There was no Super Bowl for K-State to win. The fan base would certainly have been happier with victories over Arizona, Iowa State and Army instead of losses. But the Wildcats were never going to win the Big 12 with Texas Tech bullying the conference. I’m not sure how rewarding a 9-3 regular season would have been.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kstate as Wildcats' women's basketball head to Houston for Big 12 clash.

With the addition of former draft pick James Nnaji, is that enough to boost Baylor in this week's Big 12 power rankings?

The Wildcats have learned some valuable lessons from their games against Big 12 championship contenders. Arizona and BYU both have huge frontcourts and bullied K-State in the paint. Their length also made it difficult for the Wildcats to make shots from beyond the arc.

Sebastian Rancik, Bangot Dak and key bench pieces impressed in Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball's Big 12 win over the Utah Utes.

The only Big 12 team outside those parameters was Utah, which visits the CU Events Center on Wednesday for the Buffs’ first Big 12 home game. Which also invites the prospect of a positive start in conference play if the Buffs can steal a win at ASU.

Utes trailed by 10 early in second quarter before Gavin Petersen’s squad turned things around and eventually made some big 3s

The conference is positioned to break its record for NCAA Tournament bids, set in 2024, but much depends on two teams in the middle tier.