2024-25 Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings: Kansas or Houston?
7 mins read

2024-25 Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings: Kansas or Houston?

Kaneb0

play

Big 12 football is chaos, so what’s next men’s basketball the season bring?

Elite game. Maybe a little chaos.

Five of the top 10 teams in the USA Today Coaches Poll are in the Big 12. A total of six teams are ranked.

So, maybe the league is a bit more top-heavy than before. But it remains a robust conference for national title contenders.

With the season starting on Monday, it’s time to bring back the power rankings. Here is initial ranking for the 2024-25 season:

More: Big 12 basketball pecking order for 2024-25 season, projected by USA TODAY Sports Network

1. Kansas

This week: vs. Howard (Monday); vs. North Carolina (Friday); vs. Michigan State (Nov. 12)

What you should know: The Jayhawks finished fifth in the conference last season. It won’t happen again. Not with Hunter Dickinson back as a National Player of the Year candidate and the addition of transfer guards AJ Storr, Zeke Mayo and Rylan Griffin.

2. Houston

This week: vs. Jackson State (Monday); vs. Auburn (Saturday)

What you should know: Why not put the defending conference champions at the top of the rankings? Replacing Jamal Shead will be tough. But the Cougars return so much talent, including LJ Cryer and will be a defensive threat. Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan could help fill Shead’s void.

3. Iowa State

This week: vs. Mississippi Valley State (Monday); vs. Kansas City (November 11)

What you should know: The Cyclones boasted arguably the best defense in the country a year ago and returns key defenders like Tamin Lipsey. If they fix their inability to consistently make shots, the Cyclones are a legitimate candidate to win the conference and make a Final Four.

4. Baylor

This week: at Gonzaga (Monday); vs. Arkansas (Saturday); vs. Sam Houston (November 12)

What you should know: Baylor coach Scott Drew continues to recruit and develop NBA-caliber guards. The latest is VJ Edgecombe, a five-star recruit who could very well be one of the top two picks in next summer’s NBA Draft. Adding Jeremy Roach from Duke and Norchad Omier from Miami also helps.

5. Arizona

This week: vs. Canisius (Monday); vs. Old Dominion (Saturday)

What you should know: The former Pac-12 member is the dark horse for the Big 12 title race. Caleb Love was the Pac-12 Player of the Year and the Wildcats also added Oakland’s Trey Townsend and Tennessee’s Tobe Awaka, improving the depth and talent to be a contender.

6. Texas Tech

This week: vs. Bethune-Cookman (Tuesday); vs. Northwestern State (Friday)

What you should know: Year 1 of Grant McCasland was a success. What does year 2 look like? It depends on how the Red Raiders replace Pop Isaacs with portal additions and the rise of others. New Mexico transfer big JT Toppin should help.

More: USA Today Sports Network Preseason All-Big 12 Women’s Basketball 2024-25 Rates

7. Cincinnati

This week: vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Monday); vs. Morehead State (Friday)

What you should know: Just having a player named Jizzle James should push Cincinnati high in the power rankings. The fact that he’s a huge breakout candidate on a talented team on the rise and the son of NFL Hall of Famer Edgerrin James only supports that.

8. Kansas State

This week: vs. New Orleans (Tuesday); vs. Cleveland State (Saturday)

What you should know: The Wildcats, as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein once said, are flush with cash. They handed out the NIL money to erase the sour taste of last year’s disappointing season. That led to eight transfers, including elite rim protector Ugonna Onyenso from Kentucky.

9. TCU

This week: vs. Florida A&M (Monday); vs Florida Gulf Coast (Friday); vs. Texas State (November 12)

What you should know: It’s a season of turnover for Jamie Dixon and Co. The Horned Frogs have made the last three NCAA Tournaments, but this will be the biggest challenge in a while with almost a brand new roster.

10. Arizona State

This week: vs. Idaho State (Tuesday); vs. Santa Clara (Friday); at Gonzaga (Sunday)

What you should know: Speaking of transfers Sun devils‘ leading scorer Frankie Collins is now at TCU. Regardless, Bobby Hurley responded by landing a top-seven recruiting class that includes 17-year-old big man Jayden Quaintance.

11. UCF

This week: vs. Texas A&M (Monday); vs. Purdue-Fort Wayne (Friday); vs. Florida Atlantic (November 12)

What you should know: Jaylin Sellers and Darius Johnson are back to lead a roster with upside. But the biggest question is this: Can the Knights keep knocking off conference giants at home? Nobody wanted to play in Orlando a year ago for a reason.

12. BYU

This week: vs. Central Arkansas (Tuesday); UC-Riverside (Friday)

What you should know: Coach Mark Pope is gone. Kevin Young is in. BYU was a pleasant surprise a year ago in its first Big 12 season. Could it happen again? Sure. But going super young like the Cougars is a recipe for trouble.

13. West Virginia

This week: vs. Robert Morris (Monday); vs. UMass (Friday)

What you should know: The Mountaineers were a mess a year ago, but they brought in Drake coach Darian DeVries and his talented son Tucker to help rebuild. But can an almost entirely new roster get the Mountaineers back to March Madness?

14. Utah

This week: vs Alcorn State (Monday); vs. Central Arkansas (Thursday); v Queens (November 12)

What you should know: The Outside haven’t made the NCAA tournament since 2016 and they don’t appear on the road back this season. Five of the top six scorers from last year’s deep NIT run are gone. Starting from scratch in this league is pretty tough.

More: Oklahoma State basketball coach Steve Lutz sees growth from new teams as practice begins

15. Oklahoma State

This week: vs. Green Bay (Monday); vs. St. Thomas (Sunday)

What you should know: Another rebuilding project, Steve Lutz takes over a program that couldn’t get over the hump in recent years. With that comes a rebuilt roster focused on adding big guys to go along with veteran Bryce Thompson. Plantar aches will be expected.

16. Colorado

This week: vs Eastern Washington (Monday); vs. Northern Colorado (Friday)

What you should know: Colorado coach Tad Boyle has come full circle. He coached in the Big 12 and then the Pac-12 and is now back in the Big 12. The problem with that? His list is pretty bare too Buffaloes‘ back.

Website https://www.alpuntoycomagranada.es

Related Posts