Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings: West Virginia falls, Iowa State surprises to start out season

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 06: Devon Dotson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks dribbles the ball against the Michigan State Spartans during the State Farm Champions Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 6, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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AUSTIN, TX – NOVEMBER 12: Elijah Mitrou-Long #55 of the Texas Longhorns shoots the ball against Michael Ertel #2 of the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at the Frank Erwin Center on November 12, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /

4. Texas Longhorns (4-0)

Preseason rank: 5

One of the most balanced teams in the country in terms of playing time, Texas has eight players on the court for at least 19.5 mpg. Leading the pack is senior guard Kerwin Roach, who’s averaging 15.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and 3.7 apg. His team-high 18 points led the Hornhorns in their two-point overtime win over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Out of Texas’ multi-player top-10 recruiting class, two players have managed to crack the rotation. Guard Courtney Ramey (9.0 ppg) and forward Jaxson Hayes (9.3 ppg and 6.0 rpg) are promising freshmen that’ll have big roles in the future while being solid contributors right off the bench.

For the last couple of seasons, shooting has been the Longhorns’ biggest issue, ranking as low as the 300’s. So far there has been little improvement, with the team shooting 41% from the field and 29% from three-point range. Against a team like North Carolina upcoming up, that’s recipe for a disaster.

One player not yet in the rotation is guard Andrew Jones, who battle Leukemia last season. He was cleared to play for the 2018-19 campaign but suffered a broken toe in team workouts. He’s slowly getting back to form and will be a valuable asset to have in the second half of the year, with his career 35% three-point shooting.

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