1 March 2024
MANHATTAN, KS. (KSNT) – Big 12 men’s basketball was a known powerhouse in the sport since before the 2023-24 season began.
In more ways than one, the data backs that point up. The metric the NCAA uses as its “primary sorting tool for evaluating teams” is called NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings.
NET uses “quadrants” to determine the quality of a win, with teams moving up and down the rankings after the quality of a win or loss. The NCAA explains NET with more details here.
Of the “Power Six” college basketball conferences, the Big 12 leads the way (by a substantial margin) in average NET rankings by each member school.
ConferenceAverage NET RankingBig 1246.4Big 1059.9SEC68.6ACC75.6Big East79.5Pac-1282.2
Earlier in the week, Clemson (ACC member) head coach Brad Brownell aired frustration that he thinks the Big 12 has manipulated the NET in its favor by playing easy teams earlier in the season.
K-State head basketball coach Jerome Tang didn’t have time for those rumors in a press conference Thursday.
“I know there have been some people out there who have talked about how we trick the NET, or whatever,” Tang said. “Throw the NET out and come play us. Come play in our environment. Come play us.”
He reiterated that he thinks the numbers don’t tell the story – rather the games being played.
“This isn’t about the NET,” Tang said. “It’s about the coaches and the players that are on the floor and the environments we have to play in this. Thing is a grind.”
Coach Tang says he still believes 10 or 11 Big 12 schools will make the NCAA tournament.
“Numbers don’t trick into the Big 12 being the best basketball conference in the country,” Tang said. “It’s not about the numbers. It’s about the teams. It’s about the players, about the coaches, about the environments.”
K-State – who ranks No. 74 in NET – plays at Cincinnati (No. 45 in NET) on Saturday, March 2.