The Big 12’s stranglehold on the title of college basketball’s best conference has only gotten stronger through recent rounds of conference realignment.
In the past two years, the league has added Houston and Arizona, which would be on a list of the current era’s top 10 programs. In our latest preseason rankings at The Athletic, the Big 12 had three teams in the top five, four in the top 10 and seven in the top 25. Computer models are similar. At Bart Torvik’s site, his preseason rankings have three Big 12 teams in the top five, four in the top 10 and nine in the top 30.
Among the high-major leagues, the Big 12 has on average the second-most returning minutes and 3-pointers made.
No matter how you want to measure it, it is safe to assume that the Big 12 is going to be great again. What’s made the league so good in the past is that the middle and bottom have been better than everyone else. Now the top, elite tier could be as deep as it has ever been, with five teams that could be justified as preseason picks to both win the league and the national title.
With four Pac-12 schools joining the league, here’s a refresher on the makeup of the Big 12 now and what the rosters look like going into version 5.0 of the conference.
1. Houston
Biggest losses: Jamal Shead (12.9 ppg, 6.3 apg); Damian Dunn (6.4 ppg)
Returning rotation players: L.J. Cryer (15.5 ppg, 1.9 apg); Emanuel Sharp (12.6 ppg, 1.5 spg); J’Wan Roberts (9.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg); Ja’Vier Francis (6.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg); Terrance Arceneaux (5.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg); Mylik Wilson (4.4 ppg); Joseph Tugler (3.8 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 77 Chase McCarty; No. 83 Mercy Miller
Top 100 transfers added: No. 73 Milos Uzan (Oklahoma)
Why they’re here: Houston loses Big 12 Player of the Year Shead but returns every other meaningful contributor from a team that was a No. 1 seed and likely would have made the Final Four if not for injuries. Uzan is a plug-and-play starter who will replace Shead. There’s no way he can match what Shead meant to the program, but if this team can stay healthy, its ceiling could be even higher. Arceneaux and Tugler, who did not finish the season because of injuries, have drawn attention from NBA scouts and neither will likely start for this team. That’s how deep the Cougars are.
You can bet the defense will be elite because Kelvin Sampson is coaching it, and plenty of firepower returns. Look for Sharp to have a breakout season and emerge as the go-to guy. Sharp played as more of a spot-up shooter next to Shead, but now he can play more as a scorer given more responsibility. And that’s how it works in Houston’s program. One guy leaves, it opens the door for another, and Sampson just keeps pumping out winners, advancing to at least the second weekend in five straight NCAA Tournaments.
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2. Kansas
Biggest losses: Kevin McCullar Jr. (18.3 ppg, 4.1 apg, 6.0 rpg); Johnny Furphy (9.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg); Nick Timberlake (5.2 ppg); Elmarko Jackson – injured (4.3 ppg)
Returning rotation players: Hunter Dickinson (17.9 ppg, 10.9 rpg); KJ Adams Jr. (12.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.1 apg); Dajuan Harris Jr. (8.5 ppg, 6.5 apg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 16 Flory Bidunga, No. 40 Rakease Passmore
Top 100 transfers added: No. 7 Rylan Griffen (Alabama), No. 23 AJ Storr (Wisconsin), No. 30 Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State)
Why they’re here: It doesn’t take long inside KU’s practice gym to realize the outside shooting is going to be much better. Bill Self intends to fix his shooting problem with Mayo and Griffen. Storr is more of a natural scorer but can also shoot, and Self added another shooter late in David Coit Jr., who made 175 3s in two years at Northern Illinois. Among high-major rosters, only Alabama and Kentucky have more career made 3s on the roster. Those added shooters are needed, because KU is still likely to start Dickinson, Adams and Harris, a trio not exactly known for their 3-point shooting.
What those three can do is pass. The Jayhawks last season were a veteran team that moved the ball well and knew how to get it inside to Dickinson. But when shots weren’t falling, spacing was a real issue. That should mostly be solved, with more lineup variability possible. Both Griffen and Storr have the size to play the four in smaller lineups. This is one of the deepest teams in the country now, with Self adding insurance on the perimeter with Mississippi State transfer Shakeel Moore and Coit.
