Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats won the Big 12 regular season and conference tournament last year, the first time for each, while also making a run to the Final Four for the first time since 2001.
The Wildcats saw three players taken in the 2026 NBA draft: Jaden Bradley, Koa Peat, and Brayden Burries, while also losing Tobe Awaka, Anthony Dell'Orso, and Dwayne Aristode. One might think Arizona will drop from the top spot in the Big 12 with all those departures, but Lloyd did a great job replenishing the roster with 5-star freshman Caleb Holt and transfers RJ Godfrey, Derek Dixon, and JJ Mandaquit.
Even with strong offseasons from Houston, Kansas, Texas Tech, and others, Arizona remains the team to beat in the Big 12 heading into the 2026-27 season. Below is a look at the full power rankings, with barely one month until the games officially get underway:
1. Arizona Wildcats
Even with most of last year's production set to play in the NBA this season, Arizona remains the team to beat in the Big 12. Getting center Mo Krivas and forward Ivan Kharchenkov back was a massive win for Tommy Lloyd, and if Clemson forward RJ Godfrey is eligible, this starting five is as good as anyone in the country.
The PG duo of Derek Dixon and JJ Mandaquit is a huge x-factor for the Wildcats, along with 5-star guard Caleb Holt, but the team's overall defensive upside and the superstar potential of Kharchenkov make this the odds-on favorite in the Big 12 once again.
2. Houston Cougars
Kelvin Sampson and the Coogs continue to rebuild even after losing massive talent from last year – including lottery pick Kingston Flemings and veteran guards Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp.
Houston gets back center JoJo Tugler and wings Mercy Miller and Chase McCarty, while bringing in Kent State forward Delrecco Gillespie and LSU PG Dedan Thomas Jr.
If Chendall Weaver (Texas) stays eligible, he adds even more toughness and physicality to a Houston squad that will once again be Arizona's toughest competition in the Big 12.
3. Texas Tech Red Raiders
No team in the Big 12 is more reliant on the five-in-five eligibility cases than Texas Tech, which could have do-it-all 6'6 forward Darrion Williams, elite three-point shooter Donovan Atwell, and rugged 6'8 forward Ja'Michael Stillwell all playing huge minutes in Lubbock or none of them, in which case the team will heavily rely on junior Josiah Moseley and freshman Dakari Spear.
The Red Raiders are also going to get back JT Toppin, who tore his ACL last February, although it is unclear exactly when his return will happen, making this one of the toughest teams in the conference to project before the season.
4. Kansas Jayhawks
The Darryn Peterson saga is over after one up-and-down year in Lawrence, and now Bill Self and the Jayhawks get another extremely talented freshman in Tyran Stokes. The 6'7 wing won't be as ball-dominant as Peterson was, but could realistically lead this conference in scoring.
The question for Kansas is the frontcourt, where Paul Mbiya and Christian Reeves form the lowest-upside center group the Jayhawks have had in a long, long time. That could derail what otherwise looks like a solid Kansas team, especially if Tre White is able to return for a fifth year.
5. Iowa State Cyclones
Killyan Toure was everyone's pick to seamlessly replace Tamin Lipsey in Ames. However, Toure suffered an injury and will be out until at least midseason, leaving coach TJ Otzelberger searching for a hard-nosed defender and facilitator to take over at PG.
Enter….Tamin Lipsey, who is currently eligible to return for a fifth year and – if that sticks – would immediately push the Cyclones back into top-5 and arguably top-3 consideration in the Big 12.
6. BYU Cougars
AJ Dybantsa isn't walking back through the door for BYU and coach Kevin Young, but the Cougars did manage to keep point guard Rob Wright while bringing in former Kentucky shooting guard Collin Chandler to run alongside him.
Bruce Branch III is one of the best freshmen in the conference, and if Michigan State transfer big man Jaxon Kohler maintains his eligibility, this team will be quite dangerous once again.
7. Cincinnati Bearcats
Perhaps the most polarizing team in the Big 12 this preseason is Cincinnati, which was taken over by former Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun this offseason. The Bearcats have no returners of note, but have added a significant amount of talent in the transfer portal.
