The 2020–21 Big 12 men's basketball season began with practices in October 2020, followed by the start of the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. Regular season conference play began in December 2020 and concluded in March 2021. The Big 12 tournament was held from March 11–14, 2021 and was played at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Baylor won their first ever National Championship, becoming the first Big 12 team to win the National Championship since Kansas in 2008.
Coaches
Coaching changes There were no head coaching changes following the 2019–20 Big 12 Conference men's basketball season.
Head coaches Note: Stats are through the beginning of the season. All stats and records are from time at current school only. Team Head coach Previous job Seasons at school Overall record Big 12 record NCAA tournaments NCAA Final Fours NCAA ChampionshipsBaylor Scott Drew Valparaiso 17th 8 0 0Iowa State Steve Prohm Murray State 6th 3 0 0Kansas Bill Self Illinois 18th 16 3 1Kansas State Bruce Weber Illinois 9th 5 0 0Oklahoma Lon Kruger UNLV 10th 7 1 0Oklahoma State Mike Boynton Oklahoma State (asst.) 4th 0 0 0TCU Jamie Dixon Pittsburgh 5th 1 0 0Texas Shaka Smart VCU 6th 2 0 0Texas Tech Chris Beard Little Rock 5th 2 1 0West Virginia Bob Huggins Kansas State 14th 9 1 0
Preseason
Recruiting classes + Rankings Team ESPN RivalsScout/247 SportsSigneesBaylor No. 22 No. 42 No. 28 3Iowa State No. 18 No. 37 No. 29 4Kansas No. 25 No. 17 No. 22 4Kansas State - No. 19 No. 35 7Oklahoma - No. 86 No. 85 2Oklahoma State No.8 No. 4 No. 13 6TCU - No. 66 No. 52 3Texas - No. 57 No. 96 1Texas Tech No. 14 No. 10 No. 10 5West Virginia - No. 61 No. 51 4
Preseason watchlists Below is a table of notable preseason watch lists. WoodenNaismithCousyWestErvingMaloneAbdul-Jabbar Jared Butler, Baylor MaCio Teague, Baylor Marcus Garrett, Kansas Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State Greg Brown, Texas Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia Matt Coleman III, Texas Ochai Agbaji, Kansas Terrence Shannon Jr., Texas Tech Mark Vital, Baylor Brady Manek, Oklahoma Derek Culver, West Virginia
Big 12 Preseason Poll
Big 12 CoachesPoints 1. Baylor (7)79 2. Kansas (3)73 3. West Virginia61 4. Texas58 5. Texas Tech53 6. Oklahoma39 7. Oklahoma State35 8. Iowa State19 9. TCU18 10. Kansas State15Reference: (#) first place votes
Pre-Season All-Big 12 Team Big 12 CoachesJared Butler †, G BaylorMarcus Garrett †, G KansasAustin Reaves, G OklahomaCade Cunningham, G Oklahoma StateMatt Coleman III, G TexasOscar Tshiebwe, F West Virginia† denotes unanimous selectionReference: Player of the Year: Jared Butler, Baylor Newcomer of the Year: Marcus Santos-Silva, Texas Tech Freshman of the Year: Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State
Preseason national polls
AP AthlonSports Blue RibbonYearbook CBS Sports Coaches ESPN Kenpom SBNation SportsIllustratedBaylor 2 1 3 3 1 1 1 2 1Iowa State 67 Kansas 6 5 6 6 5 9 5 6 7Kansas State 113 Oklahoma 17 38 31 Oklahoma State 35 RV 33 TCU 53 Texas 19 23 20 22 20 9 19 22Texas Tech 14 11 10 14 13 14 6 14 20West Virginia 15 20 20 7 15 18 8 15 17
Rankings + Legend Increase in ranking Decrease in ranking Not ranked previous week
Pre Wk2 Wk3 Wk4 Wk5 Wk6 Wk7 Wk8 Wk9 Wk10 Wk11 Wk12 Wk13 Wk14 Wk15 Wk16 Wk17 FinalBaylor AP 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 3C 1 – 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 1Iowa State AP C –Kansas AP 6 7 5 5 3 3 6 6 9 15 23 RV 23 17 13 11 12C 5 – 5 5 4 4 6 7 9 18 22 RV 24 19 14 12 11 16Kansas State AP C –Oklahoma AP RV RV 24 9 12 9 7 16 25 RVC – RV RV RV 14 12 10 8 15 24 RV RVOklahoma State AP RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV 23 RV RV 17 12 11C RV – RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV 24 22 22 21 17 14 12 19TCU AP RVC –Texas AP 19 18 14 11 10 8 4 4 5 5 6 13 12 14 15 13 9C 22 – 12 11 10 9 4 4 5 5 6 13 13 16 16 16 9 21Texas Tech AP 14 17 17 14 15 13 18 15 12 10 13 7 15 18 18 20 21C 13 – 17 14 16 14 19 15 13 10 11 8 11 16 18 22 21 22West Virginia AP 15 11 11 8 7 9 14 13 14 11 17 14 13 10 6 10 13C 15 – 10 7 6 8 16 14 15 11 18 14 15 13 5 9 13 18
Regular season