Self hates losing, and last season was one of only two years in his 21 seasons at KU that his team finished outside the top 25 at KenPom (both teams finished No. 27). The last time it happened, Self followed that season with his second national championship in 2022. On paper, this team looks talented enough to get him his third.
| Team | Minutes | Players with 2,000-plus minutes |
|---|---|---|
 Kansas |
22,259
|
6 players with 2,000-plus
|
 Oklahoma State |
19,439
|
5 players with 2,000-plus
|
 Texas Tech |
16,535
|
5 players with 2,000-plus
|
 Iowa State |
16,098
|
4 players with 2,000-plus
|
 Cincinnati |
15,842
|
4 players with 2,000-plus
|
 Houston |
15,543
|
3 players with 2,000-plus
|
 Arizona |
14,728
|
3 players with 2,000-plus
|
 UCF |
14,237
|
4 players with 2,000-plus
|
|
14,207
|
2 players with 2,000-plus
|
|
 Baylor |
14,181
|
3 players with 2,000-plus
|
 Utah |
13,967
|
3 players with 2,000-plus
|
 Kansas State |
13,558
|
2 players with 2,000-plus
|
 BYU |
12,084
|
3 players with 2,000-plus
|
 Arizona State |
11,857
|
3 players with 2,000-plus
|
 TCU |
10,930
|
3 players with 2,000-plus
|
|
5,779
|
1 player with 2,000-plus
|
3. Iowa State
Biggest losses: Tre King (9.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg); Robert Jones 8.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg); Hason Ward (6.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg); Jackson Paveletzke (3.4 ppg)
Returning rotation players: Keshon Gilbert (13.7 ppg, 4.2 apg); Tamin Lipsey (12.4 ppg, 4.9 apg); Curtis Jones (11.0 ppg, 2.0 apg); Milan Momcilovic (10.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg);
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 74 Nojus Indrusaitis
Top 100 transfers added: No. 55 Joshua Jefferson (Saint Mary’s)
Why they’re here: T.J. Otzelberger is getting the Kelvin Sampson treatment — his defense is assumed to be elite. He’s had a top-eight defense in each of his three years at Iowa State and last year had the top-ranked unit in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Cyclones return every significant player on their perimeter and landed two strong defensive presences up front in Jefferson and former Charlotte center Dishon Jackson.
The offense has improved each season and should continue that trend, returning its four leading scorers. Jefferson gives Otzelberger a back-to-the-basket threat and can also step out and make a jumper. Momcilovic has star potential. He was one of the most skilled freshman wings in the country last season. If the offense can get to top-20 levels, this could be a national title contender.
4. Baylor
Biggest losses: Ja’Kobe Walter (14.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg); RayJ Dennis (13.6 ppg, 6.7 apg); Jalen Bridges (12.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg); Yves Missi (10.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Jayden Nunn (10.5 ppg, 2.0 apg); Langston Love (11.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg); Josh Ojianwuna (4.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg);
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 4 VJ Edgecombe, No. 28 Robert O. Wright III, No. 52 Jason Asemota
Top 100 transfers added: No. 12 Norchad Omier (Miami), No. 26 Jeremy Roach (Duke)
Why they’re here: Scott Drew keeps putting together elite offenses, but Baylor’s defense has fallen off the past two seasons. He’s had a top-eight offense for four straight seasons, starting with the national championship year. It’s helped that he’s had at least one one-and-done first-rounder the past three years. That streak should continue with Edgecombe, who averaged 16.5 points this summer playing for the Bahamas national team as it tried to qualify for the Olympics. He was in a lineup with three legitimate NBA players — Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon — and Edgecombe was arguably the team’s best player.
The trio of Edgecombe, Roach and Omier could be as good as any in college basketball. Nunn and Love are pretty dang good as fourth and fifth options, and Drew added Jalen Celestine from Cal late to give him another shooter. If one or two of the other freshmen can be solid and provide depth, then this team has just about everything. The one question is whether Drew can get his defense back to championship levels, but it could be argued that Baylor’s talent level is the best in the league. If there’s a team we’re underrating, it might be the Bears.
