A look at the upcoming Big 12 men’s basketball regular season

Junior guard Monté Morris goes up for a shot against Texas Christian on March 7 at Wilkerson-Greines Athletic Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Morris was cut from the U.S. Pan America men’s basketball team on Thursday. 

Brian Mozey

It’s Big 12 season.

The non-conference schedule has come and gone over the past couple of months with a handful of upsets and each team fighting to get every win they can. Each Big 12 coach knows those non-conference wins will be nice to have under their belts because the Big 12 regular season will be a battle each game.

The Big 12 regular season starts on Friday with four matchups, including one that has two ranked teams. Back in October, the Big 12 Conference had a media day with all 10 teams. During that time, the coaches spoke about their team and the expectations they have over the course of the season.

Here’s a look at what each team expects for the next three months of basketball.

No. 10 TCU

Record: 12-0

Projected Lineup: Kenrich Williams, Vladimir Brodziansky, Desmond Bane, JD Miller and Jaylen Fisher

Coach: Jamie Dixon, 36-15 in his second year at TCU

TCU had a new coach and a few new faces on the team last season, which resulted in a dominant non-conference season, but an eye-opening experience in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs lost one game in the non-conference schedule, but once Big 12 play started the team went 6-12 finishing with a 19-15 overall record.

That record took them to the NIT Tournament where they won five straight games and took home the championship title. Even though it was a transitional season, Dixon has all five of his starters back.

Throughout the Big 12 Media Day, each Big 12 coach was asked about the dangers of TCU this season with a full roster back and momentum coming in as NIT champions.

“TCU looked good at the end of the season,” said Kansas coach Bill Self. “Jamie [Dixon] has quite a team this season and will definitely be competing for a Big 12 title this season.”

All five of the Horned Frogs’ starters are averaging double-digit points per game showcasing the use of each player instead of having one star. TCU will play Oklahoma at home on Saturday afternoon to start the Big 12 season.

No. 22 Texas Tech

Record: 11-1

Projected Lineup: Keenan Evans, Niem Stevenson, Zach Smith, Justin Gray and Norense Odiase

Coach: Chris Beard, 29-15 in his second year at Texas Tech

Speaking of new coaches, Chris Beard is another new face to the Big 12 Conference entering his second season at Texas Tech just like Dixon at TCU. Even though he’s new, the non-conference season has showed the turnaround Beard has been able to do within two years.

Beard said at the Big 12 Media Day that he’s depending on senior leadership this season with the entire projected lineup being upperclassmen. Evans is leading the Red Raiders this season with 16.5 points per game, but then two freshman players fall into the second and third spots on the team.

Zhaire Smith and Jarrett Culver are two freshman that are helping Beard’s team off the bench with 10.3 and 10.2 points per game. They also have 14 and 20 steals and both of them are shooting 40 percent from the 3-point line.

“But it starts with our senior leadership,” Beard said in late October. “Those five guys have done a great job taking those guys underneath their wings and showing them what college basketball is all about but certainly our chemistry is a work in progress.”

Those five seniors have led this team to a top 25 ranking. Texas Tech hosts Baylor on Friday night to begin the Big 12 play this season.

No. 7 West Virginia

Record: 11-1

Projected Lineup: Jevon Carter, Daxter Miles Jr., Lamont West, Sagaba Konate and Wesley Harris

Coach: Bob Huggins, 241-120 in his 11th season at West Virginia

Bob Huggins was confident in his team at the Big 12 Media Day and that confidence comes from the leadership of his two guards, Daxter Miles Jr. and Jevon Carter. Those two are averaging 14.8 and 18.2 points per game, which is about 40 percent of their total points per game.

“I think Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles are as good a pair of guards as there are anywhere in the country,” Huggins said at media day. “Then we’ve got a bunch of young guys. We will have to find out.”

After the two seniors, the next few scorers consist of four sophomores and one freshman. Huggins has found out he can depend on those sophomores to score and be reliable in other categories.

Lamont West is averaging 12.2 points per game, while also grabbing 5.6 rebounds per game too. Sagaba Konate leads the team with 32 blocks and has averaged 8.2 points per game.

The team may be led by Carter and Miles Jr., but with the amount of statistics from the sophomore class, Huggins will need to depend on the team as a whole to win Big 12 games this season. West Virginia travels to Oklahoma State on Friday night to start its Big 12 regular season.

