It’s August, which calls for the annual college basketball conference previews. We’re focusing on the Big 12 in this particular piece.
2015-16 Big 12 Conference Basketball Preview
- Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State’s biggest loss from last year’s squad was not a player, but (now former) head coach Fred Hoiberg. After several successful season in Ames, Hoiberg took his coaching talents to Chicago to coach the Bulls. That said, they are still losing quality players in Bryce Dejean-Jones and Doug Hogue. New coach Steve Prohm has talent coming back on the team, though. Senior forwards Georges Niang (15.3 PPG, 3.4 APG) and Jameel McKay (11.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG) are both seasoned college veterans, and should be heavy contributors again this year. Junior point guard Monte Morris (11.9 PPG, 5.4 APG) was one of the more underrated players at his position last year. He understands how to run a team, and limits his turnovers. It could be a good year for Morris if he can stay consistent with his handle on the team. Senior Naz Long (10.1 PPG) will join Morris in the backcourt. Long is a good all-around player to put next to Morris. Fellow senior Abdel Nadar (2.9 RPG) will join Niang and McKay in the frontcourt. Junior guard Matt Thomas (4.9 PPG) will be a big piece off the bench for the Cyclones. He can really impact any given game with his shooting ability, which can be a weapon to have off the bench. Iowa State should expect to win the conference this year, regardless of having a new coach.
- Kansas Jayhawks
We talk about how much Kansas loses every year, but it is a broken record at this point. Coach Bill Self gets everything out of every Jayhawks team, and it’s safe to say that will not change this year. The losses of freshmen Kelly Oubre and Cliff Alexander are ones the team can overcome. Senior forward Perry Ellis (13.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG) has had quite the career for Kansas, and it all accumulates to this season. Expect him to be ready from the get-go. Maybe Self’s most important player, junior point guard Frank Mason (12.6 PPG, 3.9 APG) will need to be up to par every game for the offense to run smoothly. Fellow junior Wayne Seldon (9.4 PPG, 2.6 APG) will accompany Mason in the backcourt. Off the bench, junior guard Brannen Greene (5.7 PPG, .40 3PT%) and sophomore guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (2.8 PPG) can both improve on both ends of the court and contribute. Senior forward Jamari Traylor (3.7 RPG) received more and more minutes at the end of the season last year, and is a quality role player for Kansas. Cheick Diallo and Carlton Bragg are five and four-star forwards, respectfully, and should both see minutes if their defense is good enough. Four-star guard LeGerald Vick was a late add to the team, but he could contribute as well.
- Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma had a good year last season, and came up just short of making the Elite Eight. Although they lose big man TaShawn Thomas, the Sooners have a lot of talent returning. It’s led by senior guard Buddy Hield (17.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG), the obvious leader of the team. Hield has made himself into a scoring machine at the college level; he will contend for an All-American spot this year. Senior Isaiah Cousins (11.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG) is a strong guard that will get big rebounds and help Hield out with scoring. Senior forward Ryan Spangler (9.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG) is a good shooter, as he is a good rebounder. Junior guard Jordan Woodard (9.3 PPG, 3.8 APG) will assist Hield and Cousins in the backcourt, and hopefully grow into an even better player. Four-star forwards Rashard Odomes and Christian James have the chance to find early court time on a veteran squad, something that can only help them in the future.
- Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Cowboys lost quality players in Michael Cobbins and Anthony Hickey, but coach Travis Ford has his main contributors back for another season. Senior Phil Forte (15.0 PPG, .38 3PT%), a sharpshooting guard, is the main offense for Oklahoma State, and he has evolved for a spot up shooter to an all around scorer. Senior forward Le’Bryan Nash (17.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG) has gone through ups and downs in his career, but he has settled into a comfortable role for his skill set. While Forte and Nash are the main men on the team, others will have to step up for the Cowboys to have success. Senior guard Jeff Newberry (6.7 PPG) and sophomore forward Jeffery Carroll (3.9 PPG) should both see more minutes this year. Four-star point guard Juwan Evans can start for Ford’s team right away, and he can absolutely get to the basket when he wants. He should create more open looks for Forte. Davon Dillard, a four-star forward, is also coming in for his first season in Stillwater.
- West Virginia Mountaineers
Although Bob Huggins is set to lose leading guards Juwan Staten and Gary Browne to graduation, he has talent returning from a team that surprised people last year. Huggins gets back some young guards in Jevon Carter (8.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG) and Daxter Miles (7.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG), both whom are sophomores. Both players found success within the Mountaineers press system and should be even better this year. Junior forward Devin Williams (11.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG) will lead the frontcourt again, with senior Jonathan Holton (7.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG) next to him. Both Williams and Holton will need to be on top of their games week in and week out to hold down the paint for a guard-heavy team. Watch for junior guard Tarik Phillip (4.1 PPG) to be a consistent contributor off the bench for Coach Huggins. Four-star forward Esa Ahmad could see plenty of court time this year, but four-star guard James Bolden will need to scrap his way to minutes. The whole West Virginia team are scrapers, just how Huggins wants it. They could jump up in the conference if they find consistent offense.
