Category: Big 12

With Hunter Dickinson’s return, Kansas has college basketball’s best roster

Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks have made key additions in the transfer portal, and Hunter Dickinson’s return makes them the top team in the sport.

Kansas basketball star Hunter Dickinson confirmed on social media Friday he will return to the Jayhawks for the 2024-25 college basketball season, his final year of eligibility.

Dickinson was an All-American second teamer last year after averaging 17.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in Lawrence, having spent the previous three seasons at Michigan.

Kansas was bounced prior to the Sweet 16 by Gonzaga in March, but they are now set to return four of their six leading scorers – Dickinson, KJ Adams, Dajuan Harris, and Elmarko Jackson – and have already made major transfer portal additions.

The most notable is Wisconsin guard AJ Storr, a potential All-American brought in to help replace Kevin McCullar Jr, but Bill Self also went out and landed Riley Kugel from Florida, Zeke Mayo from South Dakota State, and most recently Rylan Griffen from Alabama.

The Jayhawks have a fantastic group of talented players on paper, but putting all the pieces together will be Self’s responsibility to ensure this team reaches their full potential – especially with Baylor, Houston, and Iowa State all boasting incredibly talented rosters of their own.

One thing is for sure: Big 12 basketball will once again be the cream of the crop in the 2024-25 season.

Kansas adds third marquee transfer in former Wisconsin guard AJ Storr

The Kansas Jayhawks added Wisconsin transfer guard AJ Storr to an already elite transfer portal class for Bill Self.

An early exit in the NCAA Tournament, along with a handful of NBA departures, had the Kansas Jayhawks a bit in flux at the conclusion of the 2023-24 college basketball season.

However, the rebuild has swiftly gotten underway. After already securing portal commitments from Florida guard Riley Kugel and South Dakota State’s Zeke Mayo, Bill Self’s team landed a huge fish in Wisconsin guard AJ Storr, thought by many to be the top player in the portal, who committed to the Jayhawks on Thursday afternoon.

Storr began his college career at St. John’s in 2022-23, averaging 8.8 points while shooting 40.4% from three, but after a coaching change Storr entered the portal and landed at Wisconsin for his sophomore year – where he exploded as a scorer by averaging 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 48.3% on twos and 32% from the three point line.

The 6’6 wing is now on his third college program after playing at four different high schools, but the talent is undeniable and he should help the Jayhawks replace both Kevin McCullar Jr and Johnny Furphy, who are headed to the NBA.

Houston beats Baylor on the road, are they the No. 1 team in college basketball?

The Houston Cougars picked up a massive win over the Baylor Bears in overtime, and have an argument as the top team in college basketball.

The Houston Cougars earned an incredibly hard fought victory on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Baylor Bears on the road in overtime by a score of 82-76.

Houston had a 16 point halftime lead but Baylor erased it with a strong second half, tying the game with 4.4 seconds left on an and-1 bucket from Yves Missi. Missi missed the free throw and Jamal Shead hit what looked like a game winning three pointer, but replay showed he just missed getting it off. Blowing a 17 point lead and going into overtime on the road against a team with momentum is a monumental task, but Kelvin Sampson and the Coogs calmly took care of business in the extra frame.

Houston is No. 2 in the country according to the AP Poll, and with UConn going down on the road to No. 15 Creighton earlier this week, this win could move Houston into the No. 1 spot.

The Coogs are 24-3 on the season, the same record as both Purdue and UConn, and being in first place in the toughest conference in college basketball is certainly a strong argument for the top spot.

Regardless of who is No. 1, Houston has the inside track on a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the way they are playing lately they are a great bet to be back in the Final 4 this April.

Houston-Baylor headlines Big 12 contests on Saturday

A major top-15 showdown is coming Saturday between two of the top teams in the loaded Big 12.

Nothing comes easy in the Big 12 when it comes to the conference’s slate of games on the hardwood. The Houston Cougars have proven to be the best of the best with their 23-3 record and 10-3 record in Big 12 play.

That doesn’t mean it has come easy for one of the newcomers to the conference, they had to survive games against Iowa State, Texas, and Cincinnati while losing other games to Iowa State and TCU.

Currently, Houston is joined by the aforementioned Iowa State Cyclones, Kansas Jayhawks, Baylor Bears, and Texas Tech Red Raiders in the top five of the conference standings. They are separated by just two games. Baylor has an opportunity to close the gap this weekend as they host Houston, which headlines the slate of games on Saturday.

No. 2 Houston Cougars at No. 11 Baylor Bears

IndyStar-USA TODAY Sports
  • Game Time: 11 a.m. CT
  • Location: Waco, Texas
  • Broadcast: CBS

Houston and Baylor is a rematch of the 2021 Final Four matchup. Ultimately the Bears came out victorious en route to their national championship run. This game will only be the third matchup all-time between the two schools and the first time they will face off on Baylor’s home court. Houston is 0-2 in both games and now looks to continue their stranglehold on the Big 12’s No. 1 seed after they vanquished Iowa State earlier this week.

