVU was trending in the wrong direction. But the Mountaineers snapped out of a 1-5 slump Saturday with a blowout of Kansas State.

They have little time to enjoy it, however, as they head for Norman on Monday night in what could be a make-orbreak clash for both teams’ first-place chances. The schedule sets up fairly well after that with four home games in the back half, but there remains a Feb. 17 trip to Kansas as well.