The SEC is garnering the most attention of any conference in college basketball, and rightfully so. However, no league has a duo quite as dominant as what the Big 12 can boast.
Houston has won 11 straight games, including 10 by double-digits, during a 15-3 (7-0 Big 12) start. Nipping at the Cougars’ heels in the conference standings is Iowa State (16-2, 6-1), which has five double-digit wins against league opposition.
For Houston, the recipe is familiar. The Cougars are crushing opponents with a slow-paced, defensively smothering style. But for Iowa State, the 2024-25 season has marked an offensive renaissance. The Cyclones rank No. 10 in KenPom’s offensive efficiency metric after never ranking better than 50th in coach T.J. Otzelberger’s first three seasons.
At 85.1 points per game, Iowa State is a top-15 scoring team and averaging roughly 10 points more per contest than last season. You still have to worry about getting swept away by the Cyclones’ defense. Now, you’ve also got to take cover from a potential offensive barrage, too.
Heading into another big weekend of college basketball, here are the grades for each of the top 15 teams who played this week.
The following teams were off: No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Duke, No. 8 Michigan State, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 10 Marquette
No. 3 Iowa State
Result: 108-83 win vs. UCF
Iowa State shot 56.3% and scored 54 points in each half against UCF as the Cyclones totaled more points in a league game than any ISU team had since 2001. If you eliminate games that went went to overtime, it was the Cyclones’ highest-scoring conference contest since 1995. While this program’s identity was built on defense the past three seasons under T.J. Otzelberger, ISU’s 2024-25 squad can score with anyone. Grade: A
No. 4 Alabama
Result: 103-87 win vs. Vanderbilt
Alabama reached 100 points for the 27th time under sixth-year coach Nate Oats while rebuffing a gritty Vanderbilt team that refused to die quietly in the second half. The win showcased the depth of Alabama’s roster as Aden Holloway and Mouhamed Dioubate turned in 22 points apiece. It was a reminder that the Crimson Tide can hurt you in a variety of ways. Grade: A-
No. 5 Florida
Result: 70-69 win at South Carolina
Florida never led until Will Richard’s go-ahead layup in the final seconds. In fact, the Gators trailed by as much as 14 against a South Carolina team that is winless in the SEC. But a 22-0 edge in fast-break points fueled by a relentless full-court press helped Florida cover up the warts in an otherwise ugly performance against a league bottom-feeder. Grade: B-
No. 6 Tennessee
Result: 68-56 win vs. Mississippi State
Tennessee recovered from a loss at Vanderbilt with a vintage defensive effort, holding Mississippi State to 22.2% shooting in the first half while building a 34-16 lead. The Bulldogs fought back in the second half, but Chaz Lanier got back on track with 23 points to lead the Vols, who remain unbeaten at home. Grade: A-
No. 7 Houston
Result: 70-36 win vs. Utah
Utah finished with twice as many turnovers (26) as made baskets (13) as Houston imposed its will in a merciless beatdown Wednesday. The Cougars edged the Utes 29-2 in points off turnovers while winning their 11th straight. Six of Houston’s seven wins during a 7-0 start to league play have come by double-digits. Wasn’t the Big 12 supposed to be harder than the AAC for Kelvin Sampson’s club? Grade: A+
No. 11 Purdue
Result: 73-70 loss vs. Ohio State
Purdue dropped its first home game since a Feb. 25, 2023 loss to Indiana as its 26-game winning streak inside Mackey Arena ended in a blur of Ohio State 3-pointers. The Boilermakers led by 16 late in the first half before allowing the Buckeyes to hit 8 of 12 shots from beyond the arc in the second half. A 3-of-14 shooting performance from star guard Braden Smith didn’t help. Grade: C-
No. 12 Kansas
Result: 74-61 win vs. TCU
Kansas handled business inside a juiced up Schollmaier Arena by rallying from a 14-point first half deficit to pull away for an authoritative victory. The Jayhawks posted their best shooting percentage yet in a Big 12 game (55.6%) and got substantive contributions from across the roster. Once KU found its footing, it showed glimpses of its potential as a high-end championship contender. Grade: A-
No. 13 Texas A&M
Result: 63-62 win at Ole Miss
It’s rarely pretty for Texas A&M, but this team is never out of a game. Buzz Williams has a gritty group of veterans with chemistry, and the program’s DNA was on display in a wild win over Ole Miss. A&M trailed by four with under 30 seconds left and finally took its first lead when Manny Obaseki hit a 3-pointer with 13 seconds left. As per usual with A&M, an edge in offensive rebounds (14-6) and second-chance points (13-4) helped considerably. Grade: B+
No. 14 Mississippi State
Result: 68-56 loss at Tennessee
On the heels of an overtime home win against arch rival Ole Miss on Saturday, Mississippi State came out like a deflated balloon at Tennessee. The Bulldogs started 1 for 13 from the floor and never fully recovered. Though the Bulldogs cut Tennessee’s lead to 38-31 briefly in the second half, the Volunteers pulled away again to hand Mississippi State its third loss in the last four games. A slow start to league play for star guard Josh Hubbard is of concern. Grade: C-
No. 15 Oregon
Result: 82-71 win vs. Washington
Don’t be deceived by the final score; Oregon was in a dogfight with the struggling Huskies until the final minute. TJ Bamba led the Ducks with a game-high 21 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer with 8:08 remaining, go-ahead free throws at the 5:36 mark and a dagger of a layup to put the Ducks ahead 75-68 with 1:14 to go. Oregon boasts a gaudy record (16-3, 5-3 Big Ten) boosted by a 7-2 mark in games decided by single digits. Grade: B
