Sooners picked sixth in Big 12 race; Kansas is NOT the preseason favorite
The Big 12 may have a new basketball sheriff in town.
For the first time since 2011-12, Kansas was not the choice of league coaches to win the Big 12. Instead, Baylor got its first-ever preseason nod as conference champs.
Oklahoma was picked to finish sixth this season.
Kansas had won 14 straight Big 12 titles before coming up short in 2018-19. The Jayhawks may have started another streak by winning the league's regular-season title last season, although the Big 12 is loaded as usual this season, with Baylor the cream of the crop.
The Bears have been picked second twice over the years (2012-13, and 2019-20), and they finished second in the standings last season. Baylor received seven of 10 first-place votes, while KU got the other three.
West Virginia, Texas and Texas Tech rounded out the top five. Oklahoma State was seventh, followed Iowa State, TCU and Kansas State.
The season is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, November 25.
OU coach Lon Kruger said Thursday the Sooners, like every other team, were excited to get the season going.
“When your season ends all of a sudden during the conference tournament,” coach Lon Kruger said, “and then with no chance to play in the NCAA — which is really special — when you think about it, young guys are in college for generally four years, and the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament is not that easy.
“And when it’s kind of taken away all of a sudden, when you have that as your goal throughout the year, it is disappointing. I think because of that, I think college players throughout the country are excited to get going, and I’m sure our guys are no exception.”
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