Big 12 Basketball: Preview and Predictions for 2014-15 Season
The Big 12 Conference's name is misleading in many ways. Not only does it give the impression of the number of teams in the league—there are 10, not a dozen—but also that every school in the league has a legitimate shot of winning the title each year in college basketball.
Kansas would beg to differ.
The Jayhawks have claimed the Big 12's regular-season title 10 straight years, and an 11th looks pretty good. But at least a few schools figure to have a say in that, while the conference overall has a chance to once again be one of the best and deepest in Division I.
Last year, seven teams made the NCAA tournament, with Baylor and Iowa State reaching the Sweet 16 for an overall disappointing tourney performance for the league.
How many will make it this year, and can anyone take down Kansas? Check out our Big 12 preview for the answers to all of your questions.
Top Storylines
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Replacing Front-line Stars
Two-thirds of the Big 12's all-conference team from last season is no longer around, and five of those players were drafted into the NBA. That includes three of the top six overall picks, showing the kind of talent the conference saw walk out the door in April.
There's far less overall hype surrounding the league's newcomers and stars than a year ago, but some stars should emerge from the muck to make sure the Big 12 remains among the top conferences in Division I.
How Many Horses in the Race?
Kansas has once again been picked to win the league in a vote of Big 12 coaches, but the margin the Jayhawks have over the field shows how tight the conference is expected to be this season.
Six of the 10 coaches picked Kansas, but three chose Texas and another went with Oklahoma. Kansas State and Iowa State aren't far behind in terms of votes, so we could see a tight pack at the top—as was the case in 2013-14. Kansas went 14-4, but four teams were within four games of first place.
Seventh Heaven
The Big 12 will never set any records for NCAA tournament bids because of its dearth of members, but that doesn't mean the league can't clean up when the 68-team field gets announced in March.
Seven made the tourney last year, and Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller projects that the Big 12 could land that many invitations again this season.
The Favorite
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Kansas Jayhawks
If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? Kansas has gotten the job done for a decade, and despite some significant losses, there's nothing to indicate the Jayhawks shouldn't be at or near the top of the standings throughout 2014-15.
And until someone else takes the crown, they remain the favorite.
Gone are frontcourt lottery picks Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, but the cupboard wasn't left bare. Coach Bill Self has a pair of underrated sophomore stars in guard Wayne Selden Jr. and forward Perry Ellis, while sophomore Frank Mason III and incoming freshman Devonte' Graham will compete at the point guard spot.
Highly touted freshmen Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre, both of whom were rated by 247Sports among the top 10 recruits in the country this past year, should jump right in and be essential players.
They won't be as dominant as Embiid and Wiggins, but with the rest of the players around them, they won't need to.
The Challengers
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Iowa State Cyclones
Though picked to finish fifth by the Big 12 coaches, Iowa State remains one of the teams to beat in the conference after rolling through the conference tournament last season and then reaching the Sweet 16.
The Cyclones lost some major pieces in guard DeAndre Kane and forward Melvin Ejim, but dynamic forward Georges Niang leads a talented group of returners.
ISU also has another batch of transfers ready to bolster the lineup, most notably former UNLV guard Bryce Dejean-Jones and ex-Marquette forward Jameel McKay. The 6'9" McKay will become eligible in December.
Kansas State Wildcats
Bruce Weber brings back three starters from last year's 20-13 squad, most notably rising sophomore guard Marcus Foster. The Wildcats should also have a fully healthy Thomas Gipson back, as the 6'7", 265-pound senior forward should be fully recovered from shoulder surgery.
K-State had the top scoring defense in the league a year ago, holding 15 opponents to their season low in points.
Texas Longhorns
Texas was a surprise performer last season, tying for third place and reaching the third round of the NCAA tournament.
The Longhorns should be even better in 2014-15, as they bring back their entire roster (other than guard Martez Walker, who left the program amid assault and trespassing allegations).
That meant Texas didn't have much room to add talent, but it got a doozy of a newcomer in center Myles Turner, who signed with the school in April and should line up well alongside returning forwards Jonathan Holmes and Cameron Ridley.
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The Bottom Feeders
4 of 11Texas Tech Red Raiders
Tubby Smith's latest rebuilding effort is going to take longer than anywhere else he's coached, though Texas Tech has already shown major progress. The Red Raiders' 6-12 conference record last season was a three-game improvement.
Only two players who started more than three games in 2013-14 return, and six newcomers will all be expected to contribute.
TCU Horned Frogs
It can't get much worse at the power-conference level than what TCU did last season, going 0-18 in the Big 12 and 9-22 overall. But coach Trent Johnson has four starters back, including do-everything guard Kyan Anderson.
The Horned Frogs are 2-34 in conference games since joining the Big 12, though amazingly one of those wins was a shocking upset of Kansas in 2013.
Best Rivalry
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Kansas/Kansas State
Aside from newcomers TCU and West Virginia, the rest of the Big 12 has so much familiarity with each other over the years that rivalries abound up and down the conference lineup.
