Big 12 Men’s Basketball Week 16 Recap and Power Rankings

Full disclosure, about an hour and a half before the Texas game on Saturday, while at the trampoline park with the fam, I managed to dislocate my shoulder for the umpteenth time. This is not an attempt to elicit pity for the deceptively old man, but rather, if there are typos in here, sorry. I also didn’t hunt down videos or highlights to put in here this week. Again, sorry.

We’re heading into the final week of the regular season. The Bears’ slim hopes for a third consecutive regular season Big 12 championship, are alive but would require KU to lose twice while BU would need to win out. The Jayhawks are a win away from clinching at least a share of the title. If you wanna see last week’s post, you can find it here.

Overview: Home teams went 5-5. Ranked teams went 5-3 against lower-ranked or unranked opponents. Only 4 of last week’s 10 games were decided by 5 or fewer points.

My Team of the Week: Kansas. As mentioned above, the Jayhawks are primed to win their 19th Big 12 regular season championship of the 21st century. They won both games last week in exciting fashion.

My Player of the Week: Keyontae Johnson, Kansas State. Johnson led his team to a pair of wins behind his 42 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal on 60/56/50 splits.

1) Kansas Jayhawks (Weekly Record: 2-0)

Game 1: The Jayhawks defeated the TCU Horned Frogs 63-58. Telling Stat: KU outscored the Frogs 42-30 in the paint. Standout Player: Gradey Dick (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists on 39/30/100 splits).

Game 2: Kansas defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers 76-74. Telling Stat: KU outscored WVU 17-7 in fast break points. Standout Player: Gradey Dick (16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals on 50/63/50 splits).

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Player to Watch: Gradey Dick, Guard. Last 4 Games: 19.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.5 SPG on 44/39/78 splits.

Stat to Know: Kansas leads the league scoring margin in conference play.

What’s Next: Texas Tech (2/28) and Texas (3/4)

Outlook

The Jayhawks have won 6 in a row and 8 of their last 9. It has put them in position to not only win yet another regular season conference crown but a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They are firing on all cylinders right now behind the strong play of freshman, Gradey Dick, and transfer, Kevin McCullar. The team’s top star, Jalen Wilson has slowed down recently. Wilson’s last 6 games: 12.2 PPG on 37/22/65 splits. Wilson’s 6 games prior: 26.5 PPG on 49/41/84 splits. They’ll need him in top form if they want to keep things rolling in Lawrence.

2) Baylor Bears (Weekly Record: 1-1)

Game 1: The Bears were defeated by the Kansas State Wildcats 75-65. Telling Stat: BU was held to just 10/27 (37.0%) from the field in the 2nd half. Standout Player: Keyonte George (23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal on 47/60/75 splits).

Game 2: Baylor defeated the Texas Longhorns 81-72. Telling Stat: The Bears went on a 25-5 run in the 1st half. Standout Player: Flo Thamba (12 points and 12 rebounds on 75/NA/75 splits).

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Player to Watch: LJ Cryer, Guard. Last 5 Games: 17.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 2.4 APG on 53/57/100 splits.

Stat to Know: The Bears best 3P shooting team in the Big 12 in league play.

What’s Next: Oklahoma State (2/25) and Iowa State (3/4)

Outlook

After a disastrous trip to the Sunflower State which cost them an opportunity for the conference title, the Bears bounced back in a big way on Saturday, knocking off Top 10 Texas. There was a lot to be impressed with in Baylor’s win over the Horns, including the defensive performance, the resilience to fight back after falling behind early, and the resurgence of Dale Bonner. The Bears also suffered an injury to arguably their most productive player, Keyonte George, who sprained his ankle in the 1st half of Saturday’s game and has already been ruled out for tonight’s contest. The Bears may be able to win without him this week, but if they want to do serious damage in Kansas City and in the Big Dance, they’ll need their star freshman back in action.

3) Texas Longhorns (Weekly Record: 1-1)

Game 1: The Longhorns defeated the Iowa State Cyclones 72-54. Telling Stat: UT outscored ISU by 24 points from deep. Standout Player: Tyrese Hunter (15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal on 56/60/100 splits).

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Game 2: Texas was defeated by the Baylor Bears 81-72. Telling Stat: The Horns bench was outscored 29-12. Standout Player: Dylan Disu (24 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals on 67/75/50 splits).

Player to Watch: Sir’Jabari Rice, Guard. Last 5 Games: 16.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, and 1.0 SPG on 51/48/95 splits.

Stat to Know: The Longhorns are the 2nd highest-scoring offense in the Big 12 in league play.

