Bracketology Bubble Watch: Where do teams stand relative to the field?
Big 12 Conference
Firmly in the field: Kansas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Iowa State
Some perspiration: Kansas State, TCU
Double the deodorant: Texas, Baylor.
Kansas Jayhawks (16-3, 5-2 B12)
NET: 14 | KPI: 1 | SOR: 6 | BPI: 12 | KP: 12 | Sag: 8
Q1: 9-2 | Q2: 1-1 | Q3: 3-0 | Q4: 3-0
Kansas might already have three losses but it is pretty clear that their resume is elite. With arguably the best collection of wins in the entire country, the Jayhawks still deserve to be in consideration for a No. 1 seed and plenty of metrics agree. With a couple of big road games approaching against Kentucky and Texas, Kansas can make a big statement. Is there anyone betting against KU winning the Big 12? I wouldn’t want to be that guy.
Texas Tech Red Raiders (15-4, 4-3 B12)
NET: 17 | KPI: 22 | SOR: 18 | BPI: 15 | KP: 15 | Sag: 16
Q1: 4-4 | Q2: 3-0 | Q3: 0-0 | Q4: 8-0
After starting this season ridiculously hot, it seems as though Texas Tech is coming back down to earth. The Red Raiders have suffered three consecutive defeats and their offense continues to scuffle. Head coach Chris Beard’s team is easily one of the top-5 defensive units in the nation but they will need to find ways (not named Jarrett Culver) to consistently score against top-tier competition in order to hang onto a protected seed in the Big Dance.
Oklahoma Sooners (14-5, 3-4 B12)
NET: 29 | KPI: 11 | SOR: 16 | BPI: 34 | KP: 24 | Sag: 24
Q1: 5-5 | Q2: 3-0 | Q3: 6-0 | Q4: 0-0
Oklahoma has struggled a bit to begin conference play but I still think that they are clearly one of the top-25 teams in the country when it comes to their resume. The Sooners have exceeded expectations to this point in the year and they remain in consideration for a protected seed. With that said, though, they will need to take advantage of a favorable upcoming schedule. Four of their next five games come at home and their only road game will come against an underachieving West Virginia team. Watch out for the Sooners to zoom up the seed lines.
Iowa State Cyclones (14-5, 4-3 B12)
NET: 16 | KPI: 27 | SOR: 29 | BPI: 13 | KP: 13 | Sag: 19
Q1: 3-4 | Q2: 1-1 | Q3: 4-0 | Q4: 6-0
Iowa State is in great shape to reach the NCAA Tournament. With a good record overall and strong rankings in all metrics, the Cyclones should be a lock as the season continues and could even compete for a protected seed. With wins over Kansas and Texas Tech headlining their resume, they have the elite victories that many other teams do not at this point in time. Every single opponent left on the Iowa State schedule ranks in the KenPom top-100 so their SOS will be very impressive.
Kansas State Wildcats (15-4, 5-2 B12)
NET: 30 | KPI: 7 | SOR: 19 | BPI: 38 | KP: 36 | Sag: 27
Q1: 4-2 | Q2: 2-2 | Q3: 6-0 | Q4: 3-0
Kansas State is back. Aside from a head-scratching loss to Tulsa in early December, the Wildcats have looked every bit of a top-25 throughout this season. Most recently, K-State has won five consecutive games (all in Big 12 play) as they have emerged as a legit top team in the nation. During this recent winning streak, they have managed to take down four KenPom top-25 teams as they themselves have soared up the rankings. Four of their next five games will come on the road, though.
TCU Horned Frogs (14-4, 3-3 B12)
NET: 28 | KPI: 21 | SOR: 30 | BPI: 31 | KP: 22 | Sag: 23
Q1: 0-3 | Q2: 5-1 | Q3: 4-0 | Q4: 5-0
It will certainly hurt TCU to be without Jaylen Fisher for the rest of the season but they should still be able to dance with ease. Through the first few months of the season, the Horned Frogs have put together a great record but their SOS leaves something to be desired. That should change as Big 12 play continues but it could come back to hurt their seeding in March. TCU only holds two wins over KenPom top-50 teams.
Texas Longhorns (11-8, 3-4 B12)
NET: 43 | KPI: 23 | SOR: 64 | BPI: 39 | KP: 29 | Sag: 32
Q1: 4-5 | Q2: 1-2 | Q3: 3-1 | Q4: 3-0
Texas still ranks quite highly in just about every metric but they have also lost four of their last five games. Now with just an 11-8 record, the Longhorns belong on the bubble despite their metrics. This is one of the most inconsistent teams in the country and that will need to change in Big 12 play. Sure, it helps when the team takes down teams like North Carolina and Purdue but let’s also not forget their home loss to Radford, either. The Longhorns need to find some consistency to move up the seed lines.
Baylor Bears (12-6, 4-2 B12)
NET: 51 | KPI: 46 | SOR: 60 | BPI: 40 | KP: 45 | Sag: 41
Q1: 4-3 | Q2: 2-1 | Q3: 1-0 | Q4: 5-2
Baylor has very quietly put together a solid NCAA Tournament resume. They own a few nice wins, rank consistently well in metrics, and boast a fairly strong record as well. Most notably, though, they are trending in the right direction as winners of three straight games. The Bears are playing at a high level right now and could escape the bubble relatively soon. They are still sitting right on the cutline at this point in time but they are moving up while just about everyone else is on the decline.