The SEC produced an unprecedented 2024-25 season that overtook the Big 12 as the top conference, but the Big 12 has a realistic chance to reclaim the crown in 2025-26. Arizona and Iowa State entered the new year a combined 26-0 despite low Big 12 preseason rankings. BYU and freshman AJ Dybantsa present significant threats, and preseason No. 1 Houston projects as an under-the-radar national title contender. Kansas (with injured freshman Darryn Peterson) and Texas Tech (with AP preseason All-America JT Toppin) could boost conference strength. Conference play begins Jan. 2, with projected NCAA bids ranging from six to ten and favorable average seed metrics.
"It took a truly unprecedented season from the SEC to dethrone the Big 12 as the top conference in college basketball in 2024-25. The SEC remains fabulous, but no longer historic, and now the Big 12 has a realistic shot to regain its crown in 2025-26. It doesn't hurt that two of the four projected No. 1 seeds as the calendar flips to a new year, Arizona and Iowa State, have raced to their lofty perch with a combined 26-0 record."
"And we have yet to mention Kansas and injured freshman Darryn Peterson, or Texas Tech and AP preseason All-America selection JT Toppin. If either or both can come close to the conference's top four, the Big 12 could set a new bar. The Big 12 begins conference play on Jan. 2. Minimum projected NCAA bids 6 Maximum projected NCAA bids 10 Average NCAA bids* 7.0 (3rd out of top-5 conferences) Average NCAA seed* 5.0 (1st out of top-5 conferences)"
Read at ESPN.com
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