Big 12 Women's Basketball Power Rankings - Week 1

The first games of conference play have answered a few questions, but there is still a lot up in the air early in the season.

The men's side of the Big 12 Conference isn't the only one that is stacked from top to bottom, as with the exception of one team, anyone in the conference can make a serious run at the conference title this year. So to help those that are new to following women's basketball, I've decided to expand the power rankings to the women's side of the conference, especially as I get more involved in covering the Jayhawks.

Contents

1. 1. Iowa State Cyclones (9-2, 1-0 Big 12)
2. 3. Oklahoma Sooners (11-1, 1-0 Big 12)
3. 4. Texas Longhorns (10-4, 1-0 Big 12)
4. 5. Baylor Bears (10-3, 1-0 Big 12)
6. 6. Kansas State Wildcats (11-3, 0-1 Big 12)
7. 7. Oklahoma State Cowgirls (10-3, 0-1 Big 12)
9. 8. Texas Tech Lady Raiders (12-2, 0-1 Big 12)
10. 9. West Virginia Mountaineers (9-3, 0-1 Big 12)
11. 10. TCU Horned Frogs (6-6, 0-1 Big 12)

A quick reminder on how our power rankings work. It is NOT just going to be restating the standings. It is entirely possible that a team that has a worse record lands higher on the list, especially if they are playing really well as of late. Similarly, it is also not going to be a "who's hottest" list. Instead, it will be a subjective mix of which team is playing better and which team we think IS better, with a tiebreaker going to teams that have significantly outperformed our expectations.

So with that, here is the first edition Blue Wings Rising Big 12 Women's Basketball Power Rankings:

Editor's Note: These rankings were determined prior to tipoff of Baylor at Oklahoma on Tuesday night.

1. Iowa State Cyclones (9-2, 1-0 Big 12)

Last Week: 81-58 W at Texas Tech
This Week: Wed vs West Virginia, Sun at Oklahoma

It's hard to say that they are definitively the best team in the conference, and Kansas and Oklahoma both have a potential claim to that with their resume, but I expected them to be the best team in the conference before the season started, and I don't have any reason to change that opinion. Two losses to ranked teams away from home are not enough to knock them off the top spot.

2. Kansas Jayhawks (11-1, 1-0 Big 12)

Last Week: 80-65 W at Oklahoma State
This Week: Wed vs Texas Tech, Sat vs Baylor

With their only loss being a triple overtime loss on the road to a Nebraska Cornhuskers team that is receiving votes in the polls, it's hard to see why they aren't in the top spot, especially since they have the best win in the conference with an absolute drilling of Arizona in Tucson. But they were completely dominated last season by Iowa State. While I think the game would be closer now, if I matched those teams up today, I still would have to give the edge to the Cyclones.

3. Oklahoma Sooners (11-1, 1-0 Big 12)

Last Week: 98-77 W at West Virginia
This Week: Tues vs Baylor, Sat vs Iowa State

That 1 in the loss column is doing a lot of work here, but it was an absolute beatdown by the Utah Utes on the road. There are definitely concerns about this defense, but the offense is so prolific that it is difficult to penalize them, especially when the teams that would seem to slot above them have has so many hiccups so far this season.

4. Texas Longhorns (10-4, 1-0 Big 12)

Last Week: 96-53 W vs Texas A&M Commerce, 87-41 W vs Kansas State
This Week: Wed at TCU, Sat at Oklahoma State

The game against Kansas State seems to indicate that the Rori Harmon injury and the resulting uncertainty was a big part of the four losses so far. Even with other injury issues surrounding this roster, this is one of the most talented teams in the conference. The real question is if they can put it all together. We'll have to wait a little bit to know for sure.

5. Baylor Bears (10-3, 1-0 Big 12)

Last Week: 103-57 W vs Central Arkansas, 67-61 W vs Texas Tech
This Week: Tues at Oklahoma, Sat at Kansas

This is a team that should be better than they are right now. And that's saying something given that they haven't been playing too poorly. I wouldn't be shocked to see them rise pretty quickly, as they are definitely capable of winning both games this week.

6. Kansas State Wildcats (11-3, 0-1 Big 12)

Last Week: 87-41 L at Texas
This Week: Wed vs Oklahoma State, Sat vs West Virginia

The injury to Ayoka Lee seemed to loom large going into this season, but the Wildcats have been very impressive to start the season. The win over Iowa was a marquee win that is hard to ignore, even if the Hawkeyes have slipped somewhat since then. But as we saw against Texas, there is concern about how well this team can keep up with the talent in the Big 12.

7. Oklahoma State Cowgirls (10-3, 0-1 Big 12)

Last Week: 80-65 L vs Kansas
This Week: Wed at Kansas State, Sat vs Texas

This feels low to me, but when I look through the schedule, I just don't see a win that makes me think "they are definitely going to compete for the top half of the conference." I still think they have that potential, but they will need to take advantage of slip-ups from the teams above them to move up.

8. Texas Tech Lady Raiders (12-2, 0-1 Big 12)

Last Week: 68-45 W vs Mississippi Valley State, 81-58 L vs Iowa State
This Week: Wed at Kansas, Sat at TCU

This is a team that seems to have the pieces they need to be better, but we just haven't seen them get big wins, mainly because the schedule didn't give them an opportunity. Until they get a few Big 12 games under their belts, it will be difficult to know exactly how they compare.

9. West Virginia Mountaineers (9-3, 0-1 Big 12)

Last Week: 98-77 L vs Oklahoma
This Week: Wed at Iowa State, Sat at Kansas State

The Mountaineers have already made some strides this season in the non-conference, but this is such a difficult league that they are going to struggle against the talent at the top of the conference. They will still be a threat to get an upset, but this is the first team that I'm super confident in the placement.

10. TCU Horned Frogs (6-6, 0-1 Big 12)

Last Week: 64-42 L at Baylor
This Week: Wed vs Texas, Sat vs Texas Tech

There is no surprise here, as the Horned Frogs are only at .500 with some losses that make you wonder how well they will be able to keep up with the Big 12 this season. I don't want to say that they WILL go without a win in conference, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't.

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