5. Arizona
Biggest losses: Oumar Ballo (12.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg); Pelle Larsson (12.8 ppg, 3.7 apg); Keshad Johnson (11.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg); Kylan Boswell (9.6 ppg, 3.6 apg)
Returning rotation players: Caleb Love (18.0 ppg, 3.4 apg); Jaden Bradley (7.0 ppg, 2.0 apg); KJ Lewis (6.1 ppi, 3.1 rpg); Motiejus Krivas (5.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 24 Carter Bryant, No. 91 Emmanuel Stephen
Top 100 transfers added: No. 68 Trey Townsend
Why they’re here: The Big 12 is ridiculous, isn’t it? Here’s a program that has won two out of three Pac-12 regular-season titles with Tommy Lloyd as the coach — the non-champion finished second — and returns one of the best scoring guards in the country in Love. It added the Horizon League Player of the Year who helped Oakland upset Kentucky in Townsend, it will be a top-15 team in just about every preseason national poll, and we’re projecting it to finish fifth.
Ballo looks like a big loss, but Krivas could have a higher ceiling, and Arizona was significantly better (15.4 points per 100 possessions) with Krivas on the floor last season, according to CBB Analytics. Lloyd landed a strong defensive backup in Tobe Awaka. With Townsend and five-star power forward Bryant, Arizona’s frontcourt is in good shape. The Wildcats got faster by moving on from Boswell and giving Bradley the keys. Bradley’s on-off numbers were also way better than Boswell’s. Larsson will be the hardest player to replace, but there are solid options, with potential sophomore breakout Lewis and Campbell transfer Anthony Dell’Orso, who averaged 19.5 points per game last season. These top five teams could finish in just about any order.
6. Texas Tech
Biggest losses: Pop Isaacs (15.8 ppg, 3.5 apg); Joe Toussaint (12.2 ppg, 4.3 apg); Warren Washington (9.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg); Robert Jennings (4.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Darrion Williams (11.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg); Chance McMillian (10.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg); Kerwin Walton (8.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg); Devan Cambridge (10.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Top 100 freshmen added: None
Top 100 transfers added: No. 21 JT Toppin
Why they’re here: A coach in the Big 12 recently wondered about the Red Raiders offense — Who could go get a bucket now that Isaacs is gone? It’s a fair point, but Isaacs could also run wild. Even on an off night, he would keep shooting, and he was the least efficient option. This team might be missing a true perimeter scorer — Drake transfer Kevin Overton is a candidate to become that guy — but Grant McCasland has just about everything else.
Elijah Hawkins is a pass-first point guard. Williams started to become a matchup nightmare for opponents in the second half of the season and has the potential to be this team’s star. McCasland has two deadeye shooters in McMillian and Walton. Then he landed a big with one of the highest upsides in the portal in Toppin, who averaged 12.1 points on 62.3 percent shooting, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.1 steals per game as a freshman at New Mexico. Toppin can play either frontcourt spot, and Texas Tech’s best lineup is probably with Toppin at the five and Williams at the four. But McCasland can also go big with Pitt transfer Federiko Federiko at the five. McCasland brought on former Wyoming coach Jeff Linder, who has a strong reputation as an offensive coach.
Texas Tech’s defense finished 65th in adjusted defense after McCasland’s last three teams at North Texas finished in the top 50. But some of that could be attributed to bad injury luck. I’d bank on this team defending at a higher level.
7. Cincinnati
Biggest losses: Viktor Lakhin (9.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg); John Newman III (9.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Jamille Reynolds (5.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Daniel Skillings Jr. (12.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg); Simas Lukosius (11.8 ppg, 2.9 apg); Day Day Thomas (10.4 ppg, 3.3 apg); Jizzle James (8.8 ppg); Aziz Bandaogo 6.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg); CJ Fredrick (6.1 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 47 Tyler Betsey, No. 71 Tyler McKinley
Top 100 transfers added: No. 48 Dillon Mitchell
Why they’re here: Cincinnati had the third-best defense in Big 12 play last season and got even better with Texas transfer Mitchell, one of the most athletic fours in the country. Mitchell was solid at Texas but didn’t live up to expectations as some thought he would be a one-and-done draft pick. Maybe a change of scenery unlocks his potential, but even if he is similar to the player he was at Texas, that’s a solid addition for the Bearcats, who return their five most talented players from last season’s roster.
