ESPN

Here are this week’s Big 12 power rankings:

1. Missouri: The Tigers have played the two toughest teams in the league (Kansas and Baylor) and defeated them both. Guard Marcus Denmon had made just five of his previous 31 attempts from 3-point range before going 6-for-9 from beyond the arc in Saturday’s win against Kansas.

2. Kansas: The Jayhawks blew an eight-point lead with just more than 2 minutes remaining in Saturday’s loss at Missouri, but with Baylor up next on Wednesday, there’s no time to mope about the loss. Kansas is 16-2 all-time against the Bears, who it defeated by 18 points last month at Allen Fieldhouse.

3. Baylor: The Bears’ Big 12 title hopes depend largely on what happens this week. Baylor hosts Kansas on Wednesday and travels to Missouri Saturday. Baylor’s only two losses are against those two teams. The Bears' offense looked sloppy and disorganized in last week’s victories over Texas A&M (63-60) and Oklahoma State (64-60).

4. Iowa State: The Cyclones won at Oklahoma Saturday despite getting just three points from leading scorer Royce White. Fred Hoiberg's squad has won five of its past six games overall and could continue that streak this week against Texas A&M and Oklahoma State.

5. Kansas State: The Wildcats got back on the winning track by defeating Texas A&M Saturday at home. And the good times should continue when Kansas State hosts Texas Tech on Tuesday. Leading scorer Rodney McGruder has made just four of his previous 20 3-point attempts.

6. Texas: Rick Barnes’ squad hasn’t caught many breaks in conference play. Texas’ six league losses have come by an average of five points. The Longhorns had lost five of their previous six games before defeating Texas Tech on Saturday. Monday’s road game against a beat up Texas A&M squad is winnable.

7. Texas A&M: The Aggies almost defeated Baylor without Khris Middleton and Dash Harris on Wednesday, and they led Kansas State at halftime before falling 64-53 Saturday in Manhattan. Considering all of the injuries, Texas A&M deserves credit for competing as well as it has.

8. Oklahoma: The Sooners have dropped four of their previous five games heading into Monday’s contest against Missouri. All of a sudden the team that got off to a 9-1 start is 3-7 in league play. Steven Pledger and Andrew Fitzgerald are averaging a combined 31.1 points.

9. Oklahoma State: Three weeks after losing to them by 41 points, Oklahoma State nearly upset the Baylor Bears before falling 64-60 Saturday in Stillwater. Freshman Brian Williams had 23 points in the loss. On Tuesday, Oklahoma State hosts the same Iowa State squad that it lost to on a buzzer-beater Jan. 18 in Ames.

10. Texas Tech: Last week’s home game against Oklahoma State appeared to be the Red Raiders’ best chance of picking up a Big 12 win. Instead, Billy Gillispie’s team was throttled 80-63. Jordan Tolbert leads Texas Tech in scoring with 11.9 points per contest. But he’s averaging just 6.3 points in his past three games.

MANHATTAN, Kan. — For years he has been hailed as a future NBA lottery pick. Baylor’s Perry Jones III is a phenom, professional scouts have said, an athletic freak.

Lately, though, the 6-foot-11 forward whom some have labeled as the most talented player in America has heard a new set of adjectives to describe his game.

Timid.

Passive.

Soft.

“Every day someone asks me, ‘Is Perry going to get any tougher?’” Bears coach Scott Drew said. “I think he answered that question tonight.”

Indeed, in one of the most intense games of the college basketball season to date, Jones put on his best scowl and muscled up when Baylor needed him most in a 75-73 victory over Kansas State at Bramlage Coliseum.

Jones scored a team-high 17 points, but his biggest moment came when he fought off K-State forward Jamar Samuels to rebound a missed 3-pointer by teammate Brady Heslip with 26 seconds remaining and Baylor leading 74-73. Jones was immediately fouled, and he split a pair of free throws to give the Bears a two-point cushion.

