At the halfway mark of the Big 12 men’s basketball season, the landscape is starting to take shape - and one team has clearly separated itself from the pack. Arizona remains the lone undefeated squad in the conference, and with a bye this week, the Wildcats will hold that spotless record a little longer. Undefeated overall, undefeated in Big 12 play, and sitting atop the national rankings - Arizona’s dominance has been steady, and they’re not showing signs of slowing down.
But while Arizona takes a breather, the rest of the Big 12 is deep in the grind, battling through one of the most competitive conference schedules in the country. And as we hit the midpoint, the divide between the top-tier contenders and the rest is becoming more and more evident.
The Big 6 Gap: Houston Shows Why It’s Real
Houston’s 79-55 dismantling of UCF on Wednesday was more than just another win - it was a statement. The Cougars, one of the Big 12’s top six teams, looked every bit the part, especially on their home floor. UCF, meanwhile, came into the game with a respectable résumé: No. 37 in the NCAA NET rankings, a .500 record in Quad 1 games, and home wins over ranked opponents in Kansas and Texas Tech.
But there’s a clear difference between being competitive at home and proving it on the road in this league. UCF’s only notable road win came back in November at Texas A&M - a solid victory, but not quite the same as winning in a Big 12 hostile environment. Since conference play began, the Knights are just 2-3 on the road, with losses to Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and now Houston.
The Knights have the pieces to make an NCAA Tournament run. But if they’re going to do more than just show up in March, they’ll need to prove they can win outside of Orlando.
That starts with the rest of their Big 12 road slate and continues into the conference tournament in Kansas City. That’s where we’ll find out if UCF is closing the gap with the league’s elite, or if the Big 6 remains a tier above.
Can the Big 12 Sneak in an Eighth?
According to ESPN’s Bracketology, seven Big 12 teams are currently in good shape for a tournament bid. That’s no surprise - the conference has been stacked this year. But the conversation now shifts to whether an eighth team can force its way into the field.
The next closest? TCU, currently sitting in the “next four out” category.
That essentially puts them at No. 74 in a 68-team bracket. Right behind them, Oklahoma State and West Virginia are also lurking, trying to build enough of a résumé to make Selection Sunday interesting.
The magic number for these fringe teams? Twenty wins by the Big 12 Tournament.
Why? Because history tells us that’s the benchmark.
Since the 2015-16 season, every Big 12 team that hit 20 wins before the conference tournament made the postseason, with all but one landing in the NCAA Tournament.
So for teams like TCU, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia, it’s not just about beating the ranked opponents - it’s about stacking wins, period. Ranked or unranked, home or away, every W matters.
That’s why Oklahoma State’s 99-92 win over BYU this week was so significant. Not only did it move the Cowboys to 16 wins, but it also gave them their first Quad 1 victory of the season - a critical piece for the selection committee.
With half the conference slate still to go, the race for that eighth spot is tight. But there’s a path - and it runs straight through Kansas City.
On the Women’s Side: A Four-Team Sprint to the Finish
The Big 12 women’s race is shaping up to be a thriller. With about a third of the season left, four teams are firmly in the mix for the regular-season crown - and a fifth is still within striking distance.
TCU and Baylor are tied at the top with identical 9-2 records. West Virginia, after outlasting Colorado on Wednesday, sits just behind at 9-3.
Texas Tech is right there too at 8-3. And while Oklahoma State took a hit with a loss to Arizona State, the Cowgirls are still hanging around at 7-4.
This is where things get fun. The remaining schedule is packed with games that will shape the title race. Circle these dates on your calendar:
- Feb. 12: TCU at Baylor - a first-place showdown.
- Feb. 15: West Virginia at TCU - a chance for the Mountaineers to make a move.
- Feb. 18: Baylor at Texas Tech - another heavyweight clash.
- March 1: Baylor at TCU - possibly with the title on the line.
There’s not as much head-to-head action as you might hope for in a title race, but there’s enough to keep things spicy. If Baylor ends up on top, it’ll be because they navigated a brutal final month that includes four games against ranked opponents. That’s the kind of gauntlet that defines champions.
So as we hit the stretch run of Big 12 play, both the men’s and women’s sides are delivering exactly what we’ve come to expect - high-level basketball, fierce competition, and postseason implications hanging in the balance. Arizona may be coasting for now, but for everyone else, the real work is just getting started.