West Virginia Voted to Finish 11th in the Big 12

The Mountaineers are picked in the bottom half of the league by the Big 12 media
West Virginia University basketball
West Virginia University basketball | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

The Big 12 men’s basketball media poll was released Thursday afternoon with Houston taking the top spot, followed by Texas Tech, BYU, Arizona, and Iowa State to round out the top, while West Virginia was voted at no. 11.

Two minor differences separate the media poll and the Big 12 coaches poll, which was released two weeks ago. Texas Tech, featuring the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year JT Toppins, was voted third in the medial poll and were placed third in the coaches poll with BYU alternating with the Red Raiders in both polls. Kansas State and Cincinnati switched the eight and nine spots with K-State voted eighth in the media poll and ninth by the coaches, while Cincinnati was voted ninth by the media and eighth by the coaches.

West Virginia was voted 11th in both polls.

The Big 12 men’s basketball season begins on Monday, Nov. 3, as the season begins with a record-tying six teams in the Preseason AP Top 25. Conference play begins on Friday, Jan. 2 and continues through Saturday, March 7.

The Mountaineers begin the regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 4 against Mount St. Mary’s. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. and the action will stream on ESPN+.

The 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament is scheduled for March 10-14 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The top four teams in the standings will get a double bye, while 5-8 earns a first round bye.

Big 12 Media Poll

1. Houston

2. Texas Tech

3. BYU

4. Arizona

5. Iowa State

6. Kansas

7. Baylor

8. Kansas State

9. Cincinnati

10. TCU

11. West Virginia

12. Oklahoma State

13. Utah

14. UCF

15. Colorado

16. Arizona State

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Christopher Hall
CHRISTOPHER HALL

Member of the Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.