Four new programs joined the Big 12 Conference a year ago, and one of them — Arizona — made the NCAA Tournament, bringing the conference’s total number of qualifiers to seven. Houston represented the league in the national title game, and the Cougars look to contend once again, but there are some other key teams to watch heading into the 2025-26 season.
Here’s a look at the preseason power rankings for the Big 12.
*Rankings for freshmen are via 247Sports Composite.
1. Houston Cougars
2024-25: 35-5 (19-1)
Key players: Emanuel Sharp, 6-foot-3 senior guard, 12.6 points per game; Milos Uzan, 6-foot-4 senior guard, 11.4 points, 4.3 assists per game; Joseph Tugler, 6-foot-7 junior forward, 5.5 points, 5.9 rebounds per game; Isaiah Harwell, 6-foot-6 freshman guard, No. 16 overall prospect; Chris Cenac Jr., 6-foot-10 freshman forward, No. 7 overall prospect
Ever since they joined the Big 12, the Cougars have become the new face of the league. With three starters coming back, including Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Tugler, it’s hard to see them taking a step back from even last year’s strong campaign. Add the program’s best-ever incoming freshmen class and a pair of potential first-round NBA Draft picks in Harwell and Cenac, and Houston isn’tt just the team to beat in this league — but maybe in the entire country.
2. Texas Tech Red Raiders
2024-25: 28-9 (15-5)
Key players: JT Toppin, 6-foot-9 junior forward, 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds per game; Christian Anderson, 6-foot-2 sophomore guard, 10.6 points, 2.2 assists per game; LeJaun Watts, 6-foot-6 junior forward, 13.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists per game (Washington State); Donovan Atwell, 6-foot-5 senior forward, 13.3 points per game (UNC Greensboro); Luke Bamgboye, 6-foot-10 sophomore forward, 3.8 points, 3.3 rebounds per game (VCU)
Texas Tech brings back the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year in Toppin, and he is joined by several double-digit wing scorers who can all shoot the ball. While losing Darrion Williams to NC State hurts, adding Bamgboye should only make it more difficult to score on the Raiders. The key will be Anderson, who was elite as a freshman and will be tasked with being the lead guard this season.
3. BYU Cougars
2024-25: 26-10 (14-6)
Key players: Richie Saunders, 6-foot-5 senior guard, 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds per game; Keba Keita, 6-foot-7 senior forward, 7.4 points, 7.9 rebounds per game; Robert Wright, 6-foot-1 sophomore guard, 11.5 points, 4.2 assists per game (Baylor); Kennard Davis, 6-foot-6 junior guard, 16.3 points per game (Southern Illinois); AJ Dybantsa, 6-foot-9 freshman forward, No. 2 overall prospect
Few incoming freshmen have had as much hype as Dybantsa, a potential future No. 1 NBA Draft pick. Saunders, who led the team in scoring last year, is one of the best pure shooters in the nation. BYU has as high a ceiling as any team not named Houston, especially if Wright takes a sophomore leap of his own as the starting point guard.
4. Arizona Wildcats
2024-25: 24-13 (14-6)
Key players: Jaden Bradley, 6-foot-3 senior guard, 12.1 points, 3.7 assists per game; Tobe Awaka, 6-foot-8 senior forward, 8.0 points, 7.8 rebounds per game; Motiejus Krivas, 7.9 points, 4.5 rebounds per game (8 games); Brayden Burries, 6-foot-4 freshman guard, No. 9 overall prospect; Koa Peat, 6-foot-8 freshman forward, No. 11 overall prospect
Former Pac-12 Player of the Year Caleb Love isn’t around, but Bradley is more than capable of being a lead guard. The Wildcats also have a pair of top-tier incoming freshmen in Burries and Peat, who should make a large impact early. The key is Krivas, who missed most of last season with a foot injury; he is now the starting center and a breakout candidate who could raise Arizona’s ceiling.
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5. Kansas Jayhawks
2024-25: 21-13 (11-9)
Key players: Flory Bidunga, 6-foot-9 sophomore forward, 5.9 points, 5.4 rebounds per game; Melvin Council Jr., 14.6 points, 4.1 assists per game (St. Bonaventure); Tre White, 6-foot-7 senior forward, 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds per game (Illinois); Darryn Peterson, 6-foot-5 freshman guard, No. 1 overall prospect
In Peterson, Kansas has a prospect who 247 Sports has ranked even higher than Dybantsa. Another potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick, Peterson is expected to be the star of the team. There are questions throughout the rest of the roster, however, including how the point guard situation will work out, and the frontcourt, which needs Bidunga to have a breakout campaign to remain competitive. Fifth place feels so low for a Bill Self-led team, but the Jayhawks have shown enough flaws that it’s warranted.
