Baylor (12-0): Last week’s ranking, 1. It’s debatable as to whether Kansas is a better team than Baylor, but records are records, and right now Baylor hasn’t lost yet. They take down Texas Southern 89-63.
Kansas (11-1): Last week’s ranking, 2. Kansas is clearly the best out of all the one loss teams, so they will sit at number two, for at least one more week. A lot changes when you get to conference play, but for now. they handled UNLV with ease, 71-53.
West Virginia (11-1): Last week’s ranking, 5. West Virginia jumped up two spots just due to their national ranking. They are getting a bunch of national attention, so they must be a pretty good team. They pummeled Northern Kentucky by the score of 92-61. They just keep taking care of business.
Texas Tech (11-1): Last week’s ranking, 4. There isn’t a whole lot of separation between these next three teams. Their records are good, but non-conference can be VERY deceiving. Once conference play starts we will know a lot more about 4-6. No-one knows how good these teams really are, or where they will end up, but only time will tell. As for Tech, they dominated Longwood by the score of 91-60.
Kansas State (11-1): Last week’s ranking, 3. Right now, all you have to do is keep a good record before conference play starts, and that’s what Kansas State has been doing. They looked a little shaky against Gardner-Webb, but they were still able to close out the game. They won 67-54.
TCU (11-1): Last week’s ranking, 6. I don’t expect much out of TCU once conference play starts, but you can’t deny that they have been taking care of business. They beat Bradley 74-42, but they remain at the bottom of the one loss teams.
Oklahoma State (10-2): Last week’s ranking, 7. Oklahoma State is looking pretty good going into conference play. They got the victory over Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 92-70. For most of the conference the story is to just beat who you are supposed to beat, and for the most part, that’s what Oklahoma State has been doing.
Iowa State (8-3): Last week’s ranking, 8. I expect good things for Iowa State. They sit at 8-3 after beating Mississippi Valley State 88-60, still in good position to make a run in conference play, but those three losses are hurting them a bit right now.
Oklahoma (6-5): Last week’s ranking, 9. Oklahoma got tripped up by a decent Auburn squad, 74-70. They need to find a way to get it together without their former seniors, or they are going to be in for a long season.
Texas (6-5): Last week’s ranking, 10. Until the Longhorns can prove that they can beat teams on a consistent basis they are going to be sitting at number 10. They did a fine job handling UAB by the score of 96-60, but for a Texas team that struggled to break 500 in non-conference play, that’s not a good sign.
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