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None of the Big 12 schools went past the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament last season. Among nine teams that received an entry bid, three were eliminated in the first round.
Kansas, Baylor and Texas fell short in the second round while only Houston and Iowa State managed to reach the last 16. Overall, the conference's performance in the big dance was underwhelming. The last time the Big 12 won the championship was in 2022 when Bill Self's Kansas defeated North Carolina.
However, things change quickly in college basketball and this year, the conference has several elite teams that could make deep runs in the NCAA tourney.
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Here are the five Big 12 teams capable of shaking up the field in March Madness next season.
Top 5 Big 12 teams this season
#5. Kansas
The Kansas Jayhawks suffered their worst season under Bill Self last year finishing fifth in the conference standings. To remedy the situation, coach Self has reloaded his roster with an array of talented players via the transfer portal in the summer.
Zeke Mayo, the 2024 Summit League Player of the Year, joined the Jayhawks from South Dakota State and AJ Storr from Wisconsin also arrived in Lawrence. In addition, Hunter Dickinson, Dajuan Harris and K. J. Adams Jr. opted to return for another run.
#4. Baylor
Scott Drew's Baylor Bears is another exciting Big 12 team this season. They have one of the best rosters in the entire country which consists of players like VJ Edgecombe, a projected lottery pick in the NBA draft and Duke transfer Jeremy Roach.
Baylor reached the Final Four in 2021 are looking to repeat that success.
#3. Arizona
AP rankings put the Arizona Wildcats as the third-best team in Big 12. They departed the Pac-12 and joined the Big 12 this summer. Several starters from the previous campaign have left the team which compelled coach Tommy Lloyd to significantly overhaul his roster.
All-American guard Caleb Love, KJ Lewis and Jaden Bradley returned from last year and were joined by newcomers Trey Townsend, Tobe Awaka and Liam Lloyd.
#2. Iowa State
Iowa State won the Big 12 tournament and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament last season. TJ Otzelberger, who enters his fourth year of coaching at Iowa, is ready to surpass their previous accomplishments.
The last time the Cyclones made it to the Elite Eight was in 2000 and the Final Four was in 1944.
#1. Houston
The Houston Cougars have been able to replicate their recent conference success in the NCAA. They have won four regular season championships in the last five years but reached the Final Four only once in that run.
Four starters from Houston's 32-5 record last season are back in the team. Plus, they landed Oklahoma's Milos Uzan via the transfer portal and two freshmen Mercy Miller and Chase McCarty.
Which Big 12 team are you most excited to see in March Madness this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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