2024-25 College Basketball Conference Preview: Big 12 Fantasy Outlook

The new-look Big 12 is now complete with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah officially taking the place of outgoing Oklahoma and Texas, joining last year's newcomers BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF to finish off the Big 12's makeover to 16 teams. While the loss of both Oklahoma and Texas was a tough pill to swallow, the addition of Arizona only further enhances the Big 12's claim to the throne of best basketball conference in America.

One of last year's new breeds -- Houston -- dominated the conference by finishing two-games clear of second-place Iowa State to win the regular season crown while also spending much of the season ranked as the top team in the country. However, second-seeded Iowa State, ranked seventh nationally, dominated Houston 69-41in the conference tournament championship game. Both Houston and Iowa State are in position to once again contend for the Big 12 title thanks to the increasingly rare benefit of maintaining roster stability, with each team returning four starters. However, while the Cyclones retain star guards Tamin Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert, the Cougars are tasked with replacing first-team All-American point guard Jamal Shead who has moved on to the next level. 

The other teams poised to make a run at the conference crown include old standbys Kansas and Baylor, along with Arizona, the new kid on the block. Kansas, last year's preseason No. 1, entered the campaign with a glaring lack of depth and paid for it by fading dramatically down the stretch. Returning for the Jayhawks is Hunter Dickinson, the favorite to finish as the conference player of the year, as well as KJ Adams and Dajuan Harris. Additionally, they are bringing in impact players from the transfer portal including AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Rylan Griffen (Alabama) and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State). Baylor returns some familiar faces but will be led by portal stars Norchad Omier (Miami) and Jeremy Roach (Duke) along with five-star freshman VJ Edgecombe, who is the clear favorite to finish as the conference's freshman. Meanwhile, Arizona joins the fray with a talented roster led by star guard Caleb Love. Each of the top five teams in conference have a legitimate shot at being ranked within the top 10 when the preseason polls come out, with Kansas the most likely to land in the top spot.

The biggest coaching addition in conference would have to be Darian DeVries joining West Virginia after a successful six-year stint at Drake, where he led the Bulldogs to back-to-back MVC championships. However, the biggest benefit to his arrival in Morgantown may be that his son came along with him. Tucker DeVries is the reigning two-time player of the year in the MVC and was one of the top players to enter the portal. The two other coaches to join the conference this year are Steve Lutz at Oklahoma State and Kevin Young, who takes over a BYU program that surprised last season by finishing fifth in its first season in the Big 12, then lost Mark Pope, who left to go to his alma mater, replacing John Calipari at Kentucky.

There are talented rosters up and down the entire conference, as the Big 12 enters the season with a legitimate shot at seeing 10 teams (or more) hear their names called on Selection Sunday. With that, there are plenty of fantasy stars to go around, many of whom will be discussed below as we dive into the top players, sleepers and transfers ahead of the Big 12 this season.

Top Players

Overall: Hunter Dickinson, F/C, Kansas

Dickinson joined Kansas last year following three productive seasons at Michigan and didn't miss a beat with the Jayhawks, finishing as a Consensus Second-Team All-American for a second time. After finishing with scoring averages of 18.6 and 18.5 over his final two seasons in Ann Arbor, Dickinson saw has average drop to 17.9 but made up for the small dip in scoring by posting 10.9 rebounds per game, marking the first time he's averaged more than 10 rebounds per game. Dickinson can also provide an outside touch, shooting 35.4 percent from behind the arc last season after posting a career-high 42.1 percent from three during his final season in Michigan. He also contributes on the defensive end, ranging from 1.4-1.8 blocks per game during his career while taking advantage of the extra attention he receives from defenses by matching a career-high with 2.3 assists per game last season. Don't sleep on Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey, who will have a Jamal Shead-like impact as the straw that stirs the Cyclones' potential title run, but Dickinson's return for one final season, along with his consistent yearly production, installs him as one of the favorites for National Player of the Year and instantly places Kansas among the National Title favorites.

Also Considered: Tamin Lipsey, G, Iowa State; Caleb Love, G, Arizona; Norchad Omier, F, Baylor; L.J. Cryer, G, Houston; BJ Freeman, G, Arizona State

Scoring: Caleb Love, G, Arizona

Arizona moves from being a perennial favorite in the old Pac-12 to finding themselves amongst a handful of National Title contenders in the Big 12. Leading the charge for the Wildcats is Love, who has decided to run it back for one more year in Arizona after leading the team with 18.0 points per contest. Love has Final Four experience from his time with North Carolina and has increased his scoring and field-goal percentage every season. The Big 12 packs plenty of scoring punch all around the league, but I expect the seasoned vet to thrive with the opportunity to shine on his new stage. 

