The calendar year of 2025 has come and gone, and Big 12 basketball has soared as we head into 2026. As things stand in the final rankings of 2025, the Big 12 has two teams in the Top Five, four teams in the Top 10, and six teams in the Top 20. No other conference has more than four teams in the top 20.
Kansas, a typical powerhouse program in college basketball, is currently the sixth-best team in the Big 12 heading into conference play. If that doesn’t tell you how strong the conference is, then maybe noting that Arizona has been the No. 1 team in the country while Iowa State has been in the top five for a month will bring the point home. Both the Wildcats and Cyclones went undefeated and dominated their non-conference schedule.
Houston, coming off a National Championship appearance in 2025, is still riding high as the No. 8 team in the nation. They began the season as the No. 1 team in the country and have remained a Top 10 team throughout non-conference play. They won’t let go of their title as Big 12 champs easily. BYU has one of the top freshmen in the country in AJ Dybantsa, and a team around him that is playing very well. They have been a Top 10 team the entire season.
Texas Tech has been a consistently solid team over the past decade and is looking to contend again for this 2025-2026 season. Their only losses this season are to Top 20 teams. They will be able to make some noise in the Big 12 this season.
How about the previously mentioned Kansas Jayhawks? They’ve played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, and their only losses this season are to teams currently in the Top 15, with two of those teams being Duke and UConn, who are ranked in the Top Five. The Jayhawks went undefeated in the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas around Thanksgiving. They have one of the top freshmen in the country in Darryn Peterson, although he has been on and off the court due to injuries. The team continues to play well in his absence, which bodes well for when he is able to get on the court, presumably during Big 12 play. If Peterson is able to play a good stretch during the Big 12 schedule, the Jayhawks will be a dangerous team.
The rest of the Big 12 could be a rollercoaster ride with plenty of ups and downs, but as things currently stand, every Big 12 team has a winning record heading into conference play. Oklahoma State and UCF only have one loss to their name. Baylor is 10-2 and riding a four-game winning streak. TCU is 10-3 and has won five in a row. There will never be an “easy” game in the Big 12.
The Big 12 conference is loaded, and while the top half of the conference will likely be the teams to fight for a regular-season and conference-tournament title, it is not only a top-heavy conference but a deep one as well.
Not only will the conference slate be a fight for every team, but it will strengthen the teams at the top of the Big 12 for a deep run during March Madness. Kansas, which is currently the sixth-highest rated Big 12 team, has better odds to make the Final Four than to win the Big 12. That’s how deep this conference runs. Arizona, Iowa State, Houston, BYU, Texas Tech, and Kansas all have teams that could make a run at the Final Four, and with that comes the possibility of winning a National Championship.
2025 was a good year for Big 12 basketball, but 2026 could be even better as we watch to see how this season will unfold with conference play tipping off in the new year!
