Big 12 MBB power ratings: Why the strength of the conference (relative to its peers) can be found at the bottom

Welcome to a new weekly feature on the Hotline. We’ll break down Big 12 basketball using key metrics (NET rankings, KenPom ratings, etc.), our observations and a dose of old-fashioned sarcasm (when needed) — all in the name of providing fans with the state-of-play in one of the nation’s toughest conferences.

(Results listed for games in the past week.)

Unprecedented preseason hype has morphed into an acceptable midseason reality for the Big 12, which placed a record five teams in...