Also Considered: Hunter Dickinson, F/C, Kansas; Tucker DeVries, F, West Virginia; Dug McDaniel, G, Kansas State; BJ Freeman, G, Arizona State; AJ Storr, G, Kansas

Rebounding: Norchad Omier, F, Baylor

Omier arrives in Waco as a fifth-year senior following separate two-year stints with Arkansas State and Miami. He has been a force throughout his collegiate career, averaging at least 10 rebounds per game in each of his previous four seasons, reaching as high as a 12.3 mark during his freshman season. Omier has posted as many as 26 rebounds in a game and last year finished with a double-digit rebounding effort 19 times. He is far from a one-trick pony, however, averaging 17.0 points last season while posting a double-double 17 times. Omier is arguably the top transfer coming into the Big 12 and is the biggest threat to Hunter Dickinson as the top rebounder in the league.

Also Considered: Hunter Dickinson, F/C, Kansas; JT Toppin, F, Texas Tech; Fousseyni Traore, F/C, BYU; Aziz Bandaogo, C, Cincinnati; J'Wan Roberts, F, Houston

Assists: Dajuan Harris, G, Kansas

Harris returns for his fifth season as a rare breed in college basketball, having remained with the Jayhawks for his entire career. While Harris experienced a small dip in scoring last season, he raised his assist total for the fourth-straight year, averaging 6.5 per game to finish second in the Big 12. Kansas has brought in additional offensive reinforcements this season with transfers AJ Storr, Zeke Mayo and Rylan Griffen joining Hunter Dickinson and KJ Adams, giving Harris a plethora of weapons around him to which he can distribute the basketball. Expect Harris, who posted at least seven helpers in a game 20 times last season, to raise his season average this season above the seven-assist plateau for the high-flying Jayhawks.

Also Considered: Elijah Hawkins, G, Texas Tech; Tamin Lipsey, G, Iowa State; Dallin Hall, G, BYU; Dug McDaniel, G, Kansas State; Milos Uzan, G, Houston

Freshman: VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor

Edgecombe heads to Waco as a five-star recruit and will replace last year's five-star freshman prodigy Ja'Kobe Walter, who was the first-round selection of the Toronto Raptors. Edgecombe will have less pressure on him than Walter, entering a loaded starting lineup on a team that is a legitimate National Title contender. Edgecombe spent the summer shining for the Bahamas during the Olympic qualifiers, more than holding his own while arguably looking like the best player on the floor, even amongst three NBA vets (DeAndre Ayton, Buddy Hield, Eric Gordon). He averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists during the tournament, whetting the appetite of Baylor fans excited to see what he can provide this season for the Bears. Edgecombe has playmaking capabilities, elite scoring upside with the ability to attack the rim and shoot from mid-range, is improving from three-point range and has the athleticism and tenacity to be an elite disruptor on defense, which should give him a high minutes-per-game floor with the Bears. He is a projected lottery pick when he decides to go pro and is by far and away the favorite to lead all conference freshmen in minutes, scoring and steals.

Also Considered: Egor Demin, G, BYU; Jayden Quaintance, F, Arizona State; Flory Bidunga, F, Kansas; Andrew Crawford, G, Colorado; Carter Bryant, F, Arizona

Sleepers

Zeke Mayo, G, Kansas

Mayo spent three seasons starring at South Dakota State, and the Lawrence, KS native will now spend his senior season playing for the hometown Jayhawks. While he arrives at Kansas in the shadow of power conference transfers such as AJ Storr from Wisconsin and Rylan Griffen from Alabama, Mayo has quickly established himself during the offseason with coach Bill Self labeling him as the best player during their offseason and as the team's best breakout candidate. Mayo is the frontrunner to start alongside Dejuan Harris in the backcourt for Kansas and has the capability to provide production in every facet, averaging around 18.5 points, six boards, 3.5 assists and a steal per game over his final two seasons with the Jackrabbits while shooting nearly 40 percent from behind the arc. 

Jizzle James, G, Cincinnati

The son of NFL Hall of Fame RB Edgerrin James, the sophomore guard spent his freshman season serving as a backup, averaging 8.8 points and 2.1 assists across 19.2 minutes. James began to see his opportunities increase as the season progressed and excelled during tournament season for the Bearcats, averaging 29.2 minutes and 16.0 points over his final five games. This includes filling in as starter during the final two games during Cincinnati's NIT run for injured point guard Day Day Thomas, posting 46 points, seven boards and six assists over 38.5 minutes per contest. James is still tentatively slated to serve as a backup to Thomas but has shown big when given the opportunity and has already been receiving a lot of buzz that a breakout is on the horizon. 

