The Big 12 preseason basketball poll dropped this week, and if nothing else, it shows just how much the power structure in this league has shifted. Houston comes in at No. 1, followed by Texas Tech at No. 2 and BYU at No. 3. That’s three programs with very different paths to the top, but all three are now expected to be right in the thick of it.
Arizona landed at No. 4, which isn’t a surprise, given its roster and the additions it made this offseason. Iowa State rounds out the top five after a strong finish last season. Then it gets interesting. Kansas sits at No. 6 and Baylor at No. 7, two programs that have dominated the league over the last decade, now sitting in the middle of the pack to open the year.
Kansas State, Cincinnati, and TCU check in at No. 8, 9, and 10, all of which feel like toss-up spots in a year where the depth of the league could cause chaos week to week. West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and Utah follow at 11 through 13, with UCF, Colorado, and Arizona State closing it out.
The message here is that nothing is guaranteed this season, not even for the bluebloods. Kansas being slotted at six would’ve sounded like a joke two years ago. Now, it feels like a fair reflection of the talent around them. Houston has earned the top spot with their consistency and physicality. Tech has quietly built one of the more balanced rosters in the country. BYU has been one of the league’s best surprises over the last calendar year and has no plans of taking steps back.
For the new-look Big 12, this is exactly the kind of setup you want. Sixteen teams, a wide range of styles, and no clear-cut favorite. Houston might be at the top right now, but the margin between first and eighth probably isn’t as wide as in other leagues. And with conference play being what it is, anyone in the top half of the league could find themselves in the mix come March.
Preseason polls don’t mean much when the ball tips, but they do tell you how people are thinking before the chaos begins. This one tells you the Big 12 isn’t waiting on Kansas anymore. There’s a new group of contenders at the table, and everyone else is going to have to catch up.