Drew couldn’t help but scream and pump his fist when time expired after Kansas State failed to score on its final possession. At 16-0, fourth-ranked Baylor remains one of three undefeated teams in college basketball. And as for Jones, who snared a game-high 8 rebounds?

“No one can say he’s not tough now,” Baylor forward Quincy Acy said. “For people to call him soft ... he just [has] taken that and ran with it.”

In some ways, Baylor has, too.

Much like their All-America candidate, the Bears have spent much of the past two seasons listening to fans and pundits question their focus and heart. Last season they were ranked as high as ninth but floundered down the stretch and failed to make the NCAA tournament.

Even during the early portions of this season there were times when it seemed as though the Bears needed to develop a mean streak -- especially in the paint, where Baylor boasts one of the most talented front lines in college basketball with Jones, Acy and Quincy Miller. Getting outrebounded by undersized squads such as BYU was inexcusable.

“It seems like every time we’re picked to lose, it’s because we’re not tough enough,” Jones said.

No. 18 Kansas State -- which was fresh off a blowout of then-unbeaten Missouri -- probably begs to differ after Tuesday.

Much like Baylor, Frank Martin’s squad boasts excellent size and depth in the paint, and the Wildcats are regarded yearly as one of the country’s most physical teams. But Kansas State outrebounded Baylor by only 28-26 on Tuesday, and the Bears outscored the Wildcats 36-32 in the paint.

Acy, though, said Baylor’s mental toughness -- and not the physical kind -- is the biggest reason for the Bears’ 16-0 start.

“Tough isn’t about going out and elbowing someone,” Acy said. “It’s about how you respond in certain situations when the crowd is against you. We’ve done a good job of persevering.”

A year ago, Baylor was 3-10 in games played outside of Waco, Texas. This season, the Bears are 7-0 in road and neutral-site games. Their points per game (65.8 to 73.1) and field-goal percentage (42.3 to 49.2) in those contests have improved dramatically from season to season.

Four of Baylor’s past five victories -- against BYU, West Virginia, Mississippi State and Kansas State -- have been decided by three points or less. None of those games were in Waco.

That’s poise, that’s toughness. Especially considering the added pressures that come along with being undefeated.

“We have a target on our back,” Jones said. “We’re getting everyone’s A-game. It’s difficult, but it feels a lot better than losing, definitely.”

The reasons Baylor is playing with more moxie are plentiful. With a 10-man rotation, BU has one of the deepest benches in America. Fresh legs and spirits are always a good replacement for a worn-down teammate who is upset with himself because of a turnover or missed shot.

The Bears also have two strong tone-setters in Acy and junior-college transfer Pierre Jackson, a point guard who had 11 assists Tuesday. Jackson’s fearlessness and spunk -- he often lets out a “Woooo!” after a big play -- have been infectious to his teammates, many of whom are beginning to take on his swagger.

Acy is the senior veteran who has reveled in the glory of advancing to the Elite Eight and felt the disappointment of missing the NCAA tournament one year later.

“We try not to pay too much attention to [our rankings],” Acy said. “Last year we got a little fame and we got embarrassed a couple of times. I stressed to the guys that we shouldn’t get caught up in the rankings and all that. Every game, we’ve got to play like we’ve got something to lose, like we have a target on our back.”

The Bears certainly did against Kansas State, when they trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half. Baylor fought back and trailed by only two at intermission.

Numerous Baylor players came up with clutch plays in the second half of a game that featured six ties and 10 leads changes.

Moments after K-State’s Will Spradling hit a 3-pointer to put his team ahead 63-62, freshman Miller responded with a 3-pointer on the other end to help Baylor regain the lead and quiet the crowd.

Soon after, KSU looked as though it may pull away when Henriquez swished a pair of foul shots that made it 71-67, but Heslip did a nice job of drawing contact on the Bears’ ensuing possession. He went to the free-throw line and made it a two-point game again.

