Arizona moves into first place in new and improved Big 12
It has been a wild year in the new 16-team Big 12 Conference.
Conference newcomer Arizona State came from the back of the pack to win the Big 12 football championship, stunning the old guard with dominant wins over Kansas State and Iowa State.
Now another former Pac-12 team is doing the same thing in basketball.
Picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll, the Arizona Wildcats are in first place at the midway point.
Wild Day Of Big 12 Upsets
Arizona (15-6, 9-1) started Saturday one game behind Houston for first place. After beating rival Arizona State 81-72 in a game that featured a ton of drama, the Wildcats sat back and watched the rest of the Big 12 beat each other up.
Kansas State (10-11, 4-6) stunned Iowa State (17-4, 7-3) 80-61 at Hilton Coliseum in a game where the Cyclones were favored by 14.5 points.
Then Baylor (14-7, 6-4) rallied to beat Kansas (15-6, 6-4), dropping 60 points on the Jayhawks in the second half in an 81-70 upset.
But the biggest upset came in Houston (17-4, 9-1), where Texas Tech (17-4, 8-2) went into the Fertitta Center and gave the Cougars their first home loss in over two years. Despite losing JT Toppin to a flagrant foul ejection early in the game, the Red Raiders stunned Houston 82-81 in overtime.
Updated Big 12 Standings
At the midway point of the Big 12 basketball season, Arizona and Houston are now tied for first place. And the Wildcats have a more favorable schedule.
Arizona's lone Big 12 loss was on the road at Texas Tech, which makes their rematch in Tucson next Saturday must-see TV.
Here are the top 7 teams in the Big 12 after Saturday:
- Arizona 9-1
- Houston 9-1
- Texas Tech 8-2
- Iowa State 7-3
- BYU 6-4
- Baylor 6-4
- Kansas 6-4
Arizona will only play Houston and Kansas once, which is a big break for the Wildcats. And Arizona's lone matchup with Houston will be in the friendly confines of the McKale Center.
Arizona has to face Iowa State again — this time on the road at Hilton Coliseum — as well as Kansas, Baylor and BYU on the road.
But Houston's schedule is tougher down the stretch. The Cougars still have to face Baylor twice, Texas Tech on the road, plus Iowa State and Kansas. They also face a two-game road swing through Arizona.
There's a ton of basketball left to play, but another Pac-12 team is making waves in the Big 12.
