NCAA Basketball Rankings: Baylor Holds Steady At No. 6

By Jonathan Tjarks - Managing Editor

On the heels of a four-game winning streak, the Bears look prepared for a momentous week which features games against Kansas and Missouri. Texas, meanwhile, is far outside of the top 25 but still barely alive on the Tournament bubble.

Feb 6, 2012 - With none of the five teams in front of them losing a game last week, Baylor held steady at No. 6 in the latest AP Top 25 poll.

The Bears were as high as No. 3 before dropping consecutive games to the other two teams atop the Big 12 -- No. 4 Missouri and No. 7 Kansas.

Now, thanks to the emergence of Pierre Jackson as Baylor's secondary scorer behind Perry Jones III and main weapon in the game's final two minutes, the Bears have more defined roles in their rotation as well as an established pecking order offensively.

At 21-2, they are in a great position to make a run at a No. 1 seed if they can overcome their only two losses of the season this week. On Wednesday, they will attempt to hold serve against the Jayhawks in Waco, while on Saturday, they have to travel to Columbia to play the Tigers in one of the toughest home courts in the Big 12.

After more than a month of conference play, the conference has divided itself into four tiers, with three locks for the NCAA Tournament (Baylor, Kansas and Missouri) as well as two teams right outside of the top 25 who are sitting pretty on the bubble (Kansas State and Iowa State).

Texas finds themselves on the tier below that, at 4-6 in conference play. However, all six of those losses have come against the five teams ahead of them in the Big 12 standings, so if the Longhorns can run the table against the bottom half of the conference in the next month, they will be in a pretty good position to earn the Big 12's sixth bid to the Big Dance.

Their biggest competition will probably come from Oklahoma State, another young and improving team who have already shocked the Tigers at home this season.

For the latest news and notes on Baylor basketball, head over to Our Daily Bears while Burnt Orange Nation has you covered for all you need to know about a young Texas basketball team this season.