“Guys didn’t get mad at each other,” Jones said. “We still played basketball the way we know how to play. When we see someone down we say, ‘C’mon, we’ve got to do this for 40 minutes. We’ve got to grind. There’s no time for sulking.’”

Acy scored five consecutive points -- four of which came as a result of his own steals -- to turn a 71-69 deficit into a 74-71 lead. A basket by Kansas State’s Rodney McGruder made it 74-73 with 2:04 remaining.

The only other point of the game came on Jones’ free throw with 20 seconds remaining following his heroic rebound.

Kansas State still had a chance to win or force a tie, and it looked as though it would happen when freshman point guard Angel Rodriguez broke free for what appeared to be an easy layup. But at the last moment, Baylor’s A.J. Walton ripped the ball away from Rodriguez with 3 seconds remaining.

The ball sailed out of bounds, and the Wildcats’ hopes died moments later when Acy got a hand on Rodriguez’s high-arching entry pass to Samuels and batted toward the other end of the court. Time expired as Kansas State chased down the loose ball.

“We assumed they were going to throw a lob because of the time,” Acy said. “They had run that play a couple of other times earlier in the game. I was fortunate to tip it and let the clock run out.”

Martin, whose team fell to 12-3 overall and 1-2 in Big 12 play, couldn’t have been more dejected after the game, mainly because the Wildcats had 20 turnovers.

“The guys wearing our uniforms threw the ball to the guys wearing their uniforms so they could go down and dunk,” Martin said. “For us not to protect our home court and not close this game out because of a comedy of plays is embarrassing.”

The win was easily Baylor’s biggest of the season -- and possibly one of the monumental of the Scott Drew era. Bramlage Coliseum is regarded as one of the toughest places to play in the country. Other than Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse, the Bears won’t encounter a louder, more difficult road environment all season.

Drew also realizes his squad beat an exceptional team in Kansas State, whose only two losses before Tuesday were to West Virginia (in overtime) and Kansas.

“I’d put them up against anyone we’ve faced or up against any top-10 team in the nation,” Drew said. “They’re that good.”

People would’ve said the same thing about Baylor before Tuesday’s game. But now the narrative is different. Perry Jones and the Bears were always one of the nation’s most-talented teams.

Now they’re one of the toughest.

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Here are some quick thoughts from Baylor's 75-73 victory over Kansas State on Tuesday at Bramlage Coliseum.

Overview: Perry Jones III scored 17 points and Pierre Jackson dished out 11 assists to lead the No. 4 Bears over the 18th-ranked Wildcats. At 16-0, Baylor is one of the country's three remaining undefeated teams. Rodney McGruder scored 30 points for a Kansas State squad that entered the game flying high following Saturday's blowout of previously unbeaten Missouri. The Wildcats had a chance to win or force a tie with 3 seconds remaining, but Baylor's Quincy Acy deflected their inbounds pass down the court and time expired during the chase for the loose ball.

Star of the game: For Baylor, it had to be Jackson, whose 10 points weren't nearly as big as his 11 assists. Jackson has completely changed the tone of the Bears' program with his toughness.

McGruder came up huge for the Wildcats against a big-name opponent again, having scored 20 points in Saturday's victory over Mizzou. McGruder is becoming more aggressive with each game, which has been a problem for him at times in the past.

Turning point: The game wasn't decided until Acy swatted away Kansas State's inbounds pass under the Wildcats' basket in the waning seconds. Moments earlier, he had scored five consecutive points to help Baylor turn a 71-69 deficit into a 74-71 lead. A basket by McGruder shaved the Wildcats' deficit to 74-73 before Jones was fouled while rebounding a teammate's miss on the other end. He made one of two free throws to make it 75-73.

What the win means for Baylor: The Bears survived what will be one of their two toughest Big 12 road tests. The other will come Monday at Kansas. This team is mentally tougher than Bears squads of the past, and its depth has been a huge factor in its success. Anyone who doubted Baylor before Tuesday would be foolish to question the Bears now.