6. Iowa State Cyclones
2024-25: 25-10 (13-7)
Key players: Joshua Jefferson, 6-foot-8 senior forward, 13 points, 7.4 rebounds per game; Milan Momcilovic, 6-foot-8 junior forward, 11.5 points per game; Tamin Lipsey, 6-foot-1 senior guard, 10.6 points, 3.1 assists per game; Dominick Nelson, 6-foot-5 senior guard, 14.4 points, 5.2 rebounds per game (Utah Valley); Blake Buchanan, 6-foot-11 junior center, 5.4 points, 5.3 rebounds per game (Virginia)
The Cyclones bring back a trio of starters from last year, though the other two (Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert) were easily the best players. WAC Player of the Year Nelson is likely to start alongside Lipsey, but a season-ending hip injury to Eastern Washington transfer Mason Williams is a big blow to the overall depth. Lipsey will need to be more of a scorer this time around to keep Iowa State in the hunt.
7. Baylor Bears
2024-25: 20-15 (10-10)
Key players: Michael Rataj, 6-foot-9 senior forward, 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds per game (Oregon State); Obi Agbim, 6-foot-3 senior guard, 17.6 points, 3.4 assists per game (Wyoming); Dan Skillings Jr., 6-foot-6 senior forward, 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds per game (Cincinnati); Tounde Yessoufou, 6-foot-6 freshman forward, No. 14 overall prospect
It’s a completely new roster for the Bears, but there’s plenty of firepower with the new cast, led by Rataj and Skillings. Yessoufou aims to continue the trend of 5-star freshmen wings who come to Baylor and become stars — and then top NBA Draft picks. The big question will be the team defense, which was ranked in the bottom half of the Big 12 last year.
8. TCU Horned Frogs
2024-25: 16-16 (9-11)
Key players: David Punch, 6-foot-7 sophomore forward, 6.5 points, 4.4 rebounds per game; Micah Robinson, 6-foot-6 sophomore forward, 5.3 points per game; Jayden Pierre, 6-foot-2 senior guard, 12.3 points, 3.2 assists per game (Providence); Brock Harding, 6-foot junior guard, 8.8 points, 5.3 assists per game (Iowa)
Coach Jamie Dixon is banking on a revamped backcourt to stay in the middle tier of the league, and Harding and Pierre are capable Big 12 starters. TCU will need the returning young wings and forwards to all take leaps, led by Punch, who had some big outings as a freshman.
9. Kansas State Wildcats
2024-25: 16-17 (9-11)
Key players: PJ Haggerty, 6-foot-3 junior guard, 21.7 points, 3.7 assists per game (Memphis); Nate Johnson, 6-foot-3 senior guard, 14 points, 3.4 assists per game (Akron); Abdi Bashir Jr., 6-foot-7 junior guard, 20.1 points per game (Monmouth); Marcus Johnson, 6-foot-7 senior forward, 16.2 points, 5.0 rebounds per game (Bowling Green)
Last year’s notable transfer haul didn’t work for Kansas State, but could this group be better? Both Haggerty and Johnson are respective conference player of the year winners and will likely team up as the Wildcats’ starting guards, while Bashir was one of the top individual scorers in the nation. The lack of proven frontcourt depth is a key concern, along with the overall defense — on paper, anyway.
10. Cincinnati Bearcats
2024-25: 19-16 (7-13)
Key players: Moustapha Thiam, 7-foot-2 sophomore center, 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds per game (UCF); Baba Miller, 6-foot-11 senior forward, 11.3 points, 7.0 rebounds per game (Florida Atlantic); Kerr Kriisa, 6-foot-3 senior guard, 4.4 points and 3.8 assists per game (Kentucky, 9 games); Shon Abaev, 6-foot-7 freshman forward, No. 22 overall prospect
The Bearcats’ frontcourt should be in great shape, led by Thiam, a productive young stalwart, and Abaev, an elite incoming freshman. However, the recent parting of ways with Jizzle James, last year’s leading scorer, is a massive loss for the program. Kriisa, who has been at several stops in his college career, will now be tasked with leading the offense.
11. Oklahoma State Cowboys
2024-25: 17-18 (7-13)
Key players: Isaiah Coleman, 6-foot-5 junior guard, 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds per game (Seton Hall); Kanye Clary, 5-foot-11 junior guard, 6.3 points, 2.6 assists per game (Mississippi State, 7 games); Anthony Roy, 6-foot-3 senior guard, 25.7 points per game (Green Bay, 11 games); Christian Coleman, 6-foot-9 senior forward, 11.6 points, 7.1 rebounds per game (UAB)
Scoring was an issue for the Cowboys last year, but their transfer class brings in plenty of production. That includes Roy, who was the nation’s leading scorer before his season-ending lower-leg injury at Green Bay. There’s solid depth throughout the roster, both inside and out, but whether the ceiling is high enough is the big question.
