The Big 12 loves its basketball, and according to conference commissioner Brett Yormark, the only better league for the sport is the NBA. With the 2026-27 regular season right around the corner, the conference has published its preseason media poll, providing the foundation for our opening edition of this season’s Big 12 basketball power rankings, which will see weekly updates once conference play tips off in January.
Last March saw eight Big 12 programs make the NCAA Tournament field, with six claiming at least one victory in the Big Dance alongside Arizona’s run to the Final Four. Media members covering the Big 12 have picked the conference’s 16 teams to finish the season under a familiar hierarchy at the top, though transition and rebuilding projects loom large across the rest of the league.
Arizona Claims the Top Spot as Wildcats Chase Another Title
Fresh off last year’s Final Four run and a conference tournament championship clinched when head coach Tommy Lloyd cut down the net in Kansas City on March 14, 2026, the Arizona Wildcats enter the season at No. 1 in the preseason poll. Rated No. 5 nationally by KenPom, the Wildcats return formidable talent. Motiejus Krivas, a 7-foot-2 big man and preseason All-American, anchors Arizona’s operation alongside ascending forward Ivan Kharchenkov, five-star freshman guard Caleb Holt, and several key transfer additions.
Right behind them at No. 2 are the Houston Cougars, rated No. 3 nationally by KenPom. Head coach Kelvin Sampson lost four starters to the NBA, but senior power forward Jojo Tugler sets Houston’s traditional tone of elite defense and rabid rebounding. The Cougars also added promising transfers from the mid-major ranks alongside former standout LSU point guard Dedan Thomas Jr.
Kansas rounds out the top three at No. 8 nationally in KenPom ratings, helped by the arrival of Tyran Stokes. Bill Self welcomes the country’s top-ranked prospect to Lawrence, where he immediately steps in as a Player of the Year contender nationally and in the conference, backed by fifth-year standouts Tre White, Melvin Council Jr., and Trey Kaufman-Renn.
Reloading in the Middle: Texas Tech, Iowa State, and BYU
The middle tier of the conference features a mix of retooled rosters and established coaching consistency. Texas Tech lands at No. 4 in the media poll despite JT Toppin still recovering from injury. Having brought in high-scoring mid-judicial additions Cruz Davis and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, the Red Raiders also welcomed back former forward Darrion Williams while keeping Donovan Atwell—who hit 46% of his 3-pointers last season and secured an injunction allowing him to suit up for the 2026-27 campaign.
At No. 5, the Iowa State Cyclones enter the season rated No. 6 nationally by KenPom. Spearheaded by Tamin Lipsey, the Cyclones are also bolstered by an encouraging transfer class led by former Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year Jaqwaun Johnson as T.J. Otzelberger searches for his fourth Sweet 16 berth in six seasons at Iowa State. BYU sits closely behind at No. 6, featuring a top-tier point guard in Rob Wright III, potential NBA lottery pick Bruce Branch III, and dynamic veteran big man Jaxon Kohler under head coach Kevin Young.
Further down the poll, the Baylor Bears sit at No. 7 as Scott Drew looks to rebound from his worst season in Waco in nearly two decades, aided by five-star prospect Dylan Mingo. The TCU Horned Frogs land at No. 8 with a solid returning core from last year’s NCAA Tournament squad, including stretch big Xavier Edmonds, guard Brock Harding, and former BYU player Tanner Toolson.
New Faces and Rebuilding Programs in the Lower Half
The bottom half of the conference highlights major coaching transitions and teams seeking to reverse long postseason droughts. Jerrod Calhoun takes over at Cincinnati, ranked No. 9, attempting to return the Bearcats to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 using a heavy transfer influx. West Virginia follows at No. 10, where Ross Hodge landed historic recruit point guard Miles Sadler following the Mountaineers’ College Basketball Crown run last season.
Oklahoma State sits at No. 11 amid its longest NCAA Tournament drought since the 1980s, though the Cowboys have improved each season under Steve Lutz. Arizona State ranks No. 12 as Randy Bennett takes over in Tempe after a quarter century at Saint Mary’s, bringing in international imports Paulius Murauskas and Emmanuel Innocenti. UCF occupies the No. 13 spot following heavy roster turnover, relying on veteran sharpshooter Riley Kugel after an injunction granted his eligibility.
At the bottom of the poll, the Wildcats rank No. 14 as head coach Casey Anthony undertakes a complete roster overhaul with 14 newcomers. The Colorado Buffaloes sit at No. 15 following a tough 10-28 league record over the past two seasons since returning to the Big 12. Finally, the Utah Runnin’ Utes anchor the poll at No. 16 in an important year for Alex Jensen, who looks to steer the program back to the NCAA tournament after a decade-long absence, relying on Utah Valley transfer Jackson Holcombe and several international prospects.