Baylor was upset on Tuesday night in Provo against the BYU Cougars. They currently sit tied for the No. 3 spot in the conference with Kansas and Texas Tech. Perhaps this time around they can come out victorious against a Cougars squad they haven’t fallen victim to in two matchups all-time.

The Best of the Rest

  • No. 21 BYU Cougars at Kansas State Wildcats (1 p.m. CT on ESPN+)
  • Cincinnati Bearcats at No. 25 TCU Horned Frogs (2 p.m. CT on ESPN+)
  • Oklahoma Sooners at Oklahoma State Cowboys (3 p.m. CT on ESPN2)
  • Texas Longhorns at No. 10 Kansas Jayhawks (5 p.m. CT on ESPN)

Arizona hires Desiree Reed-Francois as new AD ahead of Big 12 transition

Arizona addresses its athletic director vacancy.

Missouri athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois is on the move once again, this time she is heading back to her alma mater. According to a release from the school, Reed-Francois is leaving the SEC to take over as athletic director at the University of Arizona.

The new athletic director will have her work cut out for her given the $177 million shortfall. Reed-Francois will likely be in the middle of the discussions as far as cutting sports if needed as the school president mentioned last year when the report surfaced.

Reed-Francois served as the Missouri AD from 2021 to the present. Prior to her post, she served as the AD with UNLV from 2017 to 2021.  She will need to lean on her two decades of experience working in administration with this new gig will have its challenges.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Desireé to the University of Arizona family, and we could not be more excited about the leadership experience and outstanding credentials she brings,” said President Robert C. Robbins. “Respected nationally for her commitment to student-athletes, Desireé has a history of success everywhere she’s served and is exactly the right person we need to modernize our athletics operations and usher in an ongoing culture of success in all aspects of Athletics. This is a tremendous win for our university and I cannot wait for her to get started.”

Big 12 football media days are heading to Sin City

The Big 12 is heading out west for its annual media days.

The Big 12 announced on Monday that the conference will hold its annual media days session in Las Vegas, Nevada. Big 12 Media Days will take place on Jul. 9 and 10.

Normally this would take place not too far from conference headquarters at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Due to a scheduling conflict, the Big 12 and Commissioner Brett Yormark will head west.

“I’m thrilled to announce Big 12 Football Media Days are heading west for the first time in league history,” said Yormark. “The Big 12 lives at the intersection of sports and entertainment – as the Entertainment Capital of the World, Las Vegas is an ideal location to kick off the 2024 season. We are grateful to the Las Vegas Raiders and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for their partnership and support.”

The conference officially expands to 16 teams as of Jul. 1, with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah coming to the conference from the Pac-12. Oklahoma and Texas will officially join the SEC to put them at 16 teams as well.

It is the dawn of a new era, and it is almost poetic that it begins in a different state.

Patrick Mahomes vs Brock Purdy headlines Big 12’s representation in Super Bowl LVIII

Here is the rundown of Big 12 players participating in the Super Bowl.

For the second straight season, the Super Bowl will be headlined by a pair of Big 12 quarterbacks facing off for the Lombardi Trophy.

Last year it was Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes and Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts. This year Mahomes returns to face Iowa State’s Brock Purdy. These two never faced off on the collegiate gridiron, Mahomes was already in the NFL when Purdy took over the Cyclones’ job.

While the quarterbacks command all the headlines, the Big 12 as a whole has a plethora of talent representing them on the biggest stage. The departing Oklahoma Sooners lead the way with six players playing in the game, four on the Chiefs and two on the 49ers. The Texas Longhorns have one player on the 49ers roster. Surprisingly enough, it is the TCU Horned Frogs with the second-most players hailing from a Big 12 school with three players.

As a whole, we have 17 players by our count on Super Bowl rosters. With the additions of BYU and Cincinnati, we can add Fred Warner of San Francisco and Travis Kelce of Kansas City to the list of Big 12 players on display in Las Vegas.

Kansas City Roster:

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
  • Travis Kelce, Cincinnati Bearcats
  • Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State Wildcats
  • Ekow Boye-Doe, Kansas State Wildcats
  • Blake Bell, Oklahoma Sooners
  • Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma Sooners
  • Wanya Morris, Oklahoma Sooners
  • James Winchester, Oklahoma Sooners
  • Lucas Niang, TCU Horned Frogs
  • Charles Omenihu, Texas Longhorns
  • Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech Red Raiders

San Francisco Roster:

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
  • Fred Warner, BYU Cougars
  • Brock Purdy, Iowa State Cyclones
  • Trent Williams, Oklahoma Sooners
  • Brayden Willis, Oklahoma Sooners
  • Matt Pryor, TCU Horned Frogs
  • Dee Winters, TCU Horned Frogs
  • Colton McKivitz, West Virginia Mountaineers

Latest bracketology has 10 teams from the Big 12 represented

Houston leads the field for the Big 12.

