Big 12 Conference announces 2024-25 Preseason Coaches Poll, individual honors

With the college basketball season bearing down, the Big 12 has released a preseason set of all-conference teams and a poll for the league finish. And it’s a reminder of how talented and deep the league has become.

From top talents playing for new teams in the league to some returning and blossoming stars, there’s not shortage of talent in the league. All told, 10 players featured on the preseason first and second all-conference teams. The coaches also picked a number of various honors, including player of the year, newcomer of the year, and freshman of the year.

And in the preseason poll for the league standings, it was the usual suspects at the top.

Big 12 preseason player of the year: Hunter Dickinson, Kansas

Hunter Dickinson has been a star center for basically all of his college career. He transferred to Kansas ahead of last season and has quickly become a dominant force down low for the Jayhawks.

And Dickinson is a veteran presence, having played in 127 games — 122 of them starts — during his four years of college hoops. His fifth is expected to be just as dominating, and a repeat of last year, when he was also picked as the preseason player of the year.

Big 12 preseason freshman of the year: VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

A heralded prospect and the No. 4 player in the 2024 signing class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, VJ Edgecombe is the type of top talent that Scott Drew has been able to entice to play at Baylor. And the touted combo guard is expected to make an immediate impact for a new-look Bears team.

And it’s not like Edgecombe is the only heralded freshman joining the league. His selection here speaks to the belief coaches have in his ability to be an immediate impact player.

Big 12 preseason newcomer(s) of the year: Jeremy Roach, Baylor; Coleman Hawkins, Kansas State

A pair of likely highly impactful transfers made the cut for the newcomer of the year honors in the preseason, as both Jeremy Roach, now a Baylor guard, and Coleman Hawkins, playing forward at Kansas State, were boons for their respective squads. On top of high-level abilities, both players are veteran presences.

Roach arrives after a stint as a key cog in the Duke lineup. And Hawkins spent several years at Illinois as the Illini fought back into Big Ten contention.

Big 12 men’s basketball preseason all-conference teams

First team

• Caleb Love, Arizona
• LJ Cryer, Houston
• J’Wan Roberts, Houston
• Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
• Hunter Dickinson, Kansas*

Second team

• Norchad Omier, Baylor
• Jeremy Roach, Baylor
• Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State
• Dajuan Harris Jr., Kansas
• Coleman Hawkins, Kansas State

*Dickinson was a unanimous pick

Full Big 12 preseason men’s basketball coaches poll

1. Kansas (9 first place votes)
2. Houston (5)
3. Iowa State (1)
4. Baylor
5. Arizona (1)
6. Cincinnati
7. Texas Tech
8. Kansas State
9. BYU
10. TCU
11. UCF
12. Arizona State
13. West Virginia
14. Oklahoma State
15. Colorado
16. Utah