The in-state rivalries stand out the most, with the so-called Sunflower Showdown between Kansas and Kansas State getting the nod.
Unlike other Big 12 rivalries that are just as big in other sports, this one is heavy on the hoops. Kansas has a decided 187-92 advantage in the all-time series, but in February, K-State ended a six-game skid to the Jayhawks with an 85-82 overtime victory at home.
Coaches Under the Most Pressure
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Travis Ford, Oklahoma State
Entering his seventh season in Stillwater, Travis Ford is still looking for that breakout team. He had his superstar last season in Marcus Smart, but all the Cowboys could manage was an eighth-place finish in the Big 12 and a second-round exit in the NCAA tournament.
Following the legendary Eddie Sutton, Ford has yet to finish better than third in the conference and hasn't won a tourney game since his first year in 2009.
Bob Huggins, West Virginia
It's been eight years since Bob Huggins came back to his alma mater after a very brief stop at Kansas State, and while the Big East portion of his tenure went well, the same can't be said since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12.
Huggins is 30-35 in the past two seasons, though last year West Virginia made the NIT. That roster is mostly gone now because of major departures, but Huggins still has electric scorer Juwan Staten back. That might not be enough to do anything, though, and the locals may start to get restless.
Trent Johnson, TCU
Trent Johnson's coaching career has been on a seemingly downward trend for several years. Since going to Stanford in 2004, he's made a series of moves that looked to be lateral at best but instead have resulted in diminished results.
Four seasons at LSU resulted in only one NCAA tournament appearance, and that was in the first year. Since coming to TCU, he's won only two Big 12 games in two seasons and gone 20-43 overall.
Best Backcourt
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Iowa State Cyclones
This might be a surprise choice, since Iowa State graduated its star guard from a year ago in DeAndre Kane. But the Cyclones had a hidden gem in the backcourt last season in Monte Morris, who as a freshman had an overwhelmingly stellar 4.79-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Morris will team with UNLV transfer Bryce Dejean-Jones, who led the Runnin' Rebels in scoring a year ago, while swingman Georges Niang showed off his passing skills last season with 123 assists.
Best Frontcourt
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Texas Longhorns
This distinction goes Texas' way for two reasons: what it has coming back, and what the Longhorns brought on board for this season. Put that together, and no other Big 12 team has the front line that you'll find in Austin.
Junior center Cameron Ridley and senior forward Jonathan Holmes were huge for Texas last season—literally—with a combined 24 points and 15.4 rebounds per game. Throw in one of the top recruits in the country in 6'11" Myles Turner, and the Longhorns won't ever lack for size.
Freshmen to Watch
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Cliff Alexander, F, Kansas
The top-rated recruit to sign with the Big 12, Cliff Alexander was No. 4 overall on 247Sports' composite rankings. At 6'9" and 240 pounds, he'll be a much more physical presence inside than what Kansas had with Joel Embiid, though lacking in the leaping ability and lateral movement.
Kelly Oubre, G, Kansas
Tasked with replacing a lot of the athleticism and highlight-reel plays of Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre figures to be asked to do a lot at first. He shined in the offseason on the USA Junior National Select Team.
Myles Turner, F, Texas
The last major recruit to land with a program, Myles Turner picked Texas in April and instantly jumped the Longhorns into the discussion for the Big 12 title. His presence makes it so Texas will have three guys 6'8" or taller patrolling the paint.
All-Conference Teams
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FIRST TEAM
Marcus Foster, G, Kansas State
A far less heralded freshman than those at Kansas and Oklahoma State, Marcus Foster often outplayed his young contemporaries and played much bigger than his 6'2", 200-pound frame. He's expected to make a major leap in his second year.
Juwan Staten, G, West Virginia
The Big 12's leading scorer a year ago at 18.1 points per game, Juwan Staten got his points the hard way by driving to the basket and fighting through the defense. The 6'1" slasher shot 48.6 percent from the field and tied for the conference top spot in free throws with 182.
Perry Ellis, F, Kansas
Lost in the excitement of what Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid did for Kansas last year was the heady play of Perry Ellis, who now moves into a leadership role while taking on expectations to replace some of the missing frontcourt production.
Georges Niang, F, Iowa State
Arguably the most complete player in the conference, Georges Niang can play like a guard, swingman or post player depending on the situation. His foot injury in the second round of the NCAA tournament had a major impact on Iowa State's shortened postseason run.
Myles Turner, C, Texas
Texas brings back its entire starting lineup from a year ago, but room will be made for this prized freshman. Myles Turner may not put up huge numbers, but his defensive presence will be felt every time an opponent heads in for a bucket.
SECOND TEAM
Buddy Hield, G, Oklahoma
Jonathan Holmes, F, Texas
Le'Bryan Nash, F, Oklahoma State
Ryan Spangler, F, Oklahoma
Cliff Alexander, C, Kansas
Regular-Season Standings
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- Kansas
- Iowa State
- Texas
- Kansas State
- Oklahoma
- West Virginia
- Oklahoma State
- Baylor
- Texas Tech
- TCU
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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