Big 12 Basketball: Top 5 rising juniors for 2018-19

By Brian Rauf | Jul 17, 2018

OMAHA, NE - MARCH 25: Udoka Azubuike #35 of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts after fouling out against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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SAN ANTONIO, TX – MARCH 31: Udoka Azubuike #35 of the Kansas Jayhawks is defended by Omari Spellman #14 of the Villanova Wildcats in the first half during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Teams typically win in Big 12 Basketball with upperclassmen experience, and these rising juniors are poised to have majorly impactful seasons.

Juniors are often the forgotten class in college basketball. They aren’t yet the savvy, experienced seniors, and they also don’t bring with them the excitement of a talented freshman stepping onto the court for the first time – or returning for another season.

No, juniors are usually stuck in no-man’s land when it comes to the sport’s hype train, but that did change a little bit last year thanks to Villanova‘s Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges.

It will change again this season in the Big 12 as well. Talented seniors headline some of the conference’s best rosters, but there is more talent in the junior class, which is actually where most of the Big 12’s leaders arise from.

So, which juniors are the best in the conference? Here are the top five.

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