KU once again tops Big 12 basketball poll, K-State eighth

Kansas is once again preseason favorite in the Big 12.

The Jayhawks were picked unanimously to win their 14th consecutive conference championship by the league’s basketball coaches on Thursday. They received all nine possible first-place votes in the preseason poll.

Kansas State was picked to finish eighth.

There weren’t many surprises in the preseason poll. West Virginia was chosen second and received a first-place vote from KU coach Bill Self. TCU, fresh off a NIT championship, was selected third. This should be the most anticipated basketball season for the Horned Frogs in recent memory.

Texas finished last in the Big 12 standings a year ago, but was picked to finish fourth thanks to a strong recruiting class. Baylor came in at No. 5, followed by Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

K-State returns three starters from a team that won 20 games and reached the NCAA Tournament last season, but the Wildcats will have to prove themselves this season. The coaches voted them eighth, ahead of only Iowa State and Oklahoma State.

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 10:04 AM with the headline "KU once again tops Big 12 basketball poll, K-State eighth."