I do not know if the Large 12 will likely be faculty basketball’s finest convention this season (as a result of that label might nonetheless belong to the SEC and even go to the Large Ten). As at all times, we’ll see. However this a lot I do know: There isn’t a league I am extra fascinated by following this season than the Large 12 as a result of it options a number of true national-title contenders and the gamers who might go first and second within the 2026 NBA Draft.
The elite NBA prospects? That is Darryn Peterson (Kansas) and AJ Dybantsa (BYU) — the 2 prospects most have slotted No. 1 and No. 2 in NBA mock drafts. The title contenders? That is Houston, Texas Tech and BYU — no less than. As you probably know, there are two coaches within the Large 12 who’ve already received nationwide championships — specifically Kansas’ Invoice Self and Baylor’s Scott Drew. And it ought to be famous that when Matt Norlander and I polled greater than 100 faculty coaches this offseason and requested who the game’s subsequent first-time nationwide champion will likely be, the main vote-getter was Houston’s Kelvin Sampson, whose Cougars are anticipated to win a 3rd straight Large 12 regular-season title this season (after which some) after transitioning from the American with no points in any respect.
And regulate KU.
School basketball rankings: Every AP High 25 workforce’s strengths, weaknesses and depth chart getting into 2025-26
Isaac Trotter
Bear in mind KU?
The Jayhawks owned the Large 12 for the higher a part of twenty years, at one level profitable no less than a share of 14 consecutive league titles, which is one thing I genuinely consider won’t ever occur on the power-conference degree once more. Superb run. However Kansas has completed exterior of the highest 4 within the Large 12 in every of the previous two seasons — and hasn’t made the Candy 16 since 2022. So it will be attention-grabbing to see if Self can get issues again this season to the place they used to only at all times be just about it doesn’t matter what.
CBS Sports activities Large 12 Preseason Participant of the 12 months
JT Toppin | F | Jr. | Texas Tech
Toppin is the reigning Large 12 Participant of the 12 months after averaging 18.2 factors and 9.4 rebounds for a Texas Tech workforce that received 28 video games and superior to the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Event. So he is an apparent decide for a similar award this preseason. However the 6-9 ahead is hardly a lock to safe the trophy once more come March, largely due to the presence of two freshmen stars who’re getting into the convention — particularly Darryn Peterson (Kansas) and AJ Dybantsa (BYU). Once more, these two are projected by most to be the highest two picks within the 2026 NBA Draft. So for Toppin to safe back-to-back Large 12 POY awards, he’ll have to carry off two unbelievable skills, the categories who might turn out to be faces of NBA franchises sometime.
CBS Sports activities Large 12 Preseason Freshman of the 12 months
Darryn Peterson | Kansas | G
No convention’s Freshman of the 12 months race ought to be extra attention-grabbing than the Large 12’s, the place Peterson and Dybantsa are each preseason All-People. These two cut up votes right here with Peterson popping out on high. However perceive that there are additionally different five-star freshmen getting into the league — specifically Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., Arizona’s Brayden Burries, Arizona’s Koa Peat and Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou. Merely put, no convention enrolled extra elite freshmen this offseason than the Large 12, which is among the many causes NBA front-office members will spend plenty of nights in resorts close to Large 12 campuses.
4 extra gamers to look at
AJ Dybantsa | F | BYU: Full disclosure, Dybantsa was the decide for POY and FOY on my Large 12 preseason poll. I am a believer, having first seen him a number of summers in the past at Peach Jam, the place he led the occasion in scoring after his freshman 12 months of highschool. Only a particular, particular expertise. He ought to be the most effective participant on what may very well be the most effective workforce in BYU historical past.
PJ Haggerty | G | Kansas State: Haggerty was the AAC Participant of the 12 months and a consensus second workforce All-American final season whereas serving to Memphis win the American’s regular-season title and convention event. The 6-4 guard averaged 21.7 factors, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals — and had actually the most effective particular person seasons in Memphis historical past. After the season, Haggerty entered the switch portal and landed at Kansas State, his fourth faculty in 4 years, the place he is the principle cause the Wildcats are projected by most to return to the NCAA Event this season after lacking it the previous two years.
