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2024 Big 12 Basketball Predictions for the Regular Season

by Matt Zitt - 1/11/2024

Big 12 basketball predictions Jamal Shead Houston Cougars

The Big 12 Conference has six teams inside the Top-25 and should be an exciting race for the conference title. Kansas is always the popular play as Bill Self and the Jayhawks have had at least a share of the Big 12 regular season title in 17 seasons since 2003. The regular season test will not come easy to Kansas this year, with new additions of Houston, Cincinnati, BYU and UCF, and the always tough-challengers of Baylor, Kansas State, Texas and others lying in wait. Doc’s Sports will break down how the Big 12 could shake out below.

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Houston +230

After winning the AAC regular season championship in four of its last five seasons, it is hard to envision a path to similar dominance for Houston in the Big 12. But, with a Hall of Fame coach in Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars return a lot of known commodities. Jamal Shead is a stupendous guard, and they also return Ja’Vier Francis, Terrance Arcenaux, J’Wan Roberts, and Emanuel Sharp. Add in former Baylor superstar L.J. Cryer, who leads the Cougars in scoring with 16.3 PPG, and Houston can win the Big 12 in Year 1.

Kansas +270

Self will have plenty of weapons at his disposal this season to claim a Big 12 title. Three starters return from the Jayhawks 28-win team last season in K.J. Adams, Kevin McCullar, and Dajuan Harris. Self also hit the lottery in the transfer portal with the addition of Hunter Dickinson. He averaged 17.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in three seasons at Michigan. Kansas has the best talent within the conference. The question will be can they avoid upsets and mesh together.

Baylor +440

Last season, Baylor started 0-3 in conference play and battled back to finish in a tie for third in the Big 12. Even though last year’s top three scorers are gone – L.J. Cryer, Keyonte George, and Adam Flagler – the return of Jalen Bridges and key freshmen gives Baylor another high-scoring unit that is averaging 87.7 points per contest so far in 2023-24. With six players currently averaging double-digits, Baylor will be a force to be reckoned with in the Big 12.

Oklahoma +1300

One of the bigger surprises in the Big 12 so far in 2023-24, first-year head coach Porter Moser has Oklahoma 13-2 and ranked 9th in the country. He put all his chips into the transfer portal, bringing in five newcomers who all play significant roles. Siena transfer Javian McCollum leads the team in scoring with 14.9 points a game, while Pitt transfer John Hugley IV is third in scoring. Two games against Kansas, two against Texas, and one against Baylor will decide Oklahoma’s fate in the standings.

Kansas State +4000

Last year’s success hinged on two transfers, and the same will apply for this year. Creighton transfer Arthur Kaluma and North Texas transfer Tylor Perry are both averaging 15 points a game, while Kansas State has started 2-0 in the Big 12 and 12-3 overall. Returnee Cam Carter leads the team, averaging a click over 16 points per game, and they have the kind of schedule that could make K-State a sneaky pick to win the conference. The only juggernaut they play twice within the Big 12 is Kansas. Oklahoma and Baylor are both home games, and Houston and Texas are on the road. If they can pull an upset against Bill Self and take care of business on home court, this squad could be your Big 12 champs.

My Pick : Kansas

Big 12 Conference Odds

Houston +230

Kansas +270

Baylor +440

Oklahoma +1300

BYU +1300

Texas Tech +1300

TCU +1500

Iowa State +2500

Texas +3500

Kansas State +4000

Cincinnati +7500

West Virginia +25000

Oklahoma State +25000

UCF +25000

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