- Texas Longhorns
After some disappointing and underachieving seasons, Rick Barnes is now out as head coach of the Texas Longhorns. New coach Shaka Smart brings a credible reputation from VCU and strong recruiting ties in Texas. Smart will be without forwards Jonathan Holmes and Myles Turner this year, but there is still quality talent returning. Junior guard Isaiah Taylor (13.1 PPG, 4.1 APG) has been improving every year, even though he was slowed by a wrist injury last year. He should fit well with Smart’s system and be able to distribute the ball effectively. Senior center Cameron Ridley (8.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG) is a seasoned college veteran and contributes in his own way. Senior guards Javan Felix (8.7 PPG, 2.0 APG) and Demarcus Holland (7.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG) are both past quality role players that will need to contribute even more this year. Four-star guards Eric Davis and Kerwin Roach Jr. should both find some playing time in their freshman year. Four-star forward Tevin Mack could see time as well early in his career.
- Baylor Bears
Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears had a surprisingly good year last season, but they are going to need players to step up again to duplicate it. Kenny Chery and Royce O’Neale are both gone this year, so their replacement scoring will be an issue. There is a good idea of where frontline’s scoring will come. Senior forwards Rico Gathers (11.6 PPG, 11.6 RPG) and Taureen Prince (13.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG) are both good two-way players that will step right in and be ready to go for Drew. They have some youth at the position in sophomore Johnathan Motley (7.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG), who showed exceptional potential last season. The backcourt is the question for the Bears. Senior guard Lester Medford (7.6 PPG, 3.2 APG) is the table-setter for Baylor, and he should even improve from last year. Allerick Freeman (4.8 PPG), a sophomore guard, will need to step up from his bench role last year, and he has the ability to do so. Four-star guard King McClure should help the depth at the position, as Baylor will have a chance to surprise people once again this year.
- TCU Horned Frogs
Texas Christian basketball has come a long way since joining the Big 12 a few years ago, finishing over .500 for the year last season. They do lose senior leadership in Kyan Anderson, Amric Fields, and Trey Zeigler. The frontline for the Horned Frogs will determine their success this season. Junior forwards Brandon Parrish (5.5 PPG, 1.7 RPG), Kenrich Williams (8.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG), and Chris Washburn (7.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG) all compliment each other very well and all have a couple years of experience under their belt. Karviar Shepherd (6.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG) is a junior center that adds only more size to the TCU roster. The guards will undergo some major growing pains, as sophomore Chauncey Collins (3.5 PPG) and Junior Hudson Price (2.8 PPG) have some serious experience problems. Senior guard Charles Hill (2.6 PPG) will have to lead the young guards this year. Three-star small forward Jalon Miller will be pressed to find court time, but adds even more size to the team.
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Red Raiders have been in the basement of the Big 12 for years now, and that will not dramatically change this year. They only lose Robert Turner, but it’s unclear if there is enough coming back to jump the other teams in the conference. The good news is that senior guard Devaugntah Williams (10.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG) is back, and he should be even better than last year. Sophomore forwards Zach Smith (6.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG) and Justin Gray (6.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG) are young, but they got experience last year and should get better also. Sophomore guard Keenan Evans (5.8 PPG, 1.4 APG) and sophomore center Isaiah Manderson (2.7 RPG) are also young guns that can bring hope to the future. Four-star forward Shawntrez Davis also brings hope, but the young team is not ready quite yet to compete at the top of the Big 12.
- Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State almost convinced people that they were worthy of an NCAA Tournament bid last year, and that hid the fact that they were under .500 for the first time since 2005. There could be more problems this year, as the Wildcats lost main contributors Thomas Gibson, Nino Williams, and Marcus Foster (kicked off the team in April) and don’t have anyone proven to replace them. Senior guard Justin Edwards (6.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG) will presumably lead the team, and he will have to raise his game to a new level to compete in the Big 12. Junior guard Nigel Johnson (5.2 PPG, 1.7 APG) has some skill as well, and he will probably focus on his offense this year to give the Wildcats a chance. Junior forward Wesley Iwundu (5.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG) and senior center Stephen Hurt (2.8 RPG) will both have to hold down the frontcourt and provide some kind of offensive production. Four-star center Dante Hales should come in and help on the frontline. Bruce Webber’s job security is in serious question if K-State has another down year.
