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Big 12 Basketball: Ranking the new-look league after 4-team expansion

By Tristan Freeman

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: The Houston Cougars huddle in the second half against the Baylor Bears during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: The Houston Cougars huddle in the second half against the Baylor Bears during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Big 12 Basketball West Virginia Mountaineers (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Big 12 Basketball West Virginia Mountaineers (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

6. West Virginia Mountainers

Despite not having the greatest recruiting base or overall resources compared to the Texas and Kansas-based programs, the Mountaineers have been as consistently good as it comes. But they’ll be turning the page soon in more ways than one, with arguably their top 5-6 players all being seniors with one year of eligibility left.

Even more important is the status of head coach and Hall of Famer Bob Huggins, who’ll be past the age of 70 by the time the new-look Big 12 Basketball Conference becomes a reality. How much longer does he have in him? And is West Virginia good enough as a program to continue being NCAA Tournament-caliber once Coach Huggins moves on? As long as he’s around I’ll never doubt them but if any team drops down a few years from now, my bet would be the Mountaineers.

5. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Had head coach Chris Beard stayed with the Red Raiders instead of leaving for Texas, I would’ve had them at No. 3. However, new head coach Mark Adams has done an impressive job this offseason, landing a bunch of quality transfers and landing the point guard of the future in four-star commit Richard “Pop” Isaacs Jr.

And while it hurts to lose Coach Beard, the many positives that came, including vast resources being allocated to the basketball program, haven’t gone away. Texas Tech can compete for talent in the state and is a home for transfers in the portal. As long as Coach Adams is the guy, this program won’t be going anywhere on the national level.

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