Kansas basketball: A few surprises in Big 12 preseason vote

The Kansas basketball team is the preseason favorite to win their 14th straight conference championship. All the coaches voted for the Jayhawks.

It is no surprise to Kansas basketball fans. As a matter of fact, the coaches vote to pick the Jayhawks the preseason favorite the sixth straight year surprised nobody. On the other hand, a closer look at the preseason standings does offer several surprises.

The vote shows the conference coaches admit the road to the Big 12 title still runs through Allen Fieldhouse. Everyone knows that.  It was a unanimous outcome. All nine coaches voted for the Jayhawks.  Coach Self must vote for someone other than KU.

We don’t’ know but my guess is he voted for West Virginia. Bob Huggins Mountaineers earned one first place vote. They are listed second in the preseason poll just ahead of that purple team in Texas. Jamie Dixon is doing big things in Fort Worth and a third-place preseason vote of the coaches looks impressive.

A look at the numbers shows the top three teams are significantly separated from the next three.  Kansas with senior leader Devonte Graham, West Virginia and TCU received 60 points or more in the vote.  The next three Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma earned less than 50 points in this meaningless poll.

Next: Exploring knowns and unknowns of KU basketball

Scott Drew and Lon Kruger will use as motivation what the other coaches think of their teams. I certainly do not expect Shaka Smart’s Longhorns to outperform Bears or Sooners. It will be interesting to hear what coach Self and the others say at Big 12 media day on Tuesday.