What’s Next: TCU (3/1) and Kansas (3/4)

Outlook

The Horns still control their own destiny for winning at least a share of their first regular season conference championship since 2008. I’m not sure how much sting that takes out of their loss on Saturday to the Bears. The Longhorns have just one 3-game winning streak since the start of conference play and that was back in the early part of January. This team’s inability to string together wins does not bode well for their ability to cut down nets over the next month and change.

4) Kansas State Wildcats (Weekly Record: 2-0)

Game 1: KSU defeated the Baylor Bears 75-65. Telling Stat: The Cats outscored the Bears by 14 points off turnovers. Standout Player: Keyontae Johnson (25 points, 1 rebound, and 4 assists on 65/50/50 splits).

Game 2: The Wildcats defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys 73-68. Telling Stat: Kansas State outscored OSU 10-4 in fast break points. Standout Player: Markquis Nowell (22 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals on 42/38/90 splits).

Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Player to Watch: Keyontae Johnson, Forward. Last 4 Games: 17.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.3 SPG on 56/46/56 splits.

Stat to Know: The Wildcats have allowed the most points of any defense in the conference in Big 12 play.

What’s Next: Oklahoma (3/1) and West Virginia (3/4)

Outlook

The Wildcats have won 3 straight, their longest winning streak since they started conference play 4-0. First-year head coach, Jerome Tang, has done a masterful job with this team and has them in position to go into the Big 12 tourney with a top 3 seed if they can take care of business in the final week of the regular season against a pair of teams in the bottom half of the conference standings.

5) TCU Horned Frogs (Weekly Record: 1-1)

Game 1: The Frogs were defeated by the Kansas Jayhawks 63-58. Telling Stat: TCU was held to just 20/66 (30.3%) from the field. Standout Player: Damion Baugh (11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals on 25/33/50 splits).

Game 2: TCU defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders 83-82. Telling Stat: The Horned Frogs outscored Tech 20-12 in second-chance points. Standout Player: Mike Miles, Jr. (24 points and 2 rebounds on 50/50/86 splits).

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Player to Watch: Mike Miles, Jr., Guard. Last 3 Games: 17.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.3 APG on 42/50/75 splits.

Stat to Know: TCU has allowed the fewest FT attempts of any team in Big 12 play.

What’s Next: Texas (3/1) and Oklahoma (3/4)

Outlook

Before TCU’s edge-of-your-seat victory in Lubbock on Saturday, the Frogs had lost 5 of their last 6 and were trending in the wrong direction. While the win over Tech isn’t exactly the most impressive, in this conference, you’ll take what you can get. The Horned Frogs are the healthiest they’ve been in a long time, but they don’t appear to be fully back into the rhythm they were in when they started the season with a 13-1 record. If they want to have any hope of living up to the hype they’ve received since the preseason, they need to get back on track immediately.

6) Iowa State Cyclones (Weekly Record: 0-2)

Game 1: ISU was defeated by the Texas Longhorns 72-54. Telling Stat: The Cyclones were outscored by 11 points off turnovers. Standout Player: Osun Osunniyi (12 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal on 71/0/67 splits).

Game 2: The Cyclones were defeated by the Oklahoma Sooners 61-50. Telling Stat: Iowa State was held to 18/58 (31.0%) from the field in the game. Standout Player: Tamin Lipsey (10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals on 33/NA/80 splits).

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Player to Watch: Gabe Kalscheur, Guard. Last 3 Games: 11.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.7 APG, and 0.7 SPG on 28/32/50 splits.

Stat to Know: The Cyclones have the best scoring defense in the Big 12 in league play.

What’s Next: West Virginia (2/27) and Baylor (3/4)

Outlook

The Cyclones have lost 7 of their last 9 games and while their defense is arguably the best in the conference, their offense has been unable to parlay the play on the other end of the floor into wins. What’s that saying? Good offense beats good defense. Well, the Cyclones offense is all too often anything but good and although they are a top 25 team in KenPom, they probably need to win at least 1 or 2 more games to stay on the right side of the bubble.

7) Oklahoma State Cowboys (Weekly Record: 0-2)

Game 1: OSU was defeated by the West Virginia Mountaineers 85-67. Telling Stat: The Pokes were held to 20/52 (38.5%) from the field. Standout Player: Caleb Asberry (15 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals on 38/20/89 splits).

Game 2: The Cowboys were defeated by the Kansas State Wildcats 73-68. Telling Stat: OSU was held to 10/26 (38.5%) from the field in the 2nd half. Standout Player: Kalib Boone (18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks on 64/NA/80 splits).

Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Player to Watch: Caleb Asberry, Guard. Last 7 Games: 11.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, and 1.0 SPG on 46/33/94 splits.

