By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
Kansas coaches and players couldn’t have known what awaited them last week when their plane touched down in the State of Utah.
The Jayhawks weren’t having the season most expected from a perennial blue-blood, but neither had they posted losses sufficient to cause AP voters and bracketologists to lose faith.
The Utes and Cougars dispatched KU’s unearned credibility with statement wins.
In the state of Texas, meanwhile, Arizona showcased its surprisingly stellar defense, capping a two-game skid with a gritty victory over Baylor.
Colorado’s first conference win of the season, over UCF, can’t be overlooked.
Here’s an update on the five Big 12 teams from the West and four other teams in the mix.
Arizona (12-3, 18-8)
There might be something different about this year’s Arizona team.
For the first time since Tommy Lloyd arrived in Tucson, the Wildcats are an elite defensive team. The Cats are No. 9 in KenPom’s defensive efficiency metric. Having an elite defense provides more margin for error.
It’s arguably the reason why UA has been winning games even when Caleb Love is inefficient with high-volume shooting.
The question becomes: How does that translate in March?
BYU (9-6, 18-8)
At this point, BYU is probably a lock for the NCAA Tournament. Completely dismantling Kansas pushed the program off the Bubble.
Even though the Jayhawks are down this season, the margin of victory was shocking.
The evolution of BYU Basketball has been years in the making. Now in their second season in the Big 12, it all seems to be coming together.
Winning a game in the First Round is probably a reasonable expectation for the team and a Sweet 16 appearance doesn’t seem that far-fetched.
Utah (7-8, 15-11)
That’s how you establish a home-court advantage.
Sweeping the Kansas schools at the Huntsman Center was Utah’s unofficial introduction to the Big 12. Back-to-back victories like that get noticed and change the perception around the program.
Now, the media will be hyping up games in Salt Lake City when the opponent is ranked.
The narrative will be that it’s a hard place to win and the road team is officially on Upset Alert. Welcome to the big leagues, Utah.
Arizona State (3-12, 12-14)
Does Bobby Hurley keep his job at the end of the season? It’s a fair question with Arizona State sitting at 3-12 in the Big 12 and 12-14 overall.
If it were me, I’d say he probably deserves another year. He is a strong recruiter and can construct a roster that looks good on paper.
Getting it to work on the court hasn’t always been successful.
But he has elevated the status of ASU Basketball and deserves a chance to get it back on track.
Colorado (1-14, 10-16)
Credit Tad Boyle, his staff, and his players for getting the win over UCF.
The victory ensures they won’t have a winless season in Conference play and it’s something to be proud of.
Colorado is no longer at rock bottom.
Everything from here on out will be on an upward trajectory. The pace of that trajectory will remain in question.
But Boyle is a proven coach who can get the ship righted.
Houston (14-1, 22-4)
There’s no longer a debate. The Big 12 runs through Houston.
There was a stretch earlier in the season when it looked like Iowa State might be the one. But what the Cougars are doing separates them from the rest.
Kelvin Sampson’s team has won 12 straight road conference games (a Big 12 record) and is 30-1 at home since joining the league. No program has more wins in the Conference since they joined last year.
The tide has shifted. Kansas is no longer the marquee program in the league. It’s Houston.
Iowa State (11-4, 21-5)
The Cyclones are a different team with Milan Momcilovic back in the lineup.
Since he returned, Iowa State is 4-0. It’s probably not fair to judge them based on the games in January.
The Clones lost three straight and four of six during a stretch between January 18th and February 3rd.
If they can beat Houston on the road this Saturday, the expectations for the team will rise sharply.
Texas Tech (11-4, 20-6)
How did Texas Tech lose to TCU?
The Horned Frogs brought the energy, but the Red Raiders must have been overlooking the game.
The loss, however, could act as a needed dose of reality. Essentially acting as a reset, the next few games are critical. TTU faces West Virginia, Houston, and Kansas. Going 0-3 over that stretch is within the realm of possibilities.
At the same time, going 3-0 might be just as likely.
Kansas (8-7, 17-9)
I told you so. It was obvious to anyone paying attention that Kansas was not it this year.
It was actually illuminating from a media standpoint because it showed the bias and agenda that people like Joe Lunardi and ESPN have. For some reason, KU Basketball is an untouchable brand that you can’t say anything negative about.
The fact that they are struggling so badly in the first year of the expanded Big 12 is poetic justice.
Right now, the Kansas basketball program is washed. And it shows.
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.
