Idon't know if the Big 12 will be college basketball's best conference this season (because that label could still belong to the SEC or even go to the Big Ten). As always, we'll see. But this much I do know: There is no league I'm more interested in following this season than the Big 12 because it features multiple true national-title contenders and the players who could go first and second in the 2026 NBA Draft .

The elite NBA prospects? That's Darryn Peterson ( Kansas ) and AJ Dybantsa (BYU) -- the two prospects most have slotted No. 1 and No. 2 in NBA mock drafts. The title contenders? That's Houston , Texas Tech and BYU -- at least. As you likely know, there are two coaches in the Big 12 who have already won national championships -- namely Kansas' Bill Self and Bay

See Full Page