The Big 12 currently has seven teams ranked inside the AP Top 25. That is the most amoung all conferences. The Big 10 currently has six and the SEC and ACC both have five.
4. BYU Cougars
The BYU Cougars are 13-1 as of Jan. 7 and remain firmly in the Big 12 title conversation due to their consistency on both ends of the floor.
The Cougars are led by AJ Dybantsa, who is averaging 23 points per game and has established himself as one of the best players in all of college basketball. His scoring ability gives BYU a reliable go-to option and anchors the offense.
Dybantsa is supported by Richie Saunders and Robert Wright III, who both average more than 15 points per game and combine with Dybantsa to account for the majority of BYU’s scoring production.
The Cougars will need continued production from Saunders and Wright to contend for a Big 12 title. While Dybantsa remains the focal point, consistent contributions from additional game changers will be necessary to win consistently through the grind of conference play.
3. Houston Cougars
The Cougars are 14-1 this season. Houston gets consistent scoring from its leaders, with Emanuel Sharp and Kingston Flemings both averaging about 16 points per game.
The lone loss for the Cougars came at the hands of the current No. 21 team in the country, Tennessee, at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.
The Cougars’ identity remains anchored in stout defense and efficient offense, holding opponents to low-scoring outputs while generating enough offensive balance to stay near the top of the Big 12. That mix has kept Houston competitive in every game and helped it maintain a high national profile.
While Houston’s scoring depth and defensive strength put it third in this list, the team sits behind Iowa State and Arizona due to a slight edge those teams hold in offensive efficiency and balanced scoring across multiple high-volume producers.
2. Arizona Wildcats
The Wildcats are also undefeated after earning a 101-76 win over Kansas State in their most recent game. The Arizona Wildcats sit just behind Iowa State in the rankings in terms of high-level scoring depth.
Arizona’s scoring is led by Koa Peat and Brayden Burries, who both average around 14 points per game. The Wildcats have six players averaging double figures, allowing production to come from multiple spots in the rotation.
Despite that balance, Arizona fails to reach the number one spot because it lacks the same top-end scoring punch and consistent offensive production at the top of the lineup.
The Wildcats’ offense is spread throughout the roster, while the Cyclones’ ability to rely on multiple high-volume scorers separates them at the top of the Big 12 power rankings.
1. Iowa State Cyclones
The Cyclones are 15-0 after recording a 70-60 win over Baylor for the first time in program history. Iowa State Cyclones sit atop the rankings due to their depth under head coach T.J. Otzelberger and a balanced core led by Tamin Lipsey, Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson.
Momcilovic and Jefferson each average more than 17 points per game. Momcilovic has established himself as one of the nation’s top 3-point shooters, while the addition of a fadeaway midrange jumper has elevated his offensive game.
Jefferson recorded the ninth triple-double in program history in Iowa State’s Big 12 opener against West Virginia, showcasing his versatility on both ends of the floor.
Lipsey serves as the team’s floor general, averaging just under six assists per game while anchoring the Cyclones’ backcourt.
Role players Killyan Toure and Blake Buchanan round out the starting lineup. Toure provides elite perimeter defense, while Buchanan adds size and physicality in the paint.