1. Iowa State (10-1) — Fred Hoiberg is the fastest coach in school history to win 100 games and his team is also quickly becoming more of a threat to take the regular season Big 12 title for the first time since 2001. ISU’s high-powered offense is one of the most efficient in the nation, and the team’s only loss comes against a rising Maryland team on the team’s worst shooting night of the season. 

2. Texas (10-2) — The Longhorns have the size and talent to compete with anybody, but have found themselves playing to the level of their competition too often. They needed a three-pointer in the final seconds to beat a struggling UConn team and fell to Stanford on their home court in overtime. 

3. Kansas (9-2) — It’s one thing to get blown out by Kentucky — it’s another to get blown out by Temple. The Jayhawks’ list of solid non-conference wins is as impressive as any in the conference, but the losses have been even more eye-opening. Kansas overcame some concerning non-conference losses last season, but without the blazing talents of Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins, the Jayhawks have a tougher road to their 11th straight Big 12 title.

4. Oklahoma (8-3) — The Sooners have done everything expected of them before conference play starts, picking up nice wins over UCLA and Butler, while dropping a few to stiff competition. The defense has been perhaps the conference’s best unit, not allowing a 70 point game all season, but will be tested early and often starting Jan. 3. 

5. West Virginia (11-1) — The Mountaineers find themselves in a mess of solid Big 12 teams with mediocre non-conference resumes. The Mountaineers have taken care of business for the most part, only falling 74-73 to a gritty LSU team. 

6. Baylor (10-1) — Until Big 12 play, Nos. 5-8 will likely just be interchangeable. No signature win, no horrible loss and a lot of mediocre non-conference competition makes it hard to tell if Baylor will be a force to be reckoned with come March, or if they will be watching from the couch. 

7. TCU (11-0) — Don’t let the best record in non-conference play fool you — the Horned Frogs won’t be winning the conference title this season. According to Kenpom rankings, TCU has played the easiest schedule in the nation and it’s not even close. While the No. 7 ranking likely won’t last, it’s hard to fault an undefeated team that is beating opponents by an average of 22.2 points per game. 

8. Oklahoma State (9-2) — The team’s home loss to Maryland probably won’t hurt them in the long run, but getting stomped by 26 points to an SEC team not named Kentucky doesn’t look good on anyone’s record. The offense runs through Le’Bryan Nash and Phil Forte, but takes a dramatic drop-off from there, which limits the Cowboys. 

9. Texas Tech (9-3) — What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? That’s what the Red Raiders are hoping for after dropping back-to-back games against Loyola Illinois and Houston at the Las Vegas Classic. The team’s youth has been exposed and will have to learn quickly how to survive in the Big 12.

10. Kansas State (7-5) — No one picked TCU to go 11-0 to start the season, but even fewer picked Kansas State to struggle like they have. Projected to finish fourth in the conference by Big 12 coaches in the preseason, the Wildcats dropped their fifth game of the season to a then 2-9 Texas Southern team after leading by 4 points with 3.8 seconds in the game. With losses to Long Beach State and Texas Southern, the Wildcats are the undisputed disappointment of the Big 12.