Selection Sunday is set for Mar. 17, 2024, which means we are still more than a month away from everything being finalized. The Big 12 has two teams that are capable of being a No. 1 seed when push comes to shove but after a massive win over Houston, the Kansas Jayhawks had another misstep.

In this particular Bracketology, the Cougars get the nod as the No. 1 seed from the Big 12 due to having the second most quad 1 victories in the country. Only Purdue and UConn have more with identical 8-2 records in quad 1.

Check out how the USA TODAY Sports team laid out the latest edition of their brackets on Tuesday:

East Region

  • No. 4 BYU Cougars (Spokane)
  • No. 6 Texas Tech Red Raiders (Pittsburgh)
  • No. 9 TCU Horned Frogs (Brooklyn)

Midwest Region:

South Region:

  • No. 3 Iowa State (Salt Lake City)
  • No. 4 Baylor Bears (Charlotte)
  • No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners (Memphis)

West Region:

  • No. 1 Houston Cougars (Memphis)
  • No. 10 Cincinnati Bearcats (Salt Lake City)

Of the nine conferences with representation in the latest bracketology, no conference has more members than the Big 12. A total of 10 teams from the Big 12 were selected, the SEC is a close second with 8 teams.

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Texas Tech, Kansas State lead Big 12 basketball standings

An updated look at the Big 12 standings as of Monday morning.

Week 11 is in the books for the 2023-24 college basketball season, and as expected the Big 12 is chockfull of talented teams.

The ranked teams in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll include the Kansas Jayhawks, Houston Cougars, Baylor Bears, Oklahoma Sooners, Iowa State Cyclones, BYU Cougars, and Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Texas Longhorns are making a case for the top 25 after knocking off then-ranked No. 9 Baylor thanks to Tyrese Hunter’s buzz-beater heroics.

The surprise might be Texas Tech and Kansas State who sit atop the conference standings with identical 4-1 records. Tech’s lone loss came against Houston, while KSU fell to the Red Raiders in Lubbock recently. What isn’t a shock is seeing two teams led by former Scott Drew assistants achieving early success. Grant McCasland is in his first season with Texas Tech, while Jerome Tang is in Year 2. He led Kansas State to the Elite 8 last season.

Here are the full standings as of Monday morning:

Team Conf Rec Overall Rec
Texas Tech 4-1 15-3
Kansas State 4-1 14-4
Houston 3-2 16-2
Kansas 3-2 15-3
Oklahoma 3-2 15-3
Baylor 3-2 14-4
Iowa State 3-2 14-4
BYU 2-3 14-4
TCU 2-3 14-4
Texas 2-3 13-5
Cincinnati 2-3 13-5
UCF 2-3 11-6
West Virginia 2-3 7-11
Oklahoma State 0-5 8-11

West Virginia picked up their second win in Big 12 play of the season when they upset the Kansas Jayhawks. The Mountaineers’ other win came against Texas, both games were played in Morgantown.

Here is a look at the scheduled games on Jan. 22 through Jan. 24:

Date Away Home
Jan. 22 Cincinnati Kansas
Jan. 23 West Virginia Central Florida
Jan. 23 Texas Oklahoma
Jan. 23 TCU Oklahoma State
Jan. 23 Houston BYU
Jan. 24 Kansas State Iowa State

Texas Tech won’t play again until Saturday, Jan. 27 against Oklahoma in Norman. Baylor’s next game will also be on Saturday when they host TCU in Waco.

Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan are set to return to Arizona

Two big names are returning to Tucson for the 2024 season.

On Saturday it was reported that Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan would be returning to the Arizona Wildcats in 2024. This is a major victory for the Wildcats and new head coach Brent Brennan. The news was reported by Greg Biggins of 247Sports.

It was widely speculated that the two All-American players might enter the transfer portal and potentially follow their head coach to Washington. McMillan was named third-team All-American by the AP for his efforts this past season. Quarterback Noah Fifita was named freshman All-American by the FWAA.

Both will be crucial to the success of the Wildcats as they head into their first season in the Big 12. They will join Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah in the new-look conference. Fifita took over for the injured Jayden De Laura last season and he didn’t miss a beat. De Laura returned from injury but couldn’t unseat the talented redshirt freshman.

De Laura will now take his talents to Texas State. Once he joined incumbent starter T.J. Finley put his name in the transfer portal and ultimately committed to play for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

As far as the Wildcats and new head coach Brent Brennan, this is a major win for them.