Breaking down Big 12 basketball: How did the teams fare in nonconference play?
How does the Big 12 shape up after nonconference play? Let’s take a look at the nonconference highlights for each team, listed by KenPom rankings, which are based on a variety of advanced metrics such as offensive and defensive efficiency and strength of schedule:
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1. Houston, 13-0: Elite defensive team spearheaded by veteran point guard and Manor graduate Jamal Shead had key nonconference wins over Xavier, Texas A&M.
4. BYU, 12-1: One of the nation’s surprise teams beat San Diego State and North Carolina State and suffered its lone loss to rival Utah.
13. Kansas, 12-1: The preseason No. 1 team tested itself in wins over Kentucky, Tennessee, UConn and Indiana as well as in a loss to Marquette.
15. Baylor, 11-2: The Bears did top Power Six foes Florida and Seton Hall but dropped its games to Duke and Michigan State, the latter by a head-scratching 24 points.
18. Iowa State, 11-2: The Cyclones have navigated a soft schedule, losing to Virginia Tech and Texas A&M and beating VCU and rival Iowa.
26. Oklahoma, 12-1: The surprising Sooners nipped USC and Arkansas, with their lone loss coming to North Carolina.
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32. Texas, 11-2: The Longhorns have the lowest strength of schedule among the Big 12 contenders at No. 67, with a win over LSU a highlight but with losses to powerhouses UConn and Marquette.
34. TCU, 11-2: The Frogs are 2-1 against Power Six squads, beating Georgetown and struggling Arizona State but falling to Clemson and Mountain West contender Nevada.
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37. Texas Tech, 11-2: A similar schedule to Texas'; the Red Raiders beat struggling Michigan and Vanderbilt but fell short against contenders Villanova and Butler.
40. Cincinnati, 11-2: The Bearcats have thrived with a soft schedule, but losses to in-state rivals Dayton and Xavier cause concern.
73. UCF, 9-3: The Big 12 newcomer ranks just 73rd in strength of schedule and has dropped games to Ole Miss and Miami, the only two Power Six teams it has faced.
75. Kansas State, 10-3: The Wildcats have a loss to a strong Nebraska squad but topped Big East powers Providence and Villanova.
93. Oklahoma State, 8-5: The Cowboys haven’t beaten a Power Six team but do have a six-game winning streak against lesser competition.
124. West Virginia, 5-8: The Mountaineers have played four Power Six foes and dropped all of those contests, although three were by six points or fewer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Breaking down Big 12 basketball: How did teams fare in nonconference play?
