2018-19 Big 12 basketball preview: Predicted order of finish

Kansas – who else? – the preseason No. 1 team is projected to win its 15th consecutive Big 12 regular season title, but who is their top challenger?

There is no task more simple or boring than ranking Big 12 basketball teams each season. Start with Kansas on top and then pick the other nine teams out of a hat. For the last 14 seasons, predicting the Jayhawks to finish first was like saying the sun will rise in the East.

Even though KU must replace its top three scorers from last season’s Final Four team, the roster has been infused with several talented newcomers to mesh with the holdovers. The Jayhawks reload with only the best.

Not only is Kansas a heavy favorite to extend its NCAA record streak of regular season Big 12 titles to 15, but the Jayhawks are also the nation’s No. 1 team in both the media and coaches’ polls preseason polls. So, this exercise starts with an easy choice at No. 1. The rest of the Big 12, though, has a number of talented and intriguing teams and the league should again place six-seven teams in the NCAA Tournament.

1. Kansas: The Jayhawks have won their last two Big 12 titles despite a scary lack of depth and height. This season’s team has plenty of both. Dedric Lawson, a 6-8 junior who sat out last season after transferring from Memphis, is a preseason All-American. Two years ago at Memphis, he averaged 19.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He should pair nicely with junior Udoka Azubuike, a 7-foot, 270-pound rim assaulter. Replacing point guard Devonte’ Graham will be a challenge, but KU has two stellar freshmen guards in Quentin Grimes and Devon Dotson.

2. Kansas State: The Wildcats return five starters from last season’s Elite Eight team. Senior Dean Wade, who was injured and missed the NCAA Tournament, is a 6-foot-10 matchup nightmare who can play in the paint or on the perimeter. Senior guard Barry Brown can take over games and is difficult to keep from the basket. The team has excellent depth and experience plus it added a rebounder in junior-college transfer Austin Trice while freshman guard Shaun Neal-Williams is one of the highest-rated recruits of the Bruce Weber era.

3. West Virginia: Even without bulldog defenders Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles, Press Virginia won’t return to West Virginia. Bob Huggins says that the Mountaineers might not pressure for 40 minutes, but don’t expect them to become a half-court team. What will be different is that WVU has one of the nation’s top frontcourts with Esa Ahmad and Lamont West flanking Sagaba Konate, who averaged 3.2 blocked shots per game. Junior James “Beetle” Bolden, who spent his first two seasons coming off the bench, needs to step in as the starting point guard.

4. Texas Tech: Placing the Red Raiders this high is a combination of the balance in the middle of the conference and confidence in coach Chris Beard. Texas Tech reached the Elite Eight but must replace its clutch point guard Keenan Evans and high-flying guard Xavier Smith. One thing Beard has proven is that he can mold winning teams on short notice. For the Red Raiders to challenge for the top half of the standings, grad transfers Matt Mooney (South Dakota) and Tariq Owens (St. John’s) will need to step in as starters.

5. TCU: The team’s fact sheet lists five returning starters which is a neat trick considering that seniors Kenrich Williams and Vladimir Brodziansky – the team’s top two scorers – graduated. The Frogs do, however, have five returnees with starting experience, so we’ll cut some slack. TCU ended a 20-year NCAA Tournament drought and earned its highest-ever ranking (20th) in the Associated Press preseason poll. Junior guard Jaylen Fisher, who has been slowed by injuries his first seasons, is an x-factor. Junior Desmond Bane and sophomore Kouat Noi are two of the best perimeter scorers in the conference.

6. Iowa State: The Cyclones are in a position to be a dark horse contender. Lindell Wigginton went through the NBA Draft process but returned for his sophomore season. He averaged 16.7 points per game and his draft experience sharpened his game. Nick Weiler-Babb, a 6-5 senior, is a do-it-all point guard and a perfect complement to Wigginton. The key to the team will be sophomore Cameron Lard, an athletic 6-foot-9, spent part of the summer at Chris Herren’s wellness center in Massachusetts. If his personal issues are under control, Lard provides the inside scoring, rebounding and defense that can make Iowa State dangerous.

7. Texas: The Longhorns have made the NCAA Tournament in two of Shaka Smart’s three seasons, but each time Texas was one and done. Smart enters the season with a 50-50 record in Austin and it’s time to produce more wins than excuses. UT returns three of its five top scorers from last season and adds in a talented freshman class. Sophomore Matt Coleman and senior Kerwin Roach II are a talented guard combo while steady senior Dylan Osetkowski and talented sophomore Jericho Sims – who could be poised for a break-out season – are the top players up front.

8. Baylor: The last time the Bears failed to make the post-season in consecutive seasons was 2007 and that streak is in jeopardy after going 19-15 last season. Scott Drew has been masterful mixing in transfers and newcomers. For this season’s team to succeed, Makai Mason, a transfer from Yale, needs to have a big season at point guard. Tristan Clark, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, could be Baylor’s next dominant post player. However, the negative news started in late summer when senior guard Jake Lindsey had hip surgery and will miss the season.

9. Oklahoma: How do you replace Trae Young? You don’t. Last season’s scoring and passing sensation failed to get the Sooners past the first round of the NCAA Tournament as the team slumped badly in the second half of the season. Seniors Christian James and Rashard Odomes are both solid wing players who play outstanding defense. Sophomore forward Brady Manek started fast as a freshman but faded like the team. He should be able to better handle the rigors of a Big 12 season.

10. Oklahoma State: In his first season, Mike Boynton took an island of misfit toys and put together a team that won 21 games. The Cowboys again have a roster in transition with just one returning starter, junior forward Cameron McGriff. Matching last season’s win total is highly unlikely; staying out of last place will depend on the development and meshing of nine newcomers. The top newbie is freshman guard Isaac Likekele. Rivals and 247Sports each had him ranked as one of the nation’s top 150 players.