No. 12 Oklahoma

Record: 10-1

Projected Lineup: Trae Young, Christian James, Brady Manek, Khadeem Lattin and Rashard Odomes

Coach: Lon Kruger, 132-78 in his seventh season at Oklahoma

Trae Young.

That’s the only name people need to know for Oklahoma’s team. He’s averaging a double-double to begin this season with 28.7 points and 10.4 assists per game.

Along with the double-double, he’s leading the team with 20 steals, but also 42 turnovers this season.

“Trae has outstanding skill,” said Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger at the Big 12 Media Day. “Anytime you’ve got a player like that, he’s got an opportunity to make players around him better by attracting attention, by driving and attracting a help defender and kicking.

“He’s very fast out of the backcourt so he’s creating some hopefully easy buckets in transition.”

Young isn’t the only player on the court for the Sooners as junior Christian James and freshman Brady Manek have helped Oklahoma stay in the top 25 at the end of the non-conference season.

James is averaging 13.4 points per game, while Manek scores 11.3 points per game, which creates half the points per game between those three players.

Kruger made it clear during media day that Oklahoma will be needing high-end performances by Young throughout the season to keep the Sooners near the top of the Big 12 standings. That Big 12 play starts on Saturday afternoon as Oklahoma travels to Forth Worth, Texas, to take on TCU.

No. 18 Baylor

Record: 10-2

Projected Lineup: Manu Lecomte, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., Nuni Omot, King McClure and Tristan Clark

Coach: Scott Drew, 289-182 in his 15th season at Baylor

Baylor has stayed in the top 25 because of a team effort throughout the non-conference season. Scott Drew has four of his five starters averaging double-digits points per game and one other bench player that has contributed as a sixth man.

Seniors Manu Lecomte (18.4), Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (15.1) and Nuni Omot (11.8) have led the team this season with points per game. The other two are senior Terry Matson (11.7) and junior King McClure (11.7) round out those five players, so Drew is depending on a team performance throughout the Big 12 regular season.

“One thing every Big 12 coach will tell you is there is no bottom in the Big 12 and because of the parity,” Drew said at media day. “If you win a couple of close games you get the momentum, the confidence and now you have a great year, you lose a couple close games.

“And if you don’t have good leadership now that can lead to a down spiral and a bad year.”

As for the post play, Baylor has two dominant players that can block at any time. Lual-Acuil Jr. has 22 blocks and Tristan Clark has 17 blocks out of the 63 total blocks this season.

Drew has experienced the Big 12 regular season for the past 14 years and will be starting this season at Texas Tech on Friday night.

No. 11 Kansas

Record: 10-2

Projected Lineup: Lagerald Vick, Devonte’ Graham, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Udoka Azubuike and Malik Newman

Coach: Bill Self, 426-90 in his 15th season at Kansas

What can you say about Kansas? A program that’s won 12 straight Big 12 Conference championships and once again, the Jayhawks are competing for not only another Big 12 title, but a national championship.

Bill Self is averaging six losses per season during his 15 years at Kansas. That tradition continues this year with a similar mindset to Baylor with multiple players scoring in the double digits.

After Frank Mason III graduated last season, the torch was passed to senior guard Devonte’ Graham. He’s averaging 16.8 points per game and has a total of 24 steals and 46 rebounds.

“Devonte’ is the face of our program,” Self said at media day. “There is no question about it, probably as much right now as anybody we’ve had.”

All of the projected starting lineup players are averaging double digits and Self will need to depend on those five because the bench players have only been scoring four points or fewer per game.

Kansas looks to make it a 13th straight championship season with its first game on Friday night at Texas.

Kansas State

Record: 10-2

Projected Lineup: Barry Brown Jr., Kamau Stokes, Dean Wade, Xavier Sneed and Makol Mawien

Coach: Bruce Weber, 110-70 in his sixth season at Kansas State

The Wildcats have a junior class that’s leading Kansas State in the first part of the season. Barry Brown Jr. is averaging 14.4 points per game and leading the Wildcats. He also leads the team with 22 steals.

Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade are under Brown Jr. with 14.2 and 13.2 points per game. Stokes leads the team with 56 assists this season, while Wade is leading the team with 6.4 rebounds per game.

“He’s kinda relished that role, which is — as a coach it’s good to have somebody that will be verbal like that,” said Kansas State coach Bruce Weber on Brown Jr. becoming a leader for the Wildcats at media day. “It definitely helps us.”

Kansas State is one of the few teams in the Big 12 to not be ranked in the top 25 to start the second half of the season. Weber and the Wildcats look to start the Big 12 regular season on the right foot at Iowa State on Friday night.

Iowa State

Record: 9-2

Projected Lineup: Donovan Jackson, Nick Weiler-Babb, Lindell Wigginton, Solomon Young and Jeff Beverly

Coach: Steve Prohm, 56-25 in third season at Iowa State

It’s been a change from last season to this season with four of the five starters last season graduating. Fortunately for Iowa State, the team has found a role for each player allowing them to finish the non-conference season with nine straight wins.

The Cyclones are led by senior Donovan Jackson, redshirt junior Nick Weiler-Babb and freshman Lindell Wigginton. There’s been speculation that Wigginton could potentially be one-and-done after his freshman year as he heads into Big 12 play with 15.5 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game.

“I think he has a chance to do some special things at Iowa State, but I want to take it a day at a time and people want to compare Monte or the last point guard or other point guards I’ve coached,” Prohm said at media day. “I want just want Lindell to max Lindell out and if he does that we will be in a really good place.”

Weiler-Babb has become a player that can contribute in three categories. He’s averaging 12.5 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game and 7.4 assists per game.

Iowa State, the defending Big 12 Conference tournament champions, will host Kansas State on Friday night to begin the Big 12 regular season.

Oklahoma State

Record: 10-2

Projected Lineup: Kendall Smith, Tavarius Shine, Mitchell Solomon, Lindy Waters III and Jeffrey Carroll

Coach: Mike Boynton Jr., 10-2 in his first season at Oklahoma State

It might be Mike Boynton Jr.’s first season as a head coach, but the Oklahoma State Cowboys’ team is a veteran squad with a majority of upperclassmen. Three of the five starters are seniors or graduate students along with one redshirt junior and one sophomore, which has worked well for the Cowboys this non-conference season.

Senior Jeffrey Carroll and graduate student Kendall Smith are averaging 15 and 11.1 points per game, while fellow senior Mitchell Solomon is leading the team with 14 blocks and 6.7 rebounds per game.

“Mitchell Solomon and Jeffrey Carroll who are both here today have been good in terms of leadership and continue to preach the message that it’s always about our program and our team and trying to get better than we were the day before and that they know the challenges in this league are great and that they look forward to trying to continue to elevate and build off the momentum that we had toward the end of last season.

Once the seniors graduate, Boynton Jr. will have a couple players returning to become the new leaders next season. Redshirt junior Tavarius Shine and sophomore Lindy Waters III will be back next season and are contributing early this season.

Shine and Waters III are averaging 10.8 and 7.8 points per game, but the two are combining for 25 steals and 13 blocks this season. The Cowboys will start the Big 12 season at home against West Virginia on Friday night.

Texas

Record: 9-3

Projected Lineup: Andrew Jones, Dylan Osetkowski, Kerwin Roach II, Mohamed Bamba and Matt Coleman

Coach: Shaka Smart, 40-38 in his third season at Texas

During the majority of Shaka Smart’s Big 12 Media Day press conference, the questions were based around freshman Mohamed Bamba and his potential of being one-and-done.

In the first half of the season, Bamba is showcasing all parts of his game. He is averaging 10.9 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game along with 47 total blocks this season.

The biggest concern at media day was if the Longhorns could improve their shooting percentage and assist numbers this season. Last year, Texas shot 43.9 percent throughout the season along with 377 assists.

“It better be! You know, that’s definitely an area where we need to take a big jump from last year,” Smart said on last year’s performance at media day. “I do think we will have better passers. There is an old saying in coaching, the passer makes the shooter.”

This season, Texas has come up to 45.4 percent from the field and is at 142 assists with still half the season left. Smart and the Longhorns will look to continue improving those numbers in Big 12 play starting on Friday night at home.

* The rankings come from the AP Top 25 Poll from Dec. 25.