Who Will Win the Big 12 in 2015-2016?

Even though the Big 12 had a supremely disappointing tournament despite being the most competitive conference in the regular season, it is time to move past that and onto next season.

And so, without further ado, I will give a way-too-soon look at who could win the Big 12 in 2015-2016.

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1. Kansas

Kansas will look to win the regular season title for a 12th straight season after coming off a year where they were much less dominant than in years past. Not only that, but they lose their heralded freshmen in Kelly Oubre and Cliff Alexander to the NBA draft.

They still have Wayne Seldon Jr., Frank Mason III, and Devonte Graham as one of the best back court groups in the country and add ESPN top-25 players Carlton Bragg and Cheick Diallo in the post who will join the returning Perry Ellis. Plus, considering that Bill Self is still Bill Self, Kansas will likely finish as one of the top two teams in the conference.

2. Iowa State

If there is any school poised to unseat the Jayhawks, it is Iowa State. They return the vast majority of their scoring and rebounding as a team, losing only one major contributor in Dustin Hogue. Georges Niang and Monte Morris, both near the top of their respective positions, lead a well-rounded squad that is hungry for redemption after an early-tournament exit.

In addition to returning over 60% of their production in every major offensive category, they team adds Hallice Cooke from Oregon State and Deonte Burton of Marquette. The latter of whom will become eligible after the first semester. They also recently picked up top-100 point guard Nick Noskowiak for the future and are shaping to be not only the Big 12 champ, but a top-5 preseason team and national title contender.

3. Oklahoma

This is largely due to Buddy Hield’s return. The Sooners do lose Big 12 Newcomer of the year TaShawn Thomas, but with the number of players they have returning, they will likely challenge for the top spot in the conference.

Buddy Hield’s recent decision to return to OU makes this team much more competitive along with incumbent starters Ryan Spangler, Isaiah Cousins, and Jordan Woodard. The real key for this team will be to find depth for a team that really only went six deep.

4. Baylor

Despite being one of the conference’s other first round upsets, Baylor still returns most of the pieces for a successful run in ’15-16. Sure, they lose PG Kenny Chery to graduation, which largely leaves Lester Medford as the only true ballhandler, but the Bears maintain most of their rebounding presence and add several freshman.

The biggest question for Baylor will be how to integrate King McClure, the highest-rated recruit, with Medford and sophomore Al Freeman in order to keep the team from being solely reliant on the play of big men Rico Gathers, Taurean Prince, and Jonathan Motley.

Of course, Texas still retains a good deal of its players and brings in the Shaka Smart system, while West Virginia, TCU, and Texas Tech all look to either remain relevant or increase their conference standing. Be prepared for another wild year in the Big 12.

Next: Billy Donovan Moves On To The NBA

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