Around the Big 12: Week of Nov. 6

The Big 12 has become one of the most intriguing conferences this season. Amid the realignment era of college athletics, the Big 12 has maintained itself, gaining Houston, UCF, BYU and Cincinnati.

Houston was the most impressive in week one of the season. Despite only playing one game, it was pure dominance from the Cougars.

Most top teams will play teams that are not bigger colleges or well-known teams. Most of the top teams will dominate. However, Houston did it in every way possible. The Cougars defeated Louisiana-Monroe 84-31.

Allowing 31 points in a college basketball game is impressive, no matter the opponent.

Guard Emanuel Sharp finished the game with 20 points alongside Damian Dunn’s 22 points off the bench. Houston is looking primed for another big run in the NCAA tournament in its first year in the Big 12.

Only two teams took losses in the first week. Oklahoma State and Kansas State both dropped their only games.

Kansas State fell to No. 21 USC 82-69 while Oklahoma State dropped a close game to Abilene Christian, 64-59.

No. 1 Kansas took down NC Central in its only game of the week, 99-56. The Jayhawks are getting ready for a big matchup against No. 16 Kentucky in the Champions Classic.

Kansas had five players score in double digits, as the team just missed the triple-digit mark.

New-look Texas gets multiple games to get the chemistry going in real games. The top scorers for the Longhorns in their victory over Incarnate Word were all transfers.

Four of the five players who scored in double digits were transfers. Itheil Horton, Kadin Shderick, Max Abmas and Ze’Rik Onyema headline the new-look Longhorns.

The final ranked team in the Big 12 is the No. 20 Baylor Bears. The Bears are off to a 2-0 start with a close win over Auburn and a 26-point win against John Brown.

Freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter is already looking like a star. He’s averaging 17.5 points per game on 38.5 percent from behind the arc.

In the opening week, there was a lot of offense for the Big 12. BYU defeated Houston Christian 110-63.

BYU could be an under-the-radar team in the Big 12 this season. The Cougars were typically at the top of WCC and always seemed to put up a big fight against Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.

TCU defeated Southern 108-75. The Horned Frogs got off to a great start after an impressive previous season.

Iowa State, West Virginia, UCF, Oklahoma and Cincinnati all handled their business in the first week. Most of these teams will play games known as buy games, where a smaller school will get money for playing against the bigger schools, to start the season.

The Big 12 is off to a hot start and is one of, if not the most intriguing and exciting conference for the 2023-24 basketball season.

Andrew Deal is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email asd5765@psu.edu