Milos Uzan | G | Houston: Uzan earned second workforce All-Large 12 honors final season whereas averaging 11.4 factors and 4.3 assists for a Houston workforce that received the league and superior to the championship sport of the 2025 NCAA Event. The 6-4 guard shot 42.8% from 3-point vary on 3.6 makes an attempt per contest. His determination to return for a fourth season of school basketball provides the Cougars two returning double-digit scorers with the opposite being backcourtmate Emanuel Sharp.
Tamin Lipsey | G | Iowa State: Lipsey secured first workforce All-Large 12 honors in 2024 after which adopted that up with a third-team slot final season whereas averaging 10.6 factors, 3.1 assists and a couple of.6 rebounds for an Iowa State workforce that received 25 occasions and obtained a No. 3 seed within the 2025 NCAA Event. The 6-1 guard has began 103 video games for the Cyclones over the previous three seasons — however precisely when his 104th profession begin will come stays unclear due to a Grade 2 MCL sprain suffered in his proper knee final month. Barring any setbacks, it is cheap to imagine Lipsey may very well be prepared for Iowa State’s season-opener two weeks from in the present day. However, even when he’s, whether or not he’ll be sharp or not after lacking a lot of the preseason is an apparent factor to contemplate.
Large 12 predicted order of end
1. Houston
Breakdown: The Cougars are 34-4 in Large 12 video games the previous two seasons, 39-5 if you happen to embody Large 12 Event video games. That’s outstanding stuff from Kelvin Sampson, whom greater than 100 faculty coaches polled this offseason instructed us they consider would be the subsequent coach to win his first nationwide championship.
For sure, with Milos Uzan, Emanuel Sharp and reigning Large 12 Defensive Participant of the 12 months Joseph Tugler again on campus, and five-star freshman Chris Cenac Jr. added to the roster, that first nationwide championship for the 70-year-old Sampson might come this season.
2. Texas Tech
Breakdown: Grant McCasland’s workforce has out-performed its preseason KenPom rating in all 9 seasons that he is been a head coach. That is a powerful reality connected to his title and among the many causes the Pink Raiders are ranked tenth within the preseason AP ballot.
One more reason is the return of JT Toppin, the reigning Large 12 Participant of the 12 months. A pleasant NIL bundle saved the All-American from getting into the 2025 NBA Draft. He’s extensively thought-about to be the second finest returning participant in faculty basketball behind solely Purdue’s Braden Smith.
3. BYU
Breakdown: BYU would not have the most costly roster in faculty basketball (I do not suppose) — nevertheless it’s up there fairly excessive thanks partly to the additions of five-star freshman AJ Dybantsa and Baylor switch Rob Wright, the previous of whom may very well be the No. 1 total decide within the 2026 NBA Draft, the latter of whom averaged 11.5 factors and 4.2 assists for Scott Drew’s Bears final season.
The Cougars have made three Elite Eights at school historical past — however zero since 1981. And there have been no journeys to the Closing 4 — ever. However all of that might change this season. The roster assembled is sweet sufficient to do it.
4. Arizona
Breakdown: Tommy Lloyd has averaged 28 wins in his first 4 seasons as a head coach and was among the many high eight vote-getters once we polled faculty coaches about which coach is most certainly to turn out to be a first-time nationwide champion subsequent. He is been a terrific rent after twenty years as an assistant at Gonzaga.
Lloyd’s finest returning participant is Jaden Bradley, a 6-3 guard who averaged 12.1 factors, 3.7 assists and three.4 rebounds final season for an Arizona workforce that made the Candy 16 of the 2025 NCAA Event. Mix him with a top-two recruiting class highlighted by five-star freshmen Brayden Burries and Koa Peat, and Lloyd has a practical probability to make a fourth Candy 16 in his first 5 years as a head coach.
