• After 3 weeks out of service, the Baylor men returned to the court ... and played badly, but eventually emerged with a 77-72 win over last-place Iowa State. Was this a big surprise, given 3-week off?

• The Big 12 revamped its schedule, canceling Baylor's home game vs. WVU and sending BU on the road to Morgantown. Is that fair?

• Chad's favorite topic: Is Bob Huggins the best coach without a national championship?

• If Baylor ends up winning the Big 12 despite only playing 14 games instead of 18, will that hurt them in the national respect picture? Even though they played more road games and didn't get the Longhorns in Waco?

• How messed-up is this college basketball season, anyway?

• The Baylor Lady Bears are the driver's seat for their umpteenth Big 12 title, but with two losses, they're ranked No. 7 in the nation and some projections have them as a 3 seed in the tourney. Given their resume, do the defending national champs deserve to be ranked higher?

• To that point, does the Big 12's general lack of moxie hurt the Lady Bears, competition-wise?

• Bonus question: Charli Collier of Texas is the No. 1 player in a lot of WNBA mock drafts. Do you think the women's game trying to promote leaving school early in order to raise its profile? Good idea or not?

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• Baylor's facing a 3-week layoff between games, thanks to COVID-19 and weather. With 5 games in limbo, should they prioritize playing certain opponents over others? How about 6 games in a week?
• Is it fair to Big 12 teams who have to play Baylor a second time while other teams don't?
• Should the Big 12 kill the conference tournament this year for scheduling reasons?
• Getting into Big 12 honors, John and Chad run down their picks for Player of the Year and more in the men's and women's game. Spoiler alert: It's Baylor heavy.
• As Top 25 voters, do the polls seem a little wackier this year in the age of COVID-19?
• How about Michigan's impressive return?
• There's a new No. 1 on the women's side, for the third week in a row, in UConn after a big win over South Carolina. Chad breaks down the top 25 voting.
• Where do the Baylor men deserve to be ranked after 3 weeks off? John voted Gonzaga No. 1 this week.

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• It'll be an 18-day layoff for the No. 2 Bears, assuming Baylor returns Feb. 20 against Oklahoma State. How difficult will it be for Baylor, once they get back on the court, to play at the same high level they've been playing at?

• Does Baylor actually have an offensive strategy? Or is it just shoot 45% from 3-point range and get rebounds?

• Should the Big 12 kill the conference tournament? Will Baylor get in all its makeup games?

• The No. 7 Lady Bears have had a lot of laughers, even though they say they're never overlooking any teams. Do you except Baylor's level of play to rise as Kim Mulkey's squad faces better competition in Texas and West Virginia?

• Eventually, can Vic Schaefer turn Texas into a team that actually presents a conference rivalry for Baylor? 

• Have the Lady Bears found themselves offensively? Will we see Nalyssa Smith unleashed at some point?

• Chris Beard's tirade against West Virginia: What did you think? Justified, a great performance or something else?

• Kansas dropped out of the top 25 this week, joining the likes of Duke and Kentucky. Is this the start of a down period for the Jayhawks, especially with the spectre of NCAA probation looming? 

• What's Bill Self's future?

• Is Kansas really so far down? They're a legit tourney team, a far sight better than the other bluebloods who are struggling this year.

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• After a very impressive 83-69 win over No. 6 Texas, the No. 2 Baylor Bears are now #1 in the NET rankings and the KenPom rankings. Assuming a win again this weekend, how much ground does BU make up in the AP poll next week? What will it take for voters to respect Baylor's schedule and Gonzaga's lack of one?

• Is Baylor getting disrespected by the national media?

• Is Baylor-Gonzaga the matchup college basketball fans deserve?

• Moving on to OU, making a huge leap from 24 to 9 in the poll after top-10 wins over No. 9 Kansas, No. 5 Texas and No. 9 Alabama. But was such a big jump warranted, considering they couldn't beat No. 13 Texas Tech in Lubbock?

• The N.C. State Wolfpack, darling of the Voter Pod, knocked off No. 1 Louisville the other night. Despite a previous loss, will the Pack jump No. 2 South Carolina and No. 3 UConn?

