Big 12 basketball: Preseason poll released for 2021-22 season

The Big 12 released its preseason basketball poll for the 2021-22 season Thursday. The Kansas Jayhawks are once again the favorite to claim the conference, but there are several challengers.

KU had won 16 straight Big 12 regular season championships prior to 2018-19, when Kansas State and Texas Tech tied for first. The Jayhawks won again in 2019-20 while Baylor earned last year’s crown.

Although its clear Kansas’ hold on the Big 12 isn’t as tight as it once was, they are likely to always be in the race with a good chance to win. Below is the complete Big 12 basketball preseason poll from bottom to top.

Big 12 basketball preseason poll

10. Iowa State Cyclones: It appears Iowa State is officially a football school. The typically solid Cyclones have three losing seasons in the past four years and finished 2-22 this past season, failing to win a conference game. ISU loses its top two scorers from last year to transfer, and will have to face Jalen Coleman-Lands, who is now a Jayhawk.

9. Kansas State Wildcats: The Wildcats are coming off of back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in coach Bruce Weber’s career. KSU was a young team, with four of its top five scorers being underclassmen in a year ago. Leading scorer Nijel Pack (12.7 points per game) is back, but forward Dajuan Gordon is gone to Missouri.

8. TCU Horned Frogs: After a few strong seasons, TCU returned back to mediocrity the past couple of years. The Horned Frogs look to Mike Miles to build off a strong freshman season after leading scorer RJ Nembhard is gone to the NBA. Leading rebounder Kevin Samuel is also gone after transferring to Florida Gulf Coast.

7. Oklahoma Sooners: A couple of OU’s top players from last season are now on traditional basketball powers. Austin Reaves joins honorary Oklahoman Russell Westbrook on the Los Angeles Lakers, while Brady Manek is now with North Carolina. The Sooners also have a new coach after Lon Kruger retired this offseason, so a transition year is expected.

T-5. West Virginia Mountaineers: Count on Bob Huggins to have one of the scrappiest, fastest teams in the Big 12 as per usual. Taz Sherman is set to pace the team after the departures of both Miles McBride and Derek Culver. Sean McNeil (12.2 points per game) is also back for his senior season.

T-5. Oklahoma State Cowboys: Oklahoma State might lose Cade Cunningham, which is bound to sting. But the Cowboys return nearly every other key piece from a team that made the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Fifth-year coach Mike Boynton will look to build off that season with a squad that returns Isaac Likekele and Avery Anderson.

4. Texas Tech Red Raiders: Former 4-star forward Daniel Batcho transfers from Arizona, while Mac McClung is off to the NBA. Terrence Shannon Jr. (12.9 points per game) also returns as the Red Raiders look to move on in their first year without coach Chris Beard.

3. Baylor Bears: Baylor has been a regular fixture in the NCAA Tournament under Scott Drew, and don’t expect that to change this season. Jared Butler and MaCio Teague are both on to pro careers with the Utah Jazz, and Davion Mitchell is on the Sacramento Kings. Arizona transfer James Akinjo will look to take over as leading scorer, and promising junior Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua should build on 2020-21.

2. Texas Longhorns: Chris Beard takes over a Texas basketball team that is as hyped as it has been in some time. The Longhorns landed several top transfers this offseason, including Devin Askew (Kentucky), Marcus Carr (Minnesota) and Timmy Allen (Utah). The additions will look to make up for losses of Jericho Sims and Matt Coleman III.

1. Kansas Jayhawks: Kansas could have one of the best backcourts in the country in 2021-22. The Jayhawks return sharp shooter Ochai Agbaji and add Arizona State transfer Remy Martin. Look for ISU transfer Jalen Coleman-Lands to score plenty from beyond the arc as well.