Milan Momcilovic, F, Iowa State

The Cyclones are known for their elite guard play, but Momcilovic started every game in the frontcourt last season as a freshman, averaging 10.9 points and 3.1 rebounds across 30.2 minutes while shooting just under 36 percent from three. He got off to a strong start, averaging 13.3 points on 39.8 percent shooting from behind the arc but faded down the stretch, scoring in double figures just twice over the final nine regular season games. It's likely that the fade was more about running into the freshman wall than anything else. Encouragingly, he was able to pick his game back up during tournament season, scoring in double figures during four of his final five games while leading the team twice in that department. With Iowa State featuring three versatile guards that are each adept at distributing the ball and wreaking havoc on defense leading to transition opportunities, expect a more experienced Momcilovic to be ready to capitalize as defenses prioritize their focus on the trio of Tamin Lipsey, Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones.

Vasean Allette, G, TCU

Allette arrives in Fort Worth off a freshman season that saw him average 17.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals across 32.1 minutes at Old Dominion. He now finds himself battling fellow transfers Frankie Collins and Noah Reynolds in the Horned Frogs' backcourt, but all three should receive ample playing time. Allette does come with some risk, having been dismissed from ODU after 19 games due to "conduct unbecoming of a Monarch." However, the Sun Belt's second-leading scorer will at least be able to provide an offensive punch off the bench for coach Jamie Dixon's crew, with the upside to produce solid all-around production if he can carve out a role that lands him in the neighborhood of 25-30 minutes per contest. 

Also Considered: Curtis Jones, G, Iowa State; Basheer Jihad, F, Arizona State; Richie Saunders, G/F, BYU; Motiejus Krivas, C, Arizona; Keyshawn Hall, F/C, Central Florida

Transfers

Milos Uzan, G, Houston

I'll admit that Uzan's name is probably not the first to pop when it comes to transfers within the Big 12, but I'd argue the former Oklahoma Sooner is one of the most important transfers in all of college basketball. Uzan was handpicked from the portal by Coach Kelvin Sampson to replace outgoing first team All-American point guard Jamal Shead. Sampson has stated that he's intentional about selecting "point guards" for his team as opposed to seeing if someone can play the position and uses the point guard as a true catalyst on both ends of the floor. Uzan is a perfect fit for Sampson's system. While he is not an elite scorer, averaging just 9.0 points per game last season with Oklahoma, Uzan is a disruptive positional defender that should improve upon his 1.2 steals per game from a season ago, a quality ball distributer who led the Sooners with 4.3 assists per game while adding a solid 3.4 rebounds per contest. While the scoring will likely not see a significant boost, I expect Uzan to see a rise in production in those other categories with elite talent surrounding him. Had Jamal Shead, the National DPOY, not injured his ankle against Duke in the Sweet 16, Houston would have likely made a run to the Final Four. Houston is a pillar of stability this season, returning most of its crew from last year's team that was the number one team in the country for much of the season. Uzan's fit in the Kelvin Sampson scheme will be the biggest X-factor towards a conference championship and a Final Four push this season for the Cougars.

Norchad Omier, F, Baylor

Omier was featured in the rebounding section above but brings so much more to Baylor and is a legitimate threat to finish as the Big 12 conference player of the year. The Miami transfer has averaged a double-double in each of his four seasons, finishing with 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game last year while reaching as high as 17.9 points and 12.3 rebounds during his time with Arkansas State. Omier is also a productive defender, posting as many as 1.9 blocks and 1.6 steals per game, and is even adding to his repertoire, shooting 35.3 percent on 2.2 shots per contest from behind the arc last season. The Bears are loaded and ready to make a run, and Omier is set to be the lynchpin as Scott Drew looks to make a run at a second national championship with the school. 

Tucker DeVries, F, West Virginia

The reigning two-time MVC player of the year while at Drake, DeVries opted to follow his father, who was named the new coach at West Virginia, to Morgantown for his final season. DeVries was one of the top players to hit the portal, finishing 10th nationally in scoring (21.6) while also posting career highs in rebounding (6.7), assists (3.7) and steals (1.6). The 6-7 forward is an inside/outside threat who has shot just under 37 percent from three while attempting seven shots per game from behind the arc the last two seasons. The West Virginia roster has been overhauled by the elder DeVries, and while they are likely to sit in the bottom half of the conference standings as a fringe tournament contender this season, the younger DeVries has the game to withstand the challenge of being the focal point of opposing teams and should be fully expected to consistently perform as one of the top players in the conference.

