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

16. Tyrese Hunter – Texas

Hunter is coming off two very intriguing collegiate campaigns and enters his junior season as a big reason why Texas can succeed again. He had a phenomenal freshman season at Iowa State before heading to the Longhorns last season, averaging 10.3 points per game from their backcourt, though some of his other numbers were down.

Hunter didn’t have the sophomore leap that many were expecting, but he was still more than serviceable and contributed greatly during the Elite Eight run, including 19 points in their Sweet Sixteen win over Xavier. His former backcourt mates aren’t here any longer, meaning Hunter has a chance to take that leap forward with more responsibility this year. He averaged nearly 5 assists a game as a freshman; can he replicate those kinds of numbers in this offense?

15. RayJ Dennis – Baylor

This will be Dennis’s fifth and final collegiate season, and his first in the Big 12, but he’s certainly coming off his best effort. Formerly a guard at Boise State, he really excelled last season in year two at Toledo, averaging 19.5 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game, earning MAC Player of the Year honors in the process.

The question now becomes how his game transitions into a major role at Baylor. The Bears lost three very talented backcourt pieces in the offseason and Dennis will certainly be expected to carry the load in Scott Drew’s system this year. Last season, Dennis was among the national leaders in assists and made 37% of his 3-pointers; can he come close to those numbers facing much stiffer competition in the Big 12 in his final year of college ball?