The Big 12 tournament championship has progressed competitively over time to rank among the most followed college basketball conferences in the last ten or so seasons, with Kansas Jayhawks previously dominating proceedings. Competition is rife among several other conferences, but new prospects and challenges posed by new powerhouses such as Iowa State, Houston, and Baylor Bears, among others in the Big 12 Conference, make it all the more interesting to follow.
The conference welcomed four new members for the 2024/25 edition: Arizona Wildcats led by Tommy Lloyd, Arizona State Sun Devils, Colorado Buffaloes, and Utah Utes. Texas and Oklahoma recently broke ranks and joined the Southeastern Conference, but the previous competition witnessed in the championship and the entry of new bigwigs presents a whole new challenge to one of the country’s top conferences in college basketball.
2025 Big 12 Tournament Betting Favorites
Houston Cougars
Kelvin Sampson-led Houston Cougars go into the 2025 edition in Kansas as strong wincomparator.com betting favourites for the Big 12 tournament title. After a disappointing tournament in 2024, where they fell to TCU in the quarters, Sampson will want to build on a solid season that saw the Cougs dominate the 2023/24 season: 32-5 overall record, with a 15-3 Big 12 record. In only their second season since joining the Big 12 Conference from the American Athletic Conference, Sampson will once again bank on team chemistry and hard work that has seen his teams outshine star-studded opponents.
The Cougs have strengthened their ranks by replacing Jamal Shead with Milos Uzan, one of the games’ most solid playmaking guards. They have also retained the services of five of their top scorers from last season: L. J. Cryer, Emanuel Sharp, Terrance Arceneaux, J’Wan Roberts, and J. Francis.
Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas boasts one of the strongest squads in the conference. The start of the season has been nothing short of exemplary, characterized by some solid wins. However, bookmakers still feel this team is beatable in the Big 12 tournament.
Coach Bill Self has assembled a team of winners and proven game-changers in Hunter Dickinson, Rylan Griffen, AJ Storr, KJ Adams, Dajuan Harris, Zeke Mayo, and Flory Bidunga. He will want to make a statement in a tournament previously dominated by his team. If he can build more on team cohesion and capitalize on the pool of talent at his disposal, he has a team capable of sweeping anyone on their way. It remains a tough call between the Houston Cougars, who will not want to repeat the mistakes of last season, and the 2022 winners Kansas.
Tournament Outsiders: Baylor Bears
Baylor go into the tournament as outsiders capable of causing an upset in the Big 12 tournament. They are one of the most entertaining sides in the conference and will bank on Norchad Omier, Jeremy Roach, Rob Wright III, J. Nunn, VJ Edgecombe, Langston Love, and J. Celestine, among others, to lead them to glory.
Three early losses for Baylor in the regular season can be attributed to the fact that the team is made up of an almost entirely new team. The team ranks up there with the best in terms of adjusted offensive efficiency analysis, stealing offensive rebounds, and shooting the lights out efficiently.
Iowa State Cyclones were the surprise winners of the previous after snatching the Big 12 Tournament Championship from the more fancied Houston Cougars. While each year presents a rare opportunity for surprises, the 2024/25 title seems cast in stone. From the look of things, the money is on the Houston Cougars and Kansas Jayhawks.
