Men's Basketball: Ranking the Big 12

World-Herald staff writer Lee Barfknecht ranks the Big 12 men's basketball teams (with rankings from RealTimeRPI.com):

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1. Kansas (27-2, 13-1, 1st)

• This week: Kansas State, at Missouri. The Jayhawks have clinched a share of their sixth straight league title, 10th overall and 53rd in history.

2. Kansas State (24-4, 11-3, 5th)

• This week: at Kansas, Iowa State. The 24 overall wins and 11 in the conference are KSU’s best since its Elite Eight team in 1987-88.

3. Baylor (22-6, 9-5, 12th)

• This week: at Texas Tech, Texas. The Bears, picked 10th in the Big 12 in preseason, are closing in on the national Top 10.

4. Texas A&M (20-8, 9-5, 13th)

• This week: Oklahoma State, at Oklahoma. This is six straight 20-win seasons for A&M. That matches the previous total in their entire history.

5. Missouri (21-8, 9-5, 36th)

• This week: at Iowa State, Kansas. Credit Mike Anderson for keeping the Tigers strong while replacing three key starters from a year ago,

6. Oklahoma State (20-8, 8-6, 25th)

• This week: at Texas A&M, Nebraska. OSU’s 60.4 percent shooting against No. 1 Kansas was the highest against a Bill Self KU team.

7. Texas (23-7, 9-6, 24th)

• This week: at Baylor. With two more starts, Damion James will break the Big 12 career record of 137 set by KU’s Aaron Miles (2002-05).

8. Texas Tech (16-12, 4-10, 58th)

• This week: Baylor, at Colorado. The Red Raiders probably need a sweep this week to keep alive hopes for an NIT bid.

9. Colorado (13-15, 4-10, 130th)

• This week: at Nebraska, Texas Tech. The Buffaloes haven’t outrebounded an opponent in the past 19 games.

10. Oklahoma (13-16, 4-11, 106th)

• This week: Texas A&M. This team has been dysfunctional from the beginning. Look for some major roster changes.

11. Iowa State (14-15, 3-11, 127th)

• This week: Missouri, at Kansas State. It looks like a fourth losing season in a row for the Cyclones’ fourth-year coach, Greg McDermott.

12. Nebraska (14-15, 2-12, 136th)

• This week: Colorado, at Oklahoma State. Doc Sadler has some hard questions to ask himself about the talent level on his current roster.

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