Big 12 basketball order of finish for 2024-25 season projected by USA TODAY Sports Network

Kansas, the No. 1-ranked team in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Sports men’s college basketball coaches’ preseason poll, also stands atop the new-look, 16-team Big 12, according to a poll of writers who cover the conference for the USA TODAY Sports Network.

The Jayhawks are hoping for an improved year after being bogged down by injuries last season. They finished 23-11 last year and were knocked out in the NCAA Tournament’s round of 32 by Gonzaga. Kansas received six first-place votes from the eight reporters who were surveyed.

Houston got the remaining two first-place votes. The Cougars finished 32-5 overall in 2023-24 and made the conference tournament finals in their first season in the Big 12. Houston has reached at least the Sweet 16 in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments, including a Final Four appearance in 2021.

Kansas coach Bill Self brings his players in for a huddle in the second half of the Big 12 Conference Tournament second round game Wednesday, March 13, 2024, inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

The panel predicted defending Big 12 Tournament champion Iowa State to finish third. The Cyclones return their top four scorers from last season’s Sweet 16 squad.

Baylor is right behind in fourth place, with Big 12 newcomer Arizona predicted to finish in fifth. All five teams are ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll and USA TODAY Sports men’s college basketball coaches’ preseason rankings.

Cincinnati, which is No. 20 in the USA Today coaches poll, is projected to take sixth according to our panel.

Here is the predicted order of finish for the coming season by the USA TODAY Sports Network’s panel of eight Big 12 experts:

Kansas (6 first-place votes)

Houston (2 first-place votes)

Iowa State

Baylor

Arizona

Cincinnati

Texas Tech

Kansas State

BYU

TCU

UCF

West Virginia

Arizona State

Colorado

Oklahoma State

Utah

The USA TODAY Sports Network’s panel of Big 12 men’s basketball voters includes Arne Green of the Topeka Capital-Journal, Travis Hines of the Des Moines…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/big-12-basketball-order-finish-100812618.html

Author : The Des Moines Register

Publish date : 2024-10-28 10:08:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.