The Big 12 women’s basketball season is now eight games into conference play and there is now a new team in the top spot in our power rankings.
The league also has a major injury that could influence the outcome of the regular season standings and, by extension, seeding in the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.
So, we dig into our sixth power rankings of the season. This week we’ll focus on four of the “Hateful Eight” teams, but in reverse of the men’s power rankings earlier this week. This week we’ll spotlight Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State.
Let’s dig in.
No. 1 Kansas State (19-1, 7-0; Last Ranking: No. 2)
Life without Ayoka Lee isn’t going to be as difficult as some might think. Remember, the Wildcats played several games without her last season and it gave two forwards, Eliza Maupin and Gisela Sanchez, an opportunity to shine.
Maupin plays more like Lee inside, while Sanchez has length and shooting ability that stretches defenses out of the paint. Plus, Kennedy Taylor has been a nice addition in the frontcourt rotation.
The reality is that Kansas State is the deepest team in the conference and can withstand living without Lee while she recovers. The Wildcats need her for March if they want to make a deep NCAA Tournament run. A slower-than-normal recovery is the biggest risk here.
Meanwhile, guard Serena Sundell is having a terrific season, transfer forward Temira Poindexter looks more comfortable than ever and the chemistry across this team is incredible. Kansas State won’t go undefeated, but the Wildcats have the talent they need to play on without their all-time leading scorer for a few weeks.
No. 2 Oklahoma State (16-3, 6-2; Last Ranking: No. 5)
No. 3 TCU (19-2, 7-1; Last Ranking: No. 1)
No. 4 Baylor (16-4, 5-1; Last Ranking: No. 3)
Baylor challenged itself during its bye week by facing No. 1 UCLA and the Bears lost by 15. It was a good measuring stick game for the No. 25 team in the country, one that reached the Sweet 16 last season.
Baylor had won five straight before the loss. The Bears’ only league loss is to Oklahoma State. TCU is coming up this weekend and the Horned Frogs are coming off a loss to … Oklahoma State. There’s a reason the Cowgirls are No. 2.
The Bears are a well-balanced team. But Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (14.2 points, 10.1 rebounds per game) is the straw that stirs the drink and should be getting more national attention.
No. 5 West Virginia (16-3, 6-2; Last Ranking: No. 4)
No. 6 Utah (14-5, 5-3; Last Ranking: No. 6)
No. 7 Iowa State (14-7, 5-3; Last Ranking: No. 7)
The Cyclones seem to have found some equilibrium, having won four of their last five games. But the one loss was against then-No. 20 West Virginia. If one is keeping track, Iowa State is 0-4 against ranked teams this season. That’s a problem with back-to-back games against TCU and Kansas State next week.
On paper, forward Audi Crooks is having a massive year and forward Addy Brown is building on her terrific freshman year. Guard Emily Ryan is doing the usual Emily Ryan things. Guard Sydney Harris, last of TCU, fits right into this team.
So … why are they in the middle of the pack? I haven’t figured that out yet. If there is good news, there is plenty of runway for the Cyclones to put it together. A win over a ranked team would do wonders.
No. 8 Arizona (13-8, 4-4; Last Ranking: No. 9)
No. 9 Texas Tech (14-7, 3-5; Last Ranking: No. 14)
No. 10 Colorado (12-6, 3-4; Last Ranking: No. 8)
No. 11 Kansas (12-7, 2-6; Last Ranking: No. 10)
The loss of last year’s super-seniors appears to be catching up with the Jayhawks, who have lost six of their last eight games. The only wins are against Oklahoma State and Arizona State.
Guard S’Mya Nichols is having a massive offensive season, averaging 21 points per game. Guard Elle Evans is adding 14.4 points per game and the pair are shooting better than 40% from the 3-point line. But Kansas is not a particularly good rebounding team, as they clearly miss Taiyanna Jackson’s interior play of the past few years.
Kansas will go as far as Nichols and Evans will take them. There is a chance to get right against Houston and Texas Tech before facing Kansas State and West Virginia back-to-back.
No. 12 Cincinnati (11-6, 3-4; Last Ranking: No. 11)
No. 13 Arizona State (8-12, 2-6; Last Ranking: No. 12)
No. 14 BYU (10-8, 1-6; Last Ranking: No. 13)
No. 15 Houston (5-14, 1-7; Last Ranking: No. 15)
No. 16 UCF (7-10, 0-7; Last Ranking: No. 16)
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
