The Big 12’s near-decade long reign as the top conference in college basketball ended in April when Florida defeated Houston by a single basket in the national championship game.
The SEC usurped the regular season throne in March (metrically, at least), finishing first on Ken Pomeroy’s conference rating sheet after sending a record-breaking 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament. The Gators only further twisted the analytical knife by snatching the title from Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars.
Kelvin Sampson, head coach of the Houston Cougars, observes the game with a focused expression. CREDIT: Creative Commons
It broke a three-year streak of first place finishes for the expansion-minded Big 12, which has swelled from 10 to 16 teams since 2014 (what was the first of nine first place finishes in 11 seasons for the conference).
Don’t expect that trend to be bucked any further in 2025-26. The Big 12’s first class comprises a handful of the nation’s top squads while its “depth” is made up of a bevy of potential 20-win teams.
They’ve been cataloged below — in an incontestable and inarguable order, of course — to paint a picture of where the conference stands heading into the new season.
The Contenders (Houston, Iowa State, BYU, Texas Tech)
Houston enters 2025-26 as the frontrunner.
Sampson married three returning starters who averaged a combined 29.5 points per game with the nation’s No. 3 ranked recruiting class, bejeweled by five-stars Chris Cenac and Isiah Harwell. Milos Uzan and Emmanuel Sharp are potential All-Americans in the backcourt while Joseph Tugler anchors one of the country’s premier defenses down low.
Iowa State’s returning core of Tamin Lipsey, Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson give the Cyclones one of the highest floors in the country. Whether or not the Clones can break through the third round of the NCAA Tournament may hinge upon the health of Lipsey, who was sidelined with a knee injury last week. TJ Otzelberger signed one of the top classes in program history to bolster the team’s depth.
Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey in action, showcasing his skills on the court as the Cyclones aim for a successful season. CREDIT: Creative Commons
Kevin Young’s BYU Cougars were the darling of the off season, signing top overall prospect AJ Dybansta in conjunction with the return of leading scorer Richie Saunders and the portal acquisition of Robert Wright III from Baylor. Young also poached Kennard Davis from Southern Illinois and secured Keba Keita for another season down low. It’s by far the most talented BYU team in program history.
Texas Tech rebuilt its backcourt around Christian Anderson using the transfer portal, receiving commitments from marksmen Tyeree Bryan and Donovan Atwell. That shores up the backend, while JT Toppin and LeJuan Watts buoy what should be one of America’s top scoring frontcourts.
The Second Tier (Arizona, Kansas, Baylor)
Arizona’s freshmen class finished second on Rivals’ Industry rankings (behind only Duke). That’ll pair two top 10 prospects in Koa Peat and Brayden Burries with returners Jayden Bradley, Anthony Dell’Orso and Motiejus Krivas (who is finally healthy), forming a rock-solid scoring nucleus for Tommy Lloyd to work with.
Kansas’ lethal inside-outside combination of Darryn Peterson (the consensus No. 2 recruit) and Flory Bidunga will keep it competitive in a tense second tier of the Big 12. The backcourt is stockpiled with depth, but the Jayhawks will have to find a reliable second scoring option behind Bidunga down low.
Baylor’s roster was stripped naked this spring, juiced of every basket it scored by its 15 departing players. Scott Drew rebuilt the roster with an emphasis on three-point shooting and rebounding, taking in a slew of players from the mid-major level who scored in earnest. Obi Agim, Michael Rataj, Dan Skillings Jr. and Juslin Bodo Bodo make up the core.
The Spoilers (Cincinnati, West Virginia, Kansas State)
Wes Miller did well in the portal to surround returning guard Day Day Thomas with talent, including Kerr Kriisa and Keyshuan Tillery up top and Moustapha Thiam, Jalen Celestine and Jalen Haynes down low. Cincinnati should finally be in contention for an NCAA Tournament bid.
Ross Hodge was ushered in to replace Darian DeVries as the Mountaineers’ head man in March. He’ll institute a salty defense (as he did at North Texas), but West Virginia’s scoring core is inexperienced both with each other and at the high-major level. There could be some growing pains in Morgantown.
Kansas State’s belly flop catalyzed a massive roster overhaul in Manhattan. Its top 10 scorers from a year ago were replaced by an infusion of transfer portal talent, including All-American PJ Haggerty at the two.
The Nether World (TCU, Oklahoma State, Colorado)
David Punch is the top returner for TCU, which went hard in the portal to upgrade in the scoring department. Top 65 prospect Kayden Edwards and a pair of transfers in Tanner Toolson and Brock Harding will add much-needed pop from the backcourt.
Steve Lutz built his first Oklahoma State team on a bedrock of blitzing defense last season. His offense wasn’t so good, which spurred the second-year head coach to go portal hunting with points in mind. He came out with Isaiah Coleman and Anthony Roy (among others) to help in those efforts.
A nice influx of freshmen and a bevy of returners from last season should have Colorado in better shape than it was last season (when it recorded its lowest win total since 2009). Bangot Dak and Barrington Haynes form a reliable inside-out combo for Tad Boyle offensively.
The Basement (Utah, UCF, Arizona State)
Everything will be new for Utah, including its head coach. Alex Jensen is tasked with taking over a disheveled program in dire need of remodeling. He did just that, bringing in six transfers to pair with returning big Keanu Dawes.
UCF ended last season winning seven of its final 11 games. Then everyone left. The Knights will rebuild behind a pair of Milwaukee transfers in Jamichael Stilwell and Themus Fulks heading into year 10 of the Johnny Dawkins era.
Arizona State lost everything this off season after winning under 15 games for the fourth time in five years.
