Texas Longhorns sitting atop the Big 12

The No. 10 ranked Texas Longhorns are sitting atop the Big 12 race after a 76-71 win over Baylor on Monday, coupled with losses later in the week by Kansas State and Iowa State.

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The win over Baylor was also big for future NCAA Tournament seeding with Texas improving to 7-4 in quadrant 1 games this season.

Texas (18-4, 7-2) now face the biggest road test of the season to date with a trip to No. 7 Kansas State on Saturday, followed by a quick turnaround for a Big Monday game at No. 8 Kansas.

The Longhorns are 11-3 under interim head coach Rodney Terry.

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Big 12 conference race

No. 10 Texas Longhorns (18-4, 7-2)
Longhorns games this week: Beat Baylor 76-71, at Kansas State

No. 13 Iowa State Cyclones (15-6, 6-3)
Cyclones games this week: Lost 80-77 in overtime at Texas Tech, Kansas

No. 15 TCU Horned Frogs (17-5, 6-3)
Horned Frogs games this week: Beat West Virginia 76-72, at Oklahoma State

No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks (18-4, 6-3)
Jayhawks games this week: Beat Kansas State 90-78, at Iowa State

No. 7 Kansas State Wildcats (18-4, 6-3)
Wildcats games this week: Lost at Kansas 90-78, Texas

No. 11 Baylor Bears (16-6, 5-4)
Bears games this week: Lost at Texas 76-71, Texas Tech

Oklahoma State Cowboys (12-9, 3-5)
Cowboys games this week: at Oklahoma, TCU

Oklahoma Sooners (12-9, 2-6)
Sooners games this week: Oklahoma State, at West Virginia

West Virginia Mountaineers (13-9, 2-7)
Mountaineers games this week: Lost at TCU 76-72, Oklahoma

Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-10, 1-8)
Red Raiders games this week: Beat Iowa State 80-77 in overtime, at Baylor

Texas Longhorns Big 12 schedule

December
Dec 31 at Oklahoma (70-69 win)

January
Jan 3 Kansas State (116-106 loss)
Jan 7 at Oklahoma State (56-46 win)
Jan 11 TCU (79-75 win)
Jan 14 Texas Tech (72-70 win)
Jan 17 at Iowa State (78-67 loss)
Jan 21 at West Virginia (69-61 win)
Jan 24 vs. Oklahoma State (89-75 win)
*Jan 28 at Tennessee (82-71 loss)
Jan 30 vs Baylor (76-71 win)

February
Feb 4 at Kansas State
Feb 6 at Kansas
Feb 11 vs. West Virginia
Feb 13 at Texas Tech
Feb 18 vs. Oklahoma
Feb 21 vs. Iowa State
Feb 25 at Baylor

March
March 1 at TCU
March 4 vs. Kansas

Big 12 2023 Pomeroy Ratings

9. Kansas (plays twice)
10. Texas
14. Baylor (plays twice)
15. TCU (plays at TCU)
18. Iowa State (plays in Austin)
19. West Virginia (plays in Austin)
25. Kansas State (plays at K-State)
35. Oklahoma State (Texas beat twice)
38. Oklahoma (plays in Austin)
62. Texas Tech (plays at TT)

Texas non-conference in the 2023 Pomeroy Ratings

1. Tennessee (road loss)
11. Creighton (Home win)
16. Gonzaga (Home win)
22. Illinois (Neutral loss)
97. Stanford (Neutral win)
100. Louisiana (Home win)
163. Rice (Home win)
175. UTEP (Home win)
277. UT Rio Grande Valley (Home win)
284. Northern Arizona (Neutral win)
305. Texas A&M-Commerce (Home win)
322. Arkansas Pine-Bluff (Home win)
351. Houston Christian (Home win)

NET

• Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
• Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
• Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
• Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

Quadrant 1 games

Record: 7-4

Wins: Gonzaga, Creighton, at Oklahoma, at Oklahoma State, TCU, at West Virginia, Baylor

Losses: Kansas State, vs. Illinois, at Iowa State, at Tennessee

The Gonzaga and TCU home wins and the road victories at Oklahoma State and West Virginia are in good shape to remain Q1 games throughout the year. Same with the losses to Kansas State, Illinois, at Iowa State. Creighton is currently No. 17 in NET, while the Sooners are to No. 54. Both those games are more borderline than the others.

Quadrant 2 games

Record: 2-0

Wins: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State

Losses: N/A

Should the Red Raiders fall any farther from their current No. 65 ranking, this game could turn into a Quadrant 3 game. Oklahoma State is likely to remain a Quadrant 2 win.

Quadrant 3 games

Record: 3-0

Wins: vs. Stanford, Louisiana, Rice

Losses: N/A

Texas managing to hang on versus the Owls on the day Chris Beard was fired looks better with each passing game. Rice is currently No. 146 in NET. Louisiana is currently No. 93. Stanford is No. 119.

Quadrant 4 games

Record: 6-0

Wins: UTEP, Houston Christian, vs. Northern Arizona, UT-RGV, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Texas A&M-Commerce

Losses: N/A

UTEP is currently No. 169 in the rankings, placing the Miners on the precipice of becoming a Quadrant 3 opponent. Going undefeated in Quadrant 4 games is a must. Only two teams in the top 25 of NET, TCU and Boise State, have a Quadrant 4 loss.

Where the remaining schedule ranks as of January 25
Feb 4 – at Kansas State – No. 19 – Quadrant 1 game
Feb 6 – at Kansas – No. 7 – Quadrant 1 game
Feb 11 – West Virginia – No. 25 – Quadrant 1 game
Feb 13 – at Texas Tech – No. 65 – Quadrant 1 game
Feb 18 – Oklahoma – No. 54 – Quadrant 2 game
Feb 21 – Iowa State – No. 13 – Quadrant 1 game
Feb 25 – at Baylor – No. 15 – Quadrant 1 game
Mar 1 – at TCU – No. 16 – Quadrant 1 game
Mar 4 – Kansas – No. 7 – Quadrant 1 game

Joe Cook contributed to this story.