12. Utah Utes
2024-25: 16-17 (8-12)
Key players: Keanu Dawes, 6-foot-9 junior forward, 8.3 points, 6.4 rebounds per game; Terrence Brown, 6-foot-3 junior guard, 20.6 points, 3.2 assists per game (Fairleigh Dickinson); Don McHenry, 6-foot-2 senior guard, 17 points per game (Western Kentucky); James Okonkwo, 6-foot-8 senior forward, 6.9 points, 7.2 rebounds per game (Akron)
The recent news that Western Kentucky transfer forward Babacar Faye (15.2 points per game) is out for the season with a leg injury is a big blow to the Utes’ chances of being competitive in the conference. That puts even more pressure on Dawes, a key piece off the bench last year, to be a breakout contributor as a likely starter. The backcourt could be very potent, with Brown and McHenry combining to average nearly 40 points per game at the mid-major level, but will it translate to the Big 12?
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13. Colorado Buffaloes
2024-25: 14-21 (3-17)
Key players: Bongot Dak, 6-foot-8 junior forward, 8.2 points, 3.9 rebounds per game; Elijah Malone, 6-foot-10 senior forward, 7.9 points, 3.2 rebounds per game; Sebastian Rancik, 6-foot-9 sophomore forward, 5.9 points per game; Barrington Hargress, 6-foot junior guard, 20.2 points, 4.0 assists per game (UC Riverside)
As painful as last year was, the Buffs giving a lot of playing time to the young core could pay off this season. It starts in the frontcourt, which is stocked with returners, but there’s a lot of pressure on Hargress to give Colorado a boost in the backcourt while leading a solid incoming freshmen class of perimeter players who all should get minutes early.
14. West Virginia Mountaineers
2024-25: 19-13 (10-10)
Key players: Treysen Eaglestaff, 6-foot-6 senior guard, 18.9 points per game (North Dakota); Honor Huff, 5-foot-10 senior guard, 15.2 points, 2.3 assists per game (Chattanooga); Chance Moore, 6-foot-5 senior guard/forward, 13 points, 6.5 rebounds per game (St. Bonaventure); Brenen Lorient, 6-foot-9 senior forward, 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds per game (North Texas)
The last former North Texas head coach to join the Big 12, Grant McCasland of Texas Tech, has done great so far. The Mountaineers are hoping for similar results with Ross Hodge, who brings a few Mean Green players with him, including the AAC Sixth Man of the Year in Lorient. With just about the entire roster coming from the mid-major ranks, there are plenty of questions about how competitive they’ll be in Year 1 under Hodge, but WVU could be a darkhorse to make some noise in league play.
15. UCF Knights
2024-25: 20-17 (7-13)
Key players: Themus Fulks, 6-foot-1 senior guard, 14.6 points, 5.9 assists per game (Milwaukee); Riley Kugel, 6-foot-5 senior guard, 9.3 points per game (Mississippi State); George Beale, 6-foot-4 senior guard, 13 points per game (Hampton); Jamichael Stillwell, 6-foot-8 senior forward, 13 points, 10.7 rebounds per game (Milwaukee)
After losing just about everyone from the 2024-25 squad, UCF has taken plenty of swings with this current roster. The Knights have solid high-major players coming in, and there is hope that the combined production of the Milwaukee duo of Fulks and Stillwell will translate to the Big 12 level. The team as constructed should be competitive; it could also fall apart, which would put coach Johnny Dawkins on the hot seat.
16. Arizona State Sun Devils
2024-25: 13-20 (4-16)
Key players: Moe Odum, 6-foot-1 senior guard, 13.1 points, 7.5 assists per game (Hampton); Adante Holiman, 6-foot senior guard, 16.9 points per game (Georgia Southern); Allen David Mukeba, 6-foot-7 senior forward, 14.6 points, 7.5 rebounds per game (Oakland); Marcus Adams Jr., 6-foot-8 sophomore forward, 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds per game (Cal State Northridge)
Speaking of hot seats, Bobby Hurley finds himself in a similar situation after ASU’s struggles last year. The players from that 2024-25 team are all gone, and the incoming group, which features seven freshmen and international newcomers, has no high-major experience. Adams, a former top-50 prospect out of high school, had a huge first year and could be a star, but a lot will have to go right for the Sun Devils to avoid last place — and stave off a search for a new head coach.