The offense needs to get better, but it was trending in the right direction late in the year, with players like Skillings, Lukosius and James playing their best ball. James, a freshman last season, started the final two games of the NIT and averaged 23 points. Wes Miller addressed his biggest weakness (shooting) with the addition of Connor Hickman, who averaged 14.5 points and shot 40.2 percent from 3 last season at Bradley. The Missouri Valley is one league where up-transfers usually perform well because it’s not as big a leap as some other mid-major leagues. Cincy’s shooting would also benefit from Fredrick staying healthy. Either way, this is one of the deepest rosters in the conference and a good bet to get Miller to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in his Cincy tenure.
| Team | |
|---|---|
|
Cincinnati (6) |
No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 6, No. 7, No. 8
|
|
Houston (6) |
No. 1, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 7, No. 8
|
|
Iowa State (4) |
No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4
|
|
BYU (4) |
No. 1, No. 4, No. 6, No. 8
|
|
Arizona (4) |
No. 1, No. 6, No. 7, No. 8
|
|
Texas Tech (4) |
No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 7
|
|
Utah (3) |
No. 1, No. 5, No. 7
|
|
Kansas (3) |
No. 2, No. 3, No. 5
|
|
Baylor (3) |
No. 4, No. 6, No. 7
|
|
UCF (2) |
No. 1, No. 2
|
|
Kansas State (2) |
No. 5, No. 7
|
|
Arizona State (2) |
No. 5, No. 8
|
|
Oklahoma State (2) |
No. 7, No. 8
|
 Colorado (2) |
No. 7, No. 8
|
|
TCU (1) |
No. 7
|
 West Virginia |
None
|
8. Kansas State
Biggest losses: Tylor Perry (15.3 ppg, 4.4 apg); Cam Carter (14.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg); Arthur Kaluma (14.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg); Will McNair Jr. (8.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Dai Dai Ames (5.2 ppg, 2.0 apg)
Returning rotation players: David N’Guessan (7.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 54 David Castillo
Top 100 transfers added: No. 5 Coleman Hawkins, No. 32 Achor Achor; No. 38 Dug McDaniel
Why they’re here: It’s hard to know what to do with the Wildcats. Jerome Tang had one of the best portal seasons in terms of attracting talent. Kansas State was one of 13 schools that landed at least three top-100 transfers. In addition to the three above, Tang also signed former Kentucky center Ugonna Onyenso, who was one of the best shot blockers in the country. Now here’s the tricky part: Three of KSU’s best signees — Onyenso, Hawkins and Achor — were all centers last season, and there’s a good chance all three will start for K-State. Can that work?
Tang is going to try, believing in the skill of Hawkins and Achor, who both can step out and make a jumper and also play with the ball in their hands. Hawkins would occasionally initiate the offense for Illinois, and his passing is one of his best skills. He could be the hub of the offense. McDaniel gives Tang a speedy guard whose game somewhat resembles that of former Wildcat Markquis Nowell. Tang also believes in Castillo at point guard. Villanova transfer Brendan Hausen will be an important role player because someone needs to stretch the floor. Hausen made 61 3s and shot 38.1 percent from deep last year. If the three-big lineup doesn’t work, it’ll be important that one of K-State’s mid-major transfers — Max Jones (Cal State Fullerton) or CJ Jones (Illinois Chicago) — is ready to contribute. There’s likely not a team in the league with a bigger gap between its ceiling and floor.
9. Arizona State
Biggest losses: Frankie Collins (13.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.2 apg); Jose Perez (13.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg); Jamiya Neal (11 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Alonzo Gaffney (6.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg); Bryant Selebangue (4.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg); Kamari Lands (4.5 ppg)
Returning rotation players: Adam Miller (12 ppg, 3.2 rpg); Shawn Phillips Jr. (5.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg), Brycen Long (4 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 9 Jayden Quaintance, No. 25 Joson Sanon, No. 75 Amier Ali
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: After losing 18 games last season and struggling through arguably the worst of his nine years leading the Sun Devils, Bobby Hurley needed to make some serious offseason changes. But will those moves correlate to success in ASU’s first season in the Big 12?
