The NCAA Tournament is just around the corner, but first, the Conference Championships will commence in early March. The Big 12 is one of the deepest conferences in the nation, with seven teams right now who could realistically compete for the National Championship. It can be hard to figure out which teams are valuable for title futures and which ones may be imposters.
Going by pure talent and record, the Baylor Bears are just above the rest. They are the No. 2 team in the nation only behind the unstoppable force that is Gonzaga right now. The other six teams are all fighting with each other for who will earn that second-place finish in the conference.
Here’s how the odds currently sit in the Big 12 Conference (Oklahoma State is currently appealing their NCAA Tournament ban, thus they have no odds):
As you can see, NET, KenPom, and Bracketology are all split on who the best teams are in the Big 12 with the exception of Baylor. Here we will take a look at some teams to consider that have a chance to upset the top-seeded Bears in the Big 12 Tournament.
Kansas
Yes, the Jayhawks relinquished a sizable lead to Texas last Tuesday night in a loss to the Longhorns, but they are a team that seems to be figuring themselves out as of late. Before losing to Texas, they had piled up five straight wins, with two of those coming against fellow Big 12 contenders Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.
What is so intriguing about Kansas is that they are currently ranked ninth in the country in defense. They are just outside the top-100 in defensive rebounding percentage and opponent turnover rate, which means that the Jayhawks are able to get stops when they need to and can lock down opposing teams on the glass.
Offensively, they have struggled much of the year, but seem to have found something in Ochai Agbaji. He has been shooting at a 37% clip from the 3-point line, giving Kansas a perimeter threat that they have desperately needed. Jalen Wilson has been proving doubters wrong. He is posting the third-best defensive rebounding rating in the conference, and his growth throughout the year has been great to watch.
The most important piece of the puzzle will be big man David McCormack. He has struggled mightily from the field, shooting just 48%. The one area where he has been impressive is from the charity stripe, where he is hitting 80%. He will need to be more effective under the basket if Kansas is to succeed.
Kansas may be coming alive at just the right time, and they are starting to figure things out on both sides of the ball. They are worth a look.
West Virginia
The team that currently holds the second-best record in the conference are the West Virginia Mountaineers. Ever since the departure of Oscar Tshiebwe, the team has sort of transformed itself into a 3-point scoring and free-throw making machine. They have been scorching from deep against Big 12 opposition, shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc with a 42% free throw rate on those shots. Pretty incredible.
For a team that was known for its defense in years past, it has certainly taken a new approach. They are currently ranked 66th in the nation defensively, and outside of the top-100 in turnover rate. The big concern with the team is how much they rely on the three. However, in college basketball, it’s all about what you did recently.
The Mountaineers have erased second-half deficits to Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State, which is a big indicator of a team’s resilience and confidence level. They will be the only team in the nation to play both No.1 Gonzaga and No.2 Baylor, so they are built ready for whatever comes their way.
Oklahoma
Guard Austin Reaves and his Oklahoma Sooners are a team that is built for some March magic. This is a team that does not make many mistakes and is very poise, which is a huge plus when it comes to tournament play. They are 12th in the nation in turnover rate, and they are efficient when their opponents make a mistake, shooting 75% from the free-throw line.
Oklahoma also doesn’t foul very much, ranking 7th in the country in opponent free-throw rate.
This is a team that is very deep and will be able to make a run during tournament time with how efficient they are. They have had players out at different parts of the year due to COVID-19, but they have compiled a pretty nice resume. They defeated Alabama, the No.1 team in the SEC Conference, while also taking West Virginia to double-overtime before coming out with a victory.
