Big 12 Basketball: Best non-conference win from each team since 2012
By Andrew Tineo
Oklahoma State
November 18, 2012. 76-56 win over No.6 North Carolina State.
The guard depth that the 2012-2013 Cowboys had might be the best in program history. Markel Brown and the freshman duo of Phil Forte and Marcus Smart lead the way for Oklahoma State. It wasn’t until early on that Cowboy fans knew something was special about this team.
After running through Akron and Tennessee, North Carolina State was the final target of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Invitational. The depth that the Wolfpack had, made them a top ten team, with five players in double figures, lead by CJ Leslie.
The Wolfpack started the pre-season ranked sixth and were heavy upsets of taking the championship back to Raleigh. However, Smart made a statement.
Oklahoma State eliminated Leslie from the game, with two points on five shots. Scott Wood shot 1-11 from the field and the only player that stood out was freshman TJ Warren off the bench.
For Oklahoma State, it was Le’Bryan Nash’s 13 made free throws, to go with Smart scoring 20 points on seven rebounds and seven assists.
The dominant defensive play was encouraging and the blowout win showed Cowboy fans how special the team could be. The Cowboys won 24 games that season and finished third in the Big 12, their best of the past decade.
Honorable mention: December 16, 2017. 71-70 win over No.19 Florida State.
Texas
December 12, 2015. 84-82 win over No. 3 North Carolina.
Some teams just tend to have other’s number. With Texas, this game was a taste of the future. The Longhorns have three wins over North Carolina, during the 2010-2020 time frame. The first one came in the most dramatic fashion possible.
The Horns did not get off to the most promising of starts, beginning 5-3 with losses to Washington, Texas A&M, and Michigan. However, the past was forgotten once the ball tipped against Roy Williams’ squad.
Texas stayed neck and neck throughout the game. To end the half, Eric Davis Jr. would get a layup to fall before time expired, cutting the Tar Heel lead to two.
A Bryce Johnson basket with under ten seconds would tie the game at 82. Isaiah Taylor’s three-point shot would not fall, but a rebound directly to Javan Felix would give him an open look and the win.
Texas’ 12 made three-pointers propelled the horns and were the main difference on the evening.
The burnt orange has had the short stick of bad losses in the NCAA Tournament, while not having a ton of non-conference success, outside of the Carolina Blue.
However, this monumental shot early in the Shaka Smart era of Texas basketball is remembered and goes down as one of the best non-conference wins in school history.
Honorable mention: November 22, 2018. 92-89 win over No. 7 North Carolina.
Texas Tech
April 6, 2019. 61-51 win over No. 5 Michigan State.
The re-build that Chris Beard did at Texas Tech hit its apex when making its first final four in over four decades.
The Red Raiders did not save great performances for the tournament, as they had an abundance during the regular season. 31 wins are not normal in Lubbock, as veterans and a lottery-projected freshman lead the charge.
The insertion of Matt Mooney from Minnesota made the most impact in the Final Four game, with 22 points on 50% from the field. Texas Tech was known for its constant defense. On-ball pressure forced bad passes, deflections, all were the Red Raiders bread and butter.
They made it tough for Michigan State to score, shooting just 31% from the field. Although Michigan State turned the ball over 10 times, the Spartans could not generate takeaways of their own, with just one steal and Cassius Winston shooting 25% from the field.
The national championship game did not go the way the Red Raider faithful wanted to. However, making a final four within itself is a banner to be recognized. Texas Tech’s win over Michigan State is considered to be the banner wins of the past decade for Red Raider basketball.
Honorable mention: March 23, 2018. 78-65 win over No. 11 Purdue.