Kansas teams sit atop Big 12’s preseason coaches poll

Kansas is preseason favorite to win its 15th consecutive Big 12 men’s basketball regular season title.

The Jayhawks on Friday received nine first-place votes and totaled 81 points to finish ahead of runner-up Kansas State (one first, 72 points) in the league’s annual coaches poll.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

West Virginia placed third, followed by Texas and TCU, who tied for fourth. Iowa State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Baylor and Oklahoma State rounded out the poll.

KU placed first in the preseason poll for the eighth straight season and 18th time in the history of the league. Last year, KU clinched at least a share of its 14th consecutive Big 12 crown, breaking the mark for most consecutive league championships set by UCLA (Pac-12) from 1967-79.

KU has won or tied for 18 of the 22 Big 12 regular season titles.

The Big 12 preseason pick historically has gone on to finish first in the regular season 15 times, which does not include 1996-97, as a coaches poll was not conducted. KU has been the preseason favorite in 14 of its 18 Big 12 regular-season titles, missing 1996-97 (no poll), 2005-06 (third) and 2010-11 (second).

K-State tied Kansas for the league title in 2012-13.

2018-19 Big 12 preseason men’s basketball coaches’ poll

1. Kansas (9) 81

2. K-State (1) 72

3. West Virginia 61

4. (tie) TCU 54

4. (tie) Texas 54

6. Iowa State 41

7. Texas Tech 36

8. Oklahoma 21

9. Baylor 20

10. Oklahoma State 10

*First-place votes in parentheses. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams

Gary Bedore

Gary Bedore covers University of Kansas athletics for The Star.

This story was originally published October 19, 2018 at 10:28 AM.