Kansas was picked to finish third in the Big 12 men’s basketball preseason coaches poll, trailing Arizona and Houston as the conference’s coaches set expectations for the 2026-27 season. The poll, released Thursday, also came with individual honors for the Jayhawks, including a Preseason Freshman of the Year selection for incoming five-star forward Tyran Stokes.
Arizona topped the poll as the reigning Big 12 champion, collecting 12 first-place votes and 220 points, according to the Houston Chronicle. Houston landed second with four first-place votes and 214 points, coming off a fifth consecutive 30-win season and a trip to the Sweet 16. Iowa State took fourth and Texas Tech rounded out the top five.
Kansas’s Spot In The Big 12 Preseason Poll
The third-place projection places Kansas behind two teams with recent conference and tournament success but ahead of the rest of a league that returns significant talent. Coaches across the Big 12 cast the votes that shaped the order, and Kansas’s spot reflects a roster in transition after four straight seasons that ended short of expectations in the NCAA Tournament, according to Sports Illustrated.
Along with the team ranking, Houston’s Joseph Tugler and Dedan Thomas Jr. were named to the preseason All-Big 12 team. Stokes earned the Preseason Freshman of the Year distinction, a nod to the expectations surrounding his arrival in Lawrence.
Why The Ranking Matters
The coaches poll lines up closely with Ken Pomeroy’s preseason analytics, which also have Kansas inside the national top 10. KenPom slotted the Jayhawks at No. 8 overall for 2026-27, part of a group of five Big 12 teams in the top 15 nationally. Houston sat at No. 3, Arizona at No. 5, Iowa State at No. 6 and Texas Tech at No. 12, according to Sports Illustrated.
That cluster of ranked teams underscores the depth coaches are weighing when they vote. Kansas landing behind Arizona and Houston in both the human poll and the computer model suggests a level of agreement rare between the two methods, even before a game has been played.
Kansas’s Roster Additions
Kansas enters the season with notable roster continuity and additions. Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White are both back with the program after preliminary injunctions granted each player an extra year of eligibility, according to Sports Illustrated.
The Jayhawks also bring in a recruiting class led by five-star point guard Taylen Kinney, four-star shooting guard Luke Barnett and Stokes, the five-star forward who has been projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. That combination of returning experience and incoming talent is central to why Kansas drew its preseason ranking despite missing deep NCAA Tournament runs in each of the last four years.
What’s Next
Kansas opens its path toward conference play with a slate of exhibition games before Big 12 competition begins. The preseason coaches poll and KenPom projections will face their first real test once games count, starting with how Stokes and the Jayhawks’ revamped backcourt perform against Big 12 competition.
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