If so, it’ll be because of the program’s best recruiting class ever, featuring the 6-foot-9 Quaintance, the highest-ranked recruit in Arizona State history. (Because Quaintance doesn’t turn 18 until next July — he reclassified up to 2024 — he isn’t eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft and has to play two seasons in college.) Flipping Quaintance (from Kentucky) and Sanon (from Arizona) speaks to Hurley’s newfound NIL resources, but at a time when college basketball has never been older, pivoting to youth is … a choice.
Miller is turnover-prone but talented and at least provides some experience between the two young future pros. He’ll likely be joined in the backcourt by All-MVC honoree Alston Mason (Missouri State). Hurley’s teams have been better defensively than offensively lately, but with the third-most career made 3s of any Big 12 team — including five players with at least 50 — the Sun Devils should be more balanced. Emphasis on should.
| Team | 3-pointers |
|---|---|
|
Kansas |
910 (7 players with 50-plus)
|
|
Texas Tech |
748 (6 players with 50-plus)
|
|
Arizona State |
694 (5 players with 50-plus)
|
|
UCF |
658 (5 players with 50-plus)
|
|
West Virginia |
633 (5 players with 50-plus)
|
|
Cincinnati |
630 (4 players with 50-plus)
|
|
Oklahoma State |
608 (5 players with 50-plus)
|
|
Utah |
563 (3 players with 50-plus)
|
|
Houston |
550 (4 players with 50-plus)
|
|
Iowa State |
512 (5 players with 50-plus)
|
|
Arizona |
471 (3 players with 50-plus)
|
|
Kansas State |
469 (5 players with 50-plus)
|
|
Baylor |
467 (4 players with 50-plus)
|
|
BYU |
449 (4 players with 50-plus)
|
|
TCU |
385 (4 players with 50-plus)
|
|
Colorado |
293 (2 players with 50-plus)
|
10. BYU
Biggest losses: Jaxson Robinson (14.2 ppg); Spencer Johnson (10.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.3 apg); Noah Waterman (9.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Aly Khalifa (5.7 ppg, 4 apg, 3.7 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Fousseyni Traore (10.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg); Trevin Knell (10.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg); Richie Saunders (9.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg); Dallin Hall (9 ppg, 5.1 apg, 3.5 rpg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 41 Kanon Catchings, No. 98 Brody Kozlowski
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: If BYU becomes a basketball powerhouse in the next few seasons — something many industry sources predict, if not expect — then this summer will be viewed as the pivot point. Much of that stems from whom the Cougars hired to replace Mark Pope: Kevin Young, formerly the NBA’s highest-paid assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns, who was on a clear head coaching trajectory before accepting this job. Young’s hiring has woken up the program’s donors, who now seem poised to invest in BYU basketball at levels that would rival the sport’s top spenders. Case in point: BYU is the favorite to land AJ Dybantsa, the top recruit in the 2025 class and the front-runner to go No. 1 in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Young inherited a few key pieces from Pope — like returning starters Hall and Knell, plus a physical forward in Traore — but he also added intriguing new talent, none more so than Russian freshman guard Egor Demin. The 6-foot-9 Demin is a projected lottery pick in next year’s NBA Draft — he would’ve been a five-star prospect had every recruiting service included him — and should be an ideal connector for BYU’s other pieces. Matching last season’s 23 wins would be an impressive debut from Young, but this season is about building a foundation as much as anything.
11. Colorado
Biggest losses: KJ Simpson (19.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.9 apg); Tristan da Silva (16 ppg, 5.1 rpg); Cody Williams (11.9 ppg, 3 rpg); J’Vonne Hadley (11.6 ppg, 6 rpg); Eddie Lampkin (10.6 ppg, 7 rpg); Luke O’Brien (6.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Julian Hammond III (7.4 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: None
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: The good news? Colorado’s 26 wins last season were its most under Tad Boyle — which is saying something, considering he’s been the Buffaloes’ head coach since 2010. The bad news? Basically every contributor from last season’s NCAA Tournament squad is gone, whether to the NBA or the transfer portal.
This season, then, will be a rough dose of reality, as the Buffaloes are last in the Big 12 in both experience and 3-point production. Outside of Hammond, last season’s sixth man, and new arrival Andrej Jakimovski (Washington State), no one on Colorado’s roster has played more than 530 Division I minutes. Those two are also the only Buffaloes with over 32 career made 3-pointers.
