Big 12 basketball power rankings: Gaming NET or not, league is elite with Houston & Co.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell is convinced the Big 12 has figured out how to manipulate the NCAA NET rankings.

“They’re playing 300-level teams and winning by 40 and 50 points to increase their offensive and defensive efficiency numbers, which is a big part of the NET tool,” Brownell recently said.

The conference has three teams in the top 10, according to Thursday’s rankings. A total of 10 teams are in the top 45.

The ACC, meanwhile, has just four in the top 45. Clemson is No. 23.

“Our league has zero teams in the top 50 of the NET that have a non-conference strength of schedule 250 or higher,” Brownell added. “The Big 12 has six teams.”

Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball head coach T. J. Otzelberger greets Texas Tech Red Raiders men’s basketball head coach Grant McCasland before the game in the Big-12 conference showdown of a NCAA college basketball at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 17, 2024, in Ames, Iowa.

So, what gives?

Perhaps the Big 12 has figured out a way to work around the system. Brownell rightfully pointed out that Iowa State and Cincinnati’s non-Big 12 schedules were incredibly weak. He pointed out that Clemson beat TCU, another team that mostly played have-nots in non-conference games.

But Iowa State has proven its a top-10 team throughout the season. TCU is an NCAA Tournament team.

So are seven others, according to projections.

“It’s just posturing,” Oklahoma coach Porter Moser said. “People trying to posture their league. And why wouldn’t you? I don’t blame anybody for posturing. But just watch it on TV, live through it. I mean, you just see it. The numbers don’t lie.”

The Big 12 might have figured out a way to beat the system — other conferences can follow the same method, and probably should — scheduling the way football teams tend to. Why load up a non-conference schedule when…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/big-12-basketball-power-rankings-200041139.html

Author : The Oklahoman

Publish date : 2024-02-29 20:00:41

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