5. Kansas
Breakdown: After profitable no less than a share of 16 Large 12 regular-season championships in his first 20 years at Kansas, all whereas by no means ending worse than third within the league standings, Invoice Self has completed fifth (2024) and sixth (2025) within the convention the previous two seasons. Clearly, the Naismith Memorial Corridor of Fame coach, and two-time nationwide champion, wants a bounce-back season — and Self must out-perform the expectations positioned upon his workforce right here to actually produce one.
On campus to assist him do it’s five-star freshman Darryn Peterson, a possible one-and-done expertise who some have projected to be the highest decide in subsequent 12 months’s NBA Draft.
6. Iowa State
Breakdown: TJ Otzelberger has by no means missed the NCAA Event since taking up at Iowa State in 2021 — and that streak ought to be prolonged in March due to the return of three of the Cyclones’ high 5 scorers — specifically Joshua Jefferson, Milan Momcilovic and Tamin Lipsey, the final of whom is coping with a knee harm that is going to price him a lot of the preseason.
Changing the 30.8 factors per contest Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert averaged final season will not be easy. However there’s sufficient in place for Iowa State to make a run at what can be a 3rd journey to the Candy 16 in a five-year span.
7. Baylor
Breakdown: In what largely quantities to an indication of the occasions, Baylor is returning zero gamers who scored even one level for the Bears final season. Everyone is new. It is not preferrred.
However Scott Drew’s program ought to nonetheless lengthen their streak of consecutive appearances within the NCAA Event to seven thanks partly to the addition of five-star freshman Tounde Yessoufou, a 6-5 guard who initiatives as a one-and-done first-round NBA Draft decide. If he’s chosen within the high 30 in June, that’ll be six straight drafts that includes a Baylor alum going within the first spherical. Earlier than Drew took over in 2003, this system had produced solely three first-round NBA Draft picks in historical past.
8. Cincinnati
Breakdown: Some consider this may very well be Wes Miller’s finest workforce at Cincinnati — and it’d must be to make sure he returns for a sixth season after lacking the NCAA Event in every of the earlier 4.
Jizzle James, final season’s main scorer, was dismissed from this system in August, leaving Day Day Thomas because the main returning scorer. He averaged 10.2 factors final season and will likely be joined in UC’s backcourt by Kerr Kriisa (Kentucky) and Jalen Celestine (Baylor), two transfers who helped the Bearcats enroll a top-20 portal class, in line with 247Sports.
9. Kansas State
Breakdown: Fourth-year coach Jerome Tang enrolled a top-five portal class, in line with 247Sports, and the most effective within the Large 12, this offseason in an try to return to the NCAA Event after lacking it in every of the earlier two seasons.
The star of the group is P.J. Haggerty, a consensus second workforce All-American at Memphis final season who averaged 21.7 factors, 5.8 rebounds and three.7 assists whereas serving to the Tigers win the AAC. He was the AAC Participant of the 12 months and will likely be sharing the courtroom this season with one other POY, particularly Nate Johnson, who received MAC Participant of the 12 months honors final season whereas averaging 14.0 factors, 4.9 rebounds and three.4 assists for an Akron workforce that went 17-1 in convention video games and made the 2025 NCAA Event.
10. TCU
Breakdown: The Horned Frogs missed the NCAA Event final season, after making it in every of the three earlier years, largely due to a struggling offense that ranked exterior of the highest 200 at KenPom.com and simply rated because the worst in Jamie Dixon’s 22 years as a head coach.
Like most coaches, Dixon went into the portal to attempt to resolve the problems and added a pair of transfers who’ve already began on the power-conference degree — particularly Jayden Pierre and Brock Harding. Pierre, a 6-0 guard, averaged 12.3 factors final season at Windfall. Harding, additionally a 6-0 guard, averaged 8.8 factors at Iowa whereas capturing 39.8% from 3.
11. Oklahoma State
Breakdown: Oklahoma State added seven transfers this offseason, probably the most notable of whom is Anthony Roy, a 6-5 guard who was averaging a national-best 25.7 factors at Inexperienced Bay earlier than a knee harm sidelined him in December and prematurely ended his season.
