Before the 2024 - 25 college basketball season began, the Big 12 was confidently proclaiming itself as the top men's basketball conference in the nation. There was indeed substantial evidence to support this claim. In the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, the Big 12 boasted an impressive five teams within the top 10, with No. 1 Kansas leading the way, followed by No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 8 Baylor, and No. 10 Arizona. Kansas coach Bill Self emphasized during Big 12 media day in October that while many leagues are top-heavy, this league had no bottom. Winning on the road or not was not considered an upset in coaches' minds.

But the Road to Supremacy is Not Smooth

To truly rank as the best conference in the country, the Big 12 needed to demonstrate its prowess with nonconference victories over Power 4 opponents from the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big East, and WCC. However, this season with a 20 - game conference schedule and a shortened nonconference slate, opportunities were limited. No. 1 Kansas (7 - 2), for instance, suffered two defeats this week, neither of which were close. They lost to unranked Creighton 76 - 63 on Wednesday and unranked Missouri 76 - 67 on Sunday. Kansas wasn't alone; Utah lost a home game to Saint Mary's, trailing by 17 at halftime. Kansas State was blown out by St. John's, and No. 15 Baylor lost to a struggling UConn team, falling to 5 - 3 on the season. Additionally, No. 14 Cincinnati lost to unranked Villanova, and BYU was blown out by Providence. Overall, the Big 12 went 14 - 9 this past week. Only No. 6 Iowa State managed a win over a ranked opponent, an impressive 81 - 70 victory over No. 5 Marquette.

The SEC's Hot Start

According to KenPom's ratings, the SEC has clearly emerged as the best basketball conference in the country during the first month of the season. Auburn is ranked No. 1, followed by Tennessee at No. 2, Alabama at No. 7, Florida at No. 8, and Kentucky at No. 10. Houston (5 - 3), the top-ranked Big 12 team in KenPom's ratings, is at No. 5. But the Cougars have run out of nonconference opportunities, having lost to Auburn and Alabama. These wins would have significantly enhanced both Houston and the Big 12. The Cougars have three low - major games scheduled between now and their Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State on Dec. 30.

The NCAA Rankings Favor the Big Ten

When it comes to seeding the 2025 NCAA Tournament, how will the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee view the Big 12's nonconference losses? The latest NCAA NET Rankings offer some insights. The Big 12 has two teams in the top 10 - No. 8 Houston and No. 9 Iowa State. The only other team in the top 25 is Kansas at No. 17. In contrast, the SEC has five teams in the top 10 and seven teams in the top 22. However, the deepest conference by far is the Big Ten, with NINE teams in the top 27 of the NET Rankings: No. 12 Illinois, No. 13 Maryland, No. 14 UCLA, No. 15 Oregon, No. 18 Penn State, No. 21 Ohio State, No. 23 Michigan, No. 26 Purdue, and No. 27 Michigan State.Stay tuned for Saturday, which will be a crucial day for the Big 12. Arizona will face UCLA; Arizona State will play Florida; and Oklahoma State will take on unbeaten Oklahoma. A Big 12 sweep on this day could potentially get the "best conference in the country" back on track and prove that their early-season claims were not just empty boasts.