College basketball is officially one week away from a chaotic and exciting new season tipping off.

With the season starting Nov. 3 comes the preseason hype that is given by members of the media to different programs throughout different conferences.

This year, as a member of the media covering Arizona State, I was allowed to submit a ballot for the preseason Big 12 college basketball poll.

As we’ve seen in recent years, most notably with football in 2024, when the media voted eventual conference champion Arizona State to finish last in the conference (I had them 14th), these type of polls have a wild range of possible outcomes.

Below is my ballot and an explanation as to why I had the teams in the order I did.

Big 12 Preseason Ballot

1. Houston

Last season, Houston fell short in the national championship to Florida and lost a few key pieces from that team. However, to return a trio as talented as Emanuel Sharp, Milos Uzan and reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Joseph Tugler and pair him with a duo of five-star freshmen in Isaiah Harwell and Chris Cenac Jr, it’s easy to see why the Cougars are considered by many to be the favorite in the conference and to get back to the Final Four.

2. Arizona

Arizona is another team that can make it to Indianapolis this year and possibly cut down the nets in April. Experience at the guard spot is crucial in a conference as tough as the Big 12, and having a leader such as Jaden Bradley is huge for the Wildcats.

In the backcourt, Bradley and five-star freshman Brayden Burries have the ability to run the show for the Wildcats as big men Mo Krivas and Tobe Awaka hold it down inside.

The key for Arizona will be Koa Peat. If Peat can be the defensive piece on the wing similar to what Carter Bryant was for the Wildcats last year, the ceiling for Arizona is much higher as he doesn’t need the ball in his hands to impact the offense already.

3. Texas Tech

Down in Lubbock, the bitter taste of squandering away a potential national championship last season after a collapse in the Elite Eight versus Florida still stings. But it could be exactly what is needed to motivate Texas Tech over the hump in 2025-26.

The Red Raiders are led by a Wooden Award candidate in JT Toppin and return a guard in Christian Anderson, who broke out for the team as the year went on. As a whole, as seen by their portal additions of LeJaun Watts and Donovan Atwell, Tech has an identity to suffocated you with length throughout the floor and tough shot making. A formula that bodes well for success.

4. BYU

No player may have the eyes of the college basketball world on him more than AJ Dybantsa at BYU this season.

And rightfully so. From the moment he was ranked as a prospect entering high school, the basketball world had waited for the moment he’d get to the next level and compete.

But for all the attention he’s getting, the rest of the Cougars roster is crucial to him being on screens through March. With him playing on the wing, BYU went out and got former Baylor guard Rob Wright to be an anchor in a backcourt that should be improved. Richie Saunders returns as does Keba Keita, a duo that showed flashes of success during BYU’s tournament run last season.

5. Kansas

Up until a few years ago, seeing Kansas this low in a preseason ranking would be cause for concern.

But for Bill Self’s team, this has become the norm throughout the last two years.

Part of it has been the quality of the conference getting better, most of it has been the wrong pieces for the program. This year however, there’s no doubt about who the program will rely on this year and that’s a freshman who may very well be better than the hyped Dybantsa, and that’s Darryn Peterson.

Outside of him there’s questions throughout, can Flory Bidunga take another step especially offensively where he may need to carry more of a load? And just how much will the Jayhawks need from Melvin Counsil? If both those questions are answered with ease, then Kansas will be back in business.

6. Iowa State

For the first two months of the season, Iowa State looked like arguably the best team in the country. That was until the injury bug shot out of a cannon at the Cyclones.

Just like other teams at the top of this list, Iowa State returns multiple key pieces such as Joshua Jefferson, Milan Momcilovic, and Tamin Lipsey.

Yet there’s a lot that remains to be seen throughout the rest of the roster. The Cyclones depth is lacking and Dominick Nelson is the one transfer that’ll be called upon heavily after multiple injuries to others. If Nelson can gel quickly and the depth concern gets addressed, Iowa State could finish higher in the actual standings.

7. Baylor

The portal gives but also takes and no team is a better example than Baylor.

This roster is all but completely new as Scott Drew hopes to refresh the Bears after an up and down campaign last year and a subpar defense. Leading the charge this year for Baylor will be an underrated transfer big in Michael Rataj, and guard Obi Agbim.

Continuing the trend of standout freshmen is wing Tounde Yessoufou who hopes to continue in the steps of former top prospects such as VJ Edgecombe who play their way to being a top pick in the NBA draft.

8. Cincinnati

Cincinnati in multiple other power leagues would be near the top of the preseason standings, but the Bearcats fall victim to being in one of the deepest leagues in the sport.

