College Basketball Predictions: 10 Bold Predictions for Baylor, Kansas & Big 12

Baylor and Kansas lead the Big 12 into the 2011-12 college basketball season, but only one of those teams is elite.

Sure, the AP Top 25 rankings do not place any Big 12 teams in the top 10, but the conference still has four Top 25 teams (also including Missouri and Texas A&M).

The Big 12 looks like it will be ripped apart by conference alignment soon, but for now its 10 teams still look like they will compete nationally. 

There aren't more than a couple of bad teams in the Big 12, and it could be a very competitive conference this season.

Most Surprising Team: Baylor

The Baylor Bears are actually the highest-ranked team in the conference at No. 12 in the AP Top 25, but they have their doubters.  It seems like most people say that Baylor is overrated and that they will fall out of the top 25 soon, but I can't imagine why.

Sure, this team doesn't have great guard-play now that LaceDarius Dunn has left, but they have the second-best frontcourt in the nation.  Quincy Acy, Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller are all incredible big men, and they can dominate any team in the country, with the possible exceptions of North Carolina and Ohio State.

The Bears don't need great guards, they just need point guard A.J. Walton to feed the big men. Those three guys are all big, athletic and are proficient scorers.  If Walton can do so effectively, he could be one of the leading assist men in the country.

This team has the talent to make a deep tournament run, and I see them stepping up to around No. 6 in the nation before the season is over.

Most Disappointing Team: Kansas

The Kansas Jayhawks have lost an incredible amount of talent.  Starting with the Morris twins, the Jayhawks have fallen from the No. 2 team in the nation, yet they are still ranked No. 13.

Sure Kansas has a good inside-outside combo in Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor, but outside of that they have very little talent.

The Jayhawks don't have anyone else returning who averaged more than two rebounds per game, and they will struggle this season.  I can't understand why Baylor has a lot of critics, but this less-talented Kansas team does not.

Maybe it's because Bill Self is a great coach, but he has next to no talent on this team, and this team very well could fall out of the top 25.

Game of the Year: Kansas at Texas A&M

Like I said in the previous slide, the Kansas Jayhawks are ranked second in the Big 12 (or first depending on where you look), yet they will disappoint the college basketball world.  Because they only have two talented players, they will surely fall to Baylor and will have to fight for No. 2 in the conference.

Their biggest competition for that honor is Texas A&M.  Led by Khris Middleton and Elston and Ray Turner (no relation), this team is incredibly talented.  Middleton is my dark-horse Big 12 Player of the Year candidate, while both Turners are prolific scorers.

The Aggies are set to take No. 2 in the conference, and if they can beat Kansas on the road on February 22, 2012, they will send the Jayhawks into a spiral pushing them further down the Big 12 standings.

Freshman of the Year: Quincy Miller, Baylor

Quincy Miller helps make up the formidable frontcourt of the Baylor Bears. He is a 6'10" wing who is very athletic and can score in bunches.  He rebounds well, and his timing helps him block shots, but the most impressive part of his game is his ability to lead a team on a fast-break.

Miller is athletic enough to play the three, yet he is big enough to play the four.  He can score facing the basket or with his back to it, and he is essentially the next Perry Jones III.

These two are incredibly similar, and with teams having to focus on Jones and Quincy Acy, as well, so Miller will get more than enough chances to make a big impact.

Miller will show just how good he is, and he will step up right away.

Defensive Player of the Year: Khris Middleton, Texas A&M

Khris Middleton is the best defender in the nation when it comes to playing man-to-man.  He can shut down just about anyone.

Middleton is always close to his man, and by sticking close to them he knows that they will not get the ball much.

Middleton doesn't light up the stat sheet because his man gets the ball so little, but he does average three rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

Middleton is arguably the best shutdown defender in the country, and he will win this award easily.

Player of the Year: Perry Jones III, Baylor

It seems like Baylor is winning everything, but they truly have the best players in the Big 12.  While I wish I could give this to Khris Middleton, Perry Jones is just the better player.

While Jones doesn't have Middleton's defense, he is better on the offensive end.  Jones averaged over 14 points and seven rebounds per game as a freshman, and we have seen that the transition from freshman to sophomore year usually leads to huge improvements.  If Jones goes through that transition, he may average over 20 points per game.

While Middleton plays a bigger role for Texas A&M, opponents can no longer focus on Jones in the frontcourt, as Quincy Miller will help take pressure off him.  Also, LaceDarius Dunn's departure leaves a good chunk of scoring up for grabs, and if anyone's going to get it, it will be Jones.

Regular Season Conference Champion: Baylor

As I have said before, the Baylor Bears will surprise everyone by winning the conference and grabbing a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Baylor has an incredible frontcourt, if you haven't noticed by now, and they will use it to topple Kansas twice and take control of the Big 12.  They will win this conference easily, with their biggest competition being Texas A&M.

The Bears are set to dominate, and no one stands in their way.

Conference Tournament Champion: Texas A&M

While Baylor is the best team in the conference, they're not perfect.  I see them losing at some point in the Big 12 tournament, and when that happens it will clear the way for the Aggies.

Texas A&M, led by Khris Middleton and the Turners, will have more than enough talent to win this tournament.

While other teams have question marks surrounding them, the Aggies return their three best players from a year ago, and their biggest question is whether or not Middleton wins Big 12 Player of the Year.

We haven't even seen David Loubeau step up yet, but we know that he will because he was a top scorer for the Aggies last season, and when that happens this team will be even more dangerous.

Number of Teams That Will Make the NCAA Tournament: 6

The Big 12 will send six representatives to the NCAA tournament—over half of the conference.  Baylor, Texas A&M, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas will all make it.

Baylor, Texas A&M, Kansas and Missouri are locks, seeing as they are all top 25 teams.  Oklahoma State is just outside the top 25, but Texas will be a bubble team for sure.

The Longhorns lost Tristan Thompson, who was easily their best player, and they will rely heavily on J'Covan Brown and their backcourt to secure them a tournament bid.

Team with the Best Chance of Winning It All: Baylor

As I've said time and time again, the Baylor Bears have the second-best frontcourt in the nation.  I honestly think that this team could top North Carolina in the NCAA tournament.

The Bears have the talent they need, and if point guard A.J. Walton can step up this will be a Final Four team.

While I think Texas A&M also has a legitimate shot at winning it all, I have to say that Baylor has the better chance because of Perry Jones III and the two Quincys.

Look for Baylor to go all the way to New Orleans.

Josh Schoch is an aspiring sportswriter dedicated to bringing you everything related to college basketball, the NFL, MLB, NBA, college football and much more.  Follow him on Twitter.

More Predictions

This is Part 2 of a six-part series.  I'm bringing you 10 bold predictions for the six major conferences over the next week.  This is the schedule:

Part 1: ACC

Sunday 11/13: Pac-12

Monday 11/14: Big East

Wednesday 11/16: SEC

Friday 11/18: Big Ten