Big 12 men’s basketball leads all conferences with 50 percent of its teams ranked in the Associated Press Preseason Poll. Baylor and Kansas are tied at No. 5, followed by No. 12 Texas, No. 14 TCU and No. 25 Texas Tech.

The Big 12 has won the last two national championships as Kansas brought home the 2022 trophy following Baylor’s title in 2021. Conference teams have played in the last four Final Fours and the last three national championship games. The Big 12 is the first conference to win back-to-back national championships since 2009 and 2010 and is the only conference to have three different teams play in three consecutive championship games.

The Bears were picked by the Big 12 coaches to win the Conference’s regular season title, narrowly edging out Kansas which was chosen second.

Head coaches and student-athletes from each team will appear at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tipoff, presented by Old Trapper in Kansas City on Wednesday October 19. Interviews from the event will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ from 8:30 a.m. - Noon CT. The regular season will start on Monday, November 7 with conference play beginning on New Year’s Eve.