It’s quite a jumble in the middle of the pack in the Big 12 men’s basketball standings, and several teams are hoping the conference’s overall strength leads to the league getting a higher number of bids to the NCAA Tournament next month.
The top is easy to figure. Kansas is unbeaten and may stay that way if the Jayhawks can get past Texas next Monday. Texas, Kansas State and probably Baylor are another notch below, the Bears strengthened by their huge win in Austin last weekend.
From there it gets pretty interesting. Oklahoma State has a huge win at K State but got thumped in back-to-back games at Missouri and at home to Texas.
The Tigers were looking solid until a home loss Wednesday to Texas A&M, the best moment of the Big 12 season for the Aggies.
Texas Tech and Oklahoma have held up at home but haven’t been able to do much away from home, and rough nonconference seasons put both those teams in a bit of a hole.
And it’s never easy. As good as KU has looked, the Jayhawks have two overtime wins on the road in the last week, one at K State and Wednesday’s against conference cellar dwellar Colorado.
No matter where you go, going on the road will be a challenge.
Experts are predicting anywhere from five to seven bids for the Big 12, and those teams in the pack are sure hoping that number is the higher one. All are still in position to secure places, but a losing streak could take any of them out of it just as easily.