Stat to Know: The Cowboys have the worst rebounding margin in the Big 12 in conference play.

What’s Next: Baylor (2/27) and Texas Tech (3/4)

Outlook

The Cowboys started Big 12 play 1-4. Then, they won 7 of their next 8, immediately preceding their current 4-game losing streak. This was a team that looked like a virtual lock for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in early February. Now, things are far less certain and the absence of senior leader, guard, Avery Anderson III (injured) is looking like it might be the difference between sneaking into the Big Dance or making it 18 consecutive seasons without a Sweet 16 run.

8) West Virginia Mountaineers (Weekly Record: 1-1)

Game 1: The Mountaineers defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys 85-67. Telling Stat: WVU outscored the Cowboys by 24 points off turnovers. Standout Player: Erik Stevenson (23 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals on 53/83/100 splits).

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Game 2: WVU was defeated by the Kansas Jayhawks 76-74. Telling Stat: The Mountaineers turned the ball over 21 times (the most by WVU in any game this season). Standout Player: Erik Stevenson (23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal on 41/29/100 splits).

Player to Watch: Erik Stevenson, Guard. Last 3 Games: 24.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.3 SPG on 45/48/100 splits.

Stat to Know: The Mountaineers get to the line more than anyone in the Big 12 in league play.

What’s Next: Iowa State (2/27) and Kansas State (3/4)

Outlook

The Mountaineers have now lost 4 of their last 5, including what could have been a season-changing win in Lawrence on Saturday, where they came up 2 points short. KenPom says that this is the 20th best team in America. Lately, they haven’t looked the part of anything close to that. Frankly, they might need a win or two more on their resume to feel comfortable about hearing their name called on Selection Sunday.

9) Texas Tech Red Raiders (Weekly Record: 1-1)

Game 1: The Red Raiders defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 74-63. Telling Stat: TTU outscored OU by 16 points in the paint. Standout Player: Fardaws Aimaq (19 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists on 60/50/0 splits).

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Game 2: Tech was defeated by the TCU Horned Frogs 83-82. Telling Stat: The Raiders missed 6 free-throws (compared to just 3 misses by TCU). Standout Player: Kevin Obanor (17 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block on 55/40/75 splits).

Player to Watch: Kevin Obanor, Forward. Last 10 Games: 14.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 0.7 BPG on 51/39/83 splits.

Stat to Know: Tech has worst assist-to-turnover ratio in the Big 12 in conference play.

What’s Next: Kansas (2/28) and Oklahoma State (3/4)

Outlook

The Red Raiders went into Saturday on a 4-game winning streak and with a sliver of hope that they might be able to fight their way into an at-large bid for the Big Dance. Had they defended their home court against TCU, the feeling about this Tech team would be very different. Yet, here we are, with a handful of teams hoping that Tech can play spoiler this week. Fardaws Aimaq is a supremely talented big man and it’s a shame that injury kept him out for so much of this season for the Raiders.

10) Oklahoma Sooners (Weekly Record: 1-1)

Game 1: The Sooners were defeated by the Texas Tech Red Raiders 74-63. Telling Stat: OU was held to 21/59 (35.6%) from the field. Standout Player: Tanner Groves (16 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals on 71/67/100 splits).

Game 2: OU defeated the Iowa State Cyclones 61-50. Telling Stat: The Sooners bench outscored ISU’s reserves by 11 points. Standout Player: Jacob Groves (16 points and 5 rebounds on 75/80/NA splits).

Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

Player to Watch: Grant Sherfield, Guard. Last 9 Games: 16.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 3.4 APG on 40/39/86 splits.

Stat to Know: The Sooners have the lowest-scoring offense in the conference in league play.

What’s Next: Kansas State (3/1) and TCU (3/4)

Outlook

The Sooners had lost 7 consecutive conference games before going 2-2 in their last 4. Their wins over Kansas State and Iowa State in the last 2 weeks are nice and might give some hope that the young team could improve next year depending on what type of roster turnover they experience this season. Still, this is the worst offense in the league and Sooners fans will be glad to move on to something else (maybe softball or trying to sell out another spring football game) in just a few short weeks.

Conclusion

The Bears will be looking to build off the momentum of their big win over Texas heading into the conference tournament. They’ll have to do so shorthanded. If Baylor wins both games this week, they could (with just a little help) end up as a 2 or a 3 seed in Kansas City which would foreclose a possible 3rd meeting the Jayhawks unless its in the championship game or in the Big Dance. Have a great week, everyone. Sic Em!

Stats courtesy of sports-reference.com; kenpom.com; 247sports.com; espn.com; ncaa.com; maxreps.com; cbbanalytics.com; and/or shotquality.com.