Big 12 basketball power rankings: West Virginia rising behind Tucker DeVries, Javon Small

The Big 12 is nothing but entertaining, right?

After a big tournament week across the college basketball world, the conference is full of surprises.

Sure, Kansas remains a national title contender. But what is up with Houston and overtime? Is Arizona State for real?

Then there is West Virginia.

The Mountaineers have a new coach and new roster. And they found ways to win big games over Gonzaga and Arizona last week in overtime.

Maybe it’s time to watch out for the Mountaineers.

Let’s get to this week’s power rankings:

More: Arizona men’s basketball falls to West Virginia, drops to first losing record in 15 years

1. Kansas

Last week: 1

This week: at Creighton (Wednesday); at Missouri (Sunday)

What to know: Big man Hunter Dickinson was ejected against Duke for kicking Maliq Brown in the head. Can’t do that. But the Jayhawks still won and learned they could win without their superstar.

2. Iowa State

Last week: 3

This week: vs. Marquette (Wednesday); vs. Jackson State (Sunday); at Iowa (Thursday, Dec. 12)

What to know: The Cyclones’ offense has improved so much that they’ve scored at least 81 points in each game. Oh, and no team has scored more than 71 against Iowa State.

3. Houston

Last week: 2

This week: vs. Butler (Saturday); vs. Troy (Tuesday, Dec. 10)

What to know: Overtime is not good for the Cougars. They’ve lost both games that featured an extra period, which isn’t a good sign considering conference play is around the corner.

4. Baylor

Last week: 4

This week: at UConn (Wednesday); vs. Abilene Christian (Monday, Dec. 9); vs. Norfolk State (Wednesday, Dec. 11)

What to know: The Bears are a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Jeremy Roach away from having three top-25 losses less than a month into the season.

5. Cincinnati

Last week: 6

This week: at Villanova (Tuesday); vs. Howard (Sunday)

What to know: Cincinnati keeps winning — it’s 6-0 under Wes Miller for a second time in four seasons — and it’s likely getting last season’s leading scorer, Dan Skillings Jr., back from injury soon.

6. Arizona State

Last week: 8

This week: vs. San Diego State (Tuesday)

What to know: Last week, we highlighted true freshman Jayden Quaintance. Now, it’s true freshman Joson Sanon, a guard who could play himself into the first round of the NBA Draft, who is in the spotlight. The Sun Devils are young and dangerous.

Joson Sanon, smiling center, of Arizona State University is named the tournament MVP of the the 2024 Acrisure Men's Classic after ASU defeated Saint Mary's College in Palm Desert, Calif., Nov. 29, 2024. — Joson Sanon, smiling center, of Arizona State University is named the tournament MVP of the the 2024 Acrisure Men’s Classic after ASU defeated Saint Mary’s College in Palm Desert, Calif., Nov. 29, 2024.

7. Texas Tech

Last week: 7

This week: vs. DePaul (Wednesday); vs. Texas A&M (Sunday)

What to know: The Red Raiders are perfect at home. And they’re dominating there, too. They’ve won every game by at least 21 points.

8. West Virginia

Last week: 13

This week: vs. Georgetown (Friday); vs. North Carolina Central (Tuesday, Dec. 10)

What to know: It’s easy to focus on Tucker DeVries when discussing the Mountaineers. But don’t overlook Oklahoma State transfer point guard Javon Small. He’s been clutch along with nearly being an iron man.

Nov 28, 2024; Paradise Island, Bahamas, BHS; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Javon Small (7) celebrates with West Virginia Mountaineers guard Tucker DeVries (12) after scoring during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at Imperial Arena at the Atlantis resort. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

9. Arizona

Last week: 5

This week: vs. Southern Utah (Saturday)

What to know: The Wildcats are off to their worst start since 2009-10 and have yet to beat a power conference team. Life in the Big 12, even in nonconference, is hard.

10. UCF

Last week: 9

This week: vs. Tarleton State (Sunday)

What to know: The Knights have a new up-tempo offense and Darius Johnson has thrived. He leads the team in points, assists, steals and 3-pointers made.

11. Colorado

Last week: 16

This week: vs. Pacific (Monday); vs. Colorado State (Saturday)

What to know: Explaining the Buffaloes’ season to this point is tough. They beat two-time defending national champion UConn in the final seconds last week. But then they were demolished by new conference foe Iowa State.

12. Kansas State

Last week: 11

This week: at St. John’s (Saturday)

What to know: Kansas State’s record is a positive. But the vibes around the Wildcats seem a little off. Can this team, which is underwhelming to this point, make it back to the NCAA Tournament?

13. BYU

Last week: 12

This week: at Providence (Tuesday); vs. Fresno State (Wednesday, Dec. 11)

What to know: The Cougars live and die by the 3, like last year. And like last season, they thrive at home. They haven’t lost a nonconference game in November since 2022.

14. TCU

Last week: 10

This week: vs. Xavier (Thursday); vs. Vanderbilt (Sunday)

What to know: The Horned Frogs are struggling to out-rebound opponents, a sign of trouble for a team that has generally thrived on the boards the past few seasons.

15. Oklahoma State

Last week: 14

This week: at Tulsa (Wednesday); at Seton Hall (Sunday)

What to know: The Cowboys just spent a week off enjoying turkey but not football — watching OSU football was painful — before they continued an expanded road trip.

Oklahoma State head basketball coach Steve Lutz reacts during the college basketball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and the Southern Illinois Salukis, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024.

16. Utah

Last week: 15

This week: vs. St. Mary’s (Saturday)

What to know: The Utes are among the top teams in field goal percentage defense. They’ve shown signs of improvement but against a mostly soft schedule.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Big 12 men’s basketball power rankings: West Virginia makes big leap

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