WACO, Texas — The men's basketball AP Top 25 poll featured six Big 12 programs inside the Top 15 in its latest edition released on Monday, Jan. 30.
The Big 12's parity in the 2022-23 basketball season could make for an exciting March.
Kansas State, led by former Baylor assistant Jerome Tang, is the highest ranked Big 12 school. They sit in the 7th spot in the polls, down two spots from last week.
Kansas, a team Baylor beat last Monday, slid up a spot to No. 8 after a win over Kentucky in the SEC/Big 12 challenge on Saturday.
The Texas Longhorns stayed put, still ranked 10th as they prepare for battle at the Moody Center against Baylor on Monday night.
The Bears, who were ranked 17th last week, made a huge jump to No. 11 after taking down Kansas and Arkansas just a few days apart.
No. 13 Iowa State dropped a spot from No. 12 after suffering an upset at the hands of Missouri on Saturday.
No. 15 TCU rounds out the Top 15 for the Big 12 after losing on Saturday to Mississippi State. Star player Mike Miles injured his right knee during the game. The school announced afterwards that it was a right knee hyperextension.
Baylor players rack up awards
- Baylor’s LJ Cryer picked up his second Big 12 Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. He averaged 21 points in leading Baylor to its third-straight undefeated week and a six-game winning streak with wins over No. 9 Kansas and Arkansas. His week started with a team-high 22-point performance against the Jayhawks where he went off for 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the first half. Cryer nailed five 3-pointers, which tied a career-high and made him the first Bear with five threes in a half since Adam Flagler on 12/18/2021
- Darianna Littlepage-Buggs was named the Big 12 Women's Basketball Freshman of the Week for the fourth time this season. She notched her eighth double-double of the season—the most among Big 12 rookies—with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the Bears’ 79-59 win over Texas Tech. The Edmond, Oklahoma native made five of her six field goals (83.3%) and went six-of-eight from the free throw line. She added three blocks as BU improved to 3-1 in Big 12 road games.