Big 12 Basketball: Ranking of top 25 players entering 2023-24 season

6. J’Wan Roberts – Houston

After redshirting and then riding the bench for two seasons, Roberts really stepped up in this Houston frontcourt last year. He was named AAC Most Improved Player after averaging 10.0 points and 7.7 rebounds, significant increases from earlier in his career. Now he’s back as a senior, taking on a major important role, especially after the departure of former frontcourt partner Jarace Walker.

Roberts isn’t the type of big who’s going to step outside and hit 3-pointers; he’s going to do his damage in the interior and he’s really talented at that. He takes advantage of his size, strength, and length, coming off a year where he was the AAC’s best offensive rebounder and a top-level shot blocker. We’ll have to see how he fares against more physical bigs in the Big 12, but there’s a lot to love about this game during his second year as a starting forward.

5. Tylor Perry – Kansas State

Last season, Kansas State was led by the powerful duo of Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell, though both of those talented players are now gone. Enter Perry, who immediately becomes a significant piece both for the Wildcats and in the Big 12 as a whole. After starring as North Texas’s sixth man as a freshman, he had a monstrous sophomore season, averaging 17.3 points per game to win CUSA Player of the Year honors.

Perry starred for a defensive-minded North Texas squad that won a lot of games. The talented young point guard made 41% of his 3-pointers as an underclassman in the CUSA and could be just as potent as one of the stars of Kansas State’s offense. There’s significant reason for the Wildcats to be pumped to have Perry running this offense, we’ll just have to see how he fares in the Big 12 and if he can be a major ball distributor for this squad.