The Kind of Big XII

Once again, I am intrigued by the Big XII because I think it’s the most entertaining league but it’s also probably one that could flame out spectacularly in March.

If we look at Bart Torvik’s T-Rank and KenPom, we are all ten teams in the Big 12 are in the top 100. 7 of the teams are in the top 50 of T-Rank and Baylor is 53rd. 8 teams reside in the KenPom top 50. The worst team in the league by the numbers is West Virginia and they just beat Kansas.

None of the teams crack T-Rank’s top 10, though and Kansas checks in at 9 in KenPom. The league is riddled with good teams but probably not a great team.

Texas Tech has been a pleasant surprise but are not a good offensive team at all. They’re 139th in AdjustedO in KenPom and 168th in T-Rank’s offensive metrics. That is not a recipe for a likely deep run. The second best team in the league after Kansas is probably Iowa State. The Cyclones are the most balanced team. They’re a top 20 offensive team and top 30th defensive team. 

The rest of the league will be teams that are probably round of 32 ceiling teams. It’ll be a fun ride to March. I’m just not confident it’ll be a fun ride for the league in the tournament.