Coleman Hawkins, F/C and Achor Achor, F, Kansas State

Coleman Hawkins is transferring from Illinois after helping lead the Illini to the Elite Eight last season. He first tested the NBA Draft waters before choosing to move on to Manhattan, KS for a reported $2 million NIL deal from Kansas State. Joining Hawkins in the Little Apple will be fellow senior forward Achor Achor, who had a breakout season with Samford last season after averaging 16.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Achor also considered the NBA prior to his decision to join the Wildcats. Hawkins and Achor immediately provide coach Jerome Tang with one of the best and most versatile frontcourts in the country, as each are able to battle down low offensively and defensively. They can also contribute from the perimeter, with Hawkins shooting a career-best 36.9 percent from three last season on 4.6 shots per game, while Achor shot 43.5 percent on a limited 1.9 shots from behind the arc. Kansas State has had a lot of turnover, but if the two big men can build chemistry with fellow transfers Dug McDaniel (Michigan), Max Jones (Cal-State Fullerton and CJ Jones (Illinois-Chicago), the Wildcats could prove to be a sleeper team in the Big 12 race.

BJ Freeman, G, Arizona State

Freeman heads to Arizona State after spending two years at UW-Milwaukee. The senior wing finished in the top-20 nationally in scoring (21.1) while adding 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals. At 6-6 and 200 pounds, Freeman's all-around skillset sets up to be a matchup nightmare for coach Bobby Hurley to utilize. He'll lead an interesting Sun Devil squad that features four transfers and two five-star freshman among a recruiting class that ranks amongst the top-10 in the country. It would be a surprise if Freeman can top 20 points per game in his new environment. However, despite the jump in competition and all the new talent surrounding him, expect Coach Hurley to run the offense through Freeman, allowing him to prove on the bigger stage that he's one of the most complete offensive talents in the Big 12.

Also Considered: AJ Storr, G, Kansas; Jeremy Roach, G, Baylor; Dug McDaniel, G, Kansas State; Trey Townsend, F, Arizona; Noah Reynolds, G, TCU

Top 10 Players*

1. Hunter Dickinson, F/C, Kansas
2. Tamin Lipsey, G, Iowa State
3. Caleb Love, G, Arizona
4. Norchad Omier, F, Baylor
5. L.J. Cryer, G, Houston
6. BJ Freeman, G, Arizona State
7. Coleman Hawkins, F/C, Kansas State
8. Tucker DeVries, F, West Virginia
9. Keshon Gilbert, G, Iowa State
10. VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor

*Note: These rankings are at the discretion of the article author, and may not necessarily correspond with RotoWire's official 2024-25 player rankings.

Projected Team Standings

1. Iowa State
2. Baylor
3. Kansas
4. Houston
5. Arizona
6. Kansas State
7. BYU
8. Cincinnati
9. TCU
10. Texas Tech
11. Arizona State
12. West Virginia
13. Central Florida
14. Utah
15. Oklahoma State
16. Colorado

The top five teams are all legitimate contenders to the conference throne and are among the top 10-15 teams in the nation. Of those, Kansas is the favorite, and Houston will be primed to defend its crown, while Iowa State combines roster stability with the best guard trio in the country, making the Cyclones my pick to win the conference. I also like Baylor's upside, though it may take a little while for the roster to fully gel. 

The next group of five are all also contenders to play deep into March. Kansas State has retooled, making them the favorite from that group, though I still like BYU to prove that last year's performance was not a fluke. 

The bottom five teams show the true depth of the conference, as all have enough talent to pull a surprise or two this season. Of those, Arizona State is an under-the-radar talented group and could be a sneaky pick to move up a few spots by the end of the season, while a revamped West Virginia with the DeVries father/son combo is the next most likely team to surprise.

Kansas is the consensus pick to reclaim the top spot in the Big 12, but Iowa State is ready to run it back with much of the same group that won last year's conference tournament. I'm also a huge fan of Scott Drew and the job he's done at Baylor, and he now may have his most loaded roster yet. I refuse to count out any team coached by Kelvin Sampson, especially a team like Houston that controlled the conference regular season last year and returns most of its team. Add in Arizona, another top-10 caliber team, and there are five strong contenders not just to win the conference, but to take home the national title. I believe this year's national champion resides in the Big 12, and while I have Iowa State winning the conference, Baylor feels to me like the team most primed to be the last team standing when it's all said and done. 

Projected Team Rotations

For a full array of college basketball stats with additional categories, check out our 2024-25 College Basketball Player Stat Projections.

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