We’re finally in the part of the schedule the Big 12 had us anticipating for the better part of six weeks. The gauntlet of games for the top of the league has begun, with Iowa State playing two top-three teams in the conference standings in the next three days.

The heavyweight games come as the Cyclones are in the middle of a cold spell, shooting 25.6% from three in their two games last week. In their loss on the road to TCU, star forward Joshua Jefferson had 6 turnovers. Iowa State’s ability to right the ship will have major implications not just on the league but on how seed lines are decided in just a few weeks.

Even as the top of the conference continues to prove to be one of the best collections of teams the country has to offer, the bubble is a popular destination for five Big 12 teams looking to either stay in the tournament field or play their way into it. The aforementioned Horned Frogs of TCU are doing just enough not to be completely ruled out by the committee. Despite Baylor’s back-to-back losses by a combined 8 points, they have enough quality games left on the schedule to swing their way into the bubble conversation.

Here are some of the trends, particularly from the frontcourts in the conference, to keep an eye on down the stretch.

Flory Bidunga proves he’s one of the best bigs in the country

After Kansas’s 82-78 upset of Arizona on Monday night, the focus on the Jayhawks’ win over the number one team in the country was mostly on the unavailability of star freshman Darryn Peterson, who was a late scratch before tip due to flu-like symptoms. Peterson’s performances and absences have been the central talking point for Bill Self’s team all season. But Monday night’s results suggest that the most important player in royal blue is none other than Flory Bidunga.

The 6-foot-10 sophomore stood out going up against arguably the deepest and dominant frontcourt in the country. He swallowed up virtually every assignment he had, showcasing that his league-best 11% block rate and defense show up no matter the competition. Bidunga finished the game with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Bidunga is second in the country in dunks recorded this season, just behind freshman phenom Caleb Wilson. He’s arguably the biggest lob threat in the country, as evidenced by his four dunks against the Wildcats. Overall, he was 8 for 11 from the field and 7 for 9 at the rim against an Arizona team giving up just 52.2% shooting at the rim, one of the lowest rates in the country.

The center is averaging the third most paint points per game in the Big 12 this season, while averaging nearly a block per game more than anyone else in the conference. And he’s been able to provide this physicality while playing 32.7 minutes per Big 12 game, thanks to his ability to avoid fouling. 

The sophomore contributed to Arizona’s worst shooting night at the rim. The Wildcats average 67.1% shooting at the rim during conference play. Monday night, Bidunga and company held them to 41.7%. Meanwhile, on the other end, Bidunga demonstrated the interior scoring repertoire that makes him so difficult to stop down low. 

Bidunga is second in the conference in Hakeem percentage (steal percentage and block percentage combined) while being in the 99th percentile in the country in foul efficiency (ratio of steals and blocks to fouls called) at 2.29 stocks per foul. His block-per-foul rate is the best in the country.

Cincinnati’s damn good week thanks to Baba Miller

Wes Miller has been through the wringer this season. The Bearcats are staring down their longest drought of tournament appearances since 1992, and despite the analytics that suggested all season this was a team better than their record, 12 losses make even the best possible result for this final six-game stretch too little too late.

But the Bearcats showed life last week. Not only did they win back-to-back games for the second time in 2026, but they also scored in the 90s in both games and retained their patented stalwart defense to blow the doors off of UCF and Kansas State. Both wins were the best shooting performances for Cincinnati this season, combining for an effective field goal percentage of 65.7%.

The wins also showcased the development that journeyman forward Baba Miller has gone through to become more than a theoretical player who enticed NBA Draft Twitter for the last four seasons. The Spanish big man has filled out his frame and become the interior player that didn’t seem all too possible when he first joined Florida State. He’s gone from 5.9 paint points per 40 minutes his freshman year to 11.4 this season.

Miller’s 25.9% defensive rebounding rate is the third-highest average in the Big 12. His Defensive Rating of 91.3 on the year is 13.3 points lower than any of his previous seasons. But impressively, Miller has maintained the finesse abilities that make him more than a long forward who can defend and provide shooting upside. 

The forward’s assist rate of 23.2% in Big 12 play is the 15th-highest in the conference, and he’s one of just six players in the league to average 8 points or more in the paint while holding an assist rate of 20% or higher. He has the second most assists on the team for the season, averaging 3.2 per contest.  

In the two wins last week, Miller averaged 16.5 points, 11 rebounds and 5.5 assists.

Chris Cenac’s efficiency and development raises Houston's ceiling even further

Freshman Kingston Flemings is rightfully getting a lion’s share of the recognition Houston is receiving this season. The point guard started the season on fire and hasn’t wavered from that hot streak over three-plus months of play. But the continued improvements from fellow freshman Chris Cenac Jr. could have major implications for Kelvin Sampson’s team, looking to get back to the championship to cut down the net.

Cenac continues to be a three-level shooter, with a major reason for that being the limited spacing playing next to Joseph Tugler provides, in addition to the need for pathways to the rim to be available for Flemings when he gets downhill. But Cenac’s mobility allows him to play outside, crash the basket, and provide length at the low block, supporting Tugler, who is the Coogs’ primary rim protector.

The center also provides a mid-range game, rare for a player of his size. He’s shooting 50% on midrange two-pointers in Big 12 play, 13.6% higher than the national average from that area. He’s shooting 94.4% at the rim in conference play.

Cenac has fit within the system in a commendable way, becoming hyper-efficient while being the fourth option. The Cougars’ Offensive Rating on the season goes from 136.3 when he’s on the floor to 105.8% when he’s off it in league play. He provides spacing a shooting that no other big man on Houston’s roster can provide.

Games to watch

  • TCU at Oklahoma State, Saturday at 12 pm ET, ESPN2
  • Kansas at Iowa State, Saturday at 1 pm ET, ESPN2
  • West Virginia at UCF, Saturday at 6 pm ET, FS1
  • Texas Tech at Arizona, Saturday at 6:30 pm ET, ESPN
  • Houston at Iowa State, Monday at 9 pm ET, ESPN
  • BYU at Arizona, Wednesday at 9 pm ET, ESPN