Instead, Boyle has to hope that two of his other imports — Trevor Baskin, who averaged 18.2 points at Division II Colorado-Mesa last season, and Elijah Malone, who scored 17.3 points per game at Grace College (NAIA) — make quick adjustments to high-major hoops. In the deepest, best league in America, that’s not an enviable position.
12. Oklahoma State
Biggest losses: Javon Small (15.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.1 apg); Eric Dailey Jr. (9.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg); John-Michael Wright (8.7 ppg); Brandon Garrison (7.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg); Quion Williams (7.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Jarius Hicklen (4.6 ppg)
Returning rotation players: Bryce Thompson (11.6 ppg); Jamyron Keller (6.5 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: None
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: Oklahoma State returns only two players from last season’s 20-loss team, but how many players do you want back from a squad that beat only four high-major teams?
Mike Boynton is gone and has been replaced by Steve Lutz, who earned his coaching bona fides as a Creighton and Purdue assistant before overachieving with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Western Kentucky the past three seasons. Can Lutz work his magic again with the second most experienced team in the league, one featuring 12 upperclassmen? It depends on whether the pace Lutz played at Western Kentucky last season — the Hilltoppers were tops nationally in adjusted tempo — translates, and whether it makes up for the Cowboys’ lack of size.
Four of Lutz’s five most experienced players are 6 feet 5 or shorter, but they also all have made at least 85 career 3-pointers: Thompson, a proven high-major starter; Davonte Davis (Arkansas); Khalil Brantley (La Salle); and Brandon Newman, who followed Lutz from Western Kentucky. In fact, the Cowboys’ only player over 6 feet 9 is 6-foot-11 Serbian freshman and former Wisconsin signee Andrija Vukovic. Lutz’s coaching, plus an array of older shooters, should at least make the Cowboys a tough conference out, even if that may not lead to many wins.
13. TCU
Biggest losses: Emanuel Miller (15.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Jameer Nelson Jr. (11.2 ppg, 3.3 apg); Micah Peavy (10.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg); JaKobe Coles (10 ppg, 3.8 rpg); Trey Tennyson (8.4 ppg); Avery Anderson III (7.8 ppg, 3.3 apg); Chuck O’Bannon Jr. (5.5 ppg)
Returning rotation players: Ernest Udeh Jr. (4.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 81 Micah Robinson, No. 95 David Punch
Top 100 transfers added: No. 82 Trazarien White (UNC Wilmington)
Why they’re here: Last season, Jamie Dixon had the third oldest team in all of college basketball, with Udeh as only one underclassman in his rotation. This season? Dixon has the second youngest team in the Big 12, with Udeh as one of his dependable veterans. Dixon always seems to get the most of his talent, but even with an underrated transfer portal haul — led by White, a 6-foot-6 slasher who averaged 19.8 points per game last season — he’ll have to do one of his better coaching jobs to keep the Horned Frogs afloat in America’s deepest conference.
In particular, Dixon is going to have to figure out this team’s spacing, since many of its top offseason additions — like White, Frankie Collins (Arizona State), Vasean Allette (Old Dominion), and Noah Reynolds (Green Bay) — are best going to the rim and in the midrange. Brendan Wenzel (Wyoming) is a career 37.2 percent 3-point shooter with solid wing size, which should help, but not letting things get crowded inside the arc will be one of TCU’s keys. It’s a precarious mix of players, and not a very deep pool, so a bet on TCU is a bet on Dixon doing what he usually does.
14. UCF
Biggest losses: C.J. Walker (7.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg); Marchelus Avery (7.6 ppg, 4 rpg); Shemarri Allen (7.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Ibrahima Diallo (6.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Antwann Jones (4.3 ppg); Thierno Sylla (4.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Omar Payne (4.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Jaylin Sellers (15.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg); Darius Johnson (15.2 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.3 rpg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 58 Moustapha Thiam
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: UCF’s first year in the Big 12 was … tough, as evidenced by its 17-16 overall record, its 7-11 conference record and its status as one of the least efficient shooting teams at the high-major level. Johnny Dawkins does return his top two scorers from last season — UCF is one of just three Big 12 teams that can say that, along with Kansas and Iowa State — but even with Sellers and Johnson back, the Knights desperately needed an influx of talent. Where Dawkins turned, though — to two former high-profile recruits, neither of whom have played D-I ball due to various legal reasons — was unexpected.