Two different incoming double-digit scorers are Isaiah Coleman, who averaged 15.6 factors at Seton Corridor final season, and Christian Coleman, who averaged 11.6 factors at UAB final season. So the Cowboys have a roster that includes skilled producers on the Division I degree. If second-year coach Steve Lutz and his workers have few points incorporating the brand new items, they may out-perform final season’s 7-13 file within the Large 12.
12. West Virginia
Breakdown: Ross Hodge will likely be West Virginia’s fourth head coach in 4 years following Bob Huggins (2022-23), Josh Eilert (2023-24) and Darian DeVries (2024-25), the final of whom left final March for Indiana. Hodge, who involves West Virginia after two seasons at North Texas, remade the Mountaineers’ roster largely with mid-major standouts — amongst them Treysen Eaglestaff, a 6-6 ahead who averaged 18.9 factors, 2.8 rebounds and a couple of.4 assists final season at North Dakota.
Honor Huff is one other high-scoring incoming switch. The 5-10 guard averaged 15.2 factors at Chattanooga final season whereas making 41.6% of the 8.3 3-pointers he tried per sport.
13. Arizona State
Breakdown: Bobby Hurley enters his eleventh 12 months at Arizona State with what appears like some actual job-pressure after the Solar Devils went 4-16 final season within the Large 12 — and he has a completely new workforce crammed with mid-major transfers, highschool prospects and worldwide gamers.
Can Moe Odum be nearly as good within the Large 12 this season as he was within the WCC final season for Pepperdine, the place he averaged 13.1 factors and seven.5 assists? Can Marcus Adams Jr. be nearly as good within the Large 12 this season as he was final season within the Large West for CSUN, the place he averaged 16.1 factors and 4.9 rebounds? The solutions to these questions might play a task in Hurley’s future with the ASU program that he is guided to a few of the previous six NCAA Tournaments.
14. Utah
Breakdown: Alex Jensen spent the previous 12 seasons as an NBA assistant — first with the Utah Jazz, then with the Dallas Mavericks. He is now again in faculty basketball for the primary time since he was an assistant at Saint Louis from 2007 to 2011, teaching at his alma mater, attempting to return Utah’s program to the extent at which it operated when he performed in Salt Lake Metropolis below Rick Majerus. Will Jensen get there finally? Maybe.
However his first season may very well be a tad tough — partly as a result of Babacar Faye, a 6-9 switch who simply averaged 15.2 factors and seven.8 rebounds at Western Kentucky, suffered a leg harm in apply final month that’s going to maintain him sidelined for all the season.
15. UCF
Breakdown: Johnny Dawkins is a bit like Hurley within the sense that he is a Duke alum who has been on the similar faculty for a very long time with restricted postseason success — and he is now coping with a bump up in convention affiliation that has made issues harder than ever. If Dawkins would not get UCF to the NCAA Event this season, he’ll be caught on one look in 10 years with the Knights, and simply two complete NCAA Event appearances in 18 years as coach of the Knights.
In different phrases, Dawkins actually wants Milwaukee transfers Themus Of us and Jamichael Stillwell to be good rapidly. They mixed to common 27.6 factors, 13.7 rebounds and seven.3 assists final season for a Panthers workforce that completed second within the Horizon League. How effectively they modify, or not, to the high-major degree might result in Dawkins getting an extension or a buyout. He solely has two extra years left on his contract.
16. Colorado
Breakdown: The Buffaloes are the one Large 12 workforce ranked exterior of the highest 75 at KenPom.com and/or the highest 85 at BartTorvik.com, which makes them a wise decide, no less than on paper, to complete sixteenth on this 16-member convention.
Not like some league members, Colorado really does return some significant gamers — particularly the third-leading scorer (Bangot Dak), fourth-leading scorer (Elijah Malone) and seventh-leading scorer (Sebastian Rancik) from final season’s workforce. However final season’s workforce completed 3-17 in Colorado’s first 12 months within the Large 12, so it is cheap to marvel how a lot of a constructive that truly is.