Don't dismiss these four

It’s a big day in Waco. The most beautiful building in town opens tonight. Even Chip and Joanna Gaines are in awe of Foster Pavilion. (OK, I made that up, but I’m sure it’s true.)

Anyway, let’s get to Monday’s news.

1. It’s a new year. Are these teams for real?

The Big 12 once again is the cream of college hoops. It’s easily rated as the top conference on kenpom, with 10 teams in the Top 40, and all but one in the Top 100. Its +17.51 overall rating is nearly 3 points higher than second-place SEC — and that would be the closest any league has been since 2021.

All of which is to say, for anyone wondering if BYU — currently 3rd on kenpom, 5th on barttorvik and evanmiya, and 2nd in the NET — is for real, they’ll find out soon enough.

The No. 12 Cougars (12-1) play Cincy on Saturday, then play at Baylor next week. By February, they’ll have played Iowa State, Texas Tech, Houston and Texas. The computers think BYU will end the month with just two losses.

Are you buying that? Because you should.

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