The big question is whether MJ Collins – who followed Calhoun from Utah State – ends up keeping his eligibility or not. Even without him, this team will be great with Tylen Riley, Myles Colvin, and Eric Mahaffey in the mix, but they could push for top-five status with Collins added as well.
8. West Virginia Mountaineers
Year two of the Ross Hodge era looks very promising on paper, with the additions of transfer guards Martin Somerville (Florida State), Finley Bizjack (Butler), and Joson Sanon (St. John's), not to mention star freshman Miles Sadler.
The frontcourt is a tad less proven, although the return of fifth-year senior Brenen Lorient is a massive gift for the Mountaineers, and Georgia Tech center Mo Sylla has tons of upside as well. This could be a really good year in Morgantown.
9. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State sneakily built one of the best transfer portal classes in the entire country, a group that includes guard Kashie Natt (Sam Houston State), forward Jordan Burks (UCF), wing Luka Bogavac (North Carolina), and big men Julius Halaifonua (Georgetown) and Andrija Grbovic (Arizona State).
Tack on a pair of stud freshmen in Latrell Allmond and Anthony Felesi and you have the makings of a true contender for Steve Lutz, if he can get all the new faces to coalesce in Stillwater.
10. Baylor Bears
The Mingo brothers – Dylan and Kayden – have a chance to be really special in Waco this year, although it hinges on Dylan's ankle injury healing in time for the season.
If that happens, these two could give Scott Drew his best season since the national championship run in 2021, although the frontcourt does leave something to be desired.
11. TCU Horned Frogs
Jamie Dixon managed to keep multiple starters in Fort Worth for this upcoming season, including guards Brock Harding and Tanner Toolson and forwards Micah Robinson and Xavier Edmonds.
Toss in Long Beach State guard Gavin Sykes – who averaged 19.4 points en route to Big West Rookie of the Year honors – and Texas Tech big man Luke Bamgboye and you have a squad capable of getting back to the NCAA Tournament in 2027.
12. UCF Knights
Johnny Dawkins has a brand-new starting five this season, led by high-scoring Tarleton State transfer Dior Johnson and redshirt senior guard Arturo Dean from Oklahoma State.
The Knights have done well on the portal trail as of late, but another fully rebuilt roster will take some time to gel – and doesn't look to have quite the same upside as recent teams in Orlando.
13. Arizona State Sun Devils
After 20 years at Saint Mary's in the WCC, Randy Bennett takes over at Arizona State, ushering in a new era after the Sun Devils kept spinning their wheels under Bobby Hurley.
Bennett brings All-Big-12 caliber big man Paulius Murauskas over with him, along with a WCC All-Star team including Emmanuel Innocenti (Gonzaga), Joel Foxwell (Portland), and Dillan Shaw (Saint Mary's).
Will Bennett's brand of slow-paced, high-efficiency basketball translate to the Big 12? That's the big question in Tempe right now.
14. Utah Utes
Year two of the Alex Jensen era will feature a very new-look roster in Salt Lake City, with the additions of Jackson Holcombe, Trey Campbell, Babacar Faye, Taison Chatman, and TJ Burch via the transfer portal.
The Utes were hoping to get Noam Yaacov eligible, which would have boosted their ceiling considerably, but the NCAA wasn't having it – likely putting Utah back in the Big 12 cellar once again.
15. Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado brings back star guard Barrington Hargress and rising sophomores Jalin Holland and Josiah Sanders, but losing point guard Isaiah Johnson (Texas) and big man Bangot Dak (Vanderbilt) is a brutal blow for Tad Boyle's team, which looks like it will once again struggle to compete in the Big 12.
16. Kansas State Wildcats
The Jerome Tang era is mercifully over in Manhattan, with longtime Belmont coach Casey Alexander taking over for the Wildcats.
While there's a lot of talent on this Kansas State roster, including Colorado State transfer Brandon Rechsteiner, former Virginia Tech guard Jaden Schutt, and Oregon wing Dezdrick Lindsay, it's hard to imagine all the pieces coming together in a cohesive enough way to compete in the Big 12 in Alexander's first season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arizona as Where Arizona stands in early Big 12 basketball power rankings.