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Big 12: College Basketball’s Best Conference

By Aaron Ferguson

Jan 4, 2016; Lawrence, KS, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) moves the ball against Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III (0) in the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2016; Lawrence, KS, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) moves the ball against Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III (0) in the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /
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The past two weeks have featured games amongst the Big 12 conference’s elite teams, and they showcased the Big 12 as the best conference in college basketball.

Oklahoma. Kansas. West Virginia. What do these three states have in common? They will all have a team ranked in college basketball‘s top 10 when the AP and Coaches polls are released this week.

Elite is a term that’s thrown around a lot more than it should, and there are no elite college basketball teams. In terms of the Big 12 conference, however, these three teams are elite and in a category of their own.

Each team showcased a signature win on the national stage. First came the Kansas Jayhawks, who handed the Oklahoma Sooners their first and only loss of the season. Then the Mountaineers had their shot at topping the top-ranked Jayhawks to hand Kansas their second loss of the season. As recently as Saturday, the Sooners had their opportunity to beat West Virginia for their second loss of the season.

It all began with a primetime showdown that didn’t disappoint. Kansas came into the game ranked No. 1 and Oklahoma was No. 2. The Jayhawks won 109-106 in a triple overtime shootout. But it wasn’t the fault of Sooners guard Buddy Hield, who scored 46 points with eight rebounds and seven assists. It was a game that certainly looked like Hield would be the Wooden Award winner.

Kansas proved to have great guard play to complement senior forward Perry Ellis, who had a great game with 27 points and 13 rebounds in 53 minutes. Wayne Selden Jr., Frank Mason III and Devonte’ Graham combined to score 58 of Kansas’ 109 points. The Jayhawks also used three players off the bench for 15-plus minutes.

Oklahoma proved that they are a force to be reckoned with against Kansas. They rely on their big four to give them the bulk of their production. Hield shined, but so did fellow guard Jordan Woodard. Woodard dropped 27 points to combine with Hield for 73 of the Sooners’ 106 points. They also saw 24 points combined from big man Ryan Spangler and forward Khadeem Lattin.

West Virginia hosted the Jayhawks and surprised some with a 74-63 win. Kansas came into the game undefeated and ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation. West Virginia held one loss and were ranked 11th. The Mountaineers took advantage of the opportunity to showcase their style of basketball.

West Virginia is known for their full-court pressing defense and it was well on display against Kansas. They forced the Jayhawks to turn the ball over 22 times, which is 10 more than their season average (12). The Mountaineers also utilize their athleticism by attacking the rim and getting to the free-throw line. They forced Kansas to commit 32 fouls, which led to a 33-47 free throw shooting performance by WVU.

The Mountaineers took full advantage of their athleticism. Getting to the free throw line allowed them to overcome an abysmal 19-57 (33.3 percent) shooting night. They have earned the right to be in the Big 12’s elite group of teams.

Since West Virginia’s win against Kansas, the Big 12 has seen a lot of attention, especially amongst these three teams. On Saturday, West Virginia traveled to Oklahoma to take on the Sooners. It was a close game throughout and was one that the Mountaineers led throughout. However, it was the Sooners who prevailed late for a 70-68 win to defend their home court.

Press Virginia played their game and were effective early in the game. They forced 18 Sooners turnovers, but turned the ball over 16 times themselves. Oklahoma was able to get to the free throw line more and shot better than WVU. The Sooners were 27-for-32 (84.4 percent) from the free throw line compared to West Virginia’s 13-22 (59.1 percent).

Feb 18, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Georges Niang (31) and forward Jameel McKay (1) and guard Monte Morris (11) come from bench after timeout during a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Iowa State won 70-65. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Georges Niang (31) and forward Jameel McKay (1) and guard Monte Morris (11) come from bench after timeout during a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Iowa State won 70-65. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports /

Iowa State and Baylor have work to do before they can ascend towards the top of the Big 12. Both teams have been ranked inside the top 25 rankings, but have had their struggles during the season. Despite a couple of bad losses, these teams are contributing to the Big 12’s strength as a conference.

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Iowa State had one loss entering conference play, but have dropped three of their first five conference games. Those three losses came on the road against Oklahoma (87-83), Baylor (94-89) and at Texas in overtime (94-91). The Cyclones have a prime opportunity to make up ground over the next three weeks with games against Oklahoma, Kansas, West Virginia and a non-conference game against Texas A&M.

Baylor has faired slightly better in conference play than Iowa State. The Bears are tied at the top of the conference with a 4-1 record. However, Baylor’s best win is at Iowa State and their worst loss came at the hands of Kansas in a 102-74 bloodbath. The Bears will have their best opportunities towards the end of conference play with two meeting against Oklahoma, two against West Virginia and one more against Kansas still to come.

Next: Virginia Tech: Buzz Williams Is Leading Hokies To Next Step

It is no surprise that the Big 12 is one of the best conferences in basketball. The conference is known for their high-scoring football games, but the basketball teams are also high-scoring and every much as exciting. Their primetime games have been a great example as to why the Big 12 is the best conference in college hoops.