Men's Basketball: The "New Big 12" Basketball Tiers
The last month has been a wild and crazy ride with all of the conference realignment. And yes, all of that movement was specifically for football. But now that the dust has settled, even just for a moment, let's take a moment to think what the 2024-25 Big 12 men's basketball conference will look like. The Big 12 was already, by far, the best men's basketball league in the nation. Adding teams like Houston and Arizona just separates the conference even more from the others.
Tier One- The Stalwarts
Kansas
The Jayhawks are not only consistently at the top of the Big 12, but you can also usually find them atop the country's standings. Kansas has not missed the tournament since the 1988-89 season and won the national championship just two seasons ago. Not only does Kansas win, but it is one of, if not the biggest, brand in college basketball. Head coach Bill Self is the best in the business; as long as he is at the helm, the Kanas Jayhawks will be winning basketball games.
Baylor
Scott Drew was hired as the head coach of the Baylor Bear basketball team in 2003, and it only took him five seasons to take one of the worst programs in the Big 12 to the NCAA tournament. Since then, it has been rare to not see the Bears in the field of 64 come March. They won the whole thing in 2021 and have made the tournament four times in a row. Under Drew, Baylor has become one of the nation's top programs. I do not expect that to change anytime soon.
Houston
Between the 1992-93 season and the 2016-17 season, the Houston Cougars made the NCAA tournament one time. Since Kelvin Sampson took over as head coach in 2014, Houston has made it five times; The Cougars made it in 2018 and have not missed it since. The school sits in the middle of Houston, Texas, a massive recruiting hotbed. It enters a conference already known for its basketball and will bolster the Big 12 immediately.
Arizona
Dating all the way back to the 1980s, Arizona basketball has been a top program in college basketball. Since 1985, the Wildcats have missed the NCAA tournament only five times, and they won the national championship in 1997. Tommy Lloyd is entering his third season in Tucson, and while he has guided his squad to March Madness twice in two years, questions remain. The Wildcats lost in the first round last year as a two-seed and lost in the Sweet Sixteen two years ago as a one-seed.
Tier Two - The Contenders
Kansas State
In Year One under Jerome Tang, the Wildcats reached the Elite Eight before falling to Florida Atlantic in a three-point loss. Tang was one of Baylor's best recruiters during his time there as an assistant, and it looks like he will continue to recruit well at Kansas State. The Wildcats are going to be a tough team in the Big 12 for years to come.
Texas Tech
The Red Raiders had a tough season last year, but they played in the national championship just five years ago. With Mark Adams out and Grant McCasland in, Texas Tech is, in theory, heading back in the right direction. McCasland won three conference titles and appeared in one NCAA tournament in his six seasons in Denton. With more resources and a significantly bigger brand, McCasland can blossom and help the Red Raiders return to prominence in the new Big 12.
TCU
TCU has never been known for its basketball program, but Jamie Dixon is working to change that. This year, for the first time since 1952 and 1953, the Horned Frogs appeared in back-to-back NCAA tournaments. Dixon has the DFW recruiting scene in his backyard and is beginning to capitalize on that, as well as the transfer portal.
Iowa State
T.J. Otzelberger is recruiting his ass off for the Cyclones right now. In 2023, Iowa State turned in the ninth-best recruiting class which features Omaha Biliew, a five-star power forward and so far, the Cyclones are sitting 14th in the 2024 class rankings. Recruiting is only half of coaching, the other half being... coaching. Otzelberger has taken his team to two straight NCAA tournaments with recruiting classes that are not comparable to the classes he is pulling in now. With even more talent, Iowa State could be scary.
Tier Three - The Sometimes Contenders?
Oklahoma State
It was tough to omit the Cowboys from the contenders' tier because I love Mike Boynton. He recruits well, but has only been to one NCAA tournament in six years. A lot of that can be attributed to a postseason ban due to recruiting violations that took place under the previous regime.
West Virginia
The future without Bob Huggins is a mystery. The Mountaineers, historically, play and recruit well, but we will see how that continues under Josh Eilert. Morgantown is among the toughest places to play in the country. If Eilert pans out, West Virginia can return to prominence.
Tier Four - The Floor Above the Basement
Arizona State
The Sun Devils have not been super consistent in their win totals over the last few years, but with NIL developments and newfound access to Texas recruits, Arizona State has plenty of potential.
BYU
BYU was a consistent participant in the NCAA Tournament in the late 2000s and early 2010s but has since been a little more inconsistent. Mark Pope is a solid coach and playing a stronger schedule will benefit the Cougars' chances of finding themselves in the bracket in March.
Colorado
Colorado is a bit of a wildcard. The Buffaloes are going to field an interesting team this season featuring TCU's old friend Eddie Lampkin. I think they will be solid this year, but future years will depend on whether or not recruiting can stay consistent.
Cincinnati
Historically, Cincinnati is a great program, but it is too early in the Wes Miller era to tell whether or not it can return to prominence.
Tier Five - The Basement
Utah
Utah is not a basketball school. It could become one, but it is not one right now.
UCF
UCF seems like a school that can turn into a good basketball program due to its location and proximity to loaded recruiting areas. It has some work to do.
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