Oklahoma basketball picked to finish 6th in Big 12 Preseason Poll

The men’s Oklahoma basketball team is picked to finish 6th in the Big 12 this season.

That is the outcome of a vote of Big 12 coaches in the conference’s annual Preseason Poll released on Thursday.

The Sooners, who finished last season with a 19-12 overall record and 9-9 in the conference, were picked to finish eight the past two seasons. Oklahoma earned the No. 3 seed in last season’s Big 12 Tournament. The postseason was cancelled, however, out of concern for the coronavirus pandemic, which will likely affect the 2020-21 season, as well.

Baylor is the preseason favorite, ousting the Kansas Jayhawks from the favorite’s position for the first time in nine seasons.

Baylor received 79 total votes to 73 for Kansas and seven of the nine first-place votes. Kansas received the other two first-place votes. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

Baylor was picked to finish second in the Big 12 Preseason Poll in both 2012-13 and 2019-20. The Bears second-place finish in the final standings last season was their highest since the Big 12 was formed in 1996.

West Virginia placed third in the preseason poll followed by Texas and Texas Tech. Following Oklahoma in the No. 6 spot are Oklahoma State, Iowa State, TCU and Kansas State.

Oklahoma average predicted finish in the last 10 Big 12 Preseason Media Polls was 5.8. The Sooners average finish in the conference standings over the same 10-year span is 5.2.

The Sooners return 70 percent of their offensive production with seniors Austin Reeves and Brady Manek, both of whom averaged close to 15 points a game a year ago.

Oklahoma opens the 2020-21 season on Nov. 25 at home against the University of Texas-San Antonio.