Step aside Big Ten, the Big 12 is the best conference in college basketball
Many people were excited about the Big 12 basketball season when superstar freshman Andrew Wiggins signed his letter of intent with Kansas, but no one expected this level of competition and entertainment in the conference.
Last year saw five teams from the Big 12 go to the tournament in March, but this season, as many as nine teams could make the tournament. What’s more impressive, is that (contrary to its namesake) the Big 12 conference is home to only 10 teams.
Will 90 percent of the teams in the Big 12 make the tournament? No, that’s preposterous. But the fact that such a high volume of teams are even in contention is what makes the conference truly remarkable.
Compare the list of teams in the Big 12 to that of the other major conferences. While all of these conferences have great teams, only the Big 12 and Big Ten leave you thinking that anyone can beat anyone… except for you TCU, go back to the Mountain West where you belong.
To further prove my point, Monday night’s triple-overtime thriller between Oklahoma State and Iowa State was an absolute classic. The Cyclone’s 98-97 win was beyond dramatic, it was a high caliber clash between two extremely talented teams.
Here’s the crazy part, with the loss, Oklahoma State, the 19th best team in the land according to the Associated Press, is now seventh in the conference standings.
Just ask Baylor whether or not the Big 12 is the gauntlet it’s cracked up to be. The Bears were ranked No. 7 in the country at the start of conference play and have now lost six of their last eight.
The contrast in team construction is what makes the Big 12 so fun to watch. On one hand, there’s Kansas, a team that is built around two superstar freshmen, Wiggins and center Joel Embiid.
Oklahoma State and Iowa State offer more experienced stars in the forms of sophomore guard Marcus Smart and senior forward Melvin Ejim, respectively.
Finally, teams like Oklahoma and Texas focus more on team ball and not individual scorers. The Sooners have five players averaging double-digit points this season.
All these different styles is what make the conference so exciting to watch, and so difficult to play in.
Compare the diversity of the Big 12 to the cookie-cutter play of the Big Ten, where almost every team has the same composition and style.
Teams like Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa and many others have defense first, ground and pound philosophies. Its like watching the same team play each other.
Now, similar play styles are good for competitive games but are nowhere near as fun to watch as the constantly changing matchups in the Big 12.
This Saturday will play host to a wide array of Big 12 matchups including West Virginia at Kansas, Texas at Kansas State and Oklahoma State at Texas Tech.
I can’t guarantee that every game will be excellent, but every matchup will have intriguing dynamics.
Which conference is better, the Big Ten or the Big 12? Who do you think will win each conference? Email gsatterfield@wisc.edu and let Grey know what you think.