Conference matrix BaylorIowa StateKansasKansas StateOklahomaOklahoma StateTCUTexasTexas TechWest Virginiavs. Baylor — 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–1 0–2 0–1 0–1 0–2 0–1vs. Iowa State 2–0 – 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0vs. Kansas 1–1 0–2 — 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–0 0–2 1–1vs. Kansas State 2–0 0–2 2–0 — 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0vs. Oklahoma 1–0 0–2 1–1 1–1 — 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–0 0–2vs. Oklahoma State 2–0 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 – 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–1vs. TCU 1–0 0–2 2–0 1–1 2–0 0–2 – 2–0 1–0 2–0vs. Texas 1–0 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 — 2–0 1–1vs. Texas Tech 2–0 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 2–0 0–1 0–2 — 2–0vs. West Virginia 1–0 0–2 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 —Total 13–1 0–18 12–6 4–14 9–8 11–7 5–11 11–6 9–8 11–6
Big 12/SEC Challenge DateTimeBig 12 teamSEC teamLocationTVAttendanceWinnerLeaderSat., Jan. 30Noon24 Oklahoma9 AlabamaLloyd Noble Center • Norman, OKESPN2,680Oklahoma (66–61)Big 12 (1–0)Kansas StateTexas A&MBramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KSESPNU942Texas A&M (68–61)Tied (1–1)2:00 PM11 West VirginiaFloridaWVU Coliseum • Morgantown, WVESPN1,000Florida (85–80)SEC (2–1)10 Texas TechLSUPete Maravich Assembly Center • Baton Rouge, LAESPN22,808Texas Tech (76–71)Tied (2–2)TCU12 MissouriMizzou Arena • Columbia, MOESPNU3,063Missouri (102–98) (OT)SEC (3–2)4:00 PM2 BaylorAuburnFerrell Center • Waco, TexasESPN2,350Baylor (84–72)Tied (3–3)Oklahoma StateArkansasGallagher-Iba Arena • Stillwater, OKESPN23,350Oklahoma State (81–77)Big 12 (4–3)6:00 PM15 Kansas18 TennesseeThompson–Boling Arena • Knoxville, TNESPN4,191Tennessee (81–60)Tied (4–4)Iowa StateMississippi StateHumphrey Coliseum • Starkville, MSESPN21,000Mississippi State (95–56)SEC (5–4)Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt will not participate for the SEC. The Texas-Kentucky game was canceled due to COVID-19.All times Eastern
Postseason
Big 12 tournament
NCAA tournament
Seed Region School First Round Second Round Sweet 16 Elite Eight Final Four Championship 1 South Baylor#16 Hartford W, 79–55#9 Wisconsin W, 76–63#5 Villanova W, 62–51#3 Arkansas W, 81–72#2 Houston W, 78–59#1 Gonzaga W, 86–70 3 West Kansas#14 Eastern Washington W, 93–84#6 USC L, 51–85 3 East Texas#14 Abilene Christian L, 52–53 3 Midwest West Virginia#14 Morehead State W, 84–67#11 Syracuse L, 72–75 4 Midwest Oklahoma State#13 Liberty 'W, 69–60#12 Oregon State L, 70–80 6 South Texas Tech#11 Utah State W, 65–53#3 Arkansas L, 66–68 8 West Oklahoma#9 Missouri W, 72–68#1 Gonzaga L, 71–877 BidsW-L (%):6–1 1–5 1–0 1–0 1–0 TOTAL: 11–6
Honors and awards
All-Americans
Consensus All-AmericansFirst TeamSecond TeamThird TeamJared Butler, G, BaylorCade Cunningham, G, Oklahoma StateDavion Mitchell, G, BaylorReference: To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors from a majority of the following teams: the Associated Press, the USBWA, Sporting News, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
All-Big 12 awards and teams 2021 Big 12 Men's Basketball Individual Awards Award Recipient(s)Player of the YearCade Cunningham, G, Oklahoma StateCoach of the YearScott Drew, BaylorDefensive Player of the YearDavion Mitchell, G, BaylorSixth Man AwardKai Jones, C, TexasNewcomer of the YearMac McClung†, G, Texas TechFreshman of the YearCade Cunningham†, G, Oklahoma StateReference:
2021 Big 12 Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams First Team Second Team Third Team Defensive Team Newcomer Team Freshman TeamJared Butler†, G, BaylorDavion Mitchell, G, BaylorAustin Reaves, G, OklahomaCade Cunningham†, G, Oklahoma St.Derek Culver, F, West VirginiaMarcus Garrett, G, KansasDavid McCormack, F, KansasAndrew Jones, G, TexasMac McClung, G, Texas TechMiles McBride, G, West VirginiaMaCio Teague, G, BaylorRasir Bolton, G, Iowa StateRJ Nembhard, G, TCUMatt Coleman III, G, TexasCourtney Ramey, G, TexasTerrence Shannon Jr., G, TexasJared Butler, G, BaylorDavion Mitchell†, G, BaylorMark Vital†, F, BaylorMarcus Garrett†, G, KansasGabe Osabuohien, F, West VirginiaJonathan Tchatchoua, F, BaylorJalen Wilson, F, KansasGreg Brown, F, TexasCade Cunningham†, G, Oklahoma St.Mac McClung†, G, Texas TechJalen Wilson†, F, KansasCade Cunningham†, G, Oklahoma St.Mike Miles, G, TCUGreg Brown†, F, TexasJalen Bridges, F, West Virginia † - denotes unanimous selection
Notes
References