The first is Dior Johnson, a one-time five-star Syracuse, Oregon, and Pittsburgh recruit; Johnson never played for the Panthers due to multiple charges of assault, but after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges, he resurfaced as the top juco player in the nation, averaging 29.7 points for Clarendon College (Texas). Then there’s Mikey Williams, a social media star and former top-40 Memphis commit; Williams was arrested in the spring of 2023 (prior to enrolling at Memphis) on multiple felony charges — he was accused of shooting a gun into a car full of people — and therefore never suited up for the Tigers. In November, he pleaded guilty to a felony gun charge, which could be reduced to a misdemeanor if he satisfied his plea agreement; he left Memphis two months later and committed to UCF.
What Dawkins can actually expect from Johnson and Williams at this point is completely unknown, but those two do have the raw talent to change UCF’s trajectory.
15. Utah
Biggest losses: Branden Carlson (17 ppg, 6.6 rpg); Deivon Smith (13.3 ppg, 7.1 apg, 6.3 rpg); Rollie Worster (9.9 ppg, 5.5 apg, 4.5 rpg); Cole Bajema (9 ppg); Keba Keita (8.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Ben Carlson (5.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Gabe Madsen (13.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Lawson Lovering (6.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg); Hunter Erickson (4.7 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 85 Jaxon Johnson
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: The Utes were a fine team last year, easily the best of Craig Smith’s tenure, but it was a mostly veteran team, with a lone underclassman in the rotation. Now, all those older talents have cycled out, without similar replacements arriving this summer. What would’ve already been a tough jump from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 now seems much more difficult.
For example: Is it possible that Gabe Madsen — whose twin brother Mason (Boston College) transferred in this summer — is the best player on the roster? It’s not inconceivable, which is not ideal, even if Madsen did average 13.3 points last season and has made a staggering 214 career 3-pointers.
Both brothers should start on the wing, along with Lovering and Ezra Ausar (East Carolina) in the frontcourt, but perhaps the most interesting addition is former top-50 recruit Miro Little (Baylor), who struggled to make an impact in his freshman season. Expecting Little to fill Smith’s shoes is unrealistic, but if he can emerge as Smith’s starting point guard? That would go a long way toward the Utes fighting to avoid the conference cellar.
16. West Virginia
Biggest losses: RaeQuan Battle (16.1 ppg, 4 rpg); Jesse Edwards (15 ppg, 8 rpg); Quinn Slazinski (12.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg); Kerr Kriisa (11 ppg, 4.7 apg); Noah Farrakhan (7.7 ppg, 3 rpg); Kobe Johnson (6 ppg); Josiah Harris (5 ppg, 4.1 rpg); Pat Suemnick (4.1 ppg); Seth Wilson (3.5 ppg)
Returning rotation players: None
Top 100 freshmen added: None
Top 100 transfers added: No. 1 Tucker DeVries (Drake), No. 78 Javon Small (Oklahoma State)
Why they’re here: It’s a new era in Morgantown, with Darian DeVries set to lead the Mountaineers into their post-Bob Huggins future. DeVries is starting over with, essentially, an entirely new roster; West Virginia’s lone returning player, Ofri Naveh, made a total of 16 shots last season in just 13.8 minutes per game.
So what better way to start a rebuild than by landing The Athletic’s top overall transfer this cycle… who just so happens to be Darian’s son Tucker DeVries, a two-time Missouri Valley Player of the Year and bona fide NBA prospect? Last season, DeVries averaged 21.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 36.3 percent from 3. Expecting him to replicate that production and efficiency probably isn’t realistic, but assuming he comes close, he does give his father a pillar to build around.
Add in Small — one of the more athletic guards available this offseason, who shot a career-best 37.4 percent from 3 last season — and Darian DeVries has two quality high-major starters. How the rest of the roster shakes out is unknown, but given DeVries’ pedigree — Drake won at least 20 games all six seasons of his tenure and posted a top-75 offense three times in the past four years — we’re betting on a competent product. West Virginia will be a bottom-third team in the league, but give DeVries time and the Mountaineers may soon have a sustainable winner on their hands.
(Top photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
