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West Virginia picked 11th in Big 12 preseason poll

Vernon Bailey Headshotby: Vernon Bailey10/16/25RivalsVernon
West Virginia guard Honor Huff
West Virginia guard Honor Huff - Credit: WVU Basketball

Houston, coming off a national title game appearance, was voted the preseason favorite to win the Big 12 in men’s basketball, while West Virginia landed 11th in the league’s annual preseason poll.

It marks the Mountaineers’ first preseason ranking under new head coach Ross Hodge, who enters his debut season in Morgantown with a rebuilt roster that features a mix of players, including new additions from the transfer portal and prep ranks.

Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, last year’s Big 12 Player of the Year, was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year, while Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson and Texas Tech newcomer LeJuan Watts claimed the other major honors.

Houston received 14 of 17 first-place votes, followed by BYU, Texas Tech, and Arizona. The Mountaineers came in ahead of Oklahoma State, Utah, UCF, Colorado, and Arizona State.

West Virginia will open the 2025-26 season in early November as Hodge looks to lead the program back into Big 12 contention.


RankTeamPointsFirst-Place Votes
1Houston22414
2BYU2041
3Texas Tech2000
4Arizona1791
5Iowa State1700
6Kansas1630
7Baylor1370
8Cincinnati1200
9Kansas State1170
10TCU900
11West Virginia790
12Oklahoma State770
13Utah500
14UCF390
15Colorado370
16Arizona State340

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