IRVING, Texas – Kansas has been voted by the league’s head coaches as the preseason favorite to win the 2021-22 Big 12 men’s basketball regular-season championship, the conference announced Thursday.
Kansas has been the coaches’ choice in 10 of the last 11 seasons and 19 times in the 26-year history of the Big 12. At season’s end, KU has outright or tied the conference regular-season championship 19 times, including an NCAA-record 14 consecutive from 2005-18. A coaches’ preseason poll was not conducted in the Big 12’s first season of 1996-97.
“Preseason polls don’t mean anything other than the fact we hope to have a team that has a great chance to have a great season,” KU head coach Bill Self said. “I’m excited about this group and I’m really excited about the competitiveness of what we consider to be the best league in America.”
For the 2021-22 poll, the Jayhawks collected eight first-place votes and finished with a total of 80 points. Texas received the other two first-place nods to land at second with 70 points. Baylor was third with 67 points, with Texas Tech fourth with 51 points. Oklahoma State and West Virginia tied for fifth with 49 points, followed No. 7 Oklahoma (29), No. 8 TCU (24), No. 9 Kansas State (22) and No. 10 Iowa State (9). Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
Head coaches and student-athletes from each team will appear at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tipoff in Kansas City on October 20. Interviews from the event will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ from 8:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT.
2021-22 BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL Team (First-place votes) - Points
1. KANSAS (8) - 80
2. Texas (2) - 70
3. Baylor - 67
4. Texas Tech - 51
5. Oklahoma State - 49
5. West Virginia - 49
7. Oklahoma - 29
8. TCU - 24
9. Kansas State - 22
10. Iowa State - 9
Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.
