Early Big 12 Breakdown - MOST ANTICIPATED season in BYU history + Kansas & Baylor in transition

Jon Rothstein provides a full breakdown of the Big 12 entering the 2025-2026 college basketball season. Houston may be younger than we’re used to, but they’re deep, talented, and right back in the mix for a league title. BYU is heading into the most anticipated season in program history, while Kansas and Baylor — two longtime anchors of the conference — are facing major transitions on and off the floor. Jon runs through his complete preseason power rankings from top to bottom, with Houston at No. 1 and Arizona State rounding out the list. He delivers projected starting fives, key newcomers, and notable departures for every team, along with his picks for preseason Player of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team, and the sleeper program that could sneak into the top tier. He answers questions from the audience in a live chat and closes with three key nuggets to keep in mind heading into the year: BYU’s Richie Saunders averaged 22 a game in the NCAA Tournament, Cincinnati hasn’t danced since 2019, and Baylor, UCF, and West Virginia return zero percent of their scoring from last season. Wall-to-wall Big 12 hoops. No nonsense. Just Rothstein.