BIG 12 POWER RANKINGS

The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll came out Monday with the Big 12 providing five of the top 21 teams. No surprise there. The Big 12 is a powerhouse hoops league. Using the others receiving votes data, the Big 12 has seven of the top 29 ranked teams.

“Another ho hum night in the Big 12,” OSU coach Mike Boynton said after a 64-51 victory over Texas on Saturday. The Cowboys led just 52-50 with 31⁄ minutes

2 left. “That’s what every game is like in this league.” In the AP poll, the Big 12 sports No. 1 Baylor, No. 9 Kansas, No. 15 Iowa State, No. 19 Texas Tech and No. 21 Texas. OU is 26th and West Virginia 29th.

The AP poll is nice, but here is how the Big 12 teams should rank through two or three games of the conference season:

1. Baylor (3-0 Big 12, 15-0 overall): The Bears might be America’s best team.

2. Kansas (1-1, 12-2): The Jayhawks’ loss at Tech is nothing to be ashamed of.

3. Texas (2-1, 12-3): The Cowboys denied Longhorns a second straight road win in the conference.

4. Texas Tech (1-1, 11-3): The Red Raiders played tough in a short-handed loss at Iowa State.

5. Oklahoma (2-0, 12-3): The Sooners were as impressive in losing, at Baylor, as in winning home games over K-State and Iowa State.

6. West Virginia (1-1, 12-2): The Mountaineers’ 15point loss at Texas raises some questions.

7. Iowa State (1-2, 13-2): The Cyclones are a great story, but as the home loss to Baylor and the road loss at OU can attest, success doesn’t come easy in the Big

12.

8. Texas Christian (0-1, 10-2): The Horned Frogs’ schedule is going to get messy. TCU already has two conference games to make up due to Covid.

9. Oklahoma State (1-1, 8-5): The Cowboys split at home with heavyweights Kansas and Texas.

10. Kansas State (0-3, 8-6): How good is the Big 12? K-State clearly ranks 10th in the 10-team league, but among the Wildcats’ conference losses are a 71-69 game at OU and a 71-68 game at West Virginia.