Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: The Kansas men’s basketball team has been selected to win the Big 12 Conference.
The Jayhawks, who have won 14 straight regular season titles — a national record — were selected by the league’s coaches on Friday to take the league again.
It was the eighth consecutive time the coaches voted Kansas No. 1 in the preseason poll.
West Virginia, which finished as the Big 12 tournament runner-up the last three seasons was picked third, behind Kansas State.
Over the past two seasons, the Mountaineers were selected second behind Kansas in the preseason poll.
Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.
WVU returns three starters from last season’s Sweet 16 team, but is looking up at Kansas and Kansas State in the poll.
The Jayhawks return two starters from their Final Four run, but also signed the conference’s top freshman in guard Quentin Grimes and forward Dedric Lawson is also eligible after transferring from Memphis. He averaged 19.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game during the 2016-’17 season.
Kansas State returns Big 12 preseason Player of the Year Dean Wade, as well as all five starters from last season’s Elite Eight team.
Wade averaged 16.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
— By Justin Jackson
Preseason Big 12 Basketball poll
Picked by the coaches
Team (first place votes) total points
1. Kansas (9)* 81
Doesn’t this get old for the Jayhawks, being at the top year after year?
2. K-State 72
Coming off a Sweet 16 appearance, the Wildcats have high expectations.
3. West Virginia 61
Sagaba Konate leads a big front line that might not be as effecient defensively as in the past.
4 (tie). TCU 54
They lost their leading scorers, but have a deep group that’s trying to make its first back-to-back trip to the NCAAs since 1953.
4 (tie). Texas 54
They lost Mo Bamba, but they’re still deep. The key for them will be how well the guards play.
6. Iowa State 41
Missed the tournament for the first time in eight seasons last year, but they have four starters returning.
7. Texas Tech 36
Relying on Jarrett Culver, another league team trying to make a back-to-back trip to the NCAAs. If so, it’ll be the first time since 1986.
8. Oklahoma 21
They’re looking at life after Trae Young, and it’s not very promising this season.
9. Baylor 20
It’s going to be King McClure and transfers trying to get the Bears back in the tournament after missing last season.
10. Oklahoma State 10
What seems like a long drought will continue, they lost three starters off a team that was 8-10 in conference play.
* — Unanimous Selection
Justin Jackson’s picks
1. Kansas
2. Kansas State
3. West Virginia
4. TCU
5. Texas Tech
6. Texas
7. Baylor
8. Iowa State
9. Oklahoma
10. Oklahoma State
Allan Taylor’s picks:
1. Kansas
2. West Virginia
3. Kansas State
4. Iowa State
5. Texas
6. TCU
7. Texas Tech
8. Oklahoma
9. Oklahoma State
10. Baylor
