The strength of the Big 12 Conference and the number of conference games present challenges for the KU men's basketball season

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Big 12 coaches pose for a photo during the NCAA College Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Day, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Big 12 Conference will be breaking new ground this upcoming men's basketball season. The conference currently hosts five of the preseason top 10 teams, leading experts and coaches to believe it is the premier basketball conference in the country.

“I can tell you without a doubt that this will be the most difficult year to win in our league,” Kansas coach Bill Self said Wednesday at Big 12 Basketball Media Day. “It’s going to be a great league.”

The talent level in the league has changed the way Self views his team's results in the league. In recent years, the Jayhawks have wanted to “win the conference at all costs,” according to Self. This year he wants to compete and be among the best in the conference, and that will be enough to have a chance at a good postseason.

KU is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, Houston is No. 4, Iowa State is No. 5, Baylor is No. 8 and Arizona is No. 10. Texas Tech, Kansas State, BYU and Arizona State all received votes, but has the top 25 not cracked. Self said some of these teams will likely break into the top 25 in points this season.

Unlike other conferences or even some previous Big 12 seasons, the league is strong from top to bottom. It's not a top-flight league with three title contenders and some of the bottom teams in the country – every team has a chance to win on every night.

“That makes the league difficult,” Self said. “Many leagues are top-heavy but also bottom-heavy. That's not the case in this league. No matter where you go, away wins – or non-away wins – will not come as a surprise to coaches.”

The level of difficulty is only increased by the 20 conference games scheduled conference-wide this year. Self isn't a fan of that, considering the Jayhawks already have a demanding non-conference schedule this year. KU will play North Carolina, Duke, Creighton and NC State, just to name a few. Self said the non-conference schedule, along with the 20-game conference season, means “26 of your 31 games are basically league games, basically must-win games.”

Among the other preseason top 10 teams, KU will play Iowa State and Houston twice, and Baylor once on the road and Arizona at home once.

After commissioner Brett Yormark acknowledged Tuesday that the league may not stay at 20 games in future years, KU athletic director Travis Goff said Wednesday that the conference is in an “open discussion” about the future of the conference schedule. He added that the conference was still adjusting to the 16-member base and the expectation was that the conference would continue to play 20 games, but that schools were considering whether that was the right path moving forward.

Regardless of whether it continues or not, it will be a difficult schedule for the Jayhawks this year. Senior center Hunter Dickinson said the team must rely on maintaining physical well-being: “Normatec-ing, a lot of biofreeze and a lot of trying to take care of your body as best you can.”

KU begins its season on November 4th against Howard and will begin conference play on December 31st at home against West Virginia.

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Written by David Rodish

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