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

22. Fousseyni Traore – BYU

Traore was given a major role right from the jump with the Cougars, but has impressed in his first two collegiate seasons at BYU. He’s been a significant contributor despite two straight 5th place finishes in the WCC and averaged 12.9 points and 7.8 rebounds last season, but how will his game transition to the power conference level?

BYU faces a major challenge in their own transition to the Big 12, though getting Traore back for his junior year is a good start. He was the Cougars’ top scorer and rebounder last year as a sophomore and should continue to develop into a successful weapon in the frontcourt. It’ll all boil down to how he uses his athleticism and his length especially on the defensive end against better opposition as a junior.

21. KJ Adams Jr. – Kansas

Last year, Adams was named the Big 12 Most Improved Player, putting together quite the sophomore year after winning the national championship as a freshman. This talented power forward was the best shooter in the Big 12, averaging 10.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while hitting 62% of his field goal attempts.

With the addition of Hunter Dickinson, Adams won’t be counted on as much in the paint, but he’s still a powerful presence down low for the Jayhawks. Nearly every aspect of Adams’ game took a big step forward as a sophomore and it’s hard not to expect more great things from him as a junior, even if he’s slightly overshadowed at the back end. Still, Kansas won’t complain when a double-digit scorer returns, especially after what they lost in the offseason.