Throughout the Summer it appeared as if everything was smooth that was until Jizzle James was dismissed from the team in August. Now the Bearcats will have to be led by Kerr Kriisa and big man duo Moustapha Thiam and Baba Miller. The key to Cincinnati’s success will be how quickly freshman Shon Abaev can impact the offense for the Bearcats.

9. Kansas State

It doesn’t seem that long ago that Kansas State was listening to Lil Baby and capturing the hearts of America, but time has changed and this year is a prove it year for Jerome Tang and the Wildcats.

If one thing is certain for Kansas State is that they may not get stops on defense but they will score. PJ Haggerty, Nate Johnson, and Abdi Bashir Jr will lead a trio of bucket getters than can rival any unit in America alongside Marcus Johnson as well.

The question will be the lack of depth and overall proven talent in the front court for Kansas State but also just how bad will the defense be?

If they can be just a slightly below average unit that could be the difference between dancing into March or being NIT bound.

10. TCU

Like many outside the top tier of the Big 12, there’s a transfer portal revamp and the question of continuity that could be the difference between success and failure.

TCU is no different as they’re banking on a duo of guards in Jayden Pierre and Brock Harding to mesh with wings David Punch and Micah Robinson.

The Horned Frogs roster lacks the punch that most of the conference has but should the guard duo be successful, TCU could play themselves onto the right side of the bubble.

11. Oklahoma State

At times last season, Oklahoma State’s offense was one of the toughest units to watch in college basketball as they’d go through stretches without buying a bucket.

This year the Cowboys are hoping who they paid for in the transfer portal can buy buckets for them and plenty at that.

Anthony Roy led the nation in scoring at Green Bay before his season ended early to injury, Isaiah Coleman averaged close to 16 points per game at Seton Hall, and Christian Coleman averaged 11.9 at UAB.

The offense showed improvement in the Cowboys scrimmage versus Auburn, if that is the trend, Oklahoma State will win more games in 2025-26 than it did in 2024-25.

12. Utah

Another team that’ll be relying on transfer portal success at the guard spot will be Utah who already lost a key piece in Babacar Faye in the front court.

The question marks come in just how easy will the transition to big school basketball be for Terrence Brown and Don McHenry?

At Fairleigh Dickinson and Western Kentucky, respectively, the duo combined for 37.6 points per game which entering the year makes them the most potent back court duo in the conference, but if they can’t get close to replicating that, then it’ll be a long season in Salt Lake City.

13. West Virginia

Continuity is crucial to success in college basketball and with the transfer portal if a coach takes a new job he can take almost everybody with him and that’s exactly what new West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge did after leaving North Texas.

Outside of his UNT players, Hodge did bring in one of the most electric mid major players in Treysen Eaglestaff. But also a score first guard in Honor Huff and hybrid wing Chance Moore.

With an entirely new level of competition and some pieces gone from his North Texas squad it’ll be interesting to see if Hodge can see early success with the Mountaineers.

14. UCF

Johnnie Dawkins is on the pseudo hot seat in Orlando this year and after swinging for the fence on multiple transfers, it’s put up or shut up time for UCF.

The Knights went out and got Riley Kugel from Mississippi State to lead a roster of entirely new faces but Dawkins is hoping that the mid major duo of Themus Fulks and Jamichael Stillwell can replicate the stats and success they saw at Milwaukee. If they can, he may keep his job, if they don’t and there could be a job opening up.

15. Arizona State

Speaking of jobs opening up, Dawkins may be on the hot seat, but Bobby Hurley may be in Dante’s Inferno.

Last season couldn’t have gone any worse for Arizona State as after a solid start to the season the wheels came crashing off in a major way.

The roster is brand new and has a large mid major and international presence on it, and this new-ish approach at roster building for Hurley and Co. is a high risk high reward situation.

The key to the Sun Devils success appears to fall heavily on the shoulders of Moe Odum and Marcus Adams Jr, but NAIA transfer Anthony Johnson appears to be coming into his own after a 27-point outing versus Texas A&M in a preseason scrimmage.

16. Colorado

No team may’ve been hurt by the transition into a new conference than Colorado who really struggled after the move from the Pac 12 to the Big 12 and now possesses one of the the least talented rosters out of any power conference team.

The engine to a roster mostly filled with younger yet returning pieces is UC Riverside transfer Barrington Hargress who averaged well over 20 points per game last season. If he can replicate his success, the Buffaloes can be slightly competitive but the questions in the front court as well as the lack of offensive punch outside of his is concerning.