Preseason Big 12 basketball rankings heading into the 2019-20 season

For the first time in over a decade, Kansas basketball won’t be coming into the season as the reigning Big 12 champions. So with the shakeup, here are our preseason Big 12 basketball rankings for the 2019-20 season.

When it comes to trying to rank the Big 12 teams this season, things begin to get a little fuzzy after the top three teams. With Kansas basketball being the clear favorite, the Big 12 basketball rankings are not set in stone, and will probably shift pretty rapidly once the season begins.

Last season after missing the NCAA tournament, TCU made it all the way to the NIT semifinal game. Senior Desmond Bane will be leading the Horned Frogs this season, but Bane is only one man. Head coach Jamie Dixon will have his hands full coaching up all the inexperienced guys on the roster. TCU will be building for the future, so the Horned Frogs faithful shouldn’t be too disappointed with this season.

After winning a share of the Big 12 title last season, the Wildcats lost three of their key players due to graduation. Dean Wade, Kamau Stokes, and Barry Brown are all gone, and there’s no team in the Big 12 that’s lost more talent than the Wildcats. Kansas State does have a solid foundation for its 2020 recruiting class, but this year will probably serve as a down year for the Wildcats.

After a rough season last year, the Cowboys should be better. Oklahoma State will return all five starters from the 2018-19 season, including Lindy Waters and Cameron McGriff who were both named all-conference honorable mentions last season. The future is bright for the Cowboys, but it may take just one more season for the folks in Stillwater to have a contender in the Big 12.

Shaka Smart needs to win and win now if he wants to stay as the head coach of Texas basketball. With the amount of success Chris Beard has had at Texas Tech, Longhorn nation isn’t going to be satisfied with NIT mediocrity. The Longhorns did lose Jaxson Hayes to the NBA draft, but it’s now or never for Shaka Smart and Texas.

West Virginia had a nightmare season in 2018-19 with multiple suspensions and a subpar record to what fans are used to. Look for the Mountaineers to turn it around this season under Bob Huggins. Sophomore Derek Culver is set to lead the Mountaineers back to prominence after picking up an All-Big 12 second-team selection, but West Virginia still may be a season away from competing with the likes of Kansas and Texas Tech.

Oklahoma is either going to be pretty good, or pretty bad this season, so what better spot to put them than number five? The Sooners have some pieces but lack a focal point in their offensive game. If either Brady Manek and Kristian Doolittle can step up and become “the man,” the Sooners will have a chance to be a pretty good Big 12 team.

Despite losing first-team Big 12 player Marial Shayok, the Cyclones are set to have another solid year under head coach Steve Prohm. During the offseason, Prohm led the U19 USA team to a gold medal in the FIBA World Cup. The Cyclones won the Big 12 tournament last season, but Prohm has yet to win a regular-season title. Maybe this will be the year?

While Kansas State lost lots of talent, so did the Red Raiders. Texas Tech lost its biggest playmaker Jarrett Culver to the NBA lottery, while Matt Mooney and Tarik Owens are both gone as well. That leaves sharpshooter Davide Moretti who will have to be the leader for the Red Raiders. Chris Beard will certainly have Texas Tech in contention, but it’ll be hard for his team to repeat as Big 12 champions.

The Bears picked up 20 wins last season and will be returning many of their starters and key contributors from 2018-19, including center Tristan Clark who missed multiple games due to injury. Still, Baylor will be without second-team Big 12 selection Makai Mason who graduated. Overall, Scott Drew will have a solid team in Waco that will probably do some damage come March.

Kansas has the firepower to not only regain control of the Big 12 this season but also bring home a national title. Bill Self has one of the most talented rosters in college basketball, led by Udoka Azubuike, Devon Dotson, and Ochai Agbaji. Dotson is set to have an especially great year and is in the conversation for National Player of the Year. The Jayhawks’ undeniable talent and deep bench makes them number one in our Big 12 basketball rankings.

You probably don’t agree with our big 12 basketball rankings, so what are your thoughts? Who’s overrated or underrated? Comment below!

After the top three schools, the Big 12 really is up for grabs, but all the teams are pretty solid. It wouldn’t be surprising if eight out of ten squads found their way into the NCAA Tournament, so don’t take things too hard if your school isn’t where you think they should be in our Big 12 basketball rankings.

Once again, the Big 12 conference is shaping up to be one of the premier leagues in college basketball.