As we wind down the Big 12 basketball season and get ready for March Madness, I decided to take a look at each of the 2024 Big 12 preseason polls for football and basketball and see where things were similar from the past year.
While football was completely upended thanks to the success of Arizona State, there are several similarities to point out between the way the football and basketball seasons played out.
Who is Basketball’s Version of Arizona State Football?
Well, in fairness. That’s a tall ask. That team doesn’t exist. Arizona State was picked dead last in the Big 12 football season, and of course they won the league. In basketball, Utah was picked last, and while they exceeded expectations, they still missed the NCAA Tournament and ended up firing their head coach.
So I would argue Texas Tech is the basketball version of Arizona State. The Red Raiders were selected to finish No. 7 in the Big 12 basketball preseason poll and ended up finishing in second place in the regular season. That’s a big gap between what was expected and how they ended up.
And now, if Tech makes a run to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, that comparison is even more accurate.
Who is Basketball’s Version of Utah Football?
The Utes were picked atop the Big 12 football preseason poll and then finished near the bottom of the standings. There’s not a perfect fit here, but it has to be the Kansas Jayhawks.
KU was picked as the team to win the Big 12, and was the No. 1 team in the country in the preseason basketball polls.
The Jayhawks will be playing in March Madness this year, but they won’t be a trendy pick to get beyond the second round, if they even win their first round game in the Big Dance. It’s been a second-straight disappointing season for Bill Self, who will be feeling more pressure in 2025-26 than he’s felt in years in Lawrence.
Kansas State Basketball was UCF Football
Both these teams were picked to finish in the middle of the pack, but they both had high ceilings. UCF football was picked No. 8 in the league in the preseason, and ended up near the bottom and split with head coach Gus Malzahn. Meantime, K-State basketball was picked No. 7 in the league and ended up in the bottom half of the conference, missing out on the Big Dance.
Both teams had star power and great moments. UCF football started 3-0, including a great win over TCU to start Big 12 play that gave the program hope. Kansas State had a great six-game winning streak mid-season that also gave K-State fans hopes of a turnaround.
Both ended up as disappointments.
BYU Basketball Was Baylor Football
Both teams had very slow starts to the conference schedule, despite their being talent within both teams. Baylor began the Big 12 season with an 0-3 record, with an overtime loss and a six-point loss during that stretch. Meantime, BYU hoops was 1-4 to start the year, with three of those losses by 5 points or less.
But then, Baylor went on a run and closed the season with six wins in a row. BYU basketball is entering the tournament playing some of the best hoops in the country. BYU had a nine-game winning streak snapped on Friday in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals.
Baylor football ended the season with a disappointing loss to LSU in the Texas Bowl, while BYU is hoping to have more postseason success come March Madness next week.
Cincinnati is … Cincinnati?
Cincinnati football was not picked to be a contender in football or basketball, but they give their fans hope with solid non-conference play, and then the wheels fall off. In football, Cincinnati was 2-1 in non-conference and 3-1 overall to start the season. They only had a one-point loss to Pittsburgh on the resume. After two more wins, they were 5-2, and then lost five in a row to miss bowl eligibility.
Cincinnati basketball went 10-1 in non-conference play. They started Big 12 play with an 0-4 start, and despite getting back onto the bubble for a brief period of time, closed the season with four losses in their final five games.
