Six Big 12 Basketball Teams Listed in CBS Sports’ Post-Spring Top 25
As members of the Big 12 Conference continue to load up with talent through the transfer portal ahead of the 2024-25 season, CBS Sports released their post-spring college basketball Top 25 list, which featured multiple members from the league.
Six league members checked in on CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish’s list, with the Kansas Jayhawks heading the group at No. 1.
NO. 1 KANSAS
“This ranking is based on Bill Self’s Jayhawks returning three of the top six scorers – specifically Hunter Dickinson, KJ Adams, and Dajuan Harris – from a team that secured a No. 4 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament,” Parrish said. “The additions of AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Rylan Griffen (Alabama), and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) from the transfer portal, plus two top-50 high school prospects, will give Kansas the type of depth it lacked during this past season that was derailed by Kevin McCullar’s lack of availability.”
NO. 2 HOUSTON
“This ranking is based on Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars returning eight of the top 10 scorers – everybody besides Jamal Shead and Damian Dunn – from a team that won the Big 12 by two games and earned a No. 1 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament,” Parrish said. “A backcourt of LJ Cryer, Emanuel Sharp, and Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan should make the Cougars among the favorites in the Big 12.”
NO. 5 IOWA STATE
“This ranking is based on TJ Otzelberger’s Cyclones returning the top four scorers from a team that won 29 games and earned a No. 2 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament,” Parrish wrote. “Both Tamin Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert could compete for Big 12 Player of the Year honors and position Iowa State to maybe make what would be the program’s first trip to the Final Four since 1944.”
NO. 6 BAYLOR
“This ranking is based on Scott Drew’s Bears returning three of the top seven scorers – specifically Langston Love, Jayden Nunn, and Josh Ojianwuna – from a team that secured a No. 3 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament,” Parrish said. “The addition of a top-10 recruiting class headlined by Duke transfer Jeremy Roach, Miami transfer Norchad Omier, Cal transfer Jalen Celestine, and five-star wing VJ Edgecombe should help offset the departures and have Baylor in a sixth straight NCAA Tournament.”
NO. 13 ARIZONA
“This ranking is based on Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats returning four of the top eight scorers — specifically Caleb Love, Jaden Bradley, KJ Lewis, and Motiejus Krivas — from a team that won the Pac-12 regular-season title and secured a No. 2 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament,” Parrish wrote. “Arizona’s top-five recruiting class, headlined by Oakland transfer Trey Townsend, Tennessee transfer Tobe Awaka, Campbell transfer Anthony Dell’Orso, and top-40 high school prospects Joson Sanon, Carter Bryant, and Jarari Phillips, should help make the program’s transition to the Big 12 go relatively smoothly.”
NO. 25 CINCINNATI
“This ranking is based on Wes Miller’s Bearcats returning five of the top seven scorers — specifically Dan Skillings Jr., Simas Lukosius, Day Day Thomas, Jizzle James, and Aziz Bandaogo — from a team that finished 39th at KenPom.com,” Parrish said. “That’s the type of roster retention when combined with the addition of multiple impactful transfers, most notably former five-star recruit Dillon Mitchell, that should have Cincinnati back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
