The Baylor Bears, a program coming off a 26-4 season in 2019-2020, are the pick as the pre-season favorite in the Big 12 Conference. Baylor, in polling from the 10 coaches in the conference, received seven nods, with the other three going to perennial power Kansas. The Jayhawks were second in the poll, followed by West Virginia, Texas, and Texas Tech. Oklahoma was picked sixth, followed by Oklahoma State, Iowa State, TCU, and Kansas State.
Baylor likely would have been a #1 seed last March in an NCAA Tournament that never happened, a victim of the developing COVID-19 pandemic. The Bears return Jared Butler, who averaged 16 points per game last season and was picked as the Big 12’s preseason player of the year.
While Baylor receives the favorite’s role from the coaches, the Big 12 championship routinely runs through Bill Self’s program at Kansas. The pick for Baylor is the first time Kansas was not picked as the preseason favorite in nine years. KU, last season, finished the year at 28-3, ranked #1 by the Associated Press when the season was cancelled on the first day of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.