Big 12 Basketball: Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech rise in latest power rankings

5. Oklahoma (14-3, 2-2)

The Sooners had a very good run nearly a decade ago, advancing to the Final Four back in 2016, but things have been a little quiet in Norman. Lon Kruger retired three years ago and successor Porter Moser hasn’t had the same success, sitting just above .500 for his first two seasons with a less admirable record against the Big 12. However, season three is trending in a much different direction for Moser and company.

Oklahoma got this season off to a 10-0 start that included wins against USC, Providence, Iowa, and Arkansas. A loss to a strong North Carolina squad was their initial blemish. The Sooners have now played four games in the Big 12, with the home team winning each contest. This includes a nice win against Iowa State and tough losses at TCU and Kansas in recent weeks.

The record looks good and both Javian McCollum and Otega Oweh are having nice seasons in Norman. The question remains on if Oklahoma can win games away from home in this league, especially against some of the stronger teams in this conference. These Sooners don’t regularly shoot the cover off the ball, but Moser has them playing better defense than recent years and they aren’t ranked for no reason. It’ll be intriguing to watch how their season unfolds, especially with all the challenges ahead.