What the loss means for Kansas State: Frank Martin's squad has no reason to hang its head after this one. The Wildcats are a legitimate threat to end Kansas' streak of seven consecutive Big 12 titles. They might not lose again at Bramlage Coliseum, and they are gritty and tough enough to win on the road. This could be Martin's finest coaching job yet, and Kansas State is only going to get better.

Up next: Baylor hosts Oklahoma State on Saturday in Waco, Texas. Kansas State hits the road for a tilt with Oklahoma that same day.

After an eventful week in the Big 12, here are my latest power rankings:

1. Baylor: At 15-0, the Bears are one of just three remaining undefeated teams in the country. But just how much longer will the streak last? Scott Drew’s squad will face its toughest test to date when it enters Kansas State’s Bramlage Coliseum Tuesday night. Freshman Quincy Miller has scored in double figures in four of his last five games.
2. Kansas: Thomas Robinson is the Jayhawks’ best player, but the biggest story in Lawrence lately has been Travis Releford. The junior small forward scored a career-high 16 points in Wednesday’s win over Kansas State before erupting for 28 points in Saturday’s road victory over Oklahoma.
3. Kansas State: The Wildcats bounced back from an 18-point loss to Kansas by thumping previously-unbeaten Missouri Saturday in Manhattan. Rodney McGruder has been solid all season, but he took his game to a different level in a 20-point effort against the Tigers, when he was in attack mode from start to finish.
4. Missouri : Frank Haith’s squad got exposed a bit in Saturday’s 75-59 loss at Kansas State. The undersized Tigers shot a season-low 32 percent from the field and were outscored 42-16 in the paint. Missouri’s lack of size could also be a factor in games against Big 12 title contenders Baylor and Kansas. Winning at Iowa State Wednesday won’t be easy.
5. Iowa State: Saturday’s 74-50 victory at Texas A&M marked the seventh straight win for the Cyclones, who may be starting to figure everything out. Royce White had a triple-double (10 points, 18 rebounds, 10 assists) against the Aggies. He’ll have to continue to play well if Iowa State has hopes of beating either of its next two opponents (Missouri and Kansas).
6. Oklahoma: The Sooners lost their first two Big 12 games by an average of 24.5 points, but no one expected Lon Kruger’s squad to beat Missouri or Kansas. Leading scorer Steven Pledger combined to make just seven of his 22 field goal attempts in those contests. Oklahoma is better than Oklahoma State, but Monday’s game against the Cowboys is on the road. Saturday’s home game against Kansas State should be a good one.
7. Texas: The Longhorns have made the NCAA tournament in each of Rick Barnes’ 13 seasons, but that streak could be in jeopardy this year. Texas dropped its Big 12 opener at Iowa State before bouncing back with a home win over lowly Oklahoma State. After Wednesday’s game against Texas A&M, the Longhorns hit the road for back-to-back games at Missouri and Kansas State. Uh-oh.
8. Texas A&M: What in tarnation is wrong with the Aggies? Losing to Iowa State at home is bad enough, but falling by 24 points is inexcusable. Khris Middleton is shooting just 38 percent from the field and 23 percent from 3-point range. Texas A&M is the Big 12’s most disappointing team.
9. Oklahoma State: Give the Cowboys credit for beating Texas Tech in Wednesday’s Big 12 opener just days after third-leading scorer J.P. Olukemi was lost for the season with an ACL injury. Still, this is an incredibly thin team (in terms of numbers) that will struggle to win more than four or five conference games. The Cowboys’ shot selection must improve. They’re making just 41 percent of their field goal attempts.
10. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are obviously getting better. They trailed unbeaten Baylor by just one point at halftime in Lubbock Saturday but floundered after intermission. Kansas comes to town Wednesday, but the most anticipated game on the schedule occurs Saturday, when Billy Gillispie returns to Texas A&M to face his former school.