Big 12 Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season

Bill Self and Kansas basketball are the early favorites in the Big 12 basketball power rankings with the return of four of five starters from a season ago and the addition of Remy Martin (Arizona State) in a packed 2021 recruiting class.

Expectations couldn’t be any higher for the Jayhawks heading into 2021-22 with the addition of eight new faces to the roster, instantly solving a slew of issues. Things are more than crowded on the roster, for now, but it signals Kansas basketball’s continued process of improving. With an interesting blend of experience and new additions, it will be interesting to see if things can hold up.

Martin averaged 19.1 ppg, 3.7 apg, 2.8 rpg, and 1.7 spg and shot 34.6 percent from 3-point range on his way to first-team All-Pac 12 honors in 2020-21. He’s one of five new additions for Kansas basketball in the backcourt.

Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun are two leading names returning in the backcourt. They both shot over 34 percent from 3-point land and combined for roughly 3.4 made 3-pointers in 2020-21.

Big man David McCormack returns in the frontcourt along with Jalen Wilson as both look to continue to improve in the rebounding and rim-protection front. Cam Martin, a transfer from DII Missouri Southern State, is the headline name to know in the frontcourt.

He’s a 6-foot-9 shooting big that shot 44.5 percent (49-for-110) from behind the arc and 57.9 percent from the floor in 2020-21 while averaging 25.0 ppg, 9.1 rpg, and 2.5 apg.

Jayhawks fans should expect a lot more than a second-round finish in this year’s NCAA Tournament after losing 3-seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.