• Without a dominant team, is the women's game more interesting nowadays?

• 20 wins is usually a rubber stamp for the tournament, but with reduced schedules, what's the magic NCAA number this season?

• Will undeserving blue bloods like Duke or Kentucky steal a bracket positions, even if they don't deserve it? 

• How will the selection committee react to a weird year? Should BPI rankings rule?

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Welcome to episode 4, where we're ready to dig into these topics:

• Werner's finally voting Baylor No. 1. But only 3 writers nationwide are on the bandwagon. Why, Grizzly Johnny?

• Can Baylor go through undefeated and win the whole thing, just like the mythical Hoosiers of old? The Bears have 7 top 25 games left.

• BTW guys, what did you think about the kerfuffle with Coach K and the student reporter?

• With only one loss, could the Lady Bears run the table in the Big 12 the rest of the way? A big rematch with Iowa State is in Ames on Sunday.

• Moon Ursin is playing at another level, and she could challenge Nalyssa Smith for Player of the Year if she keeps it up.

• Alabama isn't just a football school anymore. What's up with the Tide?

• Who are the NCAA women's teams making a rise in the national scene?

• How does the Big 12 stack up nationwide? What's wrong with OU and Sherri Coale?

Pop quiz — Pick some Big 12-SEC Challenge games coming up this weekend:

• Baylor-Auburn
• Oklahoma-Alabama
• Texas-Kentucky
• Kansas-Tennessee
• Texas Tech-LSU
• West Virginia-Florida (with bonus Bob Huggins content)

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• The Bears are still No. 2, but if Baylor goes on to beat Oklahoma State this weekend, can they ascend to No. 1, given the Big 12's superiority over the WCC?

• Is Baylor the hottest team in the country?

• After the Lady Bears lost, breaking their 61-game home streak, head coach Kim Mulkey got some notice with her comments about the NCAA and the "almighty dollar." Chad Conine puts those comments in context.

• Given how disruptive this season has been with COVID-19 protocols, is it still worth playing?

• In the men's top 25, there's a startling lack of blue bloods — Duke, UNC, Kentucky and Louisville are all missing. Is this pandemic-related or is it more about parity?

• Chad and John vote in the Top 25 every week: So when they look at teams 26-30, what is it that propels a marginal team one week into the poll the next week?

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In episode 2, we're ready to dig into these topics:

• You guys have to vote on these teams each week — and for Baylor, like many teams, you haven't been able to see the Lady Bears play for awhile. But BU's not the only team dealing with COVID. How do you evaluate teams like that when voting?

• In terms of playing more games, who are the hottest teams right now in college hoops? Michigan? Texas A&M? Texas?

• Oklahoma State posted an impressive win last week over Kansas — despite being on probation, they can play spoiler in this Big 12 race.

• Game of the week: No. 2 Baylor at No. 15 Texas Tech. How will it shake out?

• How the Red Raiders can beat the Bears — and vice-versa.

• Why teams with height don't matter much in the Big 12, plus the value of a bench and more.

• Plus, we try (and fail) to pronounce Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua.

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A brand-new Trib podcast, Top 25 Voter Pod — where we never mail it in — brings AP Top 25 poll voters and Baylor beat writers John Werner and Chad Conine together for an impromptu conversation about Big 12 hoops and all things college basketball with sports editor Brice Cherry.

As 2021 kicks off, we've got plenty to talk about:

• What are the chances that either Baylor team gets to No. 1 before the end of the season?

• For the Baylor men, the Big 12 really benefits the Bears since it's loaded. But what's the best conference in the country?

• Duke is ranked No. 21 — but to be ranked, do you need to actually play games?

• Is the Big 12 looking at 7 teams in the tournament?

• On the women's side, who stands out as the top conference?

• The Big 12 has 5 men's teams in top 25 and a couple of very good ones just outside. Will there be a lot of shuffling this season, or is the order set?

• Kansas' home-court advantage takes a hit in a COVID-limited season — meanwhile, the talent may have never been deeper around the Big 12.

• Is there a dominant men's player in the Big 12?

• For a poll voter, what do you look for